The people of @Aethertide do not simply believe in the sea—they live by it, fear it, and worship it. The divine powers of the ocean are not distant deities but immediate, unpredictable forces woven into daily life. Chief among them is the Tidemother, an ancient goddess who embodies the sea's grace, fury, and endless depth.
She is known by many names: Saltmaw, The Lady Below, Mother Deep. To sailors, she is protector and punisher; to coastal priests, she is the font of prophecy and life.
Domains: Ocean, Tempest, Protection, Change
Symbols: Spiral shell, open hand, cresting wave
Temples: Often partially submerged, built of coral and barnacled stone
Rites: Sacrifices of pearls or stories, sea-blessings, tide-readings
The most sacred site is the @Temple of the Tidemother , where bioluminescent coral pulses with her rhythm. Her clerics are known as Wavepriests, wielding her power to calm storms, heal the drowned, or unleash tsunamis. Her followers formed a creed @The Tideblessed Covenant.
Though the Tidemother reigns supreme, many other sea gods and spirits hold sway across Aethertide’s diverse cultures:
A tempestuous god worshiped by the @The Stormcallers’ Covenant , he is invoked through lightning duels and wind chants.
Domains: Storms, Wrath, Sky
Appearance: Cloaked in thunderclouds, eyes of lightning
A serene sea deity of beauty, prophecy, and lost things. Favored in @Coral Crown .
Domains: Beauty, Secrets, Dreams
Her tears become pearls; her voice is heard in deep-sea whale songs.
Once a mortal sailor who defied death and became a god of undeath and the abyss.
Domains: Death, Water, Vengeance
Worshiped by necromantic cults, especially in @Grimwave Point and the @The Gyre of Lost Souls
A fire god trapped beneath the sea, whose rage boils vents in the @Emberflow Sea .
Domains: Fire, Destruction, Rebirth
Appears as a flaming figure inside volcanic glass
Worship in Aethertide blends sacred and practical:
Ships often carry shrine-lockers below deck
Priests may be found aboard vessels as navigators and omens-readers
Harbors feature wave-altars where tide and prayer meet
Some temples like the @Stormglass Monastery or @Temple of the Tidemother function as political powers as well, advising rulers and calming waters during key ceremonies.
"Tidemother, take this drift. Grant safe tide, still storm, and silver wind."
"Stormfather, spare this mast—strike only what would sink us."
"The sea takes her tithe."
"Pray deep, sail true."
"You don’t find pearls without pleasing Myriss."
In Aethertide, to forget the gods is to invite ruin. But to honor them is no guarantee of safety—only a chance to be heard before the waves decide your fate.