The Sea Gods and the Tidemother

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.

The Tidemother

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.

Other Oceanic Powers

Though the Tidemother reigns supreme, many other sea gods and spirits hold sway across Aethertide’s diverse cultures:

The Stormfather

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

Myriss, the Pearl Queen

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.

Uroth the Drowned King

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

Pyrak, the Ember-Hearted

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

Temples & Worship

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.

Common Prayers

"Tidemother, take this drift. Grant safe tide, still storm, and silver wind."

"Stormfather, spare this mast—strike only what would sink us."

Sailor Sayings

  • "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.