Velnius
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
roleplaying game, Velnius is the Oeridian god of the Sky and Weather. His holy symbol is a bird perching upon a cloud.
(1983), by Gary Gygax
.
Velnius was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes
set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign. Velnius is described as one of the good deities that celestials
can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).
Velnius's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
(2000).
's eldest child, Merikka's cousin, and brother of Telchur
, Atroa
, Sotillion
, and Wenta
. He leads his siblings in their duties as the Oeridian agricultural gods
(the Velaeri). As the most responsible member of his family, Velnius often finds himself supporting or taking over for his siblings when they are lax in their duties or overwhelmed. His family members are his chief allies, though he is also on good terms with many neutral and druidic
deities. He opposes his sister Sotillion's brother-in-law, Kurell
.
's layer of Eronia.
, Highfolk
, Ratik, Sunndi
, the County of Urnst
, and Veluna
. Though worship of the Velaeri is forbidden in the Theocracy of the Pale, they are honored in secret by many farmers and country folk.
. When Velnius returned to Oerth
, he found Telchur had froze it completely, leaving room only for winter. Angered, he created three other siblings for the young god (Atroa, Sotillion, and Wenta), tasking them with ensuring that Telchur never again had so much control.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game, Velnius is the Oeridian god of the Sky and Weather. His holy symbol is a bird perching upon a cloud.
Publication history
Velnius was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game SettingWorld of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
(1983), by Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
.
Velnius was one of the deities described in the From the Ashes
From the Ashes (Dungeons & Dragons)
From the Ashes is a supplement for Dungeons & Dragonss World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was published in 1992 by TSR as a boxed set of materials...
set (1992), for the Greyhawk campaign. Velnius is described as one of the good deities that celestials
Celestial (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, celestials are a class of creatures and monsters known as outsiders who are of wholly good alignment....
can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).
Velnius's role in the 3rd edition Greyhawk setting was defined in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
Living Greyhawk Gazetteer
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Despite the title, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is not exclusive to the Living Greyhawk Campaign...
(2000).
Description
Velnius appears as a tall, white-haired, middle-aged man wearing a feathered cloak from which water and bolts of lightning pour.Relationships
Velnius is ProcanProcan
Procan is a fictional deity in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Procan is the Oeridian god of seas, sea life, salt, sea weather, and navigation...
's eldest child, Merikka's cousin, and brother of Telchur
Telchur
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Telchur is the Oeridian god of Winter, Cold, and the North Wind...
, Atroa
Atroa
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Atroa is the Oeridian goddess of Spring, East Wind, and Renewal...
, Sotillion
Sotillion
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Sotillion is the Oeridian goddess of Summer, the South Wind, Ease, and Comfort...
, and Wenta
Wenta
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Wenta is the Oeridian goddess of Autumn, Brewing, Harvest, and the West Wind...
. He leads his siblings in their duties as the Oeridian agricultural gods
Oeridian agricultural gods
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Oeridian agricultural gods are five particular deities usually worshiped as a group: Velnius , Telchur , Atroa , Sotillion , and Wenta...
(the Velaeri). As the most responsible member of his family, Velnius often finds himself supporting or taking over for his siblings when they are lax in their duties or overwhelmed. His family members are his chief allies, though he is also on good terms with many neutral and druidic
Druid (Dungeons & Dragons)
The druid is a playable character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Druids wield nature-themed magic. Prior to 4th edition, they gain divine magic from being at one with nature, or from one of several patron gods of the wild, while in 4th edition, they gain primal magic...
deities. He opposes his sister Sotillion's brother-in-law, Kurell
Kurell
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Kurell is the Oeridian god of Jealousy, Revenge, and Thievery...
.
Realm
He can be found wandering throughout ElysiumElysium (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Elysium, or more fully, the Blessed Fields of Elysium, is a strongly good-aligned plane of existence...
's layer of Eronia.
Dogma
Velnius teaches that the necessities of life flow from the sky, the "dome of heaven." He brings rain to parched fields and deserts, and allows the sun to dry swamps and muddy roads. Velnius oversees all weather, no matter the wind's direction. All weather is a blessing from the Rainshroud, even droughts and storms; though they bring hardship, eventually they move on to where they are needed.Worshippers
Velnius is usually worshipped with his siblings as part of the Velaeri, the Oeridian agricultural gods. He is thus revered by farmers and others who depend on the land's bounty, as well as travelers praying for good weather.Clergy
Velnius's priests often find themselves speaking on behalf of others, whether needed or not. They prefer talking over conflict, but once provoked can be very aggressive. Priests of Velnius during dry weather, and call for moderation when the weather becomes extreme. Like their god, they undertake long journeys, and work to counteract deviant weather caused by heretics or when the Rainshroud is otherwise occupied. Their favored weapon is the shortspear.Temples
Places of worship to Velnius are often dedicated to the Velaeri as a whole. These locations are found throughout Oeridian lands, including Ahlissa, the Bone March, the Gran MarchGran March
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Gran March is a political state of the Flanaess.-Geography:...
, Highfolk
Highfolk
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Highfolk, properly known as the Free Town of Highfolk, is a political city-state of the Flanaess...
, Ratik, Sunndi
Sunndi
In the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Sunndi is a political state situated in the region of the Flanaess. Sunndi was originally given a very brief description by Gary Gygax in 1980's World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting...
, the County of Urnst
County of Urnst
The County of Urnst is a political state in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is situated on the east coast of the Nyr Dyv, and bordered by the Duchy of Urnst to the southwest, The Kingdom of Nyrond to the south and east, and the Bandit Kingdoms...
, and Veluna
Veluna
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Veluna, properly known as the Archclericy of Veluna, is a theocratic political state of the Flanaess.-History:...
. Though worship of the Velaeri is forbidden in the Theocracy of the Pale, they are honored in secret by many farmers and country folk.
The Freezing of the World
One myth says that Velnius, who in this myth was Telchur's father, once left Telchur in charge of all the weather for a thousand years while the older god saw to other worlds in GreyspaceGreyspace
Greyspace is an accessory for the Spelljammer campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The book was written by Nigel Findley, and was published in 1992. Cover art is by Tom Baxa, with interior illustrations by David O...
. When Velnius returned to Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
, he found Telchur had froze it completely, leaving room only for winter. Angered, he created three other siblings for the young god (Atroa, Sotillion, and Wenta), tasking them with ensuring that Telchur never again had so much control.
Additional reading
- Brown, Anne. Player's Guide. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1998.
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online:http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
- Gygax, Gary, and Frank MentzerFrank MentzerJacob Franklin "Frank" Mentzer III , is an American fantasy author and game designer best known for his work on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He was a performing folk musician from 1968 to 1975, and played one concert at the White House during the...
. The Temple of Elemental EvilThe Temple of Elemental EvilThe Temple of Elemental Evil is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules...
. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1985. - Miller, Andy. "The Oeridian Lesser Gods, Part III: Telchur and RuddRuddThe common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
." DragonDragon (magazine)Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#265. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999. - Reynolds, Sean K. "The Gods of OerthOerthIn the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
." Living Greyhawk JournalLiving Greyhawk JournalThe Living Greyhawk Journal was a periodical published by the Role-Playing Games Association as a stand-alone magazine from 2000 to 2004. The publication was intended to supplement the RPGA's Living Greyhawk campaign, though many consider the content within to be canon for the Greyhawk setting in...
#3. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.