The next deity in the Greco-Roman Mythology Project is Tethys, the Mother of Waters! She is the wife of Okeanos, and as the mother of the Okeanides and Potamoi, she is seen as the mother of all fresh water in any world where the Titans or Olympians are worshiped. While generally neutral in the conflict between the Titans and Olympians, she took in the young Olympian women during the Titanomachy; because of this era and the other daughters of Kronos see her as something of a surrogate mother.
Tethys (PDF Version)
(The Mother of Waters, Nurse of the Comingled Waters, the Lovely)
Intermediate Power of Arborea and Carceri, N
Portfolio: Fresh water, clouds, rain, springs, lakes, nursemaids
Aliases: Thesis
Domain Name: Ossa/the River Oceanus (Okeanos’s Temple) and Porphatys/Okeanos’s Temple
Superior: None (formerly Kronos)
Allies: Aerdrie Faenya, Akheloos, Brigantia, Deep Sashelas, Eadro, Eileithyia, Hera, Istishia, Lethe, Okeanos, Persana, Poseidon, Sarula Ilien, Stronmaus, Styx, Surminare, Tefnut, Trishina, the Okeanides, the Potamoi, the Olympians, the Titans
Foes: Blibdoolpoolp, Demogorgon, Panzuriel, Sekolah
Symbol: A cloud
Wor. Align.: Any
Lovely Tethys (TEH-t’is or TEH-this), with her husband Okeanos and through her children the Okeanides and the Potamoi, is the bringer of fresh water to the slopes and plains of her mother Ge and thus the worlds of the Prime Material Plane. She is the source of rain and clouds, giving their refreshing showers to Zeus to direct as he wills. Finally, as a mother of many children and for her role in raising the young daughters of Kronos, Tethys is often seen as the patron of nursemaids and adoptive parents.
When Eros first came among the Titans, Tethys was the one he touched initially, and instantly she fell in love with Deep-Whirling Okeanos. The two were wed in a ceremony laid forth by Themis, setting the precedent for all of her siblings and those who would find love later. From this union Tethys brought forth her multitude of children, in numbers truly only rivaled by those of her own mother Ge. From these children, typically numbered at three thousand of each male and female, half were like their father, and these became the Potamoi, each one named for and representing a single river. The other half, all daughters, were the Okeanides and they took after their mother.
The many daughters of Tethys and Okeanos are quite a varied group of women. Collectively, the Okeanides are often called the Mothers of Gods and Men, for many of them became wives or lovers of both immortal gods and mortal heroes and kings. Of course, this is by no means a complete description, for some of the Okeanides are true powers unto themselves and others serve Titans or Olympians in significant ways, and a final group became minor demipowers of continents, regions, and cities of worlds throughout the Prime Material Plane. The most important of the Okeanides for Tethys are the Nephele. They serve their mother as the bearers of clouds and the bringers of rain, moving at the behest of their sisters the Aurai, who serve the gods of the winds, the Anemoi.
When Kronos first began plotting against Ouranos for his wretched treatment of their non-Titan siblings, Tethys joined her husband in choosing not to fight. She recognized the need for a safe haven for the children and those of their sisters who did not participate in the scheme. This neutrality was maintained during the Titanomachy as well, although in that case it was nominal only, for she took in the young sisters of Zeus and raised them as her own. She grew especially close to Hera through this time, forming a true mother and daughter relationship with her. This closeness was especially important in recent centuries, for some time after the Titanomachy, the formerly calm and serene marriage between Okeanos and Tethys nearly broke. The reasons for this are not known to either worshipers or scholars, but many suspect philandering on the part of Okeanos to be responsible. Through Hera’s counseling they eventually rectified their differences and are once again a happy couple, and it is said that still more members of the Potamoi and Okeanides are born as the mortal followers of the pantheons bring their faith to new worlds throughout the Prime.
With such experience raising children, most of whom have children of their own who Tethys had a hand in raising, she is seen as something of a grandmother to many members of the dual pantheons. She aids Hera’s daughter Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, as patron of nursemaids, adoptive parents, and all those who take care of and raise children not their own.
Tethys very rarely dispatches her avatars to aid her followers, sending instead servants or manifestations. When she does, it is often in the company of Okeanos or Eileithyia; usually attending the birth or marriage of a great hero.
Tethys’s Avatar (Cleric 32, Water Elementalist 30, Fighter 20)
Tethys appears as a lovely matronly woman with long flowing tresses of dark hue. Her hair is often interspersed with seaweed or sea creatures, and a pair of small feathery wings sprout from her brow. She clothes herself in grey robes around her waist or over her shoulder, often leaving her chest bare or partially bare. Like the other true Titans, she can alter her size anywhere between around five and a half feet tall and 90 feet tall over the course of a single round. She draws her spells from all schools and spheres save those of elemental fire.
AC −2; MV 12, Sw 36; HP 201; THAC0 1; #AT 5/2
Dmg 6d6+15 (oar+3, +10 Str, +2 spec. in oars)
MR 50%; SZ M–G (5½ feet tall to 90 feet tall)
Str 22, Dex 21, Con 22, Int 21, Wis 23, Cha 21
Spells P: 14/13/13/12/11/10/8, W: 8/8/8/8/8/8/8/7/7*
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4
* Numbers assume one extra water elemental spell per spell level.
Special Att/Def: Tethys tends to avoid melee combat if she can, favoring her magic to drive off or disable foes instead. If forced into melee, she wields Cloudstirrer, an oar +3 that can create obscurement around her to her full current height once per day. When not at her full height, Tethys operates as if under the effects of a reduce spell.
The Mother of Waters can cast precipitation or cloudburst at will and grant any one creature water breathing or water walk within 30 feet at will. Six times per day she can raise or lower water, and once per day she may summon a water elemental or a steam quasielemental that serves her faithfully for six turns. Finally, once per day she may control weather with twice the area of effect.
Tethys can only be struck by +2 or better weapons. She is immune to all water-based attacks, charms, and size alteration magic. No natural or giant snake or aquatic animal will attack her unless magically compelled, nor will free-willed water elementals or steam quasielementals.
Other Manifestations
As with her sibling major true titans, Tethys does not manifest her power on the Prime Material Plane often. When she does so, it is always though watery phenomena; most commonly she will chill or heat water to protect a follower or dissuade creatures from harming things she holds dear. If used on hostile or dangerous creatures, she causes the water temperature to become uncomfortably hot or cold; if the creatures leave the water immediately no harm comes to them but if they persist in their actions, the Mother of Waters pushes the temperature into the harmful territory, causing between 2d6 and 2d12 damage per round as she desires. She can also warm cold water to protect a follower from suffering hypothermia, or vice versa. She has also been known to cause water to spray forth from a crack in the earth or stones like a decanter of endless water; she does this either to grant water to thirsty creatures or to blast them away with a forceful water jet.
The Titans call on asuras, lesser titans, and monsters of legend as their preferred servants, but Tethys is also served by aballins, amethyst dragons, asrai, balaenas, bronze dragons, cloud dragons, cloud giants, dragon turtles, einheriar, mermen, mist dragons, mist mephits, nereids, nixies, normal and giant fish all sorts (especially eels), noviere eladrins, selkies, silver dragons, sirines, snakes of all sorts (but especially sea snakes), steam mephits, steam quasielementals, storm giants, topaz dragons, tritons, water elementals, and water mephits. She expresses her favor through the discovery of natural springs, hot springs, the sudden appearance of comforting rain showers, and the warmth of cold waters without external heating. She displays her displeasure through the discovery of dried-up springs and sudden, unexpected torrential rainfalls.
The Church
Clergy: Clerics, specialty priests
Clergy’s Align.: NG, LN, N, CN, NE
Turn Undead: C: Yes, SP: No
Cmnd. Undead: C: No, SP: No
All clerics and specialty priests of Tethys receive religion (Titans) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.
Like the priesthood of Okeanos with whom they share temples, the clergy of Tethys is quite small, although she is widely propitiated, especially through many of her Okeanide children. She is called upon for rain and wind, but always alongside other powers. More often, Tethys is called upon to send one of her daughters to bless a city with a spring or well, and she is thanked for the waters they provide. In such cases, her priests may be summoned to a location to aid in the digging of a well or the search for a spring, but typically only when the need is dire.
The priesthood of Tethys is always located in temples with those of Okeanos; neither priesthood is ever found apart from the other. This represents both the marriage between the two powers and the intertwined nature of their portfolios. Sculptures and friezes showing scenes of Tethys and her daughters, especially the Nephele, adorn such temples, along with representations of Okeanos and the Potamoi. Shrines dedicated to Tethys alone are sometimes placed near springs or wells, with a simple alcove inset with a frieze or small statue of Tethys and some of her daughters.
Novices in the service of Tethys are called Droplets. Full priests of the Mother of Waters are called Freshfalls. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by the priesthood of Tethys are Shadowy Mists, Hazy Stratus, Cottony Cumulus, Wispy Cirrus, Hidden Noctilucent, and Swelling Mammatus. High ranking priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are called cloudbringers. Females (72%) are the most common members of Tethys’s church although many males (28%) are also drawn to her service. Specialty priests (81%) dominate the priesthood, with clerics (19%) comprising the remainder.
Dogma: Springs and rain bring life-nourishing water to people and plants. Honor these gifts, use them wisely, and share always with those in need. Care for those children with no others to care for them.
Day-to-Day Activities: Outside of their temple duties, members of the Tethyan church have few required activities. They often maintain the treasuries of the temples they share with the priesthood of Okeanos as well as other infrequent domestic or organizational needs of the temple. Outside of this, they take in orphans or foundlings and assist in adoptions. They are also concerned with the health and maintenance of wells and springs.
Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: The clergy of Tethys has no regular holy days, but the discovery of a spring or the building of a well that can nourish a village or town is celebrated with a sacrifice and feast in honor of Tethys. In addition, during celebrations dedicated to Zeus to mark the end of a long or brutal drought, a sacrifice is made in thanks to the Mother of Waters as well.
Major Centers of Worship: Every temple dedicated to Okeanos is also dedicated to Tethys, and she has no independent temples, just as Okeanos has no temples independent of the clergy of Tethys.
Affiliated Orders: The priesthood of the Mother of Waters sponsors no military or monastic orders.
Priestly Vestments: During formal events and ceremonies, the clergy of Tethys wears traditional clothing of fine cloth is typically worn. This includes a long, sleeved chiton of pale grey embroidered with cloud patterns along the edges in white. A himation is sometimes worn, of white with dark grey cloud patterns along the edge. In locations where these clothes are not the norm, old-fashioned robes in similar hues are adopted. The holy symbol used by the church is a brooch or pendant depicting a rain cloud, sometimes crossed with an oar.
Adventuring Garb: When not performing religious duties, the Tethyan clergy wear simple clothing for their area. This is typically a peplos, sometimes with perhaps a himation over top, especially if traveling. If expecting combat, they favor scale or leather armors and spears, staves, or tridents.
Specialty Priests (Cloudbringers)
Requirements: Dexterity 12, Wisdom 12
Prime Req.: Wisdom
Alignment: N
Weapons: Club, dagger, dart, javelin, knife, long bow, net, short bow, sling, spear, staff, trident
Armor: Any up to scale armor, no shields
Major Spheres: Spheres of priest spells to which specialty priests have major access.
Minor Spheres: All, animal, creation, elemental (air, water), healing, protection, weather
Magical Items: Divination
Req. Profs: Weather sense
Bonus Profs: Dowsing (PO:S&M)
- While the majority of cloudbringers are human, any aquatic race capable of becoming priests may be drawn to Tethys’s priesthood, although for most of these races this is strongly frowned upon.
- Cloudbringers are not allowed to multiclass.
- Cloudbringers may cast wizard spells from the school of elemental water or elemental air as defined in the Limited Wizard Spellcasting section of “Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests” of Demihuman Deities. Only one school can be chosen, and this choice can never be changed.
- The dowsing ability of cloudbringers is naturally attuned to water; any attempts to search for other items are made with a −6 penalty. This penalty is negated if the cloudbringer devotes another proficiency slot to it (although no bonuses are gained). Further slots grant bonuses normally.
- Cloudbringers can cast create water or precipitation (as the 1st-level priest spells) once per day.
- At 3rd level, cloudbringers can cast obscurement or spring (as the 2nd-level priest spells) once per day.
- At 5th level, cloudbringers can cast cloudburst (as the 3rd-level priest spell) or dispel fog (as the 3rd-level wizard spell) once per day.
- At 7th level, cloudbringers can cast the sleet version of ice storm (as the 4th-level wizard spell) or waterwall (as the 4th-level priest spell) once per day.
- At 10th level, cloudbringers can cast geyser or hard water (as the 5th-level priest spells) once per week.
- At 15th level, cloudbringers can cast control weather (as the 7th-level priest spell) once per week.
Tethyan Spells
In addition to the spells listed below, priests of the Mother of Waters can cast the 4th-level priest spell waterwall, detailed in Faiths and Avatars in the entry for Istishia.
1st Level
Cloud Cushion (Pr 1; Evocation)
Sphere: Elemental Air
Range: 10 ft./level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd./level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 10 × 10 × 5 ft.
Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a 5-foot thick, 10-foot square mass of billowing, semi-solid fog that serves as a cushion for falling creatures. The caster may place the cloud cushion anywhere within the spell’s range, but it must rest on a solid surface. Once placed, the cloud cushion cannot be moved. The cloud cushion negates the damage inflicted by falls of up to 10 feet per level of the caster. Falls of greater distance cause damage to the victim for only the additional distance fallen. For example, a cloud cushion created by a 10th-level wizard negates all damage from a fall of 100 feet or less. However, a victim falling 120 feet before landing on the cloud cushion suffers falling damage for only the additional 20 feet (2d6 points of damage in this case). Note that the actual distance fallen counts against the 200 feet/20d6 maximum falling damage rule. Therefore, if a victim falls 300 feet before hitting a 10th-level wizard’s cloud cushion, the victim still suffers only 10d6 points of damage, as any distance greater than 200 feet does not increase falling damage beyond 20d6. However, individuals who fall from heights of 300 feet or greater must save vs. death magic (with a −1 penalty for every 100 feet above that) or miss the cloud cushion altogether and suffer falling damage as usual.
Cloud cushion can be negated with a successful dispel magic or similar effect, or by the caster’s silent act of will. Otherwise, it remains in place until its duration expires.
The material components for this spell are a fist-sized ball of cotton and a handful of fine sand, both of which are consumed in the casting.
Drench (Pr 1; Conjuration/Summoning)
Sphere: Elemental Water
Range: 30 yds.
Components: V, S
Duration: 2 rds./level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: Neg.
By means of this spell, the caster summons just enough water above a single creature to soak them to the skin. In most situations, this is just an annoyance, but the effects may be greater if the conditions are right. This water puts out any normal fires affecting the target and offers a +1 saving throw bonus versus all normal and magical fire attacks for the duration, and all such attacks deal one less point of damage per die. This drenching can cool down a creature affected by desert heat, effectively nullifying that one day’s heat effects.
However, when cast in cool or cold environments, a numbing chill sets in, causing the target to suffer a −2 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and a +2 penalty to armor class. In addition, any cold-based attacks deal one additional point of damage per die. Finally, at the expiration of the spell, the target must make a saving throw vs. poison or contract a debilitating disease (as described in the cure disease spell). In actual freezing conditions, the water instantly turns to snow and has no effect on the target creature at all.
If cast upon creatures composed of fire or native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, this spell deals 1d3 points of damage, plus one point per caster level. Against creatures resistant or immune to water (such as water birds with oily feathers and amphibious creatures such as hippopotamuses), this spell has no effect. Only clothed, furred, or feathered creatures can be affected by this spell; it has no adverse effects on most reptiles or amphibians.
This spell normally lasts for two rounds per level of the caster. In especially humid environments, this duration is doubled, and in especially dry environments, the duration is halved. A target does not dry out when the spell ends, but they will have dried enough to end any penalties or bonuses; however, they may still be uncomfortable or miserable for many hours depending on the environmental conditions. The caster can affect a man-sized creature or smaller initially; at 6th level, they can drench a Large-sized creature. They can then soak a Huge creature at level 12 and a gargantuan creature at 18th level. Finally, this water can damage equipment possessed by the target if it would be damaged by a torrential downpour. The drenching cannot penetrate sealed containers or waterproofed items, but it does soak through leather backpacks, pouches, and the like at the DM’s discretion.
2nd Level
Water Platform (Pr 2; Alteration)
Sphere: Elemental Water
Range: 20 ft.
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 5 rds./level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
By casting this spell, the caster can sculpt water into a platform, steps, or other walkable surface. There must be enough water to sculpt the shape desired, so this spell is typically used on relatively large bodies of free-flowing water, such as streams, rivers, and the sea. The simplest shape is a circular platform just wide enough to stand on; once the caster has their feet firmly planted on the surface, they may will it to rise (or sink) to a maximum of 2 feet per level of the caster. The water platform stays in this position, and the caster can step on it and will it to sink (or rise) back to its original level. Other creatures can step on the platform, but only the caster can change its height, and only while standing on it. Regardless of the height the caster wishes to attain with this spell, it takes a full round to achieve it.
Another common shape the caster can sculpt with this spell is a simple flat platform that rises about an inch above the waterline, wide enough for a human to cross comfortably. In this form, the pathway extends 5 feet per level of the caster. Any number of creatures can cross this platform within the duration.
Finally, the caster can sculpt stairs that rise out of or descend into the water. These stairs can change height by one foot and attain a length of one foot per level of the caster. For example, a 10th-level caster can cause a staircase to rise out of the water to a length of 10 feet and allowing them access to a ship deck that is 10 feet above the waterline.
Other shapes can be created so long as they fit into the general parameters described above. Ice cannot be sculpted with this spell, and water continues to flow through the sculpted shapes. Sculpted water is never mistaken for ice or another solid substance, and other than its unusual shape, there is no obvious sign it can be stepped on to those unfamiliar with its effects. If this spell is used to descend into water, the sides will be permeable but water does not flow into the void the descending water creates; note that swimming creatures cannot exit into the trough area without great effort, nor will floating objects. The caster can end the spell at any time by a silent act of will. This spell has no effect if cast entirely underwater.
The material components for this spell are the priest’s holy symbol and a small 1-inch square of clear glass or crystal.