Yondalla (Greyhawk Action)

Greyhawk Action!

Yondalla is the ancestral mother of the halflings, a goddess of rivers, travel, trade, and diplomacy. She teaches that violence is a fool’s last resort and that it is better to try and talk with a clear escape route than to stand fast and fight. She is revered by halflings, merchants, travelers, and river-folk. Her wisdom includes this:

• Talk to everyone and listen more than you talk.
• Avoid lies and outright cheating, but ply on the expectations of your listeners. Treat a wise listener with respect.
• Always have one foot in the boat – or other means of escape.

Yondalla is only known among halflings, and until the advent of Synchretism was considered a minor power. The synchretists found her to be the main trade god, a portfolio that only recently has become important. Trade has low esteem among the elder races – she is only known to the dwarves, and to them he is Vengadain, god of suspicion, trickery, and trade. The Flan know him as Alliuir the god of propriety, while the Baklunish know him as Mouqol. She gladly helps others to learn her wisdom, and has exarchs in all the human pantheons. Zilchus is the Oerdian god of prestige, money, and influence, Fharlanghn the Oerdian god of travel and roads. Osprem is the Suel god of the sea and sea voyages.

The deity of halflings, Yondalla (yon-dah-lah), appears as a strong female halfling, with a proud bearing. She dresses in green, yellow, and brown, and always carries a shield. Yondalla is the creator and protector of the halfling race.

Yondalla espouses harmony within the halfling race and stalwart defense against its enemies. She urges her people to work with others but to remain true to their halfling heritage. Most halflings heed this advice, which allows them to form close-knit enclaves where halflings are welcomed, even when they have settled in areas where other creatures predominate. Yondalla also teaches that opportunities are there to be seized, which leads most halflings to be both adaptable and somewhat opportunistic. Yondalla brooks no evil among halflings, but she does not despise any halfling. Rather, she seeks to guide halflings who have lost their way back to their homes and friends.

Clerics of Yondalla are concerned with all areas of halfling life, except for thievery. (Thievery arises among halflings, the clerics say, from a too-liberal interpretation of Yondalla’s advice about seizing opportunities.) Yondalla’s clerics officiate at weddings and funerals, bless crops and new ventures, and lay plans for community defense. Temples dedicated to Yondalla are often set amid bountiful gardens or farm fields. They always contain storehouses stuffed with food and other necessities, They also contain armories and fortified sections where local halflings can safely ride out natural disasters or enemy attack.

Alignment: Neutral Good

Weapon: Shortsword

Pathfinder Domains

Charm, Community (Family), Protection, Travel (trade), Trickery.

Pathfinder Traits

• Autumn's Bounty
• Fair Trade

Action Domains

Light, Mind, Order, Spiritual, Water.

External Links

• Greek/Roman/Etruscan Syncretism at Wikipedia.