Kytin

# The Goddess Kytin

 Areas of Concern:
 Domains
 Favored Weapon
 Holy Symbol
 Common Worshipers
 Sacred Animals
 Sacred Colors

## Overview/ Physical Description

The Mother of Beer and Bread, the Grain Mother, Kytin has risen to tremendous power and influence in a relatively short time. Despite beginning her life as a demigod daughter of Bromis and a worthy mortal, Kytin soon ascended to full godhood with a domain that includes the fundamental building blocks of civilization, agriculture. While animal husbandry and planting did predate her, particularly among halflings who were the first truly pastoral folk, humans were slow to embrace it. Because they were brought to Apia as mind flayer slaves, human ability to do more than hunt and forage was extremely limited as the illithids had no interest in teaching anything that might empower their slaves. Even after the fall of the illithids and beholders, humans lacked the ability to create truly self-sustaining farms. (Some evidence suggests the existence of ancient corn gods or grain goddess among humans, though this is not provable. Assuming these deities were slain their knowledge would have been lost.) Into this world came Kytin, Bromis' daughter.

Her father was a simple man, a hunter who had honored Bromis with his actions and deeds. He was a man of valor and no small courage, raising his demigod daughter alone in a cabin along the wild western edge of what would become Taskanda. Young Kytin didn't hurt for animal or fey friends, and was adored by the trappers and woodsmen who were friends of her father. Many of the gods took a shine to her, notably Yondalla, goddess of the halflings and dear friend of Bromis. "Aunt" Yondalla walked beside Kytin often and mothered over her, helping the demigoddess grow older and wiser. Kytin loved her father but had to spend hours or even days apart as he hunted in dangerous woods for game or foraged for berries. While they never went hungry, Bromis saw to that, Kytin feared for his safety and wondered if perhaps another way existed for the pair to eat well. There were wild blackberry bushes in her mother's forests and one day, rather than simply take the berries, she dug up the bush and planted it behind their house. With some watering and nurturing, the bush flourished. Aunt Yondalla noticed Kytin's interest in growing things and took her to her home realm on Mount Celestia. There, the young demigoddess saw the sacred rows of celestial wheat and corn, rode on the backs of angelic pigs and discovered her true purpose. She wanted to grow things.

   With her mother's permission, Kytin combined her love of humanity and nature and showed her fellow frontiersmen Yondalla's teachings as well as many of her own discoveries. Kytin taught them how to plant grain in rows and how to cultivate pumpkins and potatoes. She showed them how to bake bread and how to brew beer. She taught the breeding of animals. She encouraged the little communities to grow in unity and cooperation. They would cultivate the land with gentle, loving hands and work alongside their neighbors, helping one another. Kytin led by example. Her sleeves were rolled up as she dug in the dirt with her own divine hands, she spilled her own sweat upon the ground as she carried hay she'd harvested into barns she'd built herself. And the people loved her for it. Soon she was surrounded by followers who learned everything she could teach and, with her blessing, taught it to others.

Her followers spread her teaching throughout modern-day Taskanda and the surrounding lands. New guilds of bakers and brewers sprung up, while swaths of farmland transformed rural villages to thriving agricultural centers. Wherever her followers went, love of the demigoddess followed and she was soon worshiped by those farmers, bakers and brewers. In the span of a few decades The Mother of Beer and Bread ascended as a full goddess, and a powerful one at that.

Kytin may not be the shining sun in the sky or the blade in the warrior's hand, but she is the friend to the farmer, the ally of the baker and the champion of the brewer. In her name wheat and corn grows and her faithful breed sturdy cattle. Small towns survive on the skills she teaches and the blessings she provides. The arrogant warrior who boasts in his mighty god will look foolish indeed when he realizes he cannot eat his boasting. Kytin is a goddess who isn't loud or colorful, instead she serves humbly and quietly in the background, allowing the civilizations of man to thrive. No army can march without the farmer, and no kingdom can last without bread.

Today Kytin continues to make visits to the Material Plane to assist with crop management or reveal new secrets of animal husbandry but she typically spends her time within her Divine Realm "The Wheatfield." There, she perfects the recipe for the celestial bread manna, and experiments with new breeds of grain. She cultivates shoots of wheat made of pure silver, heads of corn grown from shining brass and dairy cows whose milk cures blindness. Every so often, either in vision or physically, she'll seed a new crop into Apia's soil, usually in response to famine or crisis. She still loves getting her hands dirty with mud and barley and it is rare for a god to find her not working in The Wheatfield.

Kytin can be often found visiting the farmers and bakers of Apia and many of her faithful look out into their fields on a hot summer's day to witness the goddess herself tending their crops. Bakers have returned from break to find her working over their ovens, while brewers can find Kytin inspecting the vats. What those faithful see is a golden skinned, golden haired woman, dressed in simple farmer's garb, complete with wide-brimmed straw hat. She has a rugged, country beauty, with the frame of a proud farmer, scythe in hand and brown jug of ale at her feet. She sings harvest songs as she works with a smile on her face. Those faithful who are brave enough to offer her a token for her work or, better yet, invite her into the house for a meal, are richly blessed with successful harvests beyond their wildest dreams that following season.

Kytin is sometimes conflated with the agricultural deities of other species, and humans of different cultures tend to view her differently, despite her origins as an ascended goddess. (See other cultural interpretations.)

Kytin shows her favor with results. Crops will bloom out of season or produce far more than expected. Animal births will be easy and healthy, yeast will produce increasing loaves of bread or vats of beer. The air may smell faintly of fresh-baked bread. Her disfavor is likewise easy to detect. Crops wither and die, animals struggle to conceive, bread spoils and beer goes bad. (As a fairly even-tempered goddess it is quite difficult to anger Kytin but the abuse of workers, neglect of neighbors in need or reckless and destructive treatment of the natural world will ensure her wrath.)

## The Church

The church of Kytin is one of the largest across Apia. While Taskanda proudly proclaims Kytin a "local" goddess, and has vast temples built in her name, every single human nation, indeed most towns within them, houses a temple to Kytin. Even many non-humans including minotaurs, half-orcs, half-elves, many fey races and ratfolk honor Kytin and build temples in her honor. There is nowhere on Apia Prime where her worship is illegal, even the Goblin Dominion allows worship of The Grain Mother. As her church helps even the poorest of serfs her clergy are welcomed and celebrated everywhere. While there is one definitive "mother temple" in Taskanda that ultimately settles disputes between individual churches, serious arguments are rare. The church of Kytin is somewhat organized, with temples sending representatives to a yearly conference, which resembles a farm show more than a theological debate. Her faithful are quick to offer aid to other churches and try to keep all things in common. Due to their neutral good nature, Kytin's followers are quick to help one another, more out of a sense of camaraderie than expectation and difficulties are usually resolved by listening to the older or more experienced priest.

Followers of Kytin are farmers, bakers, brewers and homesteaders and thus poorer, more rural folk, who rely on the sweat of their brows to carry the day. They tend to be honest, traditional people who work hard and contribute to their communities. Farm life is a hard life and requires dependable people, they in turn love their goddess who embraces that hard work with joy. While some mayors, veterinarians, reeves or merchants can be followers of Kytin it's rarer. A wealthy land-owner who has a dozen farms on his property probably prays to Midos, god of honest commerce, while the men and women actually working the fields pray to Kytin herself. Kytin doesn't discriminate among worshipers, anyone of any class or race who's willing to do their fair share is welcome at her temples.

Her followers are expected to grow something or contribute in a similar way, cultivating the land without abusing or exploiting it. They are to teach others these techniques without any exception of reward beyond the favor being returned if the situation were different. They break bread with the stranger and open the barn to travelers in need of a place to rest. They work their land diligently and help wherever they can. They are to support traditional culture which strengthens the community, like marriage, family and holidays. They throw festivals, teach canning and pickling and, generally, prove very good neighbors to have.

Kytin's services are held outdoors in the field. They'll usually open with an old "Corn Hymn," a series of instructions from a senior priest about an agricultural topic including Kytin's own words from *The* *Holy Almanac*, alms are collected for the poor and finally everyone performs some communal act, like a barn raising or seeding a large field.

### Temples and Shrines

Temples to Kytin are large, rustic looking buildings which are built for practicality not style. They tend to be covered in plant life, include a pen for domestic animals and an attached grain silo. While those are optional, no temple of Kytin is complete without a small sacred field for growing grain. What grain exactly depends on the priest but wheat or barley is typical. Every temple will also have an attached brewery and bakery which sells high quality but inexpensive bread and ale to the poor. Even those unable to pay the copper piece are given the dignity of working for their meal so they don't need to feel the shame of begging. These institutions are run on donations which is much of what Kytin's offerings, both of coin and grain, go towards.

Shrines to the goddess are simple affairs made of wood or stone. They are carved to resemble a standing sheaf of wheat or jug of ale. Some can include a practical use such as a small grain mill or clay oven. It's common to leave hardtack or penny ale at these shrines for the less fortunate to eat. Most bakeries and breweries have such a shrine within their establishment, while farmers keep them in their barns. Very rarely, the shrine will be accompanied by a scarecrow and placed right in the middle of the field to ensure a blessing upon the crops.

### A Priest's Role

Priests of Kytin have clearly defined roles that require great physical ability and strength of character. They are to cultivate a farm, bakery or brewer of their own, usually attached to the temple they serve at, both as a sign of their devotion and to aid the community. When not actively working on their own farm they must travel to the surrounding farms and aid with what they can. They treat sick animals, help diagnose crop failures and explain the finer points of techniques like the "three sisters" planting method. Often they arrive at a farm because of a specific request and accept no payment for their services beyond a meal. The most dangerous of Kytin's tasks is to protect crops from raiders, wild animals and monsters. Typically this is done by leading adventurers to those troubled spots but, if none are around, the priest must do her part, scythe in hand, to protect the harvest.

Wandering Kytin priests set up workshops where they educate the population about agriculture and living in balance with nature. They encourage responsible farming, planting and animal husbandry. These priests help many towns and it is a rare village that didn't have some field improved by the arrival of one of the Mother of Beer and Bread's faithful. They must never deny a request to teach farming techniques, even to those who might seem of ill intent, for perhaps the bandit may grow to love black bread more than the blade and thus give up his life of crime.

Most of Kytin's priests are clerics, with a few being rangers, druids or even paladins. All priests have at least one level of expert or commoner and are skilled in at least one, if not more, areas of The Grain Mother's portfolio. A Kytin worshiper who can't bake a simple loaf is highly suspect.

### Holidays

As a rural goddess of the people, Kytin has many holidays. The turning of the seasons is of infinite value to her faithful and is marked accordingly. The 9th month of the year is named Kytinus after her and is a sacred time for her church. Almost every town has a local festival held in her honor but a few universal holidays include the following...

**First Planting:** Usually held in Moradinus but rarely in Bahamous if the weather permits it, First Planting is a joyous occasion where the ground is broken with shovels and a ceremonial kernel of wheat is buried. It's also a time associated with new life and Kytin's faithful usually add to their number nine months after First Planting. The following week, planting begins in earnest and the back-breaking agricultural season commences.

**Clackersday' Feast:** On the Clackersday before First Harvest, faithful bakers of Kytin will give free loaves of black bread to the community as a way of encouraging them that good times are coming. The abundance of bread given has led to the holiday being dubbed by some "Black Breadday."

**First Harvest:** The date of this holiday floats but is traditionally held in late Eylmri or early Kytinus. When the first harvest of the season is gathered heirloom seeds are set aside for the future years and then a great feast is held to celebrate the goddess' faithfulness. Poultry is served, ale flows and all manner of sweet breads and gourds are consumed while the Kytinites thank her for ensuring a bountiful crop.

**Pickling:** Held on the second last week of Thuhaldirum, pickling is a holiday where the final food preservation is done. Cheese is made, meat is salted, grains are dried and yes, things are pickled. Another great feast is held where the faithful eat everything that cannot be preserved. The warmth of the memory caries them through the winter to the First Planting of the next year.

### Animals

While all domesticated animals are loved by Kytin, such as geese, quail or oxen, her sacred animals are the pig, chicken, goat and most recently, the gobbler. The pig is among the easiest, most abundant source of meat and he is honored for dying that humans may life. Chickens are producers of eggs, without whom many would not survive. They scratch the dirt "cultivating" their coops with hard work and sacrifice, encouraging all to follow in their example. Finally the goat provides milk, hide and meat. Much like Kytin herself, the goat helps in so many areas and provides so much for the community that a wise Kytinite would learn from her example.

The gobbler is a more recent addition. A hybrid species of miniature turkey created by high priest Malachi Browne, the gobbler is the size of a chicken but produces considerably more meat. Additionally, the gobblers are hermaphroditic and produce fertile eggs based on availability of food without the need for roosters. Many a small village has been saved from starvation by the remarkable creature. Kytin loved the gobblers so much she officially raised them up to sacred animal. As a result, many Kytinite temples have gobbler pens in addition to their other amenities.

### Adventurers

Followers of Kytin are not typically adventurers. Theirs is a life of contemplation, hard work and cultivation. However there are examples of clerics of Kytin joining up with adventuring parties. Usually this is to combat a specific blight, disease or invasion. Other times it's to recover rare plants, lost recipes or to reach a winder range of farms. Some farmers are quite isolated and reaching their fields requires an adventurer just to make the trip. Other adventurers who worship Kytin tend to be farm kids, or farmers themselves, who either due to tragedy or boredom took to the adventuring life but remain faithful to their family goddess.

### Clothing

Kytin's faithful tend to wear clothing that is subtle and functional. Often stained with dirt, grass or compost, rugged brown tunics, dresses, and pants are favored. All tend to wear large, thick, leather boots. The colors are browns and beige, earthy and homey. Most prefer to make their own clothes when possible, so wool or cotton remains the most common material. The wide-brimmed straw hat is seen as the most important piece of clothing for a Kytinite and even lay followers wear one regularly. A less common practice involves chewing a stalk of barley or wheat, or pinning the grain to the clothing as a symbol of loyalty. Many but not all do this.

## Symbols

Kytin's holy symbol is a sheaf of wheat, usually constructed from brass or wood. The simple brown jug or a crusty loaf of bread serve as alternative holy symbols, usually reserved for those followers who are under those sub categories. When speaking of the goddess, or visiting a fellow Kytinite, a follower will rub their forehead with the back of the right hand as if wiping away imaginary sweat. Alternatively, some take the right hand and hold it flat about the eyebrows, as if shielding their eyes from the hot noonday sun.

### Holy Text

Kytin has two holy texts. *The* *Holy Almanac* is the first, written while she was still living on Apia. It resembles a farmer's guide more than scripture with chapters on planting, raising piglets, digging wells and cultivating fruit. While written with a flowery and sacred tone, the advice is practical and useful. Many a farmer learned how to cure root rot from reading *The Holy Almanac*. The other is a slim book of parables called *Because of a Little Leaven.* That work is particularly beloved by grandparents who often say, "As it says in *The Leaven*, 'The mustard seed, while small, becomes the largest tree. So too a good deed, even if small, has a big impact." Or "As it says in *The Leaven,* counting chickens before the egg hatches is foolish. Rest on what is done, not what will."

### Sayings

Many popular sayings come from *The Leaven* but not all of them. It seems the faithful of Kytin are particularly drawn to parables and bites of wisdom.

*"Stale bread makes good pudding."-* While a truism about cooking, it's also a reminder to Kytin's faithful that there's always a solution and even mistakes can be used for good with the right heart.

*"It takes water, sunshine and time to make the wheat."-* This reminder is often give to discouraged youth or impatient bakers. For true success it takes hard work sure, but also time. Some things cannot be rushed.

## Relationships

Kytin has many friends, particularly among the gods of good. She's a gentle soul, not given to quarreling or strife which does much to endear her to the rest of the Divine Family. In particular she pays homage to Teteus whose sunlight is so important for her crops. Vutune is another of her friends as they have complimentary interests as both wish to see villages and families flourish. Yondalla remains a motherly figure to her as well as a goal to strive towards. Kytin will seek her council about agricultural matters before anyone else. She enjoys the company of Atix Crowfeather and, along with her mother Bromis, has a "book club" of sorts where they discuss the finer points of nature and the wilds. Among good gods however it is her mother she is closest with. Kytin loves her mother and the two spend many hours in the woods and glades of the Upper Planes merry in each other's company.

When it comes to gods of neutrality she doesn't have many friends but she does have two rivals. Machanacus, the Clockwork God, is a god of development like Kytin, but she strongly opposes his methods as destructive and harmful. Proto-Machanacus is nothing like the pastoral communities she adores. Similarly, her grandfather The Green Lord views her attempts to "civilize" the wilds as foolish and almost insulting. He is cold when he meets her and encourages Kytin to "give up this foolishness." Still, even The Green Lord's wildest followers know better than to lay a hand on a Kytinite. They can mock, berate and insult them all they want but ultimately Kytin is his granddaughter and she isn't to be harmed.

Among evil gods Kytin doesn't go out of her way to make enemies but she does have some. Her main foesinclude all demons, devils and yugoloths associated with pestilence and disease, notably Juiblex who she has a special rivalry with. Oztoz, the god of greed, has taken a particular interest in Kytin which she doesn't appreciate, loathing the disgusting lord of sloth and gluttony. While she supports the noble side of The Divine Family, she rarely takes up her scythe in actual combat, instead supporting her fellows gods from the sidelines with divinely baked bread and holy beer.

## Realm

Kytin's realm is know as The Wheatfield and it is located on the second level of The Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia. The Wheatfield appears as a vast field of golden wheat, the sun high in the sky on a warm but not unpleasant summer day. Crops are always in bloom, animals play without damaging the plants, and bumblebees the size of small birds fly lazily from flower to flower. The air smells of freshly baked bread and the rivers alternate between cool refreshing water and beer. Groves of produce ring The Wheatfield's edges while Kytin's petitioners work in harmony, tending the celestial crops as she works alongside them. While the sun never sets, each follower knows when they've worked an appropriate amount of time, so they can retire for a peaceful "afternoon" of rest and revelry.

Unusually, Kytin has a small "demi-realm" granted to her by Bromis that exists on Elysium called "The Golden Orchard." Wild fruit trees grow there, as do berries and other sweet plants. Some of Kytin's petitioners tend the grove and provide the goddess a "home away from home" when she visits her mother on Elysium.

## Planar Allies

Kytin has a specific herald and servitor race. She also has some special servants all of whom are detailed below.

**Bleimoere:** Kytin's herald may be small, but he is mighty indeed. A fastachee of great age and power who was so impressed with Kytin's goals that he swore himself to her service while she was a demigod, Bleimoere travels the various planets and Planes sowing corn wherever he goes. Kytin often sends him to areas in desperate need of food such as villages with devastated crops. Bleimoere uses his ability to grow corn freely and joyusly, observing the effects of his work through the plants he leaves behind. While he prefers peace Bleimoere is no slouch if forced into combat, casting spells as an 16th level druid. Many an arrogant demon has been utterly obliterated by the tiny fey before their bones were ground up to fertilize the fresh corn.

**The Golden Goose:** A large, celestial goose that lays eggs of solid gold, Kytin sends The Golden Goose to two types of followers. The first are truly deserving mortals who are in financial distress and need a small boost. In that case the Goose lays enough eggs to get them out of their trouble and departs. The other are those followers struggling with the temptation to take the easy route. The Goose can never be killed by them but it can be banished as those greedy farmers learn too late when they try to split her open and get the eggs all at once. While on the Material Plane the Goose is normal sized, in The Wheatfield she is large. Occasionally, Kytin rides her in laps around the celestial duck pond.

**The Patient Watchman:** A solar angel who takes the appearance of a friendly scarecrow, The Patient Watchman spends much of his time standing in fields both Material and Celestial, scaring away crows both mortal and demonic. A boon to faithful farmers and a friend of children, the Watchmen is beyond gentle with those needing his protection. More than once, bandits have attempted to raid an innocent farmstead only to be taught the error of their ways by an unassuming, but smiling, scarecrow. The Watchman's very presence is known to drive away pestilence and crops bloom double beneath his gaze.

**Poludnica:** Kytin's servitor race appear as celestial women around eight feet tall, dressed in farm garb and carrying a scythe or sickle. They have skin that shines like the sun and are always warm to the touch. The smell of wheat follows them. The Poludnica, or "Lady Midday" as they were called, predated Kytin and were cruel, malicious fey who reveled in heatstroke. They would torment children and kidnap men for their amusement. Somehow, Kytin won their favor and helped the Poludnica use their powers more productively, and so they provide gentle heat to crops and soothing breezes to the workers. Occasionally, one will get lonely and integrate herself with a family or particularly handsome farmer but harm no longer comes of this. Some will pull harmless pranks but causing heatstroke is a thing of the past. What bargain or arguments Kytin made with the fey is unknown but they remain fiercely loyal to The Grain Mother.

## Other Cultural Interpretations

As a powerful, influential goddess, Kytin has a few cultural interpretations. While most recognize her exactly as she appears and presents herself, particularly in Taskanda, there are exceptions. While some are more subtle, such as changing hair or skin color, or emphasizing local foods or grains a few stand out as being truly alternate interpretations.

**Delorgan:** The warlike Delorgan tend to downplay the importance of Kytin and within their pantheon her influence is greatly reduced. On the stony Delorgan isles, few crops can grow and those that do tend to be bitter or unpleasant. Most grains can be acquired by raiding so farming isn't particularly valued. However,the Delorgan love of alcohol ensures that Kytin isn't completely neglected there. Among the Delorgan, she is known as the "Mead Maiden," a servant of Vyzbus whose responsibility is to pour mead within the halls of the gods and keep the sacred honey fresh. While a minor figure, the Delorgan love of mead and whiskey leads many brewers and warriors to praise the name of the Mead Maiden. Her colors are yellow and her sacred animal is the bee.

**Halfling:** The halfling people sometimes venerate Kytin as a dark-haired halfling called "Kytin Too-Tall." She's depicted as a halfling, complete with cherubic smile and hairy feet but taller than she should be, looking somewhat awkward. The belief that Kytin must be a halfling stems from the idea that Yondalla wouldn't teach the secrets of animal husbandry to a non-halfling and therefore she must be one of them. Alternatively, they struggle to believe a non-halfling could love baking or brewing so much, so again, she must be one of them. This has led to Kytin Too-Tall actually being a member of the halfling pantheon in some places where she serves as a farm hand to Yondalla with a special focus on bread and grains. Some call her Yondalla's daughter or her apprentice and she's the patron of halfling bakers everywhere. Aside from being a halfling and the narrower focus on bread, Kytin Too-Tall is mostly the same as her mainline version.

**Echui:** One of the main human peoples on the western continent are called the Echui. Despite being one ethnicity roughly they have vastly different tribes and cultures, all across the continent. While exposure to Taskandan culture came to the west via Taskandan explorers and settlers, they already had a near universal goddess called, "Kya the Corn Goddess." Kya seemed quite similar to Kytin as far as the settlers recognized and even the friendly Echui say the similarities. Some assumed Kya was a precursor of Kytin or possibly an avatar that she sent across the sea while teaching in Taskanda. Ultimately the worship of Kya is conflated with Kytin by settlers and even some Echui though debate rages if the two goddess are actually the same. Kya appears as a ruddy-skinned, dark-haired, Echui woman who teaches the various uses and benefits of different kinds of corn. She's famous for developing the "Three Sisters" method (again independent from mainline Kytin) which the Echui still use today, as well as teaching them how to make cornbread. Kya's sacred animals are the alpaca, capybara and turkey and her colors are a golden yellow. She remains almost entirely focused on corn though she's known to help other Echui gods with their animals.

**Minotaur:** The minotaurs pay homage to a being they call Kytin, a large motherly bovine who helps teach them all manner of cattle herding and crop raising. Unlike her human interpretation, minotaur Kytin pays particular attention to sheep rearing, with her sacred animals being the dairy goat, sheep, and even the sacred bull. Kytin is considered a "hearth goddess," with an emphasis on being at home and caring for Demauric while the other gods do battle with evil. She's the nanny of Zurpiter's divine offspring and the holy bulls of the nation. She taught the minotaurs how to gather milk from goats, who to sheer sheep and butcher them for meat. While she did do some planting and brewing, wine is far more important to the minotaurs than beer and has it's own associated god, bread is rarely eaten by them, are not particularly valued. She's more rancher than farmer and has two alternative appearances. One shows her as a female minotaur with golden fur and long golden hair, tied back in a pony tail. The other is a female minotaur with white and black splotches along her fur, resembling a typical dairy cow. In both forms her outfit is simple and practical and she works among the flocks with vigor.