Uliae

Summary/Background
An ever-hungry seeker of knowledge, the goddess Uliae was a champion of high magic and the indomitable strength of the ocean, both in life and in death. An exceptionally talented and powerful Immortal in life, Uliae was always fascinated with the power of the elements, specifically water. This fascination led Uliae to study strange and dangerous magics, and eventually she transformed herself into an elemental being. Not content with "merely" being an elemental demigoddess, Uliae scoured the planes for even greater knowledge and forgotten titans of elemental kind dating back to the beginning of Creation. Unfortunately, Uliae erred in conjuring one such being, which escaped her control and devastated Otuz in a battle that eventually claimed both lives. Despite being dead, the worship of Uliae is answered by someone or something acting in her name, granting spells and powers to the faithful, and though Uliae is considered dead her religion is very much alive.

Unique Worshiper Options (d20)
Divine Blessing feats are a special category of powerful feats that reflect the unique abilities granted by deities in pursuit of their portfolios and agendas. Only a divine spellcaster or a character with a Paladin or Antipaladin Aura can take a Divine Blessing feat, and they must worship the indicated deity and remain in good standing with their faith in order to use the feat’s benefits. Once a character has obtained a Divine Blessing feat with one deity, they cannot gain a Divine Blessing from any other deity without converting to the new faith. A character who converts to another religion must retrain the feat as normal and does not typically get to replace it otherwise.

Deity Description
Uliae was fascinated with the power of the elements as both a mortal and Immortal archmage, specifically the element of water. Deeply intelligent and comely, Uliae held a fascination with the fluid majesty and ultimately-indestructible form of water that led her to studying eldritch arcana largely uncharted by mortals. Invoking mystical powers far older than her Human race, Uliae transformed herself into an elemental being, often appearing as her former self composed of water but taking the shapes of sea creatures when it suited her. Uliae's death was surprisingly anti-climatic for the death of a demigoddess, as she simply collapsed into a pool of water upon receiving the killing blow from Aolenis, the Tidal Abomination she summoned to Otuz. Uliae's religion teaches that the Tidal Abomination similarly collapsed, slain by Uliae's magic even after she herself died, and both the goddess and the beast drained into the Okori Ocean as little more than run-off, but that the goddess will reform in the ocean waves.

Uliae often had little use for people after her transformation, but she would mingle, flow, or spy upon mortals when the whim or need struck her, and she was perfectly capable of being sociable but often arrogant and perhaps a bit narcissistic. In the brief period between her ascension and her death, Uliae often expressed contempt for many social and cultural norms that did not suit her, and became seen as a somewhat anarchic influence on Otuzia and the Qeracian Coast that may have been a catalyst in its later pirate activity. Uliae was rarely malicious, but she was certainly capricious and selfish, giving very little thought to others if they were not immediately involved in whatever had caught her attention.

Uliae and Aolenis
The relationship between Uliae and the Tidal Abomination Aolenis is deserving of special mention as it is unclear if the force responding to prayers in Uliae's name is Uliae, Aolenis, some bizarre fusion of the two that is simultaneously both of them and neither, or something else entirely. Very little is known about Aolenis's personality, but as a Tidal Abomination the creature possessed god-like powers and likely had the ego to match. Attempts to divine the nature of both Aolenis and Uliae have proven fruitless since their mutual deaths, and even the Soulkeeper is unwilling to speak of who, what, or even if anything is contained in his realm from the event.

Relations with the Many Divines
Uliae failed to capture the attention of the Many Divines - save Pendaryion - during her life, and the dracconic god did not particularly care for her chaotic and short-sighted obsessions. However, Pendaryion also did not consider her a meaningful threat, and stayed his hand as her interests were predominantly free of harm to others and seemed to generally help Otuzia more than harm. By the time he became aware of her foolish meddling with Aolenis, however, it was too late to intervene, and the devastation wrought remains one of Pendaryion's great regrets of the last few thousand years. That someone or something continues responding to prayers to Uliae only elicits unease from Pendaryion and the rest of the Many Divines, but until that entity reveals itself they do not consider the matter important enough to pursue.

Relations with the Gray Faiths
Uliae's time as a living goddess was short but she was well-known to Astryx, Toio, and Tempest, though the latter was as irritated by her as he was pleased. Though Uliae never considered herself a challenger to Tempest, her mastery of hydromancy and nature as a demigoddess drew from the same well of worship in Otuzia, which annoyed the God of Disasters when it began to affect sacrifices in his name. Whether Tempest played a role in Aolenis crossing paths with Uliae is unknown, and although he does not claim responsibility he does not deny it either. Astryx enjoyed a more professional relationship with Uliae, finding her efforts sufficiently interesting as to merit his attention and aid, although he was otherwise as aloof as always. Toio appreciated Uliae's fluidity and affinity for changing her form as she wished, and still expresses a measure of disappointment that Uliae's time as a deity was only a few short centuries. Whether Setosh knew or cared about Uliae remains an unsolved mystery.

Relations with the Dark Pantheon
Like with the Many Divines, Uliae simply did not come to the attention of much of the Dark Pantheon during her life. The Cult of the Slumbering Deep often clashed with Uliae, but by the time she ascended to divinity she was simply too powerful for them to challenge in Otuz. Preferring to dwell far out to sea, Uliae did not interfere with the dominions of Vulcarus, Arakaena, or Naruyxz, and her self-absorbed quest for hydromantic power was of little concern to Asmodeus.

Relations with Other Pantheons
While Uliae trafficked little with the Fey, she did catch the eye of the Coral Court even before her ascension, and she enjoyed a cordial relationship with envoys of the Fey when one had need of the other. Uliae's courtesy and appreciation for the Coral Court Fey may have in fact positively influenced Otuzia enough to encourage Otuzian diplomatic efforts with Coznakk in later centuries despite early setbacks. Uliae even began to receive some interest from Fey of the Lunar Court and Night Court at the height of her power, but before anything could come of that interest she was slain by Aolenis.

Not surprisingly, Uliae enjoyed a better relationship with Druids of both the modern Paths and the Old Ways than most of the Pantheon with her interest in the elements and utter disregard of the Pantheon's fervor in establishing supremacy. Coznakki Druids generally remained wary of Uliae just by being a demigoddess of the Pantheon, but Otuzian Druids welcomed her interest and even helped her research. After her elemental ascension, Uliae continued to maintain this relationship, and Otuz was temporarily a model for coexistence between the Pantheon and Druidism. After her death, however, Druids of all kinds grew more distant from her worshipers, wary that whomever spoke to them now was not necessarily the same being that they had cooperated so well with before.

Demon Princes and Princesses, generally speaking, neither knew of nor cared about Uliae during her life, though Jgalannok became unjustifiably paranoid that she might have designs on his powers. As Uliae's cult survived her death and became a full-blown religion, however, more Demon Princes and Princesses turn their attention to Uliae - or, rather, her followers. Seeing in Uliae's faith both an unseen master of deception and a possible secret method of growing their own cults, the Demonic Pantheon eagerly tests the waters in hopes of discovering an advantage for themselves.

Notable Historic Events

 * 621 DY - Uliae is born.
 * 656 DY - Uliae completes the Trial of the Plinth, becoming an Immortal.
 * 903 DY - Uliae raises the abandoned ruin of Otuz from the Okori Ocean to claim as her own personal sanctum.
 * 1355 DY - Uliae summons Aolenis to Otuz, ultimately resulting in the death of both and the devastation of much of the rebuilt Great City.
 * c.1370 DY - Otuzian Merfolk cautiously explore the ruins of Otuz and preserve relics of the Ulian faith. In doing so, the foundations of Uliae's post-death religion are created and spreads throughout Otuzia.
 * 2114 DY - Uliae's religion is rekindled by the discovery of Ulian relics in Otuz by the pirates of Harin Redblade along with native Otuzians able and willing to recount tales of the lost goddess.
 * 2145 DY - The High Templars occupy Otuz to stop Harin Redblade, and though the city remains almost uninhabited by Coznakki landwalkers for centuries after being returned to the Merfolk, Uliae's religion is recognized by the Pantheon despite her death.
 * c.2700 DY - Otuzian Merfolk rebuild Otuz's landwalker districts after recognizing that without diplomatic ties to Coznakk they would never receive equitable treatment or respect for their territorial waters. Uliae's religion begins spreading from Otuzia through these interactions when Otuz is declared the only official port for Coznakki landwalkers to pass through Otuzian territorial waters.
 * 2805 DY - Otuz takes on new prominence as both a Great City and as the heart of Uliae's faith as Coznakki landwalkers turn to the oceanbound city for safe haven in the War of the Underworld. The rise in prominence soon elevates Uliae to a major position in the Pantheon.
 * 3863 DY - Uliae's Sanctum's outer layers are breached by the Fenris Cabal. The innermost depths of Uliae's Sanctum remain secure to modern times.