Olladra, titled the Sovereign of Feast and Good Fortune, is a goddess of the Sovereign Host. Olladra is the wife of Onatar and the mother of Kol Korran and the Keeper. She is worshiped by bards, rogues, gamblers, hedonists, merchants, and any who seek good fortune. Even her most devout Vassals cannot come to grips with why she chooses to bless or curse on a whim.[4][5][3][1]
History[]
Olladra is one of the Sovereign Host, a pantheon of originally fifteen gods, and later nine gods that hold sway over mortal life.[5]
Creation[]
There is much debate on the birth of Olladra. Most Vassals believe that Olladra and the first generation of Sovereigns were created by the Progenitor Dragon Eberron. However, many believe that their creation was not deliberate on Eberron's part, but rather a by-product of the act of the creation of the world itself. Others believe that the first-generation Sovereigns were the children of a pairing between the two Progenitor Dragons Eberron and Siberys.[5]
There are other creation myths, though. Some say that Olladra and the other Sovereigns were created by mortals, that is, the mortals' belief in a higher power created the gods. Others believe that Olladra and the Sovereigns are actually from another plane of existence, and traveled to Eberron during its creation. Another theory says that the Olladra and the Sovereigns were the ones that convinced the dragon Eberron to create the world.[5]
While there are many disagreements to Olladra's origins, all can agree to her place in the celestial host. Olladra, the Sovereign of Feast and Fortune, became the wife of fellow Sovereign Onatar, the Sovereign of Fire and Forge. The two gave birth to twin children: Kol Korran, the Sovereign of World and Wealth, and Kol Turrant, the Sovereign of Death and Decay.[5]
The Schism[]
At the very beginning, Olladra was one of fifteen members of the Sovereign Host. However, there came a Schism between the good gods and the evil gods. Some believe that the schism occurred when the Devourer raped his sister Arawai, though others believed the Schism happened earlier. The six evil-aligned Sovereigns were banished from the Sovereign Host, including Olladra's own son Kol Turrant. The six deities became known as the Dark Six, with Kol Turrant taking the name "the Keeper."[5]
Faith of the Dragons[]
The dragons of Argonnessen subscribe to the religion of Thir, or "three" in the Draconic tongue. In this religion, the three Progenitor Dragons created everything and they set the thirteen Dragon Gods above all. However, there was a need for someone to watch over the "lesser" races of the humans, dwarves, and elves. This role is played by the Sovereign Host. These fifteen dragons watch over the mortal races. When one dragon embodies the primal concepts in life, they are said to rise to become a Sovereign in death. Then the former Sovereign leaves the thirteen planes and ascends to the realm of the Dragon Gods. The dragons believe that there can only be fifteen ascended sovereigns at any one time, though there are rogue dragons who wish to challenge that claim. The dragons make no distinction between the Dark Six and the other Sovereigns.[6]
With this faith in mind, many dragon priests follow the Sovereign archetypes. They dedicate their lives to an archetype that will ensure them a place amongst the Sovereign Host. Those that wish to follow in Olladra's footsteps follow the archetype called "Fortune's Fang". These dragons prefer to travel in solitude, intermixing with other races and mingling with humanity. Some serve as spies, but others act as minstrels.[6]
While the dragons seem satisfied to subscribe to that faith, the other races find this world view very arrogant, and believe that the Sovereign Host is more than just a set of primal dragons set to watch over the "lesser" races.[6]
Description[]
Olladra is depicted as a young halfling, an elderly human, or a black dragon.[4]
Aspects[]
Sages have speculated that other gods are aspects of Olladra:
Hleid[]
The holy symbol of Hleid.
Many of the peoples of the Frostfell, most prominently the uldra, speak of the myth of Hleid and Iborighu. In it, the beautiful goddess Hleid was almost slain by her arch-enemy Iborighu. Iborighu threw Hleid's fragmented body into the sea, where her body spawned the rimefire eidolons that became icebergs.[7] Many sages believe that Hleid is actually Olladra and Iborighu is actually the Keeper, and that they have distorted the mother–son relationship to be siblings instead.[8]
Ollarasht the Gambler[]
In the Shadow Marches of Khorvaire, many orc and half-orc clans worship Ollarasht the Gambler, who many believe to be an aspect of Olladra, alongside other gods Baaldra the Protector (Boldrei) and Baalkan the Beastlord (Balinor).[4]
Worship[]
Olladra is worshiped by a large number of humans across Khorvaire. She has a large presence in Aundair, the Eldeen Reaches, Karrnath, and the Shadow Marches.[4] Many members of the halfling House Jorasco worship Olladra as the goddess of healing, and the ritual ceremony involved in advancing in the house involves being ritualistically wounded and healed before making an offering to Olladra. Some members of House Orien also worship Olladra, including the Blades of Orien.[4][9] Other healers besides House Jorasco also worship Olladra, including the Healing Hand of Olladra, a group of healers and medics that served during the Last War.[8] Tricksters also tend to favor Olladra as the Sovereign of Good Fortune, including the Hollow Shards of Stormreach.[10] The iredar kobolds also worship Olladra.[11]
Notable Worshipers[]
- Many adepts and clerics of House Jorasco are worshipers of Olladra, including Alhaura d'Jorasco and Ardrad d'Jorasco.[9][10]
Appendix[]
Background[]
Olladra may be based on Olidammara, a similarly named god of rogues and revels of the Greyhawk setting, who was a core deity during 3rd edition when Eberron was developed.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook (5th edition). (Wizards of the Coast), p. 296. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ Keith Baker, Jeremy Crawford, & James Wyatt (2019). Eberron: Rising from the Last War. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 141. ISBN 0786966890.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 David Noonan, Ari Marmell, and Robert J. Schwalb (2009). Eberron Player's Guide. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 15. ISBN 0-7869-5100-1.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, & James Wyatt (2004). Eberron Campaign Setting. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 69. ISBN 0-7869-3274-0.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell, & C.A. Suleiman (2006). Faiths of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 31–32. ISBN 0-7869-3934-6.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Nicolas Logue, & Amber Scott (2007). Dragons of Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 0-7869-4154-5.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur, James Jacobs, and George Strayton (2004). Frostburn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 42, 149. ISBN 0-7869-2896-4.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson, Steven Brown (2006). Player's Guide to Eberron. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 0-7869-3912-5.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Keith Baker, Ari Marmell, Michelle Lyons and C.A. Suleiman (2006). Dragonmarked. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 36, 38, 40, 99, 100. ISBN 0-7869-3933-8.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James Desborough, C.A. Suleiman (2008). City of Stormreach. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-4803-5.
- ↑ Keith Baker (2005/03/21). The Kobolds of Khorvaire. Dragonshards. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016/11/01. Retrieved on 2021/07/06.
Further Reading[]
Connections[]
| The Sovereign Host |
|---|
| Arawai · Aureon · Balinor · Boldrei · Dol Arrah · Dol Dorn · Kol Korran · Olladra · Onatar |