Bes

Bes

(Deity)

Titles

The Guardian Fool

Alignment

Neutral good

Areas of Concern

Households, luck, marriage, protection

Worshipers

Bards, professional performers, pregnant people, new parents, and servants

Edicts

Aid childbirths, spread joy and celebration, protect sleeping creatures

Anathema

Harm or neglect a child, separate families, use magic to corrupt dreams

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Community, Earth, Good, Luck, Protection

Subdomains (1E)

Agathion, Caves, Defense, Family, Home, Imagination

Follower Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Earth, family, luck, protection

Favored Weapon

Mambele

Symbol

Bearded dwarf face

Sacred Animal

Lion

Source: Empty Graves, pg(s). 67 (1E)
Gods & Magic, pg(s). 121 (2E)

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Bes is a member of the pantheon often worshiped in Ancient Osirion, overseeing marriage, family, and the home. He is also invested in protecting sleepers from evil spirits.

Dogma

Followers of Bes are encouraged to protect sleepers, assist with childbirth, and spread joy, and discouraged from hurting children, breaking up families, or using magic to tamper with sleepers.

History

Since the Age of Destiny, the people of Osirion have worshiped their own local gods, including Bes, in addition to those deities venerated more commonly throughout the Inner Sea region. Their worship was most popular during the early millennia and waned as the Osirian people gradually turned to foreign deities. During the Age of Enthronement, the Osirian gods, while continuing to guide Osirion from afar, retreated from Golarion and turned their attention towards the distant land of Kemet. When Osirion was under Keleshite rule, the foreign overlords sought to eradicate the faith of the indigenous gods, but they remain a part of the history of Osirion's land and people. Since the restoration of native Osirian rule in 4609 AR, interest in these ancient divinities has been rekindled.

Appearance

Bes is traditionally depicted as an unseemly, bearded dwarf with a large head and a stuck-out tongue, wearing an ostrich-feather headdress and a lion-pelt cloak. Bes is traditionally depicted facing forwards, as opposed to other members of the pantheon, who are traditionally depicted in profile.

Relationships

The family tree of the Osirian pantheon. Note Bes's absence.

Unlike most of the Osirian pantheon, Bes is not related to any of the others, but is largely friendly with the rest of the pantheon. Bes keeps a wary eye on the likes of Apep and Set, should he need to protect people from them. Bes is close friends with Khepri, thanks to their shared role as tricksters.

Worshippers

While many homes in Osirion have an icon of Bes in a place of reverence, Bes has little in the way of a formalized church, with only a handful of temples or priests. Numerous small shrines to Bes can be found in Osirian cities, especially in quarters dedicated to entertainment. Bes is commonly worshipped by bards, performers, and other professionals in the leisure industry for luck and protection. He also receives prayers from pregnant people and new parents.

External links

• Bes (real-world deity) on Wikipedia