Yamatsumi

Yamatsumi

(Deity)

Titles

The Mountain Lord

Adjective

Yamatsuman

Realm

Yanjira, Maelstrom

Alignment

Neutral

Areas of Concern

Mountains
Volcanoes
Winter

Edicts

Strive to be self-sufficient, respect nature, test yourself against the elements

Anathema

Become reliant on civilization, destroy something without creating or growing something in its place

Follower Alignments (1E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (1E)

Earth, Fire, Protection, Strength, Water

Subdomains (1E)

Ash, Caves, Defense, Ice, Resolve, Smoke
(Alternative subdomains: Fist, Flowing, Solitude)

Follower Alignments (2E)

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Domains (2E)

Cold, earth, fire, might

Favored Weapon

Tetsubo/greatclub

Symbol

Erupting, snow-capped volcano

Sacred Animal

Ram

Images of Yamatsumi

Source: Dragon Empires Gazetteer, pg(s). 63 (1E)
Tian Xia World Guide, pg(s). 45 (2E)

Yamatsumi (pronounced yah-mah-tsoo-mee) is the Tian-Min god of winter, mountains, and volcanoes. His religious symbol is an erupting, snow-capped volcano.

Appearance

See also: Category:Images of Yamatsumi

The Mountain Lord is most frequently depicted as a giant with two pairs of ram's horns on his head, ice for skin, and a beard and hair made of living lava.

Dogma

Yamatsumi is a nature deity of mountains, with a particular interest in volcanoes. He is also a god of renewal since the spring melt from the mountains brings needed moisture to the lowlands, and ash from volcanic eruptions enriches the soil.

Church

Even when wrathful, Yamatsumi's violence is tempered with the natural forces of renewal. The massive eruption of Mount Kumijinja blotted out the sky for months as a result of his rage, but the accompanying glacial melt fed rivers that saturated earth newly enriched by its ash, leaving the lands even more productive.

Worshipers

Yamatsumi's most common devotees are ascetic monks, or yamabushi, who make their home in the mountains. From their high mountain perches, they tend to take a detached view of the common problems of civilization, preferring solitude and the grandeur of the natural world. Many common people also invoke Yamatsumi's protection when they witness a belching volcano or feel the first cold of winter.

Yamatsumi is most frequently worshiped in the nations of Tang Mai, Hongal, Minkai, Nagajor, and Zi Ha, as well as among the tribes of the Wall of Heaven mountains. He is also among the most frequently worshiped Tian deities in the Inner Sea region.

Temples and shrines

Every mountaintop, especially when covered in snow, is a temple to Yamatsumi. Volcanic eruptions are a sign of his displeasure.

References

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