5etools-mirror-2.github.io/data/book/book-mot.json

{
	"data": [
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Welcome to Theros",
			"page": 5,
			"id": "000",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/196-07-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "Cover: The invulnerable hero, Haktos the Unscarred, leaps into battle with a Nyxborn hydra, taking part in the most recent telling of a myth repeated through the ages.",
					"width": 1110,
					"height": 721,
					"credit": "Jason Rainville"
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/197-07-02.webp"
					},
					"title": "Alternate Cover: While the gods look on, the immortal struggle between Haktos and the hydra plays out in the stars of Nyx.",
					"width": 1110,
					"height": 721,
					"credit": "Kevin Tong"
				},
				{
					"type": "insetReadaloud",
					"style": "small-caps",
					"id": "001",
					"entries": [
						"I am Medomai, ageless and deathless, seer of endings:",
						"I did foretell the fall of Alephne in watery terror,",
						"Mocked by the foolish who say that the voice of the gods is but madness.",
						"Great was its ruin, and slaughtered were all who did not heed my warning.",
						"Brighter the future I now foretell, of beginnings, not endings:",
						"Heroes are coming, who strive against fate's stern decrees, and who carve their",
						"Own bright pathway through history, greater than all mortal yearnings."
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/000-00-04.webp"
					},
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1992,
					"credit": "Seb McKinnon"
				},
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"They were alone on the glassy blue ocean. A waterfall stretched endlessly along the horizon line. The water at the edge of the world was like a placid pond, as if enjoying a last few seconds of existence before cascading over the edge in a raging torrent of white-capped water.",
						"Directly in front of them was Kruphix's Tree. Two enormous trunks were separate at the base, but they arched toward each other and joined at the top in a single leafy crown. Stars glittered beyond the waterfall, but the background was milky violet with tinges of deep blue. The seawater that plummeted over the edge disappeared into the abyss of the stars.",
						"They had reached the edge of the world."
					],
					"by": "Jenna Helland, Godsend"
				},
				"The caprice of the gods. The destiny of heroes. Great journeys into monster-infested wilds, and mythic odysseys to the edge of the world and back. These elements of adventure fill the realms of Theros, a new setting for your {@b Dungeons & Dragons} campaign to explore.",
				"The roots of Theros lie in the myths of ancient Greece, tales dominated by gods, heroes, and monsters. This world was created as a setting for the {@b Magic: The Gathering} trading card game, explored in card sets beginning in 2013. The lands of Theros serve as an example of how to take inspiration from real-world mythology and adapt it into a world built from the ground up for fantasy adventures.",
				"This book is your guide to Theros, its gods, its peoples and their cities (or poleis), its threats, and its tales. It also guides you through creating characters destined to be legends and adventures born of this mythic setting.",
				"{@book Chapter 1|MOT|1} covers the heroes of Theros: the races, class options, and backgrounds you'll need to make a character. It also introduces supernatural gifts available to starting characters\u2014features that set Theros's adventurers apart as true heroes.",
				"{@book Chapter 2|MOT|2} introduces the gods of Theros, a squabbling pantheon of arrogant and powerful beings who view mortals as pawns in their strategic games. It also provides rules and guidelines for characters who serve as champions of the gods, including divine benefits they can gain as rewards for their piety.",
				"{@book Chapter 3|MOT|3} turns to the mortal world, the lands in which the epic adventures of Theros unfold. It covers the three city-states of humanity, the wild lands of leonin and minotaurs, the great forests and wide plains where satyrs revel and centaurs roam, and the seas where tritons dwell and titanic monsters lurk. It also offers glimpses into the divine realm of Nyx and the dismal realms of the Underworld.",
				"{@book Chapter 4|MOT|4} builds on the guidelines in the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG}, highlighting adventures set in Theros. Maintaining a focus on the gods, it presents omens that might launch heroes on the road to adventure, details hundreds of plot hooks, includes maps of potential adventure locations, and presents a short introductory adventure you can use to launch your campaign.",
				"{@book Chapter 5|MOT|5} details treasures of Theros, including the artifacts of the gods, the magical inventions of renowned artisans, and various other devices infused with the magic of the world.",
				"Finally, {@book chapter 6|MOT|6} presents numerous inhabitants of Theros. An exploration of familiar beasts from the {@book Monster Manual|MM} and other sources\u2014creatures with their roots in Greek mythology\u2014details their place and unique characteristics in the lands of Theros. Several of Theros's most notorious creatures, foes as legendary as the world's most renowned heroes, are also presented as mythic monsters, terrors designed to test even the gods' mightiest champions.",
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/001-00-02.a.webp"
					},
					"title": "The General, and The Protector ",
					"width": 1200,
					"height": 509,
					"credit": "Chuck Lukacs"
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Dreams of Divinity",
					"page": 5,
					"id": "003",
					"entries": [
						"Theros possesses a unique metaphysical property: things believed and dreamed here eventually become real. The collective unconscious of mortal people has the literal power of creation, though the process unfolds over the course of countless centuries. Thus, the gods of Theros and their servants were believed, dreamed, and narrated into existence, materializing and becoming fully real as a result of mortal belief in their power. As stories were told, sacrifices made, and devotion given over ages, the gods formed and gained lives just as real as the mortals who dreamed them into being.",
						"Does that mean that the gods of Theros are less powerful or less divine than the gods of other worlds? Not at all. Once a dream or belief in Theros becomes reality, it is just as real as any other thing, and the gods have been real for a very long time. The people of Theros believe them to be divine, ageless, and all-powerful, and therefore they are.",
						"A single individual can't do anything to make the gods less real or change the nature of a god. Threatened with the wrath of Heliod, for example, a mortal can't simply \"disbelieve\" the god out of existence or turn his wrath to kindness. It's the collective unconscious of every sapient being on Theros that shapes reality, and changes to that reality occur on the scale of ages, not moments.",
						"In practical terms, then, the gods of Theros are no less real, powerful, or important to Theros than the gods of other worlds are to those worlds. Notably, though, these gods have influence only over Theros and the two planes connected to it: Nyx, the starry realm of the gods, and the Underworld, eventual home of all die.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Gods and Devotion",
							"page": 6,
							"id": "004",
							"entries": [
								"The central conflict in Theros is among gods, striving against each other over the devotion of mortals. Mortal devotion equates to divine power: when people fervently pray to a god, when they piously observe the god's rites and sacrifices, and when they devoutly trust in the god's divine might, the god becomes more powerful.",
								"The competition for mortal devotion isn't necessarily a zero-sum game. The people of Theros don't believe in one particular god to the exclusion of others, and the most pious people pray to all the gods with equal fervor. But a deity's goal is to increase the number of people who, when faced with peril, will call on that god for help. It's that trust, that reliance, that faith that gives the gods their power, not merely ideas and concepts.",
								"Mortal beings\u2014heroes and monsters alike\u2014often become unwitting pawns in the contests of the gods. Having a powerful champion is an indication of a god's power\u2014and can potentially increase the god's own power. A champion who acts as an agent of a god among other people helps increase those people's devotion to the god. And if a hero should happen to strike down the agents of a rival god along the way, all the better.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/002-00-02.b.webp"
									},
									"title": "The Vanquisher, and The Hunter",
									"width": 1200,
									"height": 509,
									"credit": "Chuck Lukacs"
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Fate and Destiny",
							"page": 6,
							"id": "005",
							"entries": [
								"Two closely related concepts loom large in the way mortals think about their place in the world: fate and destiny.",
								"The idea of fate is that the course of each mortal's life is predetermined, spun out in a tapestry woven by a trio of semidivine women, the Fates. Gods aren't bound by the strands of fate, their lives and legends constantly changing and endlessly uncertain. In the case of most mortals, it's thought they plod along their predetermined path from beginning to end, carrying out the tasks appointed for them until they complete their journey to the Underworld.",
								"This fairly bleak view of existence is undermined by the heroic ideal exemplified in myths, legends, and the lived experience of Theros's people. Heroes, by definition, are people who defy the predetermined course of fate. They take their fate into their own hands and chart their own courses, striding boldly into the unknown, striking down supposedly invincible foes, and resisting the will of gods. Their proud defiance of fate is rewarded when they at last complete their mortal journeys; worthy heroes spend their afterlives in Ilysia, the fairest realm of the Underworld, where they finally rest from the struggle of their lives. In many cases, their works also live on, both in the stories of future generations and repeating in the night sky among the stars of Nyx.",
								"Destiny is different. The strands of destiny are spun from the hair of the ancient god Klothys, but they don't chart a predetermined future. Destiny establishes the order of things, the hierarchy of being, the relationship between gods and mortals, the instincts and impulses that govern mortal behavior, and other aspects of the way things are. Gods and mortals alike are constrained by the threads of destiny. Mortals can do little to alter them, but more than once the arrogance and presumption of the gods have caused the strands of destiny to become tangled. The god Klothys enforces the bounds of destiny. She isn't only the spinner of destiny's strands but also an avenging fury, punishing the foolhardy gods who tangle them."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Champions and Heroes",
							"page": 7,
							"id": "006",
							"entries": [
								"The champions of the gods number among some of the most influential and inspirational figures in Theros. These mortals have personal relationships with the gods, potentially serving as divine agents in the world or being compelled to action by immortal schemes. Still others were born with divine gazes set upon them, whether due to their remarkable abilities or the circumstances of their birth. Through their lives, champions experience the blessings and curses of their divine relationships. Some might brandish incredible powers granted to them by the gods. Others, however, discover how fickle and vindictive the gods can be. How a champion contends with the whims of a deific patron defines what makes them a hero, whether they seek incredible ways to court immortal favor or forge a path that throws off the bonds of destiny. Regardless of the course they choose, the deeds of champions influence belief in the gods, but even more so, they fill the hearts of Theros's people with hope and wonder.",
								"More than just for their deeds, heroes fill an important role among the inhabitants of Theros. Legendary heroes form a vast collection of well-known archetypes whose deeds create cultural touchstones and shape modern philosophies. They also embody the potential of mortals to be more than mere drops in the raging river of fate. Tales of heroes teach that greatness is achievable and that there is more to the world than what any one individual knows. The people of Theros see the truth of this in the powers of the gods and in the immortal constellations that fill the night sky. Even as the names of individual heroes might eventually fade away, their deeds live on as heroic archetypes\u2014such as in the case of the nameless champion in the renowned epic, {@i The Theriad}. These archetypes teach and inspire, whether they're represented in tales of journeys or creation, in sculptures rising above polis roofs, or in the temples of the gods. Throughout Theros, those who seek greatness typically begin by deciding what heroic archetype they most closely align with and letting that ideal influence their fate.",
								"The heroes illustrated throughout this introduction are examples of heroic archetypes. The General, the Protector, the Vanquisher, the Hunter, the Provider, the Warrior, the Slayer, the Philosopher, and others like them are idealized figures who appear in narrative and theatrical drama\u2014sometimes with personal names attached, but often without. Tales describe the Slayer destroying a hydra... and a mighty cyclops, and a dragon, and a Nyxborn giant, and a lamia, and any number of other creatures. Did one Slayer do all that? No, the archetype has become the repository for legends about many different heroes, all of whom are notable primarily for slaying something.",
								"The heroes of a Theros campaign might aspire to emulate one of the great heroic archetypes, or they might strive to forge an entirely new mythic identity, to be remembered by name in tales of glory forever.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/003-00-03.a.webp"
									},
									"title": "The Provider, and The Warrior",
									"width": 1200,
									"height": 508,
									"credit": "Chuck Lukacs"
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "History and Myth",
					"page": 7,
					"id": "007",
					"entries": [
						"When storytellers relate the history of Theros, they always speak in the most general terms. An event of just ten years past happened \"many years ago,\" and the founding of Meletis in the distant past happened \"many, many years ago.\" In Theros, history transforms into myth more quickly than it does in other worlds, becoming generalized, vague, and moralistic. And because the gods are so deeply involved in mortal affairs, it's often impossible to distinguish between the myths of divine activities and the scraps of historical fact in these records.",
						"The origin and generations of the gods\u2014from the primordial titans to the modern pantheon now worshiped in Theros\u2014are described in {@book chapter 2|MOT|2}. The world's myths also fill this book, stories that still resonate in the dreams and ambitions of Theros's people. These myths are noted in distinct sections, with the first appearing in {@book chapter 1|MOT|1}. Yet the largely agreed upon history of mortal folk on Theros occurred more recently and is thought to have unfolded as follows.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Age of Trax",
							"page": 8,
							"id": "008",
							"entries": [
								"Human history vaguely recalls an era just before the birth of modern human civilization, called the Age of Trax. This semi-mythical era, nestled several centuries back in the fog of historical memory, is marked by the rule of supernatural beings called archons.",
								"The archons of Trax are said to have come from unknown lands to the north and established a heavy-handed rule over the humanoids of Theros. Many peoples remember this as a time of oppressive servitude, when they were forced into the armies of the tyrant Agnomakhos. The archons dubiously suggested that their rule actually protected the weaker species\u2014centaurs, humans, leonin, minotaurs, and satyrs\u2014from the dangers of far more powerful beings. Giants, demons, and medusas are said to have ruled kingdoms of their own in those days, and tales tell of Agnomakhos leading his leonin soldiers to repel an invading army of giants. Dragons, krakens, and hydras are also said to have grown to even greater size in those days than they do now, annihilating whole nations and carving untold catastrophes across the land."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Birth of the Poleis",
							"page": 8,
							"id": "009",
							"entries": [
								"The end of the Age of Trax corresponds roughly with the rise of the fourth and latest generation of gods, whose interests lie in the application of more abstract principles to the realities of mortal life. Three of these gods\u2014Ephara, Iroas, and Karametra\u2014played significant roles in the establishment of human civilization, in opposition to the archons.",
								"The goddess Ephara inspired and equipped two human heroes, Kynaios and Tiro, to overthrow the archon Agnomakhos. Divergent tales describe their history following the defeat of the tyrant. Some claim that they warred with each other for control over the region and that only their eventual death paved the way for the peace that allowed the new polis of Meletis to flourish. The truth is that they ruled Meletis peacefully together, established its legal code, and defended it for decades.",
								"After the fall of Agnomakhos and the other archons of Trax, humans and minotaurs waged a bloody war in the highlands. The poleis of Akros and Skophos were born from that bloodshed, inspired by the martial doctrines of Iroas and Mogis rather than the legal code of Ephara. Eventually the years of war settled into an uneasy peace with the badlands of Phoberos as a barrier separating the poleis from each other.",
								"Meletis, Akros, and Skophos perpetuated the stark division between civilization and nature that was inherent in the archons' rule. While most humans (and minotaurs) embraced that division, the god Karametra tried to teach people a new way of living in harmony with nature, leading to the founding of Setessa.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/004-00-03.b.webp"
									},
									"title": "The Slayer, and The Philosopher",
									"width": 1200,
									"height": 508,
									"credit": "Chuck Lukacs"
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Age of Heroes",
							"page": 8,
							"id": "00a",
							"entries": [
								"The uncounted centuries since the fall of the archons have been marked by the exploits of great heroes, many of which are recorded in works of epic prose and poetry. Three major narratives remain widely retold and studied: {@i The Akroan War}, {@i The Callapheia}, and {@i The Theriad}.",
								"The epic tale of the Akroan War is only nominally a history of the long siege of Akros, precipitated by the queen of Olantin abandoning her husband and going to live with the Akroan king. With the war as a backdrop, a nameless poet spins tales of gods and heroes, victories and tragedies. The death of the triton queen Korinna, and the resulting birth of the Dakra Isles from Thassa's falling tears, is a tale told incidentally, by way of comparison to the grief of the Olantian king. The tale of Phenax escaping from the Underworld is told to explain the origin of a phalanx of the Returned that comes to fight alongside the Olantian forces. And when the sphinx oracle Medomai appears and foretells the fall of Olantin, the poet tells of Medomai's earlier prophecy of the destruction of Alephne\u2014a tragedy that could have been averted had anyone believed the sphinx's dire warning.",
								"The saga of Callaphe the Mariner, told in {@i The Callapheiea}, is a more coherent narrative focused on a single hero and her exploits. Known as the greatest mariner who ever lived, Callaphe was a human trickster from Meletis who sailed a ship called {@i The} {@i Monsoon}. She was the first mortal to decipher the secret patterns of the winds (provoking Thassa's ire), and she sailed over the edge of the world and into Nyx to claim her place among the stars. The tales of her adventures are a mythic tour of the Dakra Isles and the coastlands of Theros, describing a panoply of creatures, nations, and marvelous phenomena\u2014some of which still exist as described in its verses, though others are lost to history or myth.",
								"{@i The Theriad} is a different sort of epic, closely associated with the worship of Heliod. At a glance, it appears to be about a champion of Heliod who is never named but simply called \"the Champion.\" A closer read, though, reveals that the tales take place over the span of centuries and the identity of the Champion changes from tale to tale. In fact, {@i The Theriad} is a compilation of tales describing the exploits of many different champions of the sun god. It is widely believed that some tales are actually prophecies of champions yet to come."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Recent Memory",
							"page": 9,
							"id": "00b",
							"entries": [
								"The Age of Heroes has not yet come to an end, and more epics will surely be sung and written as more heroes take their destinies into their own hands and chart their paths to the stars. The heroes of recent memory\u2014Haktos the Unscarred, Siona and her crew on the {@i Pyleas}, Kytheon Iora, Elspeth and Daxos, Anax and Cymede, Ajani Goldmane, and countless others\u2014are no less heroic than the protagonists of age-old epics, even if their deeds aren't yet as widely known. Beyond individuals\u2014a kraken attack on Meletis; the fall of the monstrous hydra {@creature Polukranos|MOT}; the Nyxborn assault on Akros; Erebos's titan felled by Heliod's champion; the apotheosis and destruction of the mortal-turned-god Xenagos\u2014the epic events of the recent past are already remembered and retold as mythic deeds. Many of these tales are told throughout this book, but they're only a fraction of the myths the people of Theros share.",
								"Like white-hot bronze on the smith's anvil, Theros is ready to be forged by the deeds of today's heroes and ushered into the next great era of its history."
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Languages",
					"page": 9,
					"id": "00c",
					"entries": [
						"Theros is not the most cosmopolitan of worlds, and a relatively small number of languages are used in its lands and sea. The citizens of the three human poleis (Meletis, Akros, and Setessa) speak their own dialects of the Common language, mutually intelligible but just different enough to identify the speaker's native land. Leonin and minotaurs have their own languages, and tritons speak the Aquan dialect of Primordial. Centaurs and satyrs speak distinct dialects of Sylvan, and different bands of centaurs even pronounce the same words differently. Giants and cyclopes share one language. Dragons and sphinxes have distinct languages rarely spoken among mortals of Theros, and the gods themselves speak in a unique language that few beyond mortal oracles can understand.",
						{
							"type": "table",
							"caption": "Standard Languages",
							"colLabels": [
								"Language",
								"Typical Speakers",
								"Script"
							],
							"colStyles": [
								"col-4 text-center",
								"col-4 text-center",
								"col-4 text-center"
							],
							"rows": [
								[
									"{@language Common|MOT}",
									"Humans",
									"Common"
								],
								[
									"{@language Giant|MOT}",
									"Cyclopes, giants",
									"Minotaur"
								],
								[
									"{@language Leonin|MOT}",
									"Leonin",
									"Common"
								],
								[
									"{@language Primordial|MOT}",
									"Tritons",
									"Common"
								],
								[
									"{@language Minotaur|MOT}",
									"Minotaurs",
									"Minotaur"
								],
								[
									"{@language Sylvan|MOT}",
									"Centaurs, satyrs",
									"Elvish"
								]
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "table",
							"caption": "Exotic Languages",
							"colLabels": [
								"Language",
								"Typical Speakers",
								"Script"
							],
							"colStyles": [
								"col-4 text-center",
								"col-4 text-center",
								"col-4 text-center"
							],
							"rows": [
								[
									"{@language Celestial|MOT}",
									"Gods",
									"Celestial"
								],
								[
									"{@language Draconic|MOT}",
									"Dragons",
									"Draconic"
								],
								[
									"{@language Sphinx|MOT}",
									"Sphinxes",
									"\u2014"
								]
							]
						}
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Character Creation",
			"page": 11,
			"id": "00d",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"In fairness, the giant had just been awakened. Still, not everyone would be able to bring down a brute twice the size of a city temple, even if it was in a stupor, so I guess I am a hero. That's not to say I'm the greatest hero or would even be remembered once I fell, but I would not turn away being called \"Aesrias, the hero.\" I am stronger than others of my age and have always been able to easily master all manner of weapons, although for challenge I prefer to use my own fists in combat.",
						"But I boast too much. In truth, I am one of many who are blessed with the might of Iroas, children of devout parents to whom the God of Victory has given the strength to serve and protect the people. Everyone always said I was born a hero."
					],
					"by": "Matt Knicl, \"The Hero of Iroas\""
				},
				"What makes a hero? Is it a quality of birth that sets some mortals above others? Is it a blessing from the gods? Is it a matter of fate, spun out in the strands of a divine tapestry, charting the course of a hero's life from miraculous birth to glorious end?",
				"If you're reading this, the answer is that {@i you} make a hero, of course. In Theros, player characters and heroes are synonymous, being rare individuals whose deeds aren't bound by fate, who willfully stray from the paths laid before them and chart their own courses.",
				"This chapter describes playable races of Theros, new subclass options, a new background, and their places in the world. It also includes a description of the supernatural gifts that set the heroes of Theros above the ordinary mortals of their world. But it begins with the question of what makes {@i your} character a hero.",
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/005-01-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "Drawn together by fate, three heroes\u2014centaur, leonin, and human\u2014pit themselves against sirens in the Dakra Isles ",
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1992,
					"credit": "Chase Stone"
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Heroic Drive",
					"page": 11,
					"id": "00f",
					"entries": [
						"The defining characteristic of a hero in Theros is their heroic drive\u2014the force that impels them to live a life worthy of great epics. Ordinary mortals across the multiverse are driven to extraordinary deeds when they are called on to pursue their ideals, to protect their bonds, and to overcome their flaws. In Theros, heroic drive stems from the same sources, but the power of fate and myth destines every character for legend; all one must do is act and discover their own immortal tale.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Amplifying Your Ideal",
							"page": 11,
							"id": "010",
							"entries": [
								"Many characters' ideals come directly from their service to a god. Each god's description in {@book chapter 2|MOT|2} includes a table you can use to determine your hero's ideal if your character serves that god, instead of (or in addition to) an ideal derived from your background. But whether your character holds to one of those ideals, one from the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB} or another source, or one of your own invention, try to state your ideal in the grandest possible terms to express your character's heroic drive."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Legendary Bonds",
							"page": 11,
							"id": "011",
							"entries": [
								"The connections and goals that serve as characters' bonds are powerful motivators, all the more so when they have supernatural origin or possess mythological weight. As with your character's ideal, think on a legendary scale as you define your character's bonds.",
								"What if a person mentioned in your bond is actually a god? Consider this twist on a bond from the urchin background in the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB}: \"I owe my survival to Phenax, god of thieves, who taught me to live on the streets while disguised as another mortal urchin.\" In this case, the secret divine identity of the person in the bond makes the bond more significant."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Tragic Flaws",
							"page": 11,
							"id": "012",
							"entries": [
								"The heroes of Theros don't often conform to tidy definitions of heroic morality and virtue, and they are often laid low by their own flaws. The {@book Player's Handbook|PHB} encourages you to think of \"anything that someone else could exploit to bring you to ruin or cause you to act against your best interests.\" For a hero in Theros, a tragic flaw is something that the gods themselves might exploit or punish, with hubris being the classic example.",
								"The gods of Theros aren't so concerned about \"ordinary\" flaws like addiction or laziness. Rather, consider a tragic flaw involving something you don't want a god to learn or certain to provoke a god's anger.",
								"For example, some of the flaws listed for the outlander background in the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB} could put a character into conflict with a god. \"I remember every insult I've received and nurse a silent resentment toward anyone who's ever wronged me\" could cause significant problems when the character nurses a grudge against a god.",
								"A tragic flaw can also be supernatural in nature. A hermit who harbors \"dark, bloodthirsty thoughts that my isolation and meditation failed to quell\" might have a sinister connection to the vicious god Mogis.",
								{
									"type": "inset",
									"name": "Natal Omens",
									"page": 12,
									"id": "013",
									"entries": [
										"The birth of a hero is often accompanied by signs in Nyx and Theros alike. You can use the Omens table in {@book chapter 4|MOT|4|Omens} to randomly determine an omen that appeared when you were born. It's up to you and your DM to determine the omen's meaning."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Supernatural Gifts",
					"page": 12,
					"id": "014",
					"entries": [
						"Most heroes of Theros have some kind of supernatural aid to help them achieve their goals. Often this aid comes from the gods, but some heroes might find their support from other beings, such as the sphinx Medomai, an oracle like Atris or Kydele, or a repository of mystical knowledge. Some heroes are born with supernatural power or born as a result of supernatural events.",
						"A character in Theros begins with one supernatural gift chosen from those in this section. Work with the DM to decide where your character's gift came from. Is it tied to the god you serve? Was it the result of a fateful encounter with a sphinx or an oracle? Does it indicate the nature of your birth? Each gift's description also includes a table to spark your imagination as you think about your character's gift.",
						"These supernatural gifts are intended for starting characters, but some might be bestowed by gods as rewards for remarkable deeds.",
						{
							"type": "list",
							"columns": 3,
							"items": [
								"{@charoption Anvilwrought|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Heroic Destiny|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Iconoclast|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Inscrutable|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Lifelong Companion|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Nyxborn|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Oracle|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Pious|MOT}",
								"{@charoption Unscarred|MOT}"
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "inset",
							"name": "Heroic Feats",
							"page": 12,
							"id": "015",
							"entries": [
								"If your campaign uses the optional feat rules from {@book chapter 6|PHB|6|Feats} of the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB}, your Dungeon Master might allow you to take a feat as a variant supernatural gift. You gain one feat of your choice. This list suggests twelve feats from the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB}, but you can choose any feat your DM allows:",
								{
									"type": "list",
									"items": [
										"A snake emerged from my mouth before I took my first breath\u2014an omen of my gift for deception. ({@feat Actor})",
										"I hear voices on the wind, warning me of danger. ({@feat Alert})",
										"Iroas gifted me with physical prowess, intending to see me compete in the Iroan Games. ({@feat Athlete})",
										"I feel the vitality of the earth beneath my feet, and it refreshes my strength when I rest on it. ({@feat Durable})",
										"The stars of Nyx are never hidden from my sight, revealing their secrets to my eyes. ({@feat Keen Mind})",
										"I hear the echoes of the gods' speech in every mortal language and trace the patterns of Nyx in the written word. ({@feat Linguist})",
										"The gods smile on me, but I dread the day when they withdraw their favor and my luck runs out. ({@feat Lucky})",
										"As a child, I used to run through the woods and play with a giant lynx\u2014which, I learned later, was an emissary of Nylea. ({@feat Mobile})",
										"The sun's light brings what is hidden to clear view in my eyes. ({@feat Observant})",
										"I ate a magical fruit that blessed me with extraordinary resilience. ({@feat Resilient})",
										"I studied with a supernatural tutor. ({@feat Skilled})",
										"I was bathed in the waters of a mystic river that left my skin resistant to harm\u2014and glittering with starlight. ({@feat Tough})"
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "inset",
							"name": "Myths of Theros",
							"page": 14,
							"entries": [
								"The world of Theros is alive with myths. From stories about the deeds of gods that explain the workings of the world to inspirational (or cautionary) tales of heroes, remarkable tales spread in countless ways, be they diversions, lessons, or songs. Just as in Theros, throughout this book you'll find numerous tales of great deeds, magical origins, grim tragedies, and more. In each case, such myths appear in sidebars like \"Myth of the First Kings of Meletis.\" These cues note the legendary places these stories occupy in the minds of Theros's people and their place as tales that endlessly play out among the constellations of Nyx."
							],
							"id": "016"
						},
						{
							"type": "insetReadaloud",
							"entries": [
								"Myth of the First Kings of Meletis",
								"In ages past, the peoples of what would one day become Meletis were ruled by the archon tyrant Agnomakhos. Unchecked for generations, the vicious overlord carved out a mighty empire. Willing to endure the immortal's cruelty no longer, the heroes Kynaios and Tiro\u2014united by their love of freedom and one another\u2014rose to challenge him. The people rallied to their cause, and through strength of arms, magic, and devotion, they defeated Agnomakhos. The polis of Meletis rose from the ruins of the archon's empire, established as a beacon of freedom and enlightenment, and its people chose Kynaios and Tiro to be its first kings."
							],
							"id": "017"
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Races",
					"page": 17,
					"id": "034",
					"entries": [
						"A diverse assortment of peoples dwell among the lands of Theros. Aside from humans, the races in the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB} are unknown on Theros, unless they're visiting from other worlds.",
						"This chapter provides information about the following common playable races of Theros, as well as racial traits for all of them except humans:",
						"{@race Human||Humans} on Theros are similar to those found on other D&D worlds: adaptable, ambitious, and wildly diverse.",
						"{@race Centaur|MOT|Centaurs} employ cunning and equine strength to further the goals of the roaming Lagonna and Pheres bands.",
						"{@race Leonin|MOT} are proud lion-like hunters, many of whom live in defiance of the gods.",
						"{@race Minotaur|MOT|Minotaurs} are infamous for bloodthirstiness, a reputation even the most peaceful struggle to escape.",
						"{@race Satyr|MOT|Satyrs} follow their passions in the pursuit of wild revels and new adventures.",
						"{@race Triton|MOT|Tritons} are an enigmatic, sea-dwelling people with an endless desire to explore.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Human",
							"page": 17,
							"id": "035",
							"entries": [
								"The most numerous of Theros's mortal races, humans embody the mortal will to carve out a place for civilization from the wilds. Although other, smaller settlements exist, the majority of humans are associated with one of Theros's three major poleis: Meletis, Akros, and Setessa.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Human Names",
									"page": 17,
									"id": "036",
									"entries": [
										"Human names tend to honor heroes or philosophers of old\u2014an aspirational nudge from parent to child in the hope that their offspring might one day live up to such a storied name.",
										"Family surnames are uncommon in the human poleis, and people with the same name must find ways to distinguish themselves from one another. Some attach their place of birth or residence to their own names. A merchant from Meletis named Brigone, for example, would be Brigone of Meletis. Others link their name to their trade, like Ristos the Learned, or Alesta the Hunter.",
										"The most prestigious names however, are those earned through deeds or temperament. These names typically mark heroes, such as Hypatia of the Winged Horse, Kalogeros Doomhammer, or Ianthe the Bold.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Female Names:",
													"entry": "Agathe, Alesta, Arissa, Brigone, Callaphe, Corisande, Hira, Hypatia, Iadorna, Ianthe, Lidia, Luphea, Nymosyne, Olexa, Polyxene, Psemilla, Rakleia, Sophronia, Telphe, Tikaia, Vala"
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Male Names:",
													"entry": "Alkmenos, Basarios, Braulios, Drasus, Eocles, Hixus, Kaliaros, Kalogeros, Kanlos, Kleon, Kytheon, Lanathos, Lindos, Nyklos, Phrogas, Prokopios, Rhexenor, Ristos, Teraklos, Uremides, Verenes, Zenon"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Subclass Options",
					"page": 28,
					"id": "065",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/019-01-15.webp"
							},
							"title": "An unrivaled orator, the centaur Perisophia guides Meletis as a member of the polis's ruling council, the Twelve ",
							"width": 1500,
							"height": 882,
							"credit": "Cory Trego-Erdner"
						},
						"At 3rd level, a bard chooses a Bard College and a paladin chooses a Sacred Oath. This section offers the {@class bard|phb|College of Eloquence|Eloquence|TCE} for bards and the {@class paladin|phb|Oath of Glory|Glory|TCE} for paladins, expanding their options for that choice.",
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/020-01-16.webp"
							},
							"width": 1000,
							"height": 880,
							"credit": "Ryan Pancoast"
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Background",
					"page": 30,
					"id": "075",
					"entries": [
						"Remarkable individuals from all walks of life seek their destinies among the lands of Theros, from devout servants of the gods, to triumph-hungry athletes.",
						"While the heroes of Theros might come from any of the backgrounds presented in the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB}, the gods have a way of interceding in the lives of those meant for greatness. When determining your character's backstory, consider how the gods have influenced your life. The gods are pervasive in the stories and cultures of Theros, and even their devout followers shouldn't feel bound to choose a faith-focused background like acolyte. The gods' followers come from all walks of life, and any heroic soul might find themselves thrust into the midst of divine schemes.",
						"Whether or not your character is exceptionally devout, consider reviewing the deities presented in {@book chapter 2|MOT|2|Gods of Theros} and see if you gravitate toward one. Perhaps this god has a special interest in you, is the deity your family has hailed as a patron for generations, or embodies values you hold close. Based on this, consider that chapter's possibilities for how you might have earned that immortal's favor (if indeed you have) and alternate background ideals related to their worship\u2014along with other boons that might entice you into their service.",
						"Your character doesn't need to be a follower of any of the gods, but if you're not, there's likely a reason why you've avoided them.",
						"In addition to the gods, the supernatural gifts presented earlier in this chapter might influence your background. Consider what story emerges from your combination of supernatural gift, background, and other choices.",
						"Beyond these options, the {@background athlete|MOT} background presented here provides a new way to seek glory through discipline and physical prowess.",
						{
							"type": "insetReadaloud",
							"id": "076",
							"entries": [
								"Myths of the Iroan Games",
								"Competitors seeking a place among the athletes of legend endlessly push themselves to claim victory during Akros's world-renowned annual contest, the Iroan Games. The deeds of past victors set a high bar for those who follow.",
								"In recent memory, the famed wrestler Lanathos bested all rivals and, after a day-long struggle, a wild Akroan bull.",
								"When the pankratiast Nymosyne had her contest interrupted by a cyclops attack, she threw her rival at the creature, then snapped the brute's neck with her bare hands.",
								"Perhaps most dramatically, though, was the recent victory of the Akroan hunter Arissa. While waiting to claim her second place award, Arissa witnessed a Nyxborn bat-creature snatch an infant from the crowd. The hunter threw her javelin an impossible distance, skewered the bat-thing, then caught the child as it fell. Collectively, the other assembled competitors gave Arissa their awards, and the hunter claimed her citizenship among the Akroan lektoi.",
								"Who knows what legends will unfold during next year's Iroan Games?"
							]
						}
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Gods of Theros",
			"page": 33,
			"id": "080",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"A bird shrieked as it took flight from a branch above her. Through the gaps in the rustling canopy, she could see the god-forms shift in and out of focus. The night sky was known as Nyx, the realm of the gods. Every night, the heavens displayed fleeting visions of gods and celestial creatures. Some lingered for just seconds. But sometimes the pantheon enacted entire scenes for mortal eyes to witness. Lidia rarely took time to step outside her home and watch the heavens, but now there was no place else to rest her eyes. Tonight the god-forms were vivid, and her heart beat faster as she watched their battle unfold."
					],
					"by": "Jenna Helland, Godsend"
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/022-02-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "Responding to a single sailor's slight, vengeful Keranos, god of storms, sends lightning to strike a Meletian galley on the Siren Sea ",
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1995,
					"credit": "Titus Lunter"
				},
				"A pantheon of fifteen gods guides religious life on Theros. From the sun and agriculture to death and passage into the Underworld, the gods oversee the forces of nature and the most important aspects of mortal life. These gods are quite real to the people of Theros, who see them moving across the sky at night and sometimes encounter them face to face. Thus, most people perform rituals and devotions that honor various gods, hoping to win their favor and stave off their wrath. They tell and retell the stories of the gods' deeds\u2014even as they watch those stories continue to play out in the vastness of the night sky.",
				"Not every mortal serves or acknowledges the gods, though. Some philosophers in the schools of Meletis teach that the gods of the pantheon are subordinate to a higher reality, perhaps Nyx itself. And other people, particularly leonin, believe that the gods are undeserving of mortal reverence.",
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Divine Characteristics",
					"page": 33,
					"id": "082",
					"entries": [
						"The gods of Theros are far more active than the deities of most D&D worlds. But that doesn't mean they are ordinary creatures\u2014they aren't mere mortals, nor are they monsters that can be fought.",
						"Further, the gods of Theros aren't omnipotent. Although they are physically and magically powerful, ageless, and all but indestructible, their actions are bound by the decrees of Klothys. They can tangle the threads of destiny to a point, but they are forbidden from overstepping their assigned places in the pantheon. The god Kruphix is able to confine them to Nyx, preventing any direct interaction between the gods and the mortal world.",
						"Likewise, the gods aren't omniscient, though they see and hear everything that occurs inside their temples and before their altars. They have perfect recall of everything they experience. Certain liminal spaces\u2014cave mouths, shorelines, crossroads, forest edges, and so on\u2014enable mortal voices to reach the gods as well, though most gods have little reason to pay attention to what is spoken there.",
						"Gods can speak directly to their oracles. They can appear in the dreams of mortals or manipulate natural phenomena to create omens. They can also create Nyxborn creatures to serve as messengers or emissaries.",
						"Gods grant their clerics the ability to cast spells, and they can effortlessly duplicate the effect of any spell they could grant (any spell on the cleric spell list, as well as any domain spell from their domains). They also have broad influence over aspects of the world associated with their portfolios, beyond what can be defined by spell effects. For example, Purphoros can make a volcano erupt, and Thassa can call up a tidal wave. Gods can bestow supernatural blessings on mortals, and they can lay terrible curses (such as when Mogis turned a herd of cattle into catoblepases).",
						"The gods can assume any form they choose. They most commonly appear as humanoids\u2014the form in which the people of Theros most easily imagine them\u2014but on an enormous scale. They often seem to be walking across the dome of the sky, with their feet disappearing just below the horizon. Any part of a god's body that isn't directly lit takes on the appearance of the starry night sky of Nyx. The gods sometimes also appear as animals or magical creatures, or they manifest in insubstantial forms like sunlight or wind.",
						"When physically present in the mortal world, a god is capable of devastating physical attacks. Heliod's spear striking the polis of Olantin caused it to sink forever into the sea, and an errant blow from Purphoros's hammer shaped the mountains.",
						"The power of the gods exceeds that of any mortal being. Even so, a god killing another god\u2014let alone a mortal attempting the task\u2014is virtually inconceivable. Any kind of direct confrontation against a god by mortals would require the assistance of at least one other god, and ideally more than one, to have any hope of success. A group of adventurers might try to convince a group of gods to lend their aid against a god who has become a threat to the mortal world, hoping to get the gods to band together to restrain or punish the offender. Kruphix or Klothys might be able to force a god into a physical form that doesn't fill the sky (perhaps something similar to an {@creature empyrean} or the {@creature tarrasque}), which could enable adventurers to battle the god, especially if they have access to a divine weapon like the artifacts detailed in {@book chapter 5|MOT|5}. But defeating the god in that form would merely weaken the deity, allowing other members of the pantheon to capture, bind, or punish them.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Divine Relationships",
							"page": 34,
							"id": "083",
							"entries": [
								"The pantheon of Theros is a family\u2014a large, often dysfunctional family riven with petty jealousies and rivalries but also held together by genuine affection, admiration, and cooperation. It is easiest, after all, for mortals to conceive of gods that are very much like themselves, and the gods of Theros are very humanlike in their foibles and their exploits.",
								"The pantheon of Theros has expanded through four generations of divine evolution. Some tales describe these as actual generations, suggesting (for example) that the storm god, Keranos, is the literal son of Thassa, god of the sea, and Purphoros, god of the forge. Others describe the generations in metaphorical terms, suggesting that Keranos represents the combination of Purphoros's creative energy and Thassa's deep knowledge, resulting in lightning-like flashes of inspiration (as well as the fury of a physical storm). In all their various forms, though, the myths agree on the basic structure of the pantheon's development.",
								"The time of the first generation precedes the presence of what are commonly understood to be \"gods.\" Before mortals dreamed the gods into being, before they could even imagine beings as noble as the gods, the malleable dream-substance of Nyx gave shape to their fears in the form of the titans.",
								"The titans were beings of utter chaos, representing everything that stands against order in the mortal world, never worshiped but sometimes appeased. Myths recount how the gods battled and imprisoned the titans, sealing them in a prison beneath the Underworld. Now the titans are all but forgotten in mortal imagination. Scant mention of their names and epithets appears in the oldest tales, hinting at the nightmares that birthed them. Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger, embodied the terror of death\u2014and its insatiable gluttony for new creatures to consume. Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, might be seen as a direct predecessor of Keranos and Thassa, but it was the incarnation of natural disaster, having none of the creativity and thoughtfulness of those gods. Phlage, Titan of Burning Wind, was an all-consuming whirlwind of fire, and Skotha, Titan of Eternal Dark, was the utter darkness of the starless night.",
								"The oldest of the gods, often imagined as siblings or as some kind of offshoot of the titans, are Kruphix and Klothys. The origin of this second divine generation is mysterious. Perhaps Klothys arose from a sense of inevitability, a notion that the world was unfolding as it must, and thus the actions of mortals made little difference. Kruphix might have been born from a sense of mystery, supporting the idea that the workings of the universe are simply incomprehensible to mortal minds. It's also possible that Kruphix and Klothys are a different order of beings from either the titans or the other gods, and Klothys at least has existed for unknown ages despite being all but forgotten among mortal folk.",
								"Once mortals could imagine a world beyond the horizon and a course of destiny that left behind the trials of life, they could formulate the notions of principles, order, and natural law. Out of those ideas, the third generation of deities was born: sun-crowned Heliod, deep-dwelling Thassa, bleak-hearted Erebos, bronze-blooded Purphoros, and keen-eyed Nylea. These gods are known to refer to each other as \"brother\" and \"sister,\" though they never speak of parents and almost certainly don't imagine Kruphix and Klothys in that role.",
								"The other eight deities, the fourth generation, represent the application of abstract principles to the reality of mortal life. For example, while Heliod stands for universal moral precepts, Ephara is the god of laws, the rules and structures that govern mortal societies. Nylea is the god of wild nature, predatory animals, and the change of seasons, and at the same time Karametra is the god of nature tamed for human use\u2014agriculture and domestication\u2014and of the natural cycles involved in human life, especially childbirth.",
								"These gods recognize the previous generation as their elders but only occasionally as parents. Iroas and Mogis are widely considered to be brothers, but few myths describe their parentage, and those that do contradict each other\u2014in keeping with the nature of these eternally warring gods."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Myths and Deeds",
							"page": 35,
							"id": "084",
							"entries": [
								"Countless tales tell the history, deeds, and nature of the gods. Sometimes these stories play out among the constellations in the night sky. They are chanted in hymns during the gods' festivals, inscribed in temple walls, told around campfires and hearths, and collected on scrolls. Some are simple fables meant to illustrate a single facet of a god's character or of moral behavior. Others are monumental epics, most notably {@i The Cosmogony}, a poem by an unnamed Meletian sage that includes several (sometimes conflicting) tales of the creation of the world and beyond.",
								"The people of Theros don't balk at contradictory myths. Is Keranos the literal child of Thassa and Purphoros? Did he spring unbidden from Thassa's heart when her rage grew too great for her to control? Or did he come into being when Purphoros tried to steal the secrets of Kruphix? To the people of Theros, it doesn't matter whether these tales describe historical facts, and each of them is true in its own way. Each tale about Keranos expresses a truth about the god, about inspiration and storms and secrets. Studying each one can lead Keranos's worshipers to a deeper understanding of and a closer relationship with their god.",
								"Various writings, usually organized around a central theme, collect myths about the gods. {@i The Origin of Monsters} is one such collection, notable as an attempt to find commonality in a number of different tales about the birth of dragons. It also describes how Pharika hid secrets in the blood of basilisks, how the spirits of great warriors are reincarnated in the form of manticores, and dozens of other tales.",
								"The epic poem called {@i The Theriad} is another such collection. It describes the exploits of various champions of Heliod, all of whom are simply called \"the Champion,\" as if they were a single individual. Because the identities of the heroes aren't mentioned, the tales have more to say about the character of Heliod than about any champion's mortal deeds.",
								"{@i The Callapheia}, by contrast, is about the exploits of a single mortal hero, Callaphe the Mariner, who snuck into Mount Velus and stole Purphoros's tears, hid behind Phenax and wrote down his secrets, and raced Thassa at the edge of the world before sailing into Nyx. Tales of this sort highlight the gods' pettiness and vanity and promote the somewhat blasphemous notion that a mere mortal can outwit the divine. {@i The Callapheia} also serves as something of a gazetteer of Theros, describing its various lands and their inhabitants, at least as they existed some centuries ago.",
								"Finally, the deeds of the gods are sung in paeans during their festivals. Naturally, these hymns portray the gods in the most favorable light, as benevolent (or at least indifferent) and all-powerful."
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Worship",
					"page": 35,
					"id": "085",
					"entries": [
						"The idea of the existence of gods, as it grew in popularity among the mortals of Theros, didn't bring the gods into being by itself. Mortal reverence and worship turned universal ideas into deities. It wasn't until mortals trusted the gods to act on their behalf, in response to sacrifices and prayers, that the gods took shape from the dream-substance of Nyx. Worship remains crucial to the power of the gods, though mortals are generally not aware of their influence. Were a god to cease being worshiped, their might would dwindle.",
						"The most prevalent form of expressing reverence is the practice of libation, pouring out a splash of wine or water in honor of the gods. Pious people perform a simple rite of prayer and libation every morning and evening at a household altar or hearth, while the less devoted might still pour out a splash of wine before drinking the rest.",
						"The defining feature of a Theran temple is a statue of a god\u2014which the actual god can occupy and animate at any time. Worshipers kneel before it, touch and kiss it, drape it in garlands and fine cloth, and leave offerings before it. These acts are sometimes spontaneous outpourings of love or gratitude, and sometimes petitions, imploring the god to cure an illness, send rain for crops, guarantee a safe journey, or perform any other favor related to the god's sphere of influence.",
						"Most people aren't devoted to a single god, though many prefer some gods over others. Someone might ask Pharika to spare a loved one from disease, then later offer prayers to Karametra for a bountiful harvest or to Thassa for safety on a sea journey."
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Clerics and Champions",
					"page": 35,
					"id": "086",
					"entries": [
						"It's far more common for a hero to be devoted to an individual god than it is for an ordinary mortal. A cleric almost always worships a single god of the pantheon and chooses a domain appropriate to that deity for their Divine Domain feature.",
						"Often, heroes choose to devote themselves to particular gods either out of piety or self-interest. Sometimes, though, the gods choose champions who might not be entirely willing. Heliod, for example, takes pride in selecting only the best mortals to be his champions. He doesn't care how the mortals feel about being chosen, and his demands won't be refused.",
						"Most heroes in a Theros campaign, and all clerics, are assumed to devote themselves to a god's cause, acting as that god's champion. All the characters in a party might serve the same god, but more likely, they represent the interests of different gods as they face the dangers of the world together.",
						{
							"type": "table",
							"caption": "Gods of Theros",
							"colLabels": [
								"Deity",
								"Alignment",
								"Suggested Cleric Domains",
								"Common Symbol"
							],
							"colStyles": [
								"col-4",
								"col-1 text-center",
								"col-3",
								"col-3"
							],
							"rows": [
								[
									"Athreos, god of passage",
									"LE",
									"Death, Grave*",
									"Crescent moon"
								],
								[
									"Ephara, god of the polis",
									"LN",
									"Knowledge, Light",
									"Urn pouring water"
								],
								[
									"Erebos, god of the dead",
									"NE",
									"Death, Trickery",
									"Serene face"
								],
								[
									"Heliod, god of the sun",
									"LG",
									"Light",
									"Laurel crown"
								],
								[
									"Iroas, god of victory",
									"CG",
									"War",
									"Four-winged helmet"
								],
								[
									"Karametra, god of harvests",
									"NG",
									"Life, Nature",
									"Cornucopia"
								],
								[
									"Keranos, god of storms",
									"CN",
									"Knowledge, Tempest",
									"Blue eye"
								],
								[
									"Klothys, god of destiny",
									"N",
									"Knowledge, War",
									"Drop spindle"
								],
								[
									"Kruphix, god of horizons",
									"N",
									"Knowledge, Trickery",
									"Eight-pointed star"
								],
								[
									"Mogis, god of slaughter",
									"CE",
									"War",
									"Four-horned bull's head"
								],
								[
									"Nylea, god of the hunt",
									"NG",
									"Nature",
									"Four arrows"
								],
								[
									"Pharika, god of affliction",
									"NE",
									"Death, Knowledge, Life",
									"Snakes"
								],
								[
									"Phenax, god of deception",
									"CN",
									"Trickery",
									"Winged golden mask"
								],
								[
									"Purphoros, god of the forge",
									"CN",
									"Forge,* Knowledge",
									"Double crest"
								],
								[
									"Thassa, god of the sea",
									"N",
									"Knowledge, Tempest",
									"Waves"
								]
							],
							"footnotes": [
								"* The Forge and Grave domains appear in {@book Xanathar's Guide to Everything|XGE}"
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Piety",
					"page": 36,
					"id": "087",
					"entries": [
						"Being a god's champion carries no benefits in and of itself. Each god's description in this chapter paints a picture of the god's typical champion, including ideas for how a player character might end up in that position and provides ideals that represent the god's interests.",
						"The gods do reward the devotion of their champions, though. The strength of your devotion to your god is measured by your piety score. As you increase that score, you gain blessings from your god.",
						"Piety has nothing to do with faith or belief, except insofar as a person's thoughts and ideals drive them to action in a god's service. Your piety score reflects the actions you have taken in your god's service\u2014actions that the god richly rewards.",
						"When you choose a god to worship as a beginning character, your piety score related to that god is 1. Your piety score increases by 1 when you do something to advance the god's interests or behave in accordance with the god's ideals. The gods expect great deeds from their champions, so your piety score typically increases only when you accomplish a significant goal (such as the completion of an adventure), make a significant sacrifice of your own self-interest, or otherwise when the DM sees fit. Each god's description in this chapter includes a discussion of the god's goals and ideals, which your DM uses to judge whether you earn an increase in your piety score. As a general rule, you can expect to increase your piety by 1 during most sessions of play, assuming that you are following your god's tenets. The DM decides the amount of any increase or decrease, but a single deed typically changes your piety score by only 1 point in either direction unless your action is very significant.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Benefits of Piety",
							"page": 36,
							"id": "088",
							"entries": [
								"The gods bestow favors on those who prove their devotion. When your piety score crosses certain thresholds\u20143, 10, 25, and 50\u2014you gain a benefit detailed in the sections describing the gods' champions throughout this chapter. If your piety score exceeds and then falls below one of those thresholds, you lose the benefit you gained at the higher tier.",
								"If you choose the Oracle supernatural gift, you gain different rewards for your piety score, instead of the ones normally granted by your god. This gift and its benefits are described in {@book chapter 1|MOT|1|Oracle}."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Inspiration and Piety",
							"page": 36,
							"id": "089",
							"entries": [
								"To some extent, piety is its own reward. Behaving in accordance with your god's dictates and ideals inspires you and might enable you to succeed where you might otherwise fail. At your DM's discretion, whenever you increase your piety score, you might also gain inspiration, reflecting the improvement in the harmony between you and your god."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Impiety",
							"page": 36,
							"id": "08a",
							"entries": [
								"Not every hero chooses the life of a divine champion. Leonin, in particular, are known for rejecting the worship of gods. If you don't devote yourself to a god, you don't have a piety score and you gain no rewards for piety, but you don't suffer any negative consequences.",
								"The Iconoclast supernatural gift (described in {@book chapter 1|MOT|1|Iconoclast}) offers a way for characters to gain benefits similar to rewards for piety without being devoted to a god."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Changing Gods",
							"page": 36,
							"id": "08b",
							"entries": [
								"If events in your character's adventuring career warrant doing so, you can abandon the service of one god and turn to a different one. Once you abandon a god's service, you can rarely go back without performing some act of contrition.",
								"Your DM decides whether your new god will accept you as a champion and what you might have to do to prove your commitment.",
								"When you change gods, you lose all the benefits granted by your old one, including rewards for piety and any other divine blessings. You no longer have a piety score to your old god, and your piety score to your new god starts at 1.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/023-02-02.webp"
									},
									"width": 850,
									"height": 357,
									"credit": "Jung Park"
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "The Gods",
					"page": 37,
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "list",
							"columns": 3,
							"items": [
								"{@deity Athreos|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Ephara|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Erebos|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Heliod|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Iroas|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Karametra|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Keranos|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Klothys|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Kruphix|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Mogis|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Nylea|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Pharika|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Phenax|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Purphoros|Theros|MOT}",
								"{@deity Thassa|Theros|MOT}"
							]
						}
					],
					"id": "037"
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Realms of Gods and Mortals",
			"page": 83,
			"id": "1a0",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"What is the farthest explored point on the known world?\" Elspeth asked.",
						"\"In the east, beyond the leonin lands, there's another forest,\" Daxos told her. \"Larger even than the Nessian Forest. No one knows how far it goes.\"",
						"\"What's to the west beyond the sea?\" Elspeth asked.",
						"\"The world ends at the waterfall where Kruphix's Tree grows,\" he explained. \"The sea falls off the edge and into the void below.\"",
						"\"My home was beyond your infinite forest,\" she said."
					],
					"by": "Jenna Helland, Godsend"
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/054-03-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "Soaring above the polis of Meletis in their flying chariot, heroes of the Reverent Army send off the unrivaled Meletian fleet ",
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1993,
					"credit": "Svetlin Velinov"
				},
				"The world of Theros, as its inhabitants understand, includes three realms: the mortal world, the divine realm of Nyx, and the Underworld. They are three distinct planes of existence, tucked into their own pocket of the multiverse and shielded from the rest of the cosmos by the power of the gods. This chapter discusses each of these realms in turn, with a focus on the mortal realm where the schemes of the gods intersect with mortal lives.",
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "The Mortal Realm",
					"page": 83,
					"id": "1a2",
					"entries": [
						"Compared to most worlds of the Material Plane, the mortal realm of Theros is small. The known world is barely two hundred miles across, with unexplored wilderness beyond. And some unknown distance beyond that is the edge of the world, where the sea flows off the disk of the world and into the starry void.",
						"The known world of Theros consists of a long stretch of coastline forming the eastern edge of the vast Siren Sea. Eastward from the sea, the land rises up to two ridges of mountains. The lofty peaks of the second ridge form a barrier that few mortals have passed, so only rumors of a vast forest describe the land beyond.",
						"To the north, the coastal lands become a barren region of badlands crossed by a labyrinth of arid canyons, with minotaur lands beyond. The minotaurs speak of impenetrable mountains rising amid a dark forest to the north.",
						"The Siren Sea is studded with islands large and small. The largest cluster near the mainland, called the Dakra Isles, is poorly charted, and even those sailors who attempt to explore the isles return with contradictory information. Westward from those islands, some have successfully sailed to the edge of the world, though no one can say for certain how far it is\u2014the journey never unfolds in a straight line. In theory, it is equally possible to sail south to the edge of the world, but those waters are stormier and more forbidding.",
						"The heart of mortal civilization lies in and around three poleis\u2014cities and their surrounding territories. Together the three poleis, Akros, Meletis, and Setessa, encompass most of the human population of Theros. Meletis covers the whole territory of the southwestern peninsula, Akros forms the northern frontier, and Setessa lies at the northern edge of the wild Nessian Wood.",
						"Two bands of centaurs\u2014the Lagonna and the Pheres\u2014roam the hills and grasslands between the three poleis. The leonin hunt in the valley of Oreskos, nestled between the two mountain ranges. Satyrs dwell in a smaller sylvan vale northeast of the Nessian Wood. And tritons live primarily in the coastal shallows of the Siren Sea, though some manage to make comfortable homes among the humans of Meletis.",
						"The badlands of Phoberos, northwest of Akros, are the frontier where Akroan soldiers clash with minotaurs. Farther north is the minotaur city of Skophos, little known to humans.",
						"The necropoleis of Asphodel and Odunos are home to the Returned\u2014zombie-like beings who have escaped the clutches of the underworld at the cost of their identities. The lands around these cities are bleak and barren, as if the Returned brought the pall of the underworld out with them into the mortal realm.",
						{
							"type": "gallery",
							"images": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/055-map-3.1-world-of-theros.webp"
									},
									"title": "Map 3.1: world of theros",
									"width": 3631,
									"height": 5000,
									"imageType": "map",
									"grid": {
										"type": "none",
										"size": 104,
										"distance": 10,
										"units": "miles"
									},
									"id": "018",
									"credit": "Jonas De Ro"
								},
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/056-map-3.1-world-of-theros-player.webp"
									},
									"title": "Player Version",
									"width": 3631,
									"height": 5000,
									"imageType": "mapPlayer",
									"grid": {
										"type": "none",
										"size": 104,
										"distance": 10,
										"units": "miles"
									},
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										"id": "018"
									},
									"credit": "Jonas De Ro"
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "inset",
							"name": "Exploring Theros",
							"page": 84,
							"id": "1a3",
							"entries": [
								"Vast and varied lands comprise the world of Theros, from the territories of the great human poleis to the dizzying peaks of the Oraniad Mountains. The line between legend and location often blurs in Theros, though. While the residents of a polis can be relatively certain their homes will remain where they left them when they venture off to work, the specific locations of legendary sites prove more nebulous. Even well-known locations are typically noted referentially, like how the city of Neolantin is often described as being along the coast, far to the southwest of Meletis.",
								"Some sites prove even more elusive. The Dakra Isles, for example, move at the whims of the gods and so prove impossible to map.",
								"As a result, Map 3.1 serves largely as a vaguely agreed upon arrangement of locations, fuzzy borders, and general distances. While the scale and placement of sites are true by mortal standards, details might change as the gods please. As such, journeying between places is most reliably conducted by employing guides or maps specific to a single destination.",
								"If you are running a campaign in Theros, you can adjust distances between locations to suit the needs of your adventures. The distance might not be the same for two successive journeys; any trek across Theros can expand or contract to accommodate adventures and encounters as you wish."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Life in the Poleis",
							"page": 83,
							"id": "1a4",
							"entries": [
								"Human civilization in Theros is centered in three poleis: Akros, Meletis, and Setessa. These poleis exemplify the human drive to settle the land, to shape nature according to their needs, and to organize into political structures that can withstand the changing fortunes of the passing centuries.",
								"Each polis is centered in a city but includes a wide region of surrounding territory, and each one has its own distinct society and culture. To the people of Theros, \"Meletis\" is more or less synonymous with \"Meletians\"\u2014the polis isn't just the people who live in the city of Meletis or even those who dwell in nearby villages; it is the people who follow the Meletian way of life, wherever they might be found.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Citizenship and Government",
									"page": 85,
									"id": "1a5",
									"entries": [
										"In every polis, civic responsibility and full protection are afforded only to citizens. Citizenship is limited to those whose parents were both citizens of the polis. Citizens of other poleis, and their children, aren't permitted to participate in the government of the polis. In Akros, citizens must meet one additional requirement: they must serve in the army.",
										"The three poleis have different political structures, but each one has a council elected by popular vote of the citizenry. The Twelve, Meletis's council of philosophers, is the democratically elected ruling body of the polis. Akros is ruled by a hereditary monarch who is advised by a council of elders elected by and from among the citizenry. Similarly, Setessa's Ruling Council is formed by popular vote, and they govern the polis while its queen\u2014the goddess Karametra\u2014is absent."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Trade and Currency",
									"page": 85,
									"id": "1a6",
									"entries": [
										"Trade between Akros and Meletis is constant and productive. Caravans make the two-day journey between the poleis at least once a week, carrying fine Akroan metalwork and pottery to Meletis, and Meletian fabric, stonework, and fish northward. Both poleis mint coins of copper, silver, and gold, with equivalent value.",
										"Setessa trades with the other poleis as well, but less extensively. Its Abora Market, just inside the city gates, is open to outsiders only on certain days, and Setessan merchants prefer to barter goods rather than accept currency. Despite these restrictions, Setessan food, woodwork, and trained falcons are highly valued in the other poleis.",
										"Aside from the other human poleis, Meletis and Setessa both trade with the centaurs of the Lagonna band. The centaurs don't work metal, so they trade woodwork, the produce of the plains, and woven blankets to the human poleis in exchange for weapons and armor."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Recreation",
									"page": 85,
									"id": "1a7",
									"entries": [
										"The people of the poleis enjoy the opportunity for some recreation, as time and money allow.",
										"Gymnasia are popular gathering places, offering athletic training as well as space for philosophical discussion and friendly socializing. A resident of the city might visit a gymnasium one day to exercise, the next to view a wrestling match between celebrated competitors, and the next to hear a renowned philosopher give a lecture on ethics.",
										"Another important venue for recreation is the theater. The works of celebrated playwrights, past and present, are regularly produced by casts of professional actors. On occasion, a storyteller, accompanied by a small orchestra, draws crowds to a theater for a recitation of one of the great epics, such as {@i The} {@i Theriad} or {@i The} {@i Callapheia}. Such a performance might stretch over two or three days."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "The Meletian Calendar",
							"page": 85,
							"id": "1a8",
							"entries": [
								"The astronomers and philosophers of Meletis have established a calendar that has found some adoption in Akros and Setessa. It divides the year into twelve months of twenty-nine or thirty days, each beginning with the new moon. About every three years, an extra thirty-day month is added at the end of the calendar to keep it aligned with the solar year.",
								"The beginning of the year is considered the end of winter, so the new year begins with the spring. Each month is holy to a specific god and named after a major festival celebrated in Meletis during that month. Setessa and Akros have adopted the same names even though they don't share all the same observances, with one exception: the fifth month (Thriambion in Meletis) is called Iroagonion in Akros, after the Iroan Games, which are held in that month every year.",
								"The Meletian Calendar table summarizes the months, their lengths, and the god each is associated with.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Meletian Calendar",
									"colLabels": [
										"Month",
										"Name",
										"Length",
										"God"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-4 text-center",
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-3 text-center"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Lyokymion",
											"30 days",
											"Thassa"
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Protokynion",
											"29 days",
											"Nylea"
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Astrapion",
											"30 days",
											"Keranos"
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Polidrysion",
											"29 days",
											"Ephara"
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Thriambion",
											"30 days",
											"Iroas"
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Megasphagion",
											"29 days",
											"Mogis"
										],
										[
											"7",
											"Chalcanapsion",
											"30 days",
											"Purphoros"
										],
										[
											"8",
											"Necrologion",
											"29 days",
											"Athreos"
										],
										[
											"9",
											"Therimakarion",
											"30 days",
											"Karametra"
										],
										[
											"10",
											"Katabasion",
											"29 days",
											"Erebos"
										],
										[
											"11",
											"Cheimazion",
											"30 days",
											"Pharika"
										],
										[
											"12",
											"Agrypnion",
											"29 days",
											"Kruphix"
										],
										[
											"13*",
											"Anagrypnion",
											"30 days",
											"Kruphix"
										]
									],
									"footnotes": [
										"* This month occurs only once every three years."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Akros",
					"page": 86,
					"id": "1a9",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Only victory endures."
							],
							"by": "Akroan motto"
						},
						"The walled polis of Akros stands defiantly atop a precipitous cliff. The unforgiving mountains around it serve as a shield between its holdings and the rest of Theros. Few have ever dared to attack its famed fortress, the Kolophon, and no attack has ever breached its walls. To the residents of Theros, the Akroans hold near-mythical status: feared warriors produced by a culture that centers around perfecting the mind and body for war. Their armies have rarely tasted defeat as they expand the borders of Akros, seizing new lands and bounty.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "People of Akros",
							"page": 86,
							"id": "1ab",
							"entries": [
								"For most of Akros's neighbors, the term \"Akroan\" evokes legendary warriors, trained from birth in every martial discipline known to humankind. It brings to mind songs of tight-knit martial bands, holding strong in the face of unbeatable odds. It sings of a great yearly competition that crowns the preeminent warrior-athlete in Akros, and\u2014by extension\u2014the world. The majority of Akros's inhabitants, though, aren't members of its martial elite. The famed warriors of Akros have the means to devote their lives to studying and training in the ways of war because they rest atop a rigid social structure of serfs and servants that largely dwell beyond the Kolophon's walls. Those who stand at the heights of Akroan society, or outside it, are detailed here.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Monarchy",
									"page": 86,
									"id": "1ac",
									"entries": [
										"Traditionally, Akros is ruled by a monarch drawn from the lineage of lektoi. The monarchy passes from parent to eldest child, but any sibling or first cousin of the heir can challenge this succession and claim the throne by besting the heir in single combat.",
										"Currently, the monarchy is in a state of turmoil. King Anax has died, and his wife, Queen Cymede, has disappeared. An oracle of Keranos, the queen is said to have transformed into a pillar of fire and vanished into the wind, but until her death is certain, the lektoi are reluctant to name a new monarch. Anax and Cymede have no children, so the king's niece, Taranika, acts as regent, attempting to guide the polis through what is sure to be a difficult transition.",
										"As if the situation weren't complicated enough, rumors have it that Anax isn't dead. He, or perhaps some shimmering Nyxborn simulacrum of him, has been seen at the head of squads of satyr hoplites, wielding an axe that billows with smoke and drips searing lava."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Lektoi",
									"page": 86,
									"id": "1ad",
									"entries": [
										"At the apex of Akroan society are the lektoi, the large warrior class of Akros. Members of this class claim descent from the seven warriors who first established the Kolophon after the fall of the archons. Though the families now number more than seven, each one uses an animal associated with one of the seven warriors as its symbol, either the ram, lion, horse, boar, badger, bull, or hart. The ram, associated with Akros's first king, Elektes, is commonly used as a symbol for the lektoi as a whole and for Akroan strength, determination, and resilience. It is a popular theme in clothing, jewelry, and weapon ornamentation, and some lektoi even wear their hair braided into stylized ram horns.",
										"Although the lektoi claim descent from heroes, membership in this noble class isn't strictly hereditary. Anyone can earn a place among them by claiming a victory in the annual Iroan Games. More commonly, members of lektoi families lose their place of privilege if they fail to fulfill their obligation to serve in the Akroan military."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Stratians",
									"page": 86,
									"id": "1ae",
									"entries": [
										"The Akroan military is formed of wandering bands of warriors (drawn from the lektoi families) known as stratians. Outside the walls of the Kolophon, the stratians camp in the forests and fields, hunt game for food, and train younger warriors as they go. Their tasks are to search for monsters that have strayed into Akroan territory and to protect travelers.",
										"Stratian forces are divided into three types of duty and armed appropriately for the task before them:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Alamon",
													"entry": "Rugged forces of wanderers patrol Akros's borders, defending against invasion or attack by monsters that dwell in the mountains, foothills, and badlands around Akroan territory. They are armed and armored for speed and agility, allowing them to move stealthily and strike unexpectedly."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Lukos",
													"entry": "The most elite forces among the stratians, the so-called wolves contend with threats that the Alamon can't handle alone. After the guerrilla tactics of the Alamon have softened up a target, the heavily armored Lukos march to finish the task."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Oromai",
													"entry": "The watchers are the guardians of the Kolophon who protect the fortress from invaders and maintain order within its walls."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Flamespeakers",
									"page": 86,
									"id": "1af",
									"entries": [
										"Prominent spellcasters, the flamespeakers are reclusive priests of Purphoros who revere nature spirits and who inhabit fiery rifts in the mountains. The ancient practice is viewed as primitive but powerful, and Akroans of any background might risk making a pilgrimage into the mountains to hear a flamespeaker's prophecies."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Servants and Serfs",
									"page": 86,
									"id": "1b0",
									"entries": [
										"Lektoi who complete their military service with honor often retire to the Kolophon or their family estates and go about the leisured life of aristocrats. Their households are run by a class of servants made up of lektoi who were unable or unwilling to undertake a military career. These servants lack citizenship's full privileges but retain a position of some honor thanks to their class.",
										"Below these servants, at the bottom of Akros's social hierarchy, are the serfs. Comprising the vast majority of Akros's population, the serfs largely reside outside the protection of the Kolophon, laboring to grow the staple crops that support Akros's citizens and its trade. A relatively small number of serfs are skilled artisans who manage to build a more prosperous life for themselves with their crafts. But even these wealthier serfs can't own the land they live on, and they enjoy few rights or legal protections."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nonhumans in Akros",
									"page": 87,
									"id": "1b1",
									"entries": [
										"Akros maintains a standoffish\u2014and often hostile\u2014stance toward its neighbors, particularly the minotaurs of Phoberos, the leonin of Oreskos, and the centaurs of the Pheres band. Members of those peoples rarely find a warm welcome in Akroan territory. However, Akroans respect prowess, loyalty, and self-sacrifice, and might welcome any who embody such virtues. Some stratians also seek to learn the martial practices of other peoples, and might invite individuals or small communities to Akros to learn their ways.",
										"During the Iroan Games, everyone is welcome in the stadium. Satyrs flock to the city to witness the competition, and some take up permanent residence, celebrating the outcome of one year's games until it's time to start watching the next.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/056-03-02.webp"
											},
											"title": "The Kolophon stands watch over the polis of Akros ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Adam Paquette"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Features of Akros",
							"page": 87,
							"id": "1b2",
							"entries": [
								"At the center of the polis of Akros rises the Kolophon, a mighty fortress and the seat of Akroan power. This many-tiered structure perches upon a vast cliff, which drops into a deep canyon carved by the Deyda River. Nature and Akroan ingenuity conspire to make the Kolophon one of the most intimidating fortresses in Theros.",
								"Beyond the polis stretch craggy hills and mountains broken by narrow stretches of arable plains. It is a nearly impassable landscape, save for a few roads hewn through passes. Residents claim that only a fool would attempt to invade the heartlands of Akros, yet Akroans obsessively guard against invasion nonetheless.",
								"Beyond its thick walls, the streets of Akros are dotted with towering statues of heroes. Red-tiled roofs soar over square-topped sandstone columns, and holy sites dedicated to Iroas, Purphoros, and Keranos, among the other gods, are many. The architecture is formidable, spare, and militaristic, thick with sharp, angular shapes.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Temple of Triumph at Akros",
									"page": 87,
									"id": "1b3",
									"entries": [
										"At the heart of the walled city is the huge stadium that hosts Theros's greatest sporting event, the Iroan Games. A grand temple of Iroas stands beside it, serving as the venue for award ceremonies. A wide plaza connects the stadium to the city's outer gates, offering plenty of room for celebration around the annual games.",
										"When the stadium isn't hosting the actual Iroan Games, it is still used daily for training and for lesser athletic events. Many of the buildings surrounding the stadium are dedicated to serving it: smaller training facilities, providers of athletic gear, stables, and other shops."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Citadel",
									"page": 87,
									"id": "1b4",
									"entries": [
										"The uppermost tier of the city, perched on a rocky outcropping at the southwestern corner of the Kolophon, is the great citadel. The Oromai (the \"watchers\" who maintain order and defend the Kolophon) are quartered within the citadel's imposing walls, and the monarch's palace is built atop it. Temples of Iroas, Heliod, and Keranos also adorn the top of the citadel, the latter commissioned by the late Queen Cymede, built with an open roof to give her a clear view of stormy skies."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Akros's Surroundings",
							"page": 88,
							"id": "1b5",
							"entries": [
								"Arable land is scattered across small plateaus and valleys in Akros, meaning that the serf communities that farm the land are small and just as scattered. Volcanic rifts, landslides, and venomous animals make travel dangerous for anyone who doesn't know the terrain, and visitors wishing to avoid suspicion from patrolling stratians would be wise to stick to the roads.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/057-03-03.webp"
									},
									"width": 606,
									"height": 1000,
									"credit": "Steven Belledin"
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Outposts",
									"page": 88,
									"id": "1b6",
									"entries": [
										"The Alamon soldiers spend most of their time patrolling Akros's outlying areas, centering their patrols around scattered outposts. These serve as staging grounds for Alamon and Lukos units to prepare as they venture out to raid or guard against monsters and invaders.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "One-Eyed Pass",
													"entry": "The outpost in One-Eyed Pass serves to keep an Akroan eye on the large cyclops population of the area, but the stratians also use the cyclopes to their advantage. Any time dangerous creatures come down from the mountains and pose a potential threat to Akroan holdings, the Alamon harry the enemy and try to funnel them into the pass. The cyclopes of the pass viciously defend their territory against all intruders, weakening or even eliminating the danger before it can reach the Akroan outpost, where the Lukos finish off any stragglers."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Pharagax Bridge",
													"entry": "On the western border of Akros gapes a massive chasm rumored to descend all the way to the underworld and belch forth foul creatures. The great stone bridge that spans it is the only way into Akros from this direction. Stratians consider it a high honor to be assigned to guard the bridge."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Titan's Stairs",
													"entry": "These stone \"stairs,\" seemingly carved into the granite cliffs that protect Akros and haunted at all times by eerie, whistling winds, provide natural access to Akros. The stratians guard it fiercely and use it as a staging ground for invading the lowlands."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Phoberos Outposts",
													"entry": "Several semipermanent encampments dot the badlands between Akros and the wilds beyond. Fresh cadres of troops come here every month to relieve soldiers who are worn out by relentless assaults from raiders, fire-breathing dragons, and other threats."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Mountain Shrines",
													"entry": "The Akroans believe that the gods are best worshiped at the places closest to Nyx\u2014mountain peaks. Small temples and shrines are found throughout Akroan territory. Some are tucked in caves or nestled in crevices or canyons, while others are bare altars exposed to the elements."
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "1b7",
											"entries": [
												"Myths of the Akroan War",
												"Centuries before the polis of Olantin sunk beneath the sea (a myth told in {@book chapter 4|MOT|4}), its queen left her husband for the king of Akros. Slighted and heartbroken, the Olantian king summoned his whole host of loyal spears and sails to wage war on the fortified mountain polis.",
												"What followed was a siege that stretched on for decades. Whole parts of Akros were destroyed and rebuilt in the fighting. There were heroes who knew only a life of conflict, performing feats of incredible prowess for the honor of Olantin, or who awed the gods with their sleepless commitment to defending the gates of Akros.",
												"Most people today know of the event from an embellished account laid down in an epic poem, {@i The Akroan War}. Although its author has been lost to time, the poem is considered to be a definitive accounting of the greatest war in history. Countless soldiers aspire to fight with the honor and purpose that inspired the heroes of the Akroan War."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Pheres Lands",
							"page": 88,
							"id": "1b8",
							"entries": [
								"Between the mountains of Akros and the vast Nessian Wood to the southeast, Pheres-band centaurs roam across the dry, hilly landscape. Gathered in small bands of fierce raiders, the Pheres centaurs plunder whatever prey they can find: merchants and other travelers moving between Akros and Setessa, settlers trying to eke out an existence in the region, leonin tribes, Lagonna-band centaurs who range too far to the north, and any others they encounter."
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Meletis",
					"page": 89,
					"id": "1b9",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Evil flourishes where ignorance thrives."
							],
							"by": "Perisophia the philosopher"
						},
						"Meletis is a polis devoted to learning, magic, and progress. It is the most populous city-state and home to progressive thinkers, pious thaumaturges, and wise oracles. Born from the defeat of tyranny, to this day it pursues the ideals of free thought, societal betterment, and reinvention over stagnation and totalitarianism.",
						"The archon Agnomakhos ruled the area that is now Meletis for centuries. Impressing those he conquered into his legions, Agnomakhos aggressively expanded his empire, spreading it as far as the forests to the east and the mountains to the north. Ultimately, though, the heroes Kynaios and Tiro overthrew the archon. From the empire's ruins rose Meletis, a land that endeavors to reject cruelty and oppression throughout the world, and guards against hypocrisy within its own borders.",
						"For a time, Kynaios and Tiro ruled Meletis, striving to govern in accordance with the highest philosophical and ethical principles, which ultimately led them to relinquish their power and establish a philosopher-led republic. After the kings' deaths, the council of scholars known as the Twelve took up rule of the polis, with the sage Elpidios serving as the senior member.",
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/058-03-04.webp"
							},
							"title": "The sea wall and statues of the polis's founders guard Meletis Bay ",
							"width": 1500,
							"height": 848,
							"credit": "Adam Paquette"
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "People of Meletis",
							"page": 89,
							"id": "1bb",
							"entries": [
								"The people of Meletis take pride in their city's grand architecture, especially the great temples to the gods. They value philosophy and other intellectual pursuits, especially the practice of magic. Meletis's army is known for its discipline and its piety, and its navy is unparalleled. The city observes every one of the gods' holy days in various ways, and most residents try to live as the gods demand.",
								"Rich fields and the bounty of the sea support most people throughout Meletis. The people have reputations for being accomplished weavers, skilled sailors, and cunning merchants. Books and literacy are also common throughout the land, and the work of scribes, cartographers, musicians, and storytellers is well regarded. The people of Meletis believe themselves to be the inheritors of a heroic tradition, and each person owes it to themselves and to society to strive for greatness. Beyond Meletis's common folk, a few groups that hold noteworthy standing are detailed here.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Twelve",
									"page": 89,
									"id": "1bc",
									"entries": [
										"A council of philosophers called the Twelve serves as the ruling body of Meletis. They are elected by popular vote among the citizens of Meletis and serve for terms of four years at a time. They are supposed to govern by philosophical principles of justice and social order, and many of them do strive to uphold the highest ideals in their decisions. Others are more grimly realistic, and a few are deeply corrupt, serving only their own interests.",
										"The most senior member of the council is recognized as its leader, responsible for bringing the assembly to order and moderating its debate. Currently, this position is held by the renowned philosopher and orator named Perisophia."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Philosophers",
									"page": 89,
									"id": "1bd",
									"entries": [
										"Though they aren't necessarily heroic, philosophers are highly valued in Meletis, which is renowned as the center of philosophical thought. They form a privileged class, often coming from wealthy families but also supported by stipends from the polis's academies and their own students. Different philosophical schools hold political as well as intellectual power in the polis, with five schools of philosophy dominating Meletian discourse.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Elpidians",
													"entry": "Perisophia's optimistic Elpidian school currently predominates Meletian thought and politics, carrying on the works of the heroic Epharan oracle Elpidios. The Elpidian school strives to put magic and philosophy to use in improving the lives of all Meletians. Elpidian mages embrace magic in all its forms."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Formalists",
													"entry": "Formalist philosophers believe in a realm populated by abstract entities such as numbers and theories. They focus their efforts on trying to improve the moral fabric of the polis, hoping to create the ideal society, where people live together in peace, and where war and crime disappear."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Uremideans",
													"entry": "This school emphasizes logical reasoning, rhetorical excellence, and theories of ethics and virtue. Uremideans are eminently practical governors who seek to balance ethical ideals and realistic necessities."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Nykleans",
													"entry": "Nyklean philosophers teach that reason or destiny underlies all of reality, so that everything that takes place must unfold just as it does. These philosophers train themselves to accept and endure whatever befalls them, enjoying good fortune but not grieving its loss."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Anapsians",
													"entry": "Anapsian philosophy embraces the fine delights of life: the pleasures of love and friendship, fine food and drink, art and music. Anapsians have few strong opinions about governance, except that an ultimate good end should be kept front of mind in all decision."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Thaumaturges",
									"page": 90,
									"id": "1be",
									"entries": [
										"Meletians view magic as one of the greatest art forms, and they call the most accomplished mages thaumaturges (\"wonder workers\"). Many Meletian mages are trained at the elite academy of the Dekatia, but countless smaller schools and private tutors teach the magical arts. These lessons in magic typically include a well-rounded education in the sciences and philosophy. Some thaumaturges find their magical studies aligning with popular Meletian philosophies and choose the schools of magic they focus on based on such teachings.",
										"The mark of a true thaumaturge, though, is a gift or positive omen from the gods; even the most accomplished student of magic can't earn the title without such a sign of divine approval. One mage might receive the gift of a spear from Heliod, another could receive a clockwork owl from Ephara, and still another might experience a wild, creative vision from Keranos."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Reverent Army",
									"page": 90,
									"id": "1bf",
									"entries": [
										"The hoplites of Meletis practice battlefield tactics in an environment saturated with religious devotion. The military force of the polis is called the Reverent Army, and aims as much to exalt the glory of the pantheon as to defend Meletis. The soldiers are clever and resourceful, believing their piety leads the gods to smile upon them. More likely, though, their extensive training in battlefield tactics and magic gives them an edge over other soldiers, with most {@creature Meletian Hoplite|MOT|Meletian hoplites} knowing at least a little magic."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nonhumans in Meletis",
									"page": 90,
									"id": "1c0",
									"entries": [
										"Meletis strives to be a beacon to all of Theros's people. Well-intentioned members of any culture are welcome on Meletis's streets, and the polis's people work to earn the trust of their neighbors.",
										"Of all the poleis, Meletis has the closest relationship with the tritons of the Siren Sea. Several communities of tritons consider the harbors of Meletis and secluded coastal sanctuaries their home. Many take part in work near and under the water that other peoples are ill-suited to, but increasingly tritons find work not related to the sea, with triton restaurants, chemists, and members of the Reverent Army being increasingly common.",
										"Meletis maintains a fragile peace with centaurs of the Lagonna band, engaging in regular trade. It's not uncommon for small groups of centaurs to set up shop in the polis market for short periods, though few spend more than a night or two in the city, most finding it claustrophobic at best.",
										"Few leonin journey to Meletis, knowing little of the land beyond what their stories remember of Agnomakhos's tyranny. Even an age after the archon's rule, most leonin view Meletis as a cursed place. Those few who have traveled to the polis in recent years find it changed, with great potential for trade and cooperation, but no Meletian or leonin has yet initiated an official dialogue between the two peoples.",
										"Most satyrs have little patience for Meletian philosophy, visiting largely out of curiosity or on elaborate larks. Minotaurs are rarely seen in Meletis, though those who visit with peaceful intentions are welcome.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/059-03-05.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Claudio Pozas"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Features of Meletis",
							"page": 90,
							"id": "1c1",
							"entries": [
								"The architectural and academic marvels of Meletis testify to the achievements of civilized humanity. The streets are paved with bricks made in interlocking geometric shapes, meant to demonstrate principles of both mathematics and magic. Grand temples line the streets, testifying to the Meletians' devotion to the gods. These rise as both mighty bastions dedicated to individual deities and various neighborhood shrines devoted to the pantheon as a whole.",
								"Inside the city, the wild lands feel like a remote threat. Perils from the sea present more obvious dangers, but a great sea wall protects the polis's port on the Bay of Meletis, while a lengthy channel cuts through the surrounding land to reach Meletis Harbor on the Siren Sea.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Pyrgnos",
									"page": 90,
									"id": "1c2",
									"entries": [
										"Many Meletians speak of the \"edifice of knowledge,\" referring in the abstract to the sum of all learning and scholarship. Every citizen is expected to help improving this edifice for the good of the polis, whether through philosophical exploration, advancements in magical technique, investigation into the nature of the gods, or perfection of techniques in crafting and trade.",
										"But the edifice of knowledge in Meletis is a literal structure as well as a metaphorical one: the Pyrgnos is a glowing stone tower standing near the coast. It is literally formed from the collected learnings of the polis, recorded on carved stone tablets and glowing letters hovering in the air. At night, the Pyrgnos shines like a lighthouse where the sea wall meets the shore, gleaming on the waters of the Siren Sea.",
										"A decade ago, the Pyrgnos was partly demolished by a kraken that attacked the city, but it has been repaired and continues to grow, reflecting the continued learning of the polis's citizens."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Dekatia",
									"page": 91,
									"id": "1c3",
									"entries": [
										"Meletis boasts many centers of learning, but the preeminent academy for philosophers and mages is the Dekatia. Students who display remarkable promise over the course of their earlier education can go on to spend up to ten years in arduous training at the Dekatia, apprenticed to master priests, thaumaturges, philosophers, and military heroes. Those who manage to complete this decade of training are renowned as the wisest of the wise and the bravest of the brave, combining all the essential learning of the polis into one heroic package."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Observatory",
									"page": 91,
									"id": "1c4",
									"entries": [
										"The Observatory is a tall viewing platform and a windowed structure offering a splendid view of the sky, renowned as a place to study Nyx, the home of the gods. Special crystals shaped by thaumaturges and blessed by the oracles of the gods enhance the view, making it easier for observers to see the workings of the gods among the stars and constellations. Priests, mages, and philosophers interpret what they see in the Observatory as signs and omens from the gods.",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "1c5",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of the Fall of Agnomakhos",
												"From the back of his flying bull, the archon Agnomakhos led armies across the face of Theros, carving out an empire that stood for generations. While numerous rebellions attempted to cast off the archon's rule, each was crushed by his armies of giants, leonin, and other fearsome creatures. So, when the heroes Kynaios and Tiro sought to inspire an uprising, few flocked to their banner.",
												"Undeterred, the rebels soldiered on against impossible odds. Seeing their dedication to the cause of freedom, the goddess Ephara came to the heroes. She offered to aid Kynaios and Tiro in their battle against the tyrant, supplementing their martial skill with a new weapon: magic.",
												"With their new power, Kynaios and Tiro inspired the people to rise up against Agnomakhos, ultimately defeating his armies and striking the archon down. From their victory rose the polis of Meletis and the use of magic among mortals.",
												"Agnomakhos's fall remains a point of honor in the minds of Meletis's people, a moment immortalized in relief upon countless civic buildings throughout the polis."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Meletis's Surroundings",
							"page": 91,
							"id": "1c6",
							"entries": [
								"Meletis sits on the coast of the Siren Sea, surrounded by rivers, sparse woodlands, and vast, stepped grasslands. Fields of barley provide sustenance to Meletians and their animals. Well-trod roads wind their way through the region, but most locals travel along the coast in simple boats.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Meletian Holdings",
									"page": 92,
									"id": "1c7",
									"entries": [
										"The polis of Meletis embodies the heart and mind of what it means to be Meletian, but the polis's lands also includes numerous other settlements and wildernesses. The people who live in these holdings are no less Meletians than the inhabitants of the city, and they share the values of other Meletians even if their lifestyle affords them little opportunity to study magic and philosophy.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Altrisos",
													"entry": "This small walled city is famous for Ephara's intervention to protect it from a kraken, her face coming to life on the marble wall and making the barrier grow so tall that the kraken couldn't get through. Altrisos now has Ephara's face on nearly every building and wall in the entire city in gratitude."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Glossion",
													"entry": "Glossion is a small coastal town that would be completely unremarkable, except that it's accumulated a truly impressive library. The bulk of the town's economy revolves around maintaining the library and meeting the needs of travelers who come to visit it."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Krimnos",
													"entry": "Renowned as the home of Anapse, the philosopher who founded the Anapsian school, the village of Krimnos attracts many philosophers who share Anapse's delight in the pleasures of a simple life."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Listes",
													"entry": "Listes is a fortress marking the northeastern border of the polis. The civilian population is hardly less disciplined than the members of the Reverent Army stationed there, and the whole population observes Iroas's holy days together."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Natumbria",
													"entry": "The residents of Natumbria are famous for training sea animals as skillfully as Setessans train land and air animals. They train sea snakes, dolphins, and even sharks on a few occasions to be combatants, working animals, aquatic mounts, and companions."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Neolantin",
													"entry": "Though they are regarded as Meletians, the people of Neolantin view themselves as citizens of Olantin\u2014a coastal polis that long ago vanished into the sea. According to legend, an angry Heliod smote the polis with his spear, sinking it in punishment for its people's utter hubris. The fact that the Neolantians were spared this fate, they say, is evidence of their humility, and they take special care in their sacrifices to Heliod."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Oxus",
													"entry": "Oxus is a quiet town with a notably wealthy population, consisting largely of merchants who have retired from trade with large fortunes at their disposal. The tomb of Kynaios and Tiro also stands in the center of the town, the subject of many local legends."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Phaela",
													"entry": "A small fishing village, Phaela is most noted as being the literal \"end of the road\" for travelers venturing south from Meletis. The rugged lands beyond are rocky and scattered with forgotten ruins."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Sitrium",
													"entry": "This coastal town is known for the way many of its buildings are on stilts to accommodate the changing tides. Sitrium is famed for its skilled shipwrights."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Thesteia",
													"entry": "The village of Thesteia is little more than a crossroads, but it's notable for its temple to Karametra. The site draws farmers from the region who offer a portion of their crops to the god of agriculture."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Lagonna Grounds",
							"page": 92,
							"id": "1c8",
							"entries": [
								"At the northern edge of Meletian territory, between the sea and the Nessian Wood, roam the centaurs of the Lagonna band. Unlike the ferocious Pheres band, the Lagonna-band centaurs are generally peaceful and don't engage in raids upon Meletian territory. They are frequent visitors in Listes, Krimnos, and Meletis itself, and often carry goods between Meletis and Setessa, since they are more at home in the Nessian Wood than most Meletian merchants.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/060-03-06.webp"
									},
									"title": "People from across Theros visit Meletis, leaving their marks on the polis's architecture and philosophies ",
									"width": 1500,
									"height": 966,
									"credit": "Svetlin Velinov"
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Setessa",
					"page": 93,
					"id": "1c9",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"This city saved me when I was an orphaned child, sold into chains. Now is my turn to save it."
							],
							"by": "Kallias, Ophis Tower commander"
						},
						"Setessa is the favored polis of Karametra, and its buildings blend so perfectly into the forest that it's difficult to tell the difference between inside and outside. The populace lives in harmony with the thick forests, terraced farms, and trained animals of Setessa, and they celebrate the cycle of seasons with grand holidays.",
						"Setessa is also unique among the poleis of Theros in that few of its adult residents are men. Women comprise the bulk of the population, holding almost all of the leadership roles and carrying out most work. Men are few and far between, mostly performing roles at the polis's edge. Children run freely around the polis. They're so important, in fact, that Setessa's people take in abandoned children from all over Theros.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "People of Setessa",
							"page": 93,
							"id": "1cb",
							"entries": [
								"The populace of Setessa live in a beautiful paradise, and they're prepared to fight to the death to protect it. The constant training in archery, falconry, riding, and close combat can seem out of place among the idyllic forests and beautiful gardens and orchards, but that is the way of life in Setessa.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Gender in Setessa",
									"page": 93,
									"id": "1cc",
									"entries": [
										"Setessans believe that women become heroes through martial exploits, while men do so by finding their own way in the world. As a result, the polis is populated mostly by women and children.",
										"When young men reach the age of fourteen, their rites of passage culminate in a journey called {@i peregrination}, where they wander the world until they find a new place to call home. The few men who reside permanently in Setessa live in the Amatrophon, training and caring for the animals there. Some of these men never peregrinated, but others left and then returned to Setessa.",
										"The women of the polis form a tight-knit community where property is held in common. There is no marriage, and ancestry is traced matrilineally.",
										"Despite the very different roles played by men and women, Setessans are flexible when it comes to any individual's place in that structure. Some men set out on peregrination after spending a number of years identified as women, and some women return from peregrination (or never undertake it) after a period of realization. Some people move fluidly between roles, and a few choose a special role that Setessans view as standing outside the dichotomy of gender, living in Ophis Tower.",
										"The warriors of Ophis Tower are martially trained as women are but wander the world as men do. They gather information for the Ruling Council, search out routes for peregrination (including identifying sympathetic individuals and households who will mentor young men at the start of their journeys), and rescue lost and abandoned children from other communities, bringing them back to Setessa."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Ruling Council",
									"page": 93,
									"id": "1cd",
									"entries": [
										"Karametra is the queen of Setessa, but of course gods have more important concerns than the day-to-day governance of a human polis. So a five-member council attends to the daily tasks of leadership on the deity's behalf. The council is made up of the commanders of the four prominent fortress-watchtowers that guard the polis. These commanders are elected by popular vote: Anthousa of Leina Tower, Phaedra of Hyrax Tower, Niketa of Bassara Tower, and Kallias of Ophis Tower. The fifth member is Silverbrow, a centaur oracle who reads the Kelema Veil at the Nexuses of the Seasons and advises action based on her visions. Anthousa is the head of the council, considered Karametra's closest advisor and the de facto ruler of the city."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Defenders and the Four Towers",
									"page": 93,
									"id": "1ce",
									"entries": [
										"Karametra includes defense of the home in her domains, and the residents of Setessa follow suit. Setessan military forces are organized into four major regiments, each associated with a fortress tower.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Bassara Tower",
													"entry": "The tower of the fox stands near the Summer Nexus and watches for interlopers who enter the Nessian Wood without permission. During their training, troops there focus on archery and guerrilla tactics. Their leader is Niketa, a woman in her fifties who spends most of her time in the tower since she parted ways with her dryad partner."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Hyrax Tower",
													"entry": "The tower of the falcon lies on the ridge near the Autumn Nexus. Its regiment includes contingents of scouts and falconers. Its leader is Phaedra, a nineteen-year-old master falconer and orphan from Meletis who was rescued by the Ophis regiment."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Leina Tower",
													"entry": "The tower of the lion stands near Karametra's temple at the heart of Setessa. Its regiment, led by the hero Anthousa, is dedicated to the defense of the polis and the training of its children. The Leina warriors favor double-edged axes."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Ophis Tower",
													"entry": "The tower of the serpent nestles at the center of Setessa. Its wandering warriors travel the world, working on behalf of the Ruling Council. Their leader is Kallias, who was sold into slavery as a child. They lost an eye and several fingers before they were rescued and brought to Setessa, where they have devoted themselves to saving others in a similar plight."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The \"Little Bears\" of Setessa",
									"id": "1cf",
									"entries": [
										"Children in Setessa are reared by the polis as a whole and treated with the highest respect; their welfare is paramount and their training is a significant part of every warrior's occupation. Orphans and abandoned children are sacred to Karametra, so they are brought into the city and tended just as Setessa's own children are.",
										"In contrast to the discipline associated with educating children in other poleis, Setessan youngsters enjoy tremendous freedom. Called {@i arkulli}, meaning \"little bears,\" they are welcome anywhere in the city. They often wander in and out of the temple, training grounds, the hall of the Ruling Council, the market, and anywhere else their paths take them. Such freedom is meant to cultivate a curious spirit and help the children find the path they're most interested in following later in life."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nonhumans in Setessa",
									"page": 93,
									"id": "1d0",
									"entries": [
										"Setessa doesn't welcome outsiders, as a rule, except the orphaned and abandoned children brought to live in the polis. But the polis can be more hospitable to nonhuman outsiders than to humans (especially male humans) from other poleis. A few centaurs of the Lagonna band, leonin, and satyrs have earned the right to live in Setessa. Dryads and naiads from the Nessian Wood rarely try to enter the polis, but they are often friendly with the Bassara soldiers who patrol the forest."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Features of Setessa",
							"page": 94,
							"id": "1d1",
							"entries": [
								"Setessa fuses nature and civilization into a single living organism. The polis extends from a huge tree at its center, like the rings of a still larger tree. A dense circle of vegetation forms the city's outer wall, with the treetops magically woven together to create a barrier against intruders. Expertly trained archers stand guard on platforms nestled among the upper branches. Inside these natural walls, patches of thick forest alternate with open spaces where the Setessans build their homes and civic buildings amid the trees. Out of deference to Nylea, the residents of Setessa never construct a building that isn't absolutely necessary, and their homes and buildings are seamlessly integrated into the environment, with magic coaxing vegetation to weave together into walls or roofs.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Temple to Karametra",
									"page": 94,
									"id": "1d2",
									"entries": [
										"In the very center of the city is the temple to Karametra, patron of Setessa. Three ancient trees grow from an earthen rise and spiral around the heart of the city. The temple, built of glittering limestone, nestles amid the massive trunks. Strong magical wards protect the temple, since Karametra herself sits here when she visits her beloved polis. All manner of civic functions are based in the temple, and most of them are carried out by Karametra's attendants. These attendants serve as healers, advisors, teachers, chroniclers, and oracles."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nexuses of the Seasons",
									"page": 94,
									"id": "1d3",
									"entries": [
										"Four holy sites, corresponding to the four seasons, stand in or near the polis and serve as temples\u2014primarily for the rites of Karametra and Nylea, but also to the other gods to an extent. These nexus points between the mortal world and Nyx\u2014a phenomenon called the Kelema Veil\u2014are where omens manifest amid star fields that glitter in the shadows and where oracles seek messages from the divine. The four nexuses are each distinct in their own ways.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Spring Nexus",
													"entry": "Associated with Karametra, the Spring Nexus is located in a lavish garden just behind her temple in the city of Setessa. A large arch of vines and flowers leads into the nexus itself and stays fresh and green all year long. Spring is the most celebratory time for Setessans\u2014a time for planting and hope. Worshipers leave gifts for both Karametra and Nylea here."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Summer Nexus",
													"entry": "Located in an olive grove west of the city proper, the Summer Nexus is covered by a leafy green canopy. As a shelter from summer's heat, the nexus is a favorite resting spot for people and animals alike, and Nylea and Iroas are worshiped here."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Autumn Nexus",
													"entry": "Near the southern edge of Setessa, in an orchard filled with golden apples, a small cave behind a basalt arch holds a perpetually burning flame. Priests keep a strict rotation to ensure the fire never goes out, as it represents Purphoros's fire that keeps the world warm through the colder seasons and allows the autumn harvest. In addition to Purphoros, Setessans come here to worship Iroas and Mogis, when necessary."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Winter Nexus",
													"entry": "At the eastern edge of Setessa hides a rocky cave that was once a lion's den. The cave contains a burial ground and is rumored to lead all the way into the underworld. Setessan children occasionally dare each other to see who can make it the farthest into the cave, but the morbid atmosphere usually sends the children scurrying back before long. Setessans come here to worship Pharika and Erebos, paying respects to the dead or hoping to fend off death for a while yet."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Abora Market",
									"page": 94,
									"id": "1d4",
									"entries": [
										"The Abora Market is a giant, open-air market just inside the main eastern gate of Setessa. Every day it is thronged with citizens buying and selling food, crafts, and curiosities. On the seven days surrounding the full moon, outsiders are even allowed into the market, though they are still prohibited from roaming the rest of the polis. Visitors who try to explore beyond the market are typically banned from the polis and must forfeit any goods they brought into the city.",
										"The most impressive part of the market is the raptor hall, where falconers show off the trained raptors available for sale. Hunters all over Theros come to buy famous Setessan falcons."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Caryatid Groves",
									"page": 94,
									"id": "1d5",
									"entries": [
										"Scattered throughout the city are several groves that are sacred to Karametra and Nylea, made up of slender trees with almost humanlike forms. It is said that whoever enters one of these sacred groves in search of peace will find it\u2014and take root, becoming part of the grove. The trees here are caryatids, capable of animating in defense of the groves or the city (as {@creature Animated Tree|EGW|animated trees}) but otherwise resting in silent stillness.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/061-03-07.webp"
											},
											"title": "Nature and civilization meld harmoniously in the polis of Setessa ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Adam Paquette"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Setessa's Surroundings",
							"page": 94,
							"id": "1d6",
							"entries": [
								"Beyond the city's encircling trees, the territory of Setessa extends to cover about a third of the Nessian Wood and a wide swath of the open chaparral. In contrast to Meletis and Akros, no villages or military outposts mark Setessan territory, but a few key features in the Nessian Wood define the area under Setessan control.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Amatrophon",
									"page": 94,
									"id": "1d7",
									"entries": [
										"The Amatrophon encompasses a large forested region at the northwestern edge of Setessan territory, and it provides a safe haven and training ground for the diverse range of animals that occupy an honored place as natural protectors in Setessan society. Experts train the renowned falcons of Setessa here, along with horses for riding and for combat. More unusual animals are found here as well: trainers work with pegasi, wolves, and lions to get them ready to accompany Setessans in battle. Here men live and work alongside women, collectively training and caring for the animals that live here."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nessian Wood",
									"page": 95,
									"id": "1d8",
									"entries": [
										"The vast wilderness of the Nessian Wood is considered Nylea's domain. Its trees are as old as the world, twining together to form an impenetrable canopy shielding the wood from Heliod's angry glare. Their roots stretch deep into the earth, and some say they drink from the Rivers That Ring the World, the waters of the Underworld. All manner of wild and magical creatures dwell in the Nessian Wood, far from the reach of human civilization.",
										"Nylea allows limited hunting in the Nessian Wood, but she has been known to kill those who poach without her permission. Setessa's Bassara regiment helps the god keep an eye out for such illicit hunters, as well as any intruders who might bring danger upon the polis.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Cypress Gates",
													"entry": "A natural gap between two mountains on the west side of the Sperche River provides access into the Nessian Wood from the east. Ancient Setessans carved an impenetrable fortress into the mountains to guard the pass. Bassara patrols from Setessa still check in on the fortress regularly, and they occupy the fortress when there is reason to suspect danger from the east. More than once, though, patrols have reached the fort only to find something else has taken up residence, whether it be rowdy satyrs, grim Returned, or worse."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Hunter's Crossing",
													"entry": "Setessa once extended its claim over more of the Nessian Wood, establishing military outposts like those of Akros. At the western end of the forest, along the road from Meletis known as the Guardian Way, the ruins of a round tower lie beside a rushing stream. This marks the greatest extent of ancient Setessa's reach. A site of rich natural beauty, with lilacs growing along the riverbank and silver fish darting in startlingly clear water, it is abandoned by Setessa and favored by travelers as a resting point on the road before coming under the eaves of the forest."
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "1d9",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of Nikaia the First Caryatid",
												"A Setessan archer named Nikaia claimed that she could outshoot anyone, even Nylea. Word of this unwise boast spread, and in response Nylea appeared at the next archery contest at the Spring Nexus. She challenged Nikaia to an impossible feat of archery: to shoot an arrow into one of the twin trunks of Kruphix's great tree at the edge of the world. Nikaia immediately realized that neither refusal, failure, nor success would forestall Nylea's wrath. Nonetheless, she held her head high, she and Nylea both let fly, and both arrows hit. Impressed by the mortal, Nylea took Nikaia to her sacred grove and planted her there as a caryatid, immobile but forever occupying a place of honor.",
												"Since then, Nylea has honored dozens of other champions and worthy mortals, blessing them with the long lives of mighty trees. The grown seedlings of Nikaia and Nylea's other favored continue to share their wisdom and protect Setessa to this day."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Oreskos",
					"page": 96,
					"id": "1da",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Our world stands on three feet: pride, dignity, and independence. When voices claim we've lost these virtues, do not listen. Those are the words of thieves, convincing you you've already lost what they aim to steal."
							],
							"by": "Liala, matron of the Sun Guides"
						},
						"A vast valley of dry grasslands nestled between the Katachthon and Oraniad Mountains, Oreskos is the home of the leonin. Here roam vast herds of knot-horned gazelle, flocks of elephant birds, prides of lean lions, and a menagerie of other beasts. Predatory griffins and manticores regularly range over the region's grassy seas, while beings like the anvilwroughts of Mount Velus or the Nyxborn from Nykthos often experience Oreskos as their first glimpse of the wider world.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Leonin of Oreskos",
							"page": 96,
							"id": "1dc",
							"entries": [
								"Close-knit prides of several dozen to a few hundred leonin make their homes throughout Oreskos. These communities treat every member as family, with all taking equal roles in hunting, cooking, family care, and other daily responsibilities. Status in the tribe typically comes with age and by forming relationships with other members of the community, whether through childrearing, friendships, romances, teaching, or otherwise. Leonin women tend to remain part of their mothers' prides, while males often leave to join new prides when they find partners. Councils of matriarchs make decisions for most prides, these leaders rising from among the oldest or best-respected women of the pride.",
								"Generally, leonin communities avoid outsiders, particularly armed groups of soldiers and champions of the gods. Many leonin suffered under the rule of the archons and at the whim of fickle gods, a grim history that taught them well-remembered lessons about trusting strangers or relying on deities. Most leonin understand that people aren't their culture, though, and individuals who prove themselves trustworthy might find gradual acceptance among the prides. Even so, leonin prides accept centaurs, minotaurs, and satyrs more readily than unpredictable humans and alien tritons.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Leonin Communities",
									"page": 96,
									"id": "1dd",
									"entries": [
										"Leonin prides typically occupy dens or mobile tent cities, or possibly both at different times of the year. Their dens commonly lie amid the foothills at the edge of Oreskos, particularly along the Oraniads to the east. Dens are usually comprised of small, interconnected networks of underground chambers. Large, shared spaces in these dens are typically decorated with rich woven textiles, bone crafts, and rich clay and crystal pottery. The dens are cool in the summers, but leonin are a sun-loving people and prefer to be outside\u2014even sleeping outdoors\u2014whenever weather permits.",
										"Numerous beasts migrate across Oreskos during the spring and fall. During this time, hunters from nearly every leonin pride participate in extended expeditions. In some cases, the entire pride takes part, emptying their dens to journey across the plains. While on the hunt, prides dwell in lavish tent-cities, largely comprised of tents capable of housing whole families. These temporary homes surround brightly colored pavilions, where craftspeople turn game into meals, clothing, and materials, honoring their animal neighbors by wasting nothing. While these encampments are obvious and well supplied, they are also heavily guarded by wary leonin. As a result, strangers who approach such camps tend to receive cold receptions."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Speaker",
									"page": 96,
									"id": "1de",
									"entries": [
										"Each year, on the day of the first full moon after the autumn equinox, matriarchs from all the leonin prides gather at Tethmos to select a monarch, who acts as a representative of the prides in the wider world. While terms like \"queen\" or \"general\" are often applied to this leader by outsiders, the meaning of the leonin title, {@i zibynth}, is closer to \"speaker.\"",
										"As the sun rises on this festival day, the leonin gather to renew pacts of friendship. The matriarchs of all the prides hold council during this time. As dusk falls, the council announces a new speaker. A fantastic celebration ensues, involving dancing, feasting, singing, public professions of deep feelings, and trading oaths.",
										"Traditionally, the speaker reigns for a single year. As the leonin have grown less isolated, though, they have come to explore greater continuity in their leadership, and the current speaker, Brimaz, has held the office for several years. One of the few men to ever be speaker, he is broadminded, humble, and determined, with a deep connection to the land. He is quick to seek opinions from the matriarchs of the leonin prides, and often defers to their wisdom. While his focus has largely been within the grasslands' borders, he cautiously explores engaging in trade with the human poleis"
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ironmanes",
									"page": 96,
									"id": "1df",
									"entries": [
										"One collection of leonin prides, the Ironmanes, doesn't recognize the authority of the speaker. These fearsome warriors live in the foothills of the western Katachthon mountains, acknowledging no authority but their own. The warriors of the tribe stain their fur with rust to declare their status and ornament themselves with claws and small bones taken from defeated opponents. While intensely territorial, the Ironmanes sometimes offer their services as guards or guides, though they generally disdain working for anyone but other leonin. Numerous leonin fighters and rangers count themselves as Ironmanes."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Sun Guides",
									"page": 96,
									"id": "1e0",
									"entries": [
										"True children of Oreskos, the Sun Guides have lived in the grasslands for countless generations. They know the way of Oreskos's beasts and seasons better than any. Both mystical and knowledgeable, the Sun Guides read the messages in plant growth and animal migrations, and make their place in the natural cycle.",
										"Sun Guide prides might be found throughout Oreskos, but most orbit the lake known as Sun's Mirror. While these prides sometimes seek their dens during the harshest winters, many will spend years on the open plains. Many druids, monks, rangers, and sorcerers hail from Sun Guide prides."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Swiftclaws",
									"page": 97,
									"id": "1e1",
									"entries": [
										"Among the greatest hunters of Oreskos, the Swiftclaws are known for speed and efficiency. Their hunts are known to be among the shortest and most fruitful. While their martial prowess earns them respect, it also affords many leonin more time to share tales and study the lore of their people. As a result, some of the greatest leonin storytellers and historians number among the Swiftclaws. Fighters and rogues are also common among the Swiftclaws, and many bards and wizards come from these prides as well.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/062-03-08.webp"
											},
											"title": "Speaker Brimaz looks beyond Oreskos and wonders if there is a future for his people in the outside world ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1001,
											"credit": "Peter Mohrbacher"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Grasslands of Oreskos",
							"page": 97,
							"id": "1e2",
							"entries": [
								"Unspoiled by roads or buildings, Oreskos is a land of striking natural beauty, where the plains and sky appear to go on forever. Craggy stone formations and ancient ruins dot windswept grasslands and plateaus, shading into scrubby badlands, rocky hills, and unwelcoming mountains. At the sun's height, the grasslands shine like beaten gold, and the sunsets are incomparable. Magnificent storms spread clouds in a rainbow of colors, creating vistas exhilarating to those brave enough to weather them. The hills yield ancient treasures and a bounty of precious metals and stones. At night, the movements of Nyx are striking, but images of the gods seem to keep their distance from this land where few pay them honor.",
								"Yet most non-leonin will never see this beauty. The leonin prides guard their lands implacably, and without a good reason to be there\u2014or a leonin guide to vouch for one's presence\u2014outsiders are often chased away.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Tethmos",
									"page": 97,
									"id": "1e3",
									"entries": [
										"Tethmos serves as the default capital for Oreskos, a meeting place for the tribes, and the home of leonin leaders. Stone buildings and slender windmills jut above the plain, their pale colors and metal decorations shimmering in the light and changing color as the sun moves across the sky. Many leonin matriarchs and other wise souls retire to Tethmos to share their wisdom with all the prides. In recent years, a few non-leonin traders have been admitted into Tethmos, provoking exaggerated tales of the leonin sages and their golden city."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Mount Kure",
									"page": 97,
									"id": "1e4",
									"entries": [
										"Atop Mount Kure rises a massive temple, open-roofed and accented in gold. This temple of Heliod, his closest to Oreskos, is rarely visited, but on the god's highest holy days, worshipers journey there to commune with the sun god. These pilgrimages occasionally bring the god's servants into conflict with wary leonin hunting nearby."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Sun's Mirror",
									"page": 97,
									"id": "1e5",
									"entries": [
										"This vast, placid lake sits at the center of Oreskos. No matter the weather around it, the lake's surface remains undisturbed, and often reflects the sunlight so brightly that it's difficult to look at. Those who approach the lake and gaze into its waters usually see their own reflections, but on rare occasions, they see visions of places far away. The leonin claim that these visions show not just the present, but even the past and the future."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Phoberos and Skophos",
					"page": 98,
					"id": "1e6",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Mogis reshaped our ancestors, giving form to their great rages and pains. We are not our ancestors, though. We are god-carved for greatness, but each of us determines how."
							],
							"by": "Gysios, Bronzebones veteran"
						},
						"The western edge of Akroan territory is a region of arid canyons and caverns called Phoberos, a land of harsh natural whims haunted by ravenous monsters. Fierce bands of wild minotaurs haunt these badlands, and for centuries these brutal marauders were the only minotaurs the human poleis ever knew\u2014which contributed to the minotaurs' reputation as bloodthirsty brutes.",
						"But to the north of Phoberos, far from the walls of Akros, stands the sprawling, labyrinthine polis of Skophos. Skophos is mentioned in a few ancient odes, but only a handful of humans have ever beheld Skophos, and hardly any have successfully navigated its labyrinthine passageways and returned to tell of it.",
						"The founding of Skophos and its troubled history with Akros are the stuff of myth, and it is difficult to distinguish the mortal history of the two poleis from tales of the twin gods, Iroas and Mogis. The gods warred with each other, their followers and champions vied for control of scarce land, and two ideals\u2014the nobility of heroic struggle and victory versus the brutality of savage slaughter in war\u2014competed for a place in the mortal mind. Just as Mogis is the dark shadow of everything Iroas stands for, so is Skophos the reflection of Akros. And Phoberos is the bloodstained battleground where the eternal conflict between the gods and their poleis is waged.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Minotaurs of Phoberos",
							"page": 98,
							"id": "1e8",
							"entries": [
								"Most of the minotaurs that roam the badlands of Phoberos are outcasts from the society of Skophos. They are bandits and marauders, bloodthirsty killers infected by the wild rage of Mogis. These minotaurs have more in common with the monsters in the {@book Monster Manual|MM} than with the civilized people described in {@book chapter 1|MOT|1|Minotaur} of this book (including their Large size). Most of them use only the barest minimum of technology\u2014tattered clothes, piecemeal armor, and heavy weapons, all scavenged from their fallen foes. They wander alone or gather in bands under the leadership of the strongest among them, and in either case tend to kill any human they encounter. Three distinct bands are particularly well-known by their Akroan foes.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Bloodhorn Minotaurs",
									"page": 98,
									"id": "1e9",
									"entries": [
										"Named for their blood-caked horns, the Bloodhorn minotaurs have ragged claws to supplement their charges and gores. Gleeful in their brutality, they slaughter and devour any intruders they encounter in the badlands, and particularly value the bone marrow of young humans. They take pride in their overlarge, razor-sharp horns."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Felhide Minotaurs",
									"page": 98,
									"id": "1ea",
									"entries": [
										"The notoriously dour Felhide minotaurs are descended from the warlord Thyrogog of the Ashlands. {@i The Theriad} recounts the brute's defeat and the loss of his great axe, Goremaster. Viewing Thyrogog's defeat as a divine sign, the warlord's descendants retreated into the Ashlands.",
										"Burial rites among the Felhide minotaurs involve devouring those who fell in battle, to remove their shame from memory and fuel the survivors' revenge. Should another scavenger reach a fallen Felhide before the rest of the band can eat the dead minotaur's remains, the minotaurs mobilize to track down as much of their dead comrade's body as possible."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ragegore Minotaurs",
									"page": 99,
									"id": "1eb",
									"entries": [
										"Ragegore minotaurs are the most ferocious of their kind, deeply infected by the bloodlust of Mogis. Ragegores never withdraw from a battle, entering a frenzy of furious delight at the sight of an enemy's blood. While in the heat of battle, a Ragegore minotaur seems to feel no pain and barely notices wounds that would kill a human. Some Ragegores have been known to fall dead immediately at the cessation of battle, their life sustained only by their fury.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/063-03-09.webp"
											},
											"title": "For centuries, the minotaur polis of Skophos was unknown to outsiders. It remains unexplored ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 868,
											"credit": "Jonas De Ro"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "City of Skophos",
							"page": 99,
							"id": "1ec",
							"entries": [
								"When Akroan soldiers encounter minotaurs in ordered squads, patrolling the badlands on predictable routes, clad in armor and wielding bronze weapons, they tend to speak of the \"Bronzebone band,\" as if these minotaurs were just one more faction competing for dominance in Phoberos. But these minotaurs aren't just one more raiding band; they are the soldiers of Skophos, the minotaur polis.",
								"Skophos stands as a literal maze, its twisting streets carved from the red sandstone of the badlands. The walls of the maze rise as narrow buildings that serve as homes, shops, and defensible fortresses for the city's predominantly minotaur population. Mighty stone outcroppings tower over the labyrinth, including temples to Mogis (the most prominent), Erebos, Keranos, and Purphoros. The fortress-palaces of tyrants, the lairs of monstrous oracles, and cavernous indoor markets also stand as destinations at the end of confounding avenues.",
								"Priests and warlord champions of Mogis rule the city, with individuals serving as tyrants over city districts. The city's rulers rarely meet in council, and when they do, the quarrelsome tyrants rarely find common cause or any basis for agreement. Only the priests of Mogis can force the city's leaders to put aside their quarrels and work toward a single goal.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Lesser Peristyle",
									"page": 99,
									"id": "1ed",
									"entries": [
										"The minotaurs of Skophos acknowledge the entire pantheon of gods, though they are far enough inland that they have little cause to honor Thassa, and many of them view Iroas as an enemy of their people. They worship a more ancient aspect of Karametra, who demands blood to ensure the fertility of the earth. In the shadow of Mogis's great temple, most of the gods are honored with some kind of violence.",
										"In that context, the small temple known as the Lesser Peristyle is an oddity. Dedicated to Ephara, it is a place where minotaurs debate philosophy and strive to rein in the excesses of the tyrants who govern the city. The existence of Skophos is a testimony to the benefits of an ordered society, as Ephara teaches, and that self-evident lesson is the strongest argument that Ephara's handful of priests can make to justify their presence in the city. From that starting point, they pursue their vision of a better way of life, aspiring to nobler principles than senseless slaughter and better governance than iron-fisted tyranny. Under the leadership of the temple's priests\u2014Haraksi, an ingenious smith and mother of eight, and Olakia the Torn, an oracle who experiences visions from both Mogis and Ephara\u2014a school of minotaur philosophers aspires to a vision of Skophos that can coexist in some measure of peace with the wider world."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Mogis's Chalice",
									"page": 99,
									"id": "1ee",
									"entries": [
										"Many grand temples to Mogis stand in Skophos, presenting a stark contrast to the crude shrines that usually serve as sites of worship for the god of fury. Near the center of the polis, one temple larger and more elaborate than the rest serves as a holy site and the seat of the minotaur government, called Mogis's Chalice.",
										"Fires always burn in two great copper bowls on either side of the temple entrance. Iron-spiked crenellations ring the temple roof, many decorated with skulls. Red clay is smeared at the entrance and the altar, often anointed with fresh blood. Inside, a massive bronze minotaur head hangs above the black marble altar.",
										"Legend holds that if anyone, minotaur or otherwise, kills a hated rival or enemy in the main room of the Temple to Mogis, they will be blessed by the god of wrath. Even the minotaurs of Skophos will not interfere with such a battle, and the victor is always allowed to depart without further bloodshed."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Badlands of Phoberos",
							"page": 99,
							"id": "1ef",
							"entries": [
								"Between Skophos and the human polis of Akros stretches the desolate wilderness of Phoberos. Numerous canyons, said to have been cut in the earth during battles between Mogis and Iroas, crisscross the rocky badlands. As minotaurs prove adept at navigating such natural mazes, they often make camp in these crags, hidden from the sun and heat. A variety of other raiders and monsters similarly make their lairs in such places\u2014particularly cyclopes, basilisks, and harpies.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Deathbellow Canyon",
									"page": 99,
									"id": "1f0",
									"entries": [
										"Deathbellow Canyon is known for its stinking bogs, cave-riddled spires, and the ominous markings of Ragegore minotaurs. At the canyon's heart yawns the Kragma, a vast cave that resembles a screaming mouth. The Kragma is the grim meeting place of the Ragegore minotaur bands, where these Mogis-worshiping raiders make brutal sacrifices and endlessly quarrel, their war cries echoing through the canyon."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Stratian Front",
									"page": 99,
									"id": "1f1",
									"entries": [
										"Soldiers from the Akroan army monitor Phoberos and patrol the borders of Akros, confronting any threats that might bring harm to their homeland. Such is an endless war that demands Akros's constant attention. While a few permanent encampments exist\u2014like raucous Camp No Hope and the cavern Fort Sandmouth\u2014most stratian patrols follow their own path through the badlands."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Ashlands",
									"page": 99,
									"id": "1f2",
									"entries": [
										"Buried in white ash, the Ashlands offer a vivid reminder of the last time Mount Vesios erupted. Numerous undead wander these lands, many not realizing that they're dead as they wander half-buried ruins. These lands are also the home of the Felhide minotaurs and the bleached dragon oracle known as Timedrinker."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Realms of the Returned",
					"page": 100,
					"id": "1f3",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Death and life are two sides of the same coin. Opposite, but eternally connected. One cannot exist without the other."
							],
							"by": "Slighos the Body-binder"
						},
						"Before becoming a god, Phenax died, passed into Erebos's realm, and ultimately escaped the Underworld. His escape route, the Path of Phenax (see {@book chapter 4|MOT|4|Path of Phenax}), has since been employed by rare, but over the ages innumerable, individuals. These Returned find the world of the living far different from how they experienced it in life\u2014not that they remember their lives. Although they've escaped from the Underworld, the Returned still find themselves separate from the living, their memories lost and their unnatural states striking fear in most mortals. As a result, most Returned come to follow certain paths of behavior and gravitate toward two city-states, known as the necropoleis\u2014cities of the dead.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "The Returned",
							"page": 100,
							"id": "1f5",
							"entries": [
								"Walking the Path of Phenax doesn't restore a soul to its life. Those who return from the Underworld are hollow shells inhabited by grim and purposeless spirits. These Returned are separated from their memories, which become wandering eidolons (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Eidolons}). They retain their personalities and skills, but each Returned tends to be a very different being from who they once were. Their second life is theirs to do with as they please, but it's typically a confused, cursed life, plagued by frustration, bitterness, loneliness, and melancholy. Such leads many Returned along dark paths.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Anographers",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1f6",
									"entries": [
										"Anographers are the scribes of the Returned. On long scrolls of bleached white parchment, they write half-remembered names, images from dreams, and descriptions of places and people that might once have held meaning. Other Returned visit anographers and describe what scraps of memory they retain. Some believe hidden wisdom lies upon these scrolls, clues to ancient mysteries, or hints at the lost identities of the Returned."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Gray Merchants",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1f7",
									"entries": [
										"Traders recognize Gray Merchants by their hooded gray cloaks and their carts piled high with useless trinkets. Their wares include components for sinister rituals, jewelry stolen from graves, cursed magic items, and other ominous goods. In return, they demand kitchen utensils, worn bridles, waterlogged books, and other unremarkable trash. There's no rhyme or reason to what the Gray Merchants seek, and the merchants themselves never speak. They conduct business through gestures, making their unusual trades and plodding off into the shadows."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Kakomanteis",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1f8",
									"entries": [
										"{@creature Returned Kakomantis|MOT|Returned kakomanteis} employ powerful magic at a price paid in blood. Some theorize that in life each kakomantis was a spell caster, and the trip along the Path of Phenax corrupted their abilities. Regardless of how they came upon their grisly magic, kakomanteis keep small animals, such as rodents, snakes, and insects, close at hand to power their spells, though more potent magical effects demand more significant sacrifices."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Palamnites",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1f9",
									"entries": [
										"While most of the Returned are listless and quiet, {@creature Returned Palamnite|MOT|palamnites} burn with envy and rage. They are vicious killers, destroying what no longer brings them joy. Palamnites burn villages, slaughter innocents, and steal wealth only to discard it later. Most stories of vengeful Returned stem from reports of these tortured souls."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Pseudammas",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1fa",
									"entries": [
										"Pseudammas are cursed by fleeting memories of their lost children. They know that they were parents in life and that they will never again experience the love of their child. Though their plight is heartbreaking, pseudammas turn tragedy into horror by snatching mortal children and attempting to raise them. However, the Returned have forgotten the needs of the living and they have no concept of how to care for a child."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Asphodel and the Despair Lands",
							"page": 100,
							"id": "1fb",
							"entries": [
								"The influence of the Underworld leaches life and color from a peninsula south of the Nessian Wood. Here, the necropolis of Asphodel sprawls amid the bleak region called the Despair Lands.",
								"The Returned of Asphodel seek to be left alone with their ennui. They rarely leave the city, venturing out only when spurred by fugues of emotion or fleeting memories. The streets are dusty and rarely walked, though the windows of dilapidated hovels glimmer with the staring masks of listless Returned. Asphodel is an echo of the grim cities of the Underworld, making it a tragically ironic home for those who risked so much to escape the land of the dead.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Coliseum of the Aphonai",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1fc",
									"entries": [
										"Three ancient Returned called the Aphonai rule Asphodel. They wear simple, identical golden masks and long, drab robes, making them nearly impossible to distinguish from one another. From the Coliseum of the Aphonai, a perfectly circular stone building that stands at the heart of Asphodel, the leaders listen to cases brought before them and decide on the few matters of importance to the city. Trespassers caught within the city are often brought before the Aphonai for judgment. The elder Returned never speak, rendering their judgments only in gestures."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Order of Phaios",
									"page": 100,
									"id": "1fd",
									"entries": [
										"A cabal of mages known as the Order of Phaios defend Asphodel with their magic. The mages of the order devote themselves to studying arcane mysteries that could never be unraveled in a single life. Like all Returned, though, they have difficulty remembering what they learn. For this reason, the rooms of their order's vaulted hall, the Stoa of Shadows, are covered with coded engravings that collect their wisdom. While the research of the Returned rarely leads them to epiphany, some of the few living mages who have stolen into the stoa escape with remarkable knowledge."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Hetos, the Bleak Mire",
									"page": 101,
									"id": "1fe",
									"entries": [
										"Asphodel perches at the edge of a sprawling marsh called the Hetos Mire. The necropolis stands on an elevated piece of land surrounded by treacherous bogs and tangled thickets. The inhospitable territory serves the Returned as a first line of defense against any intruders. Near the southern edge of Hetos stands an ages-old, crimson cypress called the Blood Tree. Color from the tree bleeds into the surrounding bog, making the swamp waters look like a charnel pit. Vicious and venomous swamp creatures are drawn to the Blood Tree and frequently drag prey into its foul midst.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/064-03-10.webp"
											},
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											"height": 1000,
											"credit": "Volkan Baga"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Odunos",
							"page": 101,
							"id": "1ff",
							"entries": [
								"The Returned of Odunos despise the living, feeling sparks of pleasure when they destroy whatever the living value, be it property or people. Within their city, armed Returned gangs roam the streets, quarreling for no apparent reason. Beyond the city's walls, undead raiders strike out, menacing the lands of Akros, Meletis, and Phoberos. These raids are led by the city's de facto ruler, Tymaret the Murder King, a servant of Erebos tasked with returning Phenax to the Underworld. Knowing that Phenax could disguise himself as anyone, Tymaret slaughters all living souls, just to be thorough.",
								"Those who would strike back against Odunos's raiders must venture through mires corrupted by sucking bogs and necromatic horrors. Those who survive to reach the city find it heavily guarded, its towers bristling with sleepless guards and abominations of unliving flesh.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Bothros",
									"page": 101,
									"id": "200",
									"entries": [
										"A bottomless chasm yawns at the north edge of Odunos. Nothing that has fallen into its depths has ever been recovered. After a successful raid, warriors from Odunos usually dispose of their spoils in the Bothros\u2014caring nothing for their pillage. Occasionally this includes captives, forced into the pit during wordless executions."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Crypts of the Lost",
									"page": 101,
									"id": "201",
									"entries": [
										"Beyond Odunos rises a cluster of tors honeycombed by countless tombs. Few know who were originally buried in this morbid labyrinth, but the Returned care nothing for the corpses and dust. Occasionally, Returned who've grown tired of their half-lives congregate here, waiting for a final death to claim them. Some tales claim that treasures lie amid the crypts, but others say that Phenax first emerged from the Underworld here, and his path could be retraced back into Erebos's domain.",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "202",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of Tymaret the Murder King",
												"When Phenax made his escape from the Underworld, there was one witness to his escape, an unremarkable soul called Tymaret. Sharing what he'd seen with the god of the dead, Tymaret received a cursed blessing from Erebos: he would be restored to the mortal world, but as a Returned, and with the task of slaying Phenax. Tymaret took up the quest, but as Phenax was masked, he proved difficult to locate. So Tymaret began slaughtering every mortal he encountered, confident that one of these victims would be Phenax. Yet, when Phenax became a god, he evaded his pursuer, leaving Tymaret and his legions of Returned to eternally, fruitlessly kill in Erebos's name."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "The Siren Sea",
					"page": 102,
					"id": "203",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Callaphe gazed on the coastline,",
								"certain her destiny called her",
								"here, where the mist-shrouded rocks sang,",
								"promising glories undreamed of."
							],
							"by": "The Callapheia"
						},
						"The vast Siren Sea extends west from the known lands of Theros to the edge of the world. As Thassa's domain, the sea hides an amazing array of creatures, including the entire triton civilization. Its legendary dangers range from deadly reefs and wandering islands to predatory beasts and devastating krakens (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Kraken}). Ever-changing, the Siren Sea is a realm of impossible sights and constant danger, the setting of legendary odysseys and the crucible of heroes.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Tritons of the Siren Sea",
							"page": 102,
							"id": "205",
							"entries": [
								"Most tritons make their homes in the Siren Sea, either migrating with the shifting tides or raising hidden cities of outlandish beauty. The majority are devoted servants of Thassa who rigorously protect her domain, often treating surface-dwelling sailors as trespassers. Tritons make most of their goods from materials harvested from the deep, but have also developed ingenious forms of metallurgy\u2014largely based around volcanic sea vents\u2014and chemical etching, crafting wares that rival those made on land. The endless array of life and unpredictable changes of the sea make tritons regular witnesses to wonders. As a result, most tritons have a natural curiosity, ever seeking to see and learn more, but know they'll never fathom all the wonders of the world.",
								"Although numerous triton cultures exist throughout the Siren Sea, many of those closest to shore are led by priests of Thassa. Triton warriors enact their leaders' will, with many specializing in doing battle against massive beasts or ships sailing the surface. The most wary communities might even employ shorethieves, tritons adept at using magical disguises to infiltrate land-bound towns to watch and steal from \"dryfolk.\""
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Dakra Isles",
							"page": 102,
							"id": "206",
							"entries": [
								"The Dakra Isles were created when Thassa wept over the death of Korinna, a triton queen killed by a human's harpoon. Where the god's tears fell onto the sea there exploded forth an isle suffused with immortal magic and memory. Ages later, the Dakra Isles\u2014also called the Isles of Enchantment\u2014harbor strange sights and fierce monsters. Thassa's power makes it impossible to keep an accurate chart of the islands' positions, which roam as they please. Thus, even the most famed locations appear on no map, and sailors might spot them when or wherever Thassa wills. A few of the Dakra Isles' legendary locations are noted here, and {@book chapter 4|MOT|4} presents guidance for creating more magical shores.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Arixmethes",
									"page": 102,
									"id": "207",
									"entries": [
										"Tales tell of the lost island of Arixmethes, whose population was wiped out by disaster. In truth, generations of hapless humans raised their city, realizing too late that they'd done so upon the back of a titanic kraken. When the kraken Arixmethes awakened, its throes devastated the city upon its back and wiped out the residents. Since returning to its slumber, Arixmethes drifts where it will, still bearing the ruins of a legendary city upon its back."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Cronemouth Cove",
									"page": 102,
									"id": "208",
									"entries": [
										"This tiny island lies in the midst of perpetual doldrums and holds a known gate to the Underworld. It is guarded by a coven of {@creature Sea Hag||sea hags} who share a single tongue that is perpetually trying to escape from their clutches, wriggling out of reach with a mind of its own."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ketaphos",
									"page": 102,
									"id": "209",
									"entries": [
										"Famed for its role in {@i The Callapheia}, the island of Ketaphos supposedly exists in Nyx during the night and in the mortal realm during the day. Callaphe and her crew were welcomed there and fed by a band of Nyxborn centaurs when a storm drove them to the island, then found themselves stranded on a barren rock when the sun rose and the island shifted to the mortal realm."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Skathos",
									"page": 102,
									"id": "20a",
									"entries": [
										"The island of Skathos was once a sacred meeting place for a secret cult of Pharika whose rites revolved around consuming a magical flower native to the island. The island is now home to the {@creature medusa|MOT} queen, {@creature Hythonia|MOT} (described in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Hythonia the Cruel}).",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/065-03-11.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 865,
											"credit": "Chris Rahn"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Skola Vale",
					"page": 103,
					"id": "20b",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Taste the world before Erebos rips your tongue out."
							],
							"by": "Thisbi, satyr dawngreet"
						},
						"Nestled in the highlands of the Oraniad Mountains, the Skola Vale is blessed by Nylea, covered in lush grass, and dotted with copses of trees. Satyrs roam the comfortable valley with no need for permanent settlements, all their needs provided for by the valley's magic. According to legend, Nylea was so taken with the valley's beauty that she poured the contents of her wineskin onto the vale to make it flourish forever. When wild goats drank of this wine, they became the first satyrs who made the magical land their home.",
						"While the Skola Vale is a place of revelry, it isn't without its dangers. The satyrs themselves can become too raucous in their merrymaking, and monsters lurk in the shadows of the trees and the surrounding mountains.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Satyrs of the Skola Vale",
							"page": 103,
							"id": "20d",
							"entries": [
								"The satyrs of the Skola Vale are wild and free. They have taboos, but not laws, influence fluctuates constantly, and all are free to make merry in any way they please, so long as it doesn't impede on others' ability to do the same. Disagreements are typically turned into opportunities for public competition. Irreconcilable issues are usually solved by a strict application of \"you go over there, and you go over there.\" True intentional crimes, however, are violations known deep in the satyr soul. If needs be, revelry can halt in an instant to help someone who's been hurt, and true criminals are exiled from the Skola Vale for life. Satyrs quickly bury negative thoughts, though, and the loss of one friend merely leads them to redouble efforts to make more.",
								"Distinctions are few among satyrs, but several notable groups are detailed here.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Dawngreets",
									"page": 103,
									"id": "20e",
									"entries": [
										"Dawngreets are satyr emissaries, explorers, and storytellers sent to other communities throughout the world. They arrange satyr-style celebrations wherever they go, spreading their people's carefree philosophies, praising Nylea, sharing news, and creating friends the Skola Vale can rely on when necessary."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nylea's Favored",
									"page": 103,
									"id": "20f",
									"entries": [
										"A circle of satyr druids, Nylea's Favored protect the Skola Vale, restoring nature after damage by wildfires or too rowdy satyr parties. They also defend the vale by growing dense underbrush and supporting populations of wild beasts at their territory's borders."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Sibyls",
									"page": 103,
									"id": "210",
									"entries": [
										"The closest people satyrs have to leaders are their sibyls, who are blessed with limited ability to see into the future. Sibyls warn the community when danger threatens the valley, select dawngreets, and oversee the \"initiation rites\" of the Cult of Horns. The oldest sibyl is a gray-furred satyr named Cresa. She insists that the more she drinks, the further she can see into the future."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Skola Vale Revels",
							"page": 103,
							"id": "211",
							"entries": [
								"Satyrs hold regular revels called rollick nights. These lengthy festivals are full of merrymaking, contests, impromptu performances, and song, all accompanied by good food and sweet drinks. Beyond these celebrations, tales are also told of {@i bakkeia}, revels that occur in deep caves and that involve ancient sacrificial rites. Most satyrs say these traditions were abandoned ages ago, though.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Cult of Horns",
									"page": 103,
									"id": "212",
									"entries": [
										"Some non-satyrs looking for pleasure without consequences visit the Skola Vale, encouraged by dawngreets and tales of wild revels. After spending some time with the satyrs, dark-humored sibyls might invite outsiders to join the Cult of Horns. If they agree, the non-satyr might be crowned with a circlet of horns, marking them as \"stubs\" (for their crown's stubby horns). A period of hazing follows, where the stubs are enticed to perform menial or humiliating tasks. When the satyrs grow bored\u2014or a respected, sober satyr steps in\u2014the hazing ends, which typically results in the stub later waking up alone in the mountains. Most satyrs who participate in such ungenerous behavior are chided and are themselves made to serve at the next revel, but the satyr memory for consequences is short and the tradition persists. As for former stubs, most never share details about their experiences, their secrecy contributing to tales of dark rites and sinister enchantments in the vale."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Features of the Skola Vale",
							"page": 103,
							"id": "213",
							"entries": [
								"The Skola Vale is a wild place where majestic animals run free, trees, vines, and bushes provide fruit, and Nylea's magic enhances the land. Plants and animals grow rapidly in the valley. The chaotic satyrs may upend a copse of trees one night only to have it regrow by morning. Most of the Skola Vale consists of greenery rolling over gentle hills. During the day, the vale's residents hunt small game and gather wild fruit for wine. Other predators, such as bears, lions, and rocs, hunt the region as well. Some of these beasts, whether predator or prey, have become Nyxborn legends that appear again and again through the generations, either as threats or the stuff of incredible meals. Satyrs speak of both Kexosrexsos the Braided Lion and Hulp the Pork Bird with equal awe.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Woodlands",
									"page": 103,
									"id": "214",
									"entries": [
										"The Skola Vale's trees grow in twisted, climbable shapes allowing inhabitants shady places to play and sleep. Dryads protect the largest of these trees, especially from drunken satyr antics. During the day, the copses are idyllic forests, filled with the music of panpipes. At night, though, the forests grow more menacing. Nocturnal monsters roam the wood\u2014particularly chimeras, cockatrices, and harpies\u2014striving to pick off drunken satyrs wandering alone after a revel. Satyrs rarely travel alone at night, believing that noise and music scare away evil, but revelers aren't always as wary as they should be."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "The Katachthon Mountains",
					"page": 104,
					"id": "215",
					"entries": [
						"While folk wisdom holds that the eastern Oraniad Mountains are blessed by the gods, dark, older magic supposedly holds sway in the Katachthons. While the Katachthons are a smaller range than the Oraniads, they are harsher and more volcanically active, with regular avalanches, storms, and unpredictable microclimates. Clouds obscure heavenly signs, guides become disoriented, and explorers wander in ever-smaller circles. And above it all, dragons rule the range\u2014fire-belching creatures whose bellies, it is said, are filled with the flames of Purphoros's forge.",
						"Those who live in the foothills of the Katachthons are loath to acknowledge any tales of wondrous treasure or mysterious creatures to be found there, only repeating a warning to travelers: if you must cross them, keep to the passes. The two passes, One-Eyed Pass and the Cypress Gates, aren't safe, but they are generally considered less lethal than attempts to blaze one's own trail.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Mount Velus",
							"page": 104,
							"id": "216",
							"entries": [
								"Visible from Akros, Mount Velus is an energetically active volcano. The fiery mountain serves as nothing less than Purphoros's home in the mortal world.",
								"While the volcano has only erupted a few times since Akros's founding, those minor catastrophes were enough to demonstrate that a major eruption might destroy the entire region. Akroans regularly leave offerings at the foot of the volcano, and rigorously dissuade travelers from venturing up to the sacred peak, hoping to avert the great explosion they fear is coming.",
								"While some adventurers have climbed to the volcano's caldera, met Purphoros, and lived, the god's anger isn't the only danger. A red dragon called Thraxes makes his home in the halls of Purphoros's first residence, which the god abandoned to create a larger and more ornate home deeper in the volcano. The dragon occasionally uses the old forge to craft his own creations, melting gold from his treasure hoard. He sometimes gives these creations to Purphoros as offerings. In exchange the god allows the dragon to stay in the volcano.",
								"Purphoros's forge lies in the deepest part of Mount Velus, near a vast lava pool. The massive iron forge is surrounded by the finest ores, metals, and gems. Some of the greatest treasures Purphoros ever crafted are contained in the god's residence, a forge-palace warded by an enormous, gilded iron door. Occasionally these doors crack open, admitting a curious anvilwrought creature into the world, or burst wide, unleashing some manifestation of Purphoros's fury."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Mount Vesios",
							"page": 104,
							"id": "217",
							"entries": [
								"Mount Vesios, also known as the Little Sister, is a smaller volcano that resembles Mount Velus and erupts concurrently with Velus. A monastery on its western slope houses scholars and spellcasters who study the volcano, believing that through it, they might be able to control the eruptions of Mount Velus. Numerous {@creature Oread|MOT|oreads} and Akroan flamespeakers offer their omens from the volcano's heights."
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "The Oraniad Mountains",
					"page": 104,
					"id": "218",
					"entries": [
						"The Oraniad mountains stretch along the east side of Oreskos. While they don't share the dark reputation of their western neighbor, they are the more dangerous territory. Tall, timeless mountains, the Oraniads are said to be closer to Nyx than any other point on Theros. Ancient shrines lie among the lonely peaks, their origins lost to mortal memory, and their halls haunted by mysterious supernatural phenomena. A wanderer might come upon a shrine to a forgotten god, only to find it gone upon looking back. Travelers might also catch glimpses of mysterious creatures here, beings that should have long ago passed into Nyx, or that have slipped from the divine realm before the gods intended from them to appear upon the world.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Empty Eye",
							"page": 104,
							"id": "219",
							"entries": [
								"On the western edge of the Oraniad range's widest point stands its tallest peak, a smooth-sided, towering, extinct volcano. Its caldera is a gaping dark hole, and no expedition sent to plumb its depths has ever returned."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Nykthos",
							"page": 104,
							"id": "21a",
							"entries": [
								"The Nykthos is a nexus point between the mortal realm and Nyx. The site bears the name of the first Nyxborn, a divine artisan tasked with building altars to the gods so they could be worshiped by mortals.",
								"Built on a vast plain high in the mountains, the temple forms a mighty semicircle upon a field of starry marble. Its position at the peak of Mount Carian affords it an unobstructed view of the horizon in all directions. Statues of gods, champions, and oracles adorn the shrine, and each deity has an altar in a distinct alcove. Towering pillars of light rise from each altar and vanish into the starry night sky. Unseen in the heavens above, these pillars connect to counterparts in an identical temple in the foyer to Nyx\u2014the entrance, as it were, to the realm of the gods. The few brave souls that complete a pilgrimage to Nykthos and sleep on the peak experience extremely vivid dreams of divine entities, sometimes talking with the gods themselves or gaining visions of the future."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Phoenix Stairs",
							"page": 104,
							"id": "21b",
							"entries": [
								"An eerie natural formation of hexagonal pillars creates a natural staircase up to a small volcanic peak in the Oraniads. A phoenix makes its nest in the caldera at the top, tending its precious egg. Phoenix feathers bring high prices in markets across Theros, though misfortune hunts those who ascend to the creature's lair, even if they succeed at obtaining only a single feather."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Winter's Heart",
							"page": 104,
							"id": "21c",
							"entries": [
								"Among the northern Oraniads stands a blizzard-gripped mountain that resembles a volcano. What breathes forth from the crater isn't fire, though. The caldera's interior is coated with ice so cold it freezes anything it touches. Even the fumes that issue forth cause instant frostbite. At the volcano's heart stands a glass statue of a haunting, androgynous figure offering a diamond crown. None who have attempted to claim this strange gift have survived. Even the gods prove reticent to speak of the place, denying its existence or speaking of it with shame.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/066-03-12.webp"
									},
									"title": "The miracles and conflicts of the gods play out endlessly in the stars of Nyx ",
									"width": 1500,
									"height": 1003,
									"credit": "Tyler Jacobson"
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Realms of the Gods",
					"page": 105,
					"id": "21d",
					"entries": [
						"The mortal world of Theros isn't the only realm where the gods hold sway. The mortal realm is closely linked to two other realms, the domains of the gods themselves, Nyx and the Underworld.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Nyx",
							"page": 105,
							"id": "21e",
							"entries": [
								"Nyx is an endless plane of existence where the powers of potentiality and belief hold sway. It is the realm of the gods, of belief given form, of dreams, and of rising and fading philosophies. From here, the pantheon of Theros watches the mortal world and guides the living. Though the gods live in a veritable paradise, they can't sever themselves from the mortal world. To do so would be to lose the faith of their followers, the source of their magic and a power they will not relinquish.",
								"Nyx can be perceived in the night sky, with its ever-changing brilliance marked by constellations and cosmic phenomena. Its power slips into the world in the same form, with star fields filling the shadows of Nyxborn beings that are infused with its power (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Nyxborn Creatures} for details on Nyxborn).",
								"While Nyx is impossible to map, distinct regions do exist, and some travelers have returned to the mortal realm with tales of these incredible locations.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Mount Hiastos",
									"page": 105,
									"id": "21f",
									"entries": [
										"This drifting mountain rises in sharp relief against the starry sky of Nyx, culminating in a golden orb that can be seen from a great distance. Some speculate that this orb is the source of Nyx's vibrant colors and lights, and that without it, the plane would be plunged into eternal darkness. Several gods make their homes on the mountain's slopes. Heliod maintains a sprawling palace of gold and white marble, with a rooftop throne where he receives guests. Purphoros maintains a forge beneath the mountain, where he crafts philosophies, energies, and creations that would be impossible to manifest in the mortal world. Keranos lives near the summit of the mount, where he sends lightning bolts of inspiration to manipulate forces throughout dreams and the cosmos. Nylea, too, is known to visit Mount Hiastos, maintaining a sanctuary there within an ancient, knotted wood."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Mystic Sea",
									"page": 105,
									"id": "220",
									"entries": [
										"This body of mist and water hides endless secrets within its depths\u2014both literal secrets that manifest from mortal minds and unimagined concepts not yet fully formed. Thassa's palace floats underwater, its buildings suspended in giant bubbles that drift with the currents. At its edge, in a city of divine copper and marbleized hopes, Ephara makes her home."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Tovian Fields",
									"page": 105,
									"id": "221",
									"entries": [
										"Nyxborn legends battle here in ceaseless, glorious war. Unlike any mortal environment, the Tovian Fields are an expanse of energies, the clash of opposing philosophies manifesting as throngs of legendary combatants. In the midst of this riot rise the palatial war-tents of Mogis and Iroas, who lead the endless battle.",
										"Kruphix claims the borders of the Tovian Fields as his territory. He doesn't maintain a central residence. Rather, his influence binds the conflict, encompassing all perspectives and preventing the battle from spilling forth into the rest of Nyx."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "The Underworld",
							"page": 106,
							"id": "222",
							"entries": [
								"The Underworld is the place of final rewards and endless suffering. Although many believe the Underworld is literally beneath the ground, in truth the plane is distinct from the mortal world, reachable only via magical means, hidden pathways, or by death. The souls of all dead sapient creatures awake on the banks of the Tartyx, where they meet Athreos the River Guide. From there, those capable of paying for his service are ferried to their new home in the Underworld.",
								"Most imagine the Underworld's wards as being stacked atop one another, but their actual relationships defy mortal understanding. While the Tartyx River reaches each ward, Phylias is typically defined as the entry to the Underworld, while Tizerus is farthest from this entrance. The other wards hold their own equal places in between. Regardless, souls destined for each realm reach their destinations with equal efficiency and permanency. (See {@book chapter 2|DMG|1} of the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG} for details on planar arrangements.)",
								"Each distinctive Underworld ward is effectively infinite in scale, with the space between noteworthy locations endlessly expanding and contracting. Traveling between locations is typically impossible on foot. Secret paths that defy mortal logic, magical steeds, and the intervention of powerful Underworld denizens all might speed one's travels, though. Attempting to escape the Underworld is an entirely different, nearly impossible matter, though (see {@book chapter 4|MOT|4|Underworld Adventures} for details).",
								"Although vast beyond understanding, the Underworld's most noteworthy regions are detailed here.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Tartyx River",
									"page": 106,
									"id": "223",
									"entries": [
										"The Tartyx forms the boundary between the mortal realm and the Underworld. It is also known as the Rivers That Ring the World, as it is formed from the confluence of five tributaries, each originating in one of the Underworld's five wards. The Tartyx is vast, with one far shore impossible to see from the other. Countless drifting islands dot the river, some forested by leafless trees, others heaped with crumbling ruins. Still others are the domains of powerful demons and strange entities that death proves not quite able to claim. None of these tiny lands are hospitable to either the living or the dead. Even the waters of the Tartyx hold their own threats, both mysterious creatures that slither beneath its rippling waters, and their own infamous power to wash away memories and all sense of identity.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/067-03-13.webp"
											},
											"title": "Shore of the Tartyx River ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1102,
											"credit": "Adam Paquette"
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Agonas",
									"page": 106,
									"id": "224",
									"entries": [
										"Agonas is the last home of warriors and soldiers who battled in life without honor, as well as the souls of cowards, mercenaries, and others who lived by the sword. Their cries of pain and triumph echo on the faintest wind, stirring bloodlust in all who hear them.",
										"The clash of weapons echo over every ridge and canyon of Agonas's rocky expanse. Great stadiums and platforms rise from the arid landscape, some carved from the remains of titanic ruins, others hanging from massive, rusting chains. The many theaters of battle blend with dwellings carved into natural rock towers, forming an extensive network of arenas and errant fortifications. At the ward's heart thrums the Stadium of Dishonor. Here fierce soldiers test their blades against one another and against the teeth and claws of vicious monsters.",
										"Upon arriving, dishonorable souls relegated to Agonas are met by oreads (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oread}), the souls of other dead champions, and cyclopes, who guide them to the scene of their endless battle."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Phylias",
									"page": 106,
									"id": "225",
									"entries": [
										"The souls that occupy Phylias were uninspired and didn't strive for greatness in life. They plodded through existence and left no mark upon the world through their deeds or their deaths. In the afterlife they perform repetitive tasks in close quarters with others just like themselves, all in a mockery of a living community.",
										"Artless architecture of plain, gray stone gives Phylias an outward appearance of normalcy at first glance. But the buildings are titanic, blocky masses of hodgepodge construction erected seemingly without plan. Although the structures might be impressive in size or number, they are cold and hollow, derelict monuments in an endless slum.",
										"Those who arrive in Phylias are met by no one. They are simply left to wander away and slip into a place among the shuffling masses."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ilysia",
									"page": 107,
									"id": "226",
									"entries": [
										"In Ilysia the souls of heroic mortals and of those who died unjustly find eternal rest and comfort. Erebos's grim influence holds no sway here.",
										"Ilysia is a sanctuary of peace and tranquility. Majestic temple-palaces stand amid lush forests, the colorful vegetation draping luminous marble in living mantles of flowers and sweet fruit. At the ward's heart towers the Citadel of Destiny, where heroic souls gather to honor the gods, trade tales of glory, and feast with worthy companions. They also hold elaborate physical contests in which any Ilysian soul is welcome to participate.",
										"When the worthy dead arrive in Ilysia, they are welcomed by dryads, majestic chimeras, or the souls of legendary heroes."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nerono",
									"page": 107,
									"id": "227",
									"entries": [
										"Nerono is the final home of souls haunted by their memories and of mariners who were lost at sea.",
										"Vast oceans fill Nerono, a realm dotted by lonely islands and crisscrossed by aimless ships. Titanic ruins and great, algae-slick chains rise out of the sea, as do the weathered hulls of legendary shipwrecks. The sky is a misty blur of color that hangs over water as still as glass. Despite the ocean's normally placid appearance, mighty storms often arise from nowhere, casting souls into waves and whirlpools by the scores. Somewhere within the great oceans hides a twisting tangle of tides and winds called the Labyrinth of Memories. This maze of waterways confounds unwary travelers and twists their course into an inescapable path for eternity.",
										"When a soul reaches Nerono, sirens, naiads (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6}), or sphinxes might guide them into the ward.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/068-03-14.webp"
											},
											"title": "The Underworld ward of Nerono",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Sam Burley"
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Tizerus",
									"page": 107,
									"id": "228",
									"entries": [
										"The deepest ward of the Underworld, Tizerus is the final punishment of murderers and those who committed unforgivable offenses against the gods themselves.",
										"The ward is a gloomy, miserable expanse where the ruins of titanic architecture loom over a wasteland of black rock. At its center looms Erebos's palace, an ominous structure of polished darkness embellished with gold ornaments and streamers of crimson silk. The god of the Underworld broods in his halls, occasionally striking out with his lash to drag wayward souls into his realm. Deep beneath the palace lies the lone glimmer of hope amid the ward's gloom: the portal called Lathos, which leads back to the world of the living. Beyond Erebos's palace sprawls a stinking swamp of rotting muck and dead vegetation known as the Mire of Punishment. Souls trapped there suffer eternal torment at the claws of demons and other monstrous creatures.",
										"When souls damned to Tizerus arrive, they quickly find themselves dragged away in a whirlwind of pain and terror. Demons, Underworld harpies, lamias, and nightmares compete for the chance to haul the doomed away to their own personal punishments."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Creating Theros Adventures",
			"page": 109,
			"id": "229",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"Can the gods determine my fate?\" Elspeth asked. \"What is truly the extent of their power? Can they make what I want happen\u2014if only I please them enough?\"",
						"\"If you want a god to determine your fate, you must ask the god for an ordeal,\" Sarpedon said. \"They will only grant it if they think you are worthy\u2014whatever 'worthy' means for them. If you accomplish it, you may request a hand in your own destiny.\""
					],
					"by": "Jenna Helland, Godsend"
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/069-04-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "As with this clash between the gods Karametra and Pharika, the quarrels of deities and demigods often spill from Nyx into the realm of mortals ",
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1993,
					"credit": "Magali Villeneuve"
				},
				"As exemplified by the labors of Anthousa, the exploits of Haktos the Unscarred, the wondrous inventions of Dalakos, and Elspeth's escape from the Underworld, the heroes of Theros chart their own fates\u2014and so will the player characters in your campaign.",
				"What adventures might Heliod's champions undertake? What villains and monsters are associated with Phenax? How might adventurers get entangled in divine schemes? This chapter explores these questions, providing abundant advice, tools, and maps for players to create their own exciting stories. The options presented here expand on the material in {@book chapter 3|DMG|2} of the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG} to help you craft adventures for your own Theros campaign. Each god of Theros's pantheon has a section here, describing how the deity interacts with the mortal world. Beyond the gods, tools for running nautical odysseys and descents into the Underworld appear in this chapter, along with an adventure that explores the machinations of immortals and the dead.",
				"Monsters and nonplayer characters mentioned in this chapter can be found in this book ({@i MOoT}), the {@book Monster Manual|MM} (MM), {@book Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes|MTF} (MToF), or {@book Volo's Guide to Monsters|VGM} (VGtM). When a creature's name appears in bold type, that's a visual cue pointing you to the creature's stat block. If the stat block appears in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6}, the text tells you so.",
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "God-Based Adventures",
					"page": 109,
					"id": "22b",
					"entries": [
						"Three elements combine to form the adventures recounted in the epics of Theros: heroes, gods, and monsters. Each god's section in this chapter provides the ingredients to build your own epics: champions and blessings, villains and monsters, divine schemes, and adventure locations.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Champions and Quests",
							"page": 109,
							"id": "22c",
							"entries": [
								"Each god's entry in this chapter begins with a discussion of the god's champions: quests for them to undertake, how you might structure a campaign around that god's champions, and blessings the god might bestow.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Serving Two or More Masters",
									"page": 109,
									"id": "22d",
									"entries": [
										"Often, each of the characters in an adventuring party is the champion of a different god\u2014or no god at all. What brings the characters together? How do you motivate the whole party? Consider these options:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Divine Coalition",
													"entry": "The characters represent a coalition of gods who have joined forces against a common foe (or cabal of enemies). For example, you might build a campaign around the idea that Erebos, Mogis, and Pharika are conspiring to unleash slaughter and plague on the mortal realm. Perhaps heroic champions of Ephara, Heliod, Karametra, Nylea, and other gods unite to protect the world from this threat."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Friendly Cooperation",
													"entry": "If Thassa's champion helps Heliod's champion today, perhaps Heliod's champion will help Thassa's champion tomorrow. As long as the aims of gods aren't in opposition, those gods take no issue with their champions helping each other."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Together by Circumstance",
													"entry": "A group of characters might find themselves on a galley foundering in a storm, in a polis under attack, or on the same side in a war. In such a case, when divine champions contend against a common threat, their allegiance to different gods might be less important than the urgency of their current situation, and they might forge lasting friendships that transcend their religious allegiances."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Quests",
									"page": 109,
									"id": "22e",
									"entries": [
										"A mortal champion is a vessel of divine power and an agent of divine will. A champion's role is to act as the god's eyes and hands, upholding the deity's ideals and shaping the world to conform to those ideals.",
										"In return for the gods' divine blessings, champions are expected to do the god's bidding. The quests in each god's section throughout this chapter provide examples of tasks the gods might assign to their champions. As long as at least one member of the adventuring party is a champion of the god in question, these ideas might serve as adventure seeds.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Completing a Quest",
													"entry": "When a champion undertakes a quest on a god's behalf, the champion can expect a reward for doing so. As long as the champion is actively pursuing the quest and upholding the god's ideals along the way, you can increase the character's piety score, using the general rule of raising it by 1 every session. Upon completing a quest bestowed by the god, the character might earn a blessing (such as those described in this chapter) as well as a piety score increase."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Declining a Quest",
													"entry": "The cost to a champion for refusing to accept a god's quest can be steep. Sometimes, a champion can safely put the task on hold for a time, such as when helping another champion complete a quest for a different god. As long as undertaking the quest isn't a matter of urgency, gods usually don't punish champions who procrastinate. But if a champion willfully ignores a god's quest or pursues opposite aims, they might suffer any of the following consequences:"
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"The character's piety score might decrease by 1 each day, or each play session, for as long as the character continues to refuse the quest.",
												"The god might intervene to steer the champion toward the quest: Thassa could cause a storm to blow the character's ship off course, for example, bringing the champion to where the god wants them to be.",
												"In extreme instances, the god might place a magical command on the character, similar to a {@spell geas} spell."
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "God-Based Campaigns",
									"page": 110,
									"id": "22f",
									"entries": [
										"Each god's entry in this chapter explores the themes and events that could drive a campaign focused on the champions or agenda of that god. Typically, in a campaign centered on a god, one or more of the player characters are champions of that god, so it's natural\u2014and perhaps even necessary\u2014for them to become directly embroiled in how events unfold."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Villains and Monsters",
							"page": 110,
							"id": "230",
							"entries": [
								"Just as many heroes serve as champions of the gods, many villains also serve their wills. Each god's section offers ideas for NPCs whose devotion turns their behavior in a villainous direction. It also provides suggestions for the kinds of monsters that might be associated with that god and serve as foes in an adventure. Generally, monster suggestions exclude foes that could work for most gods, like {@creature Acolyte||acolytes} and {@creature Priest||priests} from the {@book Monster Manual|MM} and {@creature Oracle|MOT|oracles} from {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle} of this book."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Gods as Campaign Villains",
							"page": 110,
							"id": "231",
							"entries": [
								"You can build a campaign around the villainous plans and deeds of a god, pitting the heroic adventurers against that god's servants and emissaries throughout their careers. Each god's entry offers suggestions on how such a campaign might progress. Additionally, a table of divine schemes suggests ambitions a god might pursue, or threats they might unleash, as a campaign's primary antagonist."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Adventure Locations",
							"page": 110,
							"id": "232",
							"entries": [
								"Each god's section includes a map of an iconic location often associated with a specific god. The description of each location includes tables that list possible goals for an adventure based there and villains the characters might face there."
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Divine Assistance",
					"page": 110,
					"id": "233",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "quote",
							"entries": [
								"Storm-tossed and broken, foundering,",
								"Callaphe cried out to Thassa.",
								"Tritons came swiftly to save her,",
								"bringing her north to the Lindus."
							],
							"by": "The Callapheia"
						},
						"The gods are fond of meddling in mortal affairs, and heroes sometimes call on their gods for aid in times of desperate need. Spells such as {@spell divination} and {@spell commune} give characters the opportunity to ask their gods for information, and clerics who beseech their gods for assistance sometimes receive miracles in answer. Heroes also have the opportunity to ask the gods for favors, after proving their worth by enduring a divine ordeal.",
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/070-04-02.webp"
							},
							"width": 959,
							"height": 1000,
							"credit": "Jamie Jones"
						},
						"At other times, the gods take the initiative to reach out to mortal heroes, sending them on quests or meddling in their adventures. Dreams, omens, and emissaries are the most common means by which gods might make their wishes known.",
						"Two crucial principles should guide your use of divine involvement in your campaign:",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"id": "235",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"id": "236",
									"entries": [
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Don't eliminate character choice",
											"page": 110,
											"id": "237",
											"entries": [
												"The gods can tell characters to do things, and even threaten to punish them if they don't do things, but the gods can't control mortal actions."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Don't eliminate risk and danger",
											"page": 110,
											"id": "238",
											"entries": [
												"The intervention of a god should never guarantee success or victory, nor should a god's interference portend immediate defeat. Gods can act to change the balance of an encounter or offer an avenue of escape, but they count on their champions to be heroes and act accordingly."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Communication",
							"page": 111,
							"id": "239",
							"entries": [
								"Communication between the mortal world and the divine can take a variety of forms, from omens that get mortals' attention by distorting natural phenomena to face-to-face conversations between a mortal and the manifestation of a god.",
								"As explained in {@book chapter 2|MOT|2}, the gods aren't all-knowing, so theoretical limits do exist on the information a god might be able to pass on to a human champion. That said, the gods are tremendously knowledgeable, with perfect recall of their past experiences and a reliable ability to predict the short-term future. The gods don't like to reveal their ignorance of any matter, so they might give a purposefully unclear or misleading answer rather than admit they don't know the right one.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Omens",
									"page": 111,
									"id": "23a",
									"entries": [
										"When the lynx-constellation paces restlessly in the night sky, it is an omen that Nylea is worried. When the tides rise high in defiance of the natural cycle, that is an omen that Thassa is distressed. When rain falls on a sunny day, Keranos and Heliod must be in conversation. Through supernatural events such as these, evidence of the gods' presence and influence is demonstrated, metaphorically manifesting their divine wishes.",
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Weal and Woe",
											"page": 111,
											"id": "23b",
											"entries": [
												"The gods usually send omens as either warnings or as signs of their favor. The response to the {@spell augury} spell takes the form of an omen foretelling weal or woe, and the gods might use omens in the same way, even without being asked to provide a sign. When a divine champion sets out on a course of action, a god might express approval or disapproval, hoping to either encourage or dissuade the mortal.",
												"The {@spell augury} spell requests an omen. At your option, you can simply provide the short answers offered in the spell description\u2014weal, woe, weal and woe, or nothing\u2014but you can also describe more elaborate omens. The form of the response might vary depending on the method of divination used, which can go beyond the inlaid sticks, dragon bones, or ornate cards mentioned in the spell description. Diviners in Theros look for signs in the stars, in the patterns of flocks of birds in flight, in the shapes of clouds, in the organs of sacrificed animals, in the sounds of thunder, in the designs left by waves on sand, and through many other means. So if an oracle stands on a beach imploring Thassa for an augury regarding a course of action you believe to be disastrous, you might describe the waves washing over the beach\u2014and circling around the oracle's feet, leaving them completely dry. (If necessary, though, you should clarify that the oracle knows the answer to be \"woe.\")",
												{
													"type": "list",
													"style": "list-hang-notitle",
													"items": [
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Other Messages",
															"entry": "An omen can also have a more direct meaning beyond simply \"weal\" or \"woe.\" You can use omens to nudge the characters to an adventure location, to lead them to an oracle who lives far from the polis, or to hint at the true identity of a villain. Nylea might cause a flock of birds to suddenly rush eastward, inviting her champion to follow in that direction, or an animal might snarl whenever the villain's name is spoken. Omens should communicate important messages from the gods, something meaningful enough that deities have deigned to interfere in mortal efforts. The gods don't provide omens to address unimportant questions (unless the characters use a spell for this purpose)."
														},
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Interpreting Omens",
															"entry": "A degree of mystery surrounds every omen, but the more complex an omen is, the more confusing mortals might find it. In addition, it's sometimes not clear whether a strange occurrence in the natural world is the work of the gods or has some other origin."
														}
													]
												},
												"If a character struggles to interpret the meaning of an omen, you might allow them to make a DC 14 Intelligence or Wisdom check (perhaps modified by proficiency in {@skill Arcana}, {@skill Nature}, or {@skill Religion}) to determine the nature of simple omens, with a success indicating that the correct message has been gleaned. Alternatively, characters might need to seek out oracles to interpret complicated omens for them.",
												{
													"type": "list",
													"style": "list-hang-notitle",
													"items": [
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Omen Examples",
															"entry": "The tables on the following pages provide examples of phenomena that could serve as omens of the various gods. Although they each have their own areas of concern, any god can manipulate the natural world as they please. You can choose a god to closely align the omen with and roll either a {@dice d6} or a {@dice d8} to get an omen associated with that god, or you can roll a {@dice d100} to get an omen from any of the god's omen tables at random."
														}
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Athreos",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Athreos"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"01",
															"Faintly glowing wisps of fog or mist coalesce into shapes in the air."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"02",
															"Ghostly whispers come from nowhere."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"03",
															"The ground beneath a character's feet flows like water in a river."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"04",
															"A veiled figure observes the character from a distance, then vanishes."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"05",
															"Silent mourners carry a body past."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"06",
															"Echoes produce words different from the ones originally spoken."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Ephara",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Ephara"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"07",
															"A carved image or face-like pattern on a wall animates and speaks."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"08",
															"The streets of a city seem to alter course to lead to a specific destination."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"09",
															"Birds fly in parallel rows, like a marching army."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"10",
															"Eddies in a stream subside, and the water flows in a straight line."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"11",
															"A grove of trees has a perfectly symmetrical configuration."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"12",
															"A clay vessel overflows with water."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Erebos",
													"colLabels": [
														"d8",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Erebos"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"13",
															"Small animals drop dead within an area."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"14",
															"A gold coin hangs like a piece of fruit from the branch of a dead tree."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"15",
															"The sun's light does not penetrate an area."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"16",
															"A character is stung as if struck by a whip."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"17",
															"Words can be heard in the sounds made by clinking coins."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"18",
															"An eclipse suddenly occurs."
														],
														[
															"7",
															"19",
															"Crows or vultures drop bones in an ominous pattern."
														],
														[
															"8",
															"20",
															"Swirling smoke forms macabre shapes."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Heliod",
													"colLabels": [
														"d8",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Heliod"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"21",
															"A brilliant pattern appears around the sun."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"22",
															"A shaft of sunlight breaks through cloud cover or foliage to shine on a specific spot."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"23",
															"A pegasus appears and invites a character to touch it."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"24",
															"The sun remains in the same place in the sky for far too long."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"25",
															"The sun blinks."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"26",
															"No shadows are cast."
														],
														[
															"7",
															"27",
															"A specific area can't be made dark."
														],
														[
															"8",
															"28",
															"The sky turns blood-red at sunrise or sunset."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Iroas",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Iroas"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"29",
															"The rousing blare of distant trumpets drowns out other sounds."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"30",
															"Clouds limned by sunlight take a form that resembles Iroas."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"31",
															"A character's weapon or shield shatters dramatically, then repairs itself."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"32",
															"A four-winged bird circles overhead."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"33",
															"The sun or moon appears to have four glowing wings."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"34",
															"Water or wind sounds like cheering."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Karametra",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Karametra"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"35",
															"Patterns form in fallen leaves or in the scattered leavings of grain in a field."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"36",
															"Rustling plants produce sounds that resemble words."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"37",
															"Fruit begins mewling and giggling like delighted infants."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"38",
															"Hearth fires blaze or small fires start up, attracting small creatures to curl up in front of them."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"39",
															"Wild animals act domesticated."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"40",
															"Food multiplies or heals when bitten."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Keranos",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Keranos"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"41",
															"Lightning strikes, thunder rumbles, or rain falls in a clear sky."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"42",
															"A powerful thought springs unbidden to mind, like a shout in one's head."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"43",
															"Rain produces a melody that sounds like a familiar song."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"44",
															"A lightning-scarred tree stands alone in a forest clearing."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"45",
															"A fierce wind blows in a particular direction."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"46",
															"A character sees distinct figures or patterns in the sky when lightning flashes."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Klothys",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Klothys"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"47",
															"A character experiences an extended episode of déjà vu."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"48",
															"Spider webs gleam as if they were made of silver threads."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"49",
															"The sky turns a rich gold color."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"50",
															"A character's hair grows several inches and braids itself."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"51",
															"Glowing green threads create a pattern or follow a path in the air."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"52",
															"A character experiences a powerful episode of déjà vu."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Kruphix",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Kruphix"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"53",
															"The natural world falls utterly silent."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"54",
															"An aurora shimmers on the horizon."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"55",
															"The attention of every celestial figure in the night sky is suddenly focused on one character or place."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"56",
															"Nyx appears in the shadows of all things."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"57",
															"Two extra ethereal arms sprout from a character's body."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"58",
															"The night sky appears to wheel overhead as though years are streaming by."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Mogis",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Mogis"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"59",
															"A creature spontaneously starts bleeding, their blood pooling in a bull shape."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"60",
															"Normally harmless animals turn aggressive\u2014the smaller, the angrier."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"61",
															"Water (a stream, pool, rain, or a liquid in a container) turns to boiling blood."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"62",
															"A bestial roar erupts from over the horizon or deep within the earth."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"63",
															"The stars turn red."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"64",
															"A character develops a ravenous hunger for raw meat."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Nylea",
													"colLabels": [
														"d8",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Nylea"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"65",
															"Butterflies land on a character or fly together in a particular direction."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"66",
															"Fallen leaves blow perpendicular to the wind."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"67",
															"The weather suddenly changes radically."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"68",
															"A colored arrow strikes nearby, arching from an impossible direction."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"69",
															"Plants sprout and grow to maturity instantly."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"70",
															"Trees and vines coil to hinder movement."
														],
														[
															"7",
															"71",
															"Animal tracks appear where nothing walks."
														],
														[
															"8",
															"72",
															"A celestial lynx paces back and forth across the night sky."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Pharika",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Pharika"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"73",
															"Hundreds of snakes, spiders, or centipedes crawl from the ground."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"74",
															"A strong chemical smell follows a character."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"75",
															"A character exhibits a disease's symptoms."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"76",
															"Leaves shrivel and turn black, while flowers pour acidic nectar."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"77",
															"A snakeskin wraps around a way marker or personal possession."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"78",
															"Patterns of clouds or stars slither away, moving with an audible susurrus."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Phenax",
													"colLabels": [
														"d6",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Phenax"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"79",
															"Shadows move independently of whatever casts them, appearing to run away."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"80",
															"A gold mask momentarily appears over the face of every living creature in sight."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"81",
															"Objects, landmarks, even stars momentarily vanish, as if pilfered in plain sight."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"82",
															"Everything turns shades of gray."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"83",
															"Creatures' mouths momentarily vanish and they can't make sounds or speak."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"84",
															"The sun momentarily melts, raining gold coins that vanish soon after landing."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Purphoros",
													"colLabels": [
														"d8",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Purphoros"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"85",
															"The sound of a hammer rings in the air."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"86",
															"Noxious gas suddenly vents from underground."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"87",
															"The ground or a metal object becomes uncomfortably hot."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"88",
															"An animal moves in a mechanical manner."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"89",
															"Huge plumes of smoke rise from the horizon."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"90",
															"The earth shakes in a deliberate rhythm."
														],
														[
															"7",
															"91",
															"Something that was broken is reshaped into something new."
														],
														[
															"8",
															"92",
															"A statue or metal object comes to life."
														]
													]
												},
												{
													"type": "table",
													"caption": "Omens of Thassa",
													"colLabels": [
														"d8",
														"d100",
														"Omen of Thassa"
													],
													"colStyles": [
														"col-2 text-center",
														"col-1 text-right",
														"col-9"
													],
													"rows": [
														[
															"1",
															"93",
															"A lustrous seashell or small fish appears in someone's drink."
														],
														[
															"2",
															"94",
															"The tide goes out (or in) at the wrong time."
														],
														[
															"3",
															"95",
															"The sound of crashing waves fills the air."
														],
														[
															"4",
															"96",
															"Ripples in water form patterns of ships and sea creatures."
														],
														[
															"5",
															"97",
															"A beautiful coral pillar rises from the earth."
														],
														[
															"6",
															"98",
															"A flock of dozens of noisy seabirds land."
														],
														[
															"7",
															"99",
															"A school of sea creatures swim in the air."
														],
														[
															"8",
															"00",
															"Someone starts drowning on dry land."
														]
													]
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Divination",
									"page": 111,
									"id": "23c",
									"entries": [
										"Clerics and oracles have spells at their disposal that allow them to ask the gods for insight. The {@spell divination} and {@spell commune} spells contact a god and promise a truthful reply to the caster's questions. The reply takes the form of a simple \"yes\" or \"no,\" a cryptic rhyme, or an omen. It might be transmitted through a disembodied voice, a vision only the caster can see, or any other mystical manner. A verbal reply to a {@spell divination} or {@spell commune} spell must be truthful, but it might still be misleading. A god can't speak a deliberate lie in response to either spell, but they can be evasive while remaining within the boundaries of the truth. If a character casts one of these spells more than once in the same day, however, there is an increasing chance of receiving an unclear answer or none at all (as described in the spells' entries in the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB}). This might happen because another god, alerted to the connection between the caster and their god by the first casting of the spell, intercepts the second one and chooses to mislead the character. Or it could simply mean that the god is tired of the character's pestering and chooses not to answer."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Dreams and Visions",
									"page": 111,
									"id": "23d",
									"entries": [
										"When mortals sleep and dream, they are said to \"visit Nyx.\" During this time, mortals are particularly susceptible to divine contact. A god might communicate with a sleeping mortal as if by casting {@spell dream}\u2014including the ability to transform the mortal's dreamscape into a nightmare. Whatever form such a dream takes, they are often similar to omens, making heavy use of symbol and metaphor.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/071-04-03.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1097,
											"credit": "Willian Murai"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Divine Intervention",
							"page": 114,
							"id": "23e",
							"entries": [
								"As with Callaphe the Mariner's desperate cry to Thassa, heroes in dire straits sometimes implore their gods for help. Occasionally, the gods answer. Whether a response is elicited by a hero's desperate prayer, a cleric's use of the Divine Intervention class feature, or a god's decision to intervene in mortal affairs for good or ill, an answer can manifest in a variety of ways.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Blessings",
									"page": 114,
									"id": "23f",
									"entries": [
										"As described in {@book chapter 7|DMG|7|Blessings} of the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG}, the gods sometimes use blessings to reward their faithful servants for momentous deeds. Completing a quest bestowed by the god is an accomplishment that might merit a blessing as a reward. Occasionally, a god might also offer a blessing when sending a champion on a quest, helping them to prepare for the task ahead.",
										"A character retains the benefit of a blessing until it is taken away by the god who granted it, which might happen if a character's piety score is reduced. Unlike a magic item, a divine blessing can't be suppressed by an antimagic field or similar effect. There is no limit on the number of blessings a character can receive, but a character can't benefit from multiple applications of a blessing at the same time.",
										"If you choose to award blessings to the characters in your campaign, use the guidelines in the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG}. If a blessing duplicates the effect of a magic item, it requires a minimum piety score based on the rarity of the item:",
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Uncommon magic item",
											"page": 114,
											"id": "240",
											"entries": [
												"requires piety 3 or higher"
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Rare magic item",
											"page": 114,
											"id": "241",
											"entries": [
												"requires piety 10 or higher"
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Very rare magic item",
											"page": 114,
											"id": "242",
											"entries": [
												"requires piety 25 or higher"
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Legendary magic item",
											"page": 114,
											"id": "243",
											"entries": [
												"requires piety 50 or higher",
												"You can use these additional blessings for your campaign, or use them to inspire more supernatural gifts."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Blessing of Farsight (Requires Piety 3+)",
											"page": 114,
											"id": "244",
											"entries": [
												"You have advantage on Wisdom ({@skill Perception}) checks that rely on sight.",
												{
													"type": "list",
													"style": "list-hang-notitle",
													"items": [
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Blessing of Protection (Requires Piety 3+)",
															"entry": "As a bonus action, you can invoke your god's protection, providing you with a +1 bonus to your AC for 1 minute. Once you use this blessing, you can't use it again until the next dawn."
														},
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Blessing of Resilience (Requires Piety 3+)",
															"entry": "When you are about to take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage, you can use your reaction to gain resistance to that damage type until the end of your next turn. Once you use this blessing, you can't use it again until the next dawn."
														}
													]
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Eyes of Nyx (Requires Piety 10+)",
											"page": 114,
											"id": "245",
											"entries": [
												"As an action, you can imbue your eyes with enhanced vision for 10 minutes. While the blessing is active, your eyes look like the starry void of Nyx, and you can see {@condition invisible} creatures and objects within 60 feet of you that are within your line of sight. Once you use this blessing, you can't use it again until the next dusk.",
												{
													"type": "list",
													"style": "list-hang-notitle",
													"items": [
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Weapon of Nyx (Requires Piety 10+)",
															"entry": "You can use a bonus action to cause one weapon you are holding to surge with divine power for 1 minute. On a hit, the weapon deals an extra {@dice 1d8} radiant damage. (Depending on your god, it might deal a different damage type\u2014necrotic for Erebos, lightning for Keranos, or fire for Purphoros, for example.) Once you use this blessing, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest."
														}
													]
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Emissaries",
									"page": 114,
									"id": "246",
									"entries": [
										"A divine emissary is a creature woven from the fabric of Nyx as a tool to carry out a god's divine will. Emissaries have no will of their own; they are extensions of their creators' divine substance, brought into the mortal world to fulfill a specific mission. When that mission is complete, they return to Nyx.",
										"While certain deities are associated with sending favored animals as their emissaries\u2014such as the stag often associated with Heliod and Nylea's lynx\u2014any animal might be a god's emissary. In each case, divine emissaries have a few shared characteristics:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"They are Nyxborn and have one or two of the Nyxborn traits described in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Nyxborn Creatures}, commonly magic resistance and magic weapons.",
												"They're of remarkable size, being at least one size category larger than normal."
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Miracles",
									"page": 114,
									"id": "247",
									"entries": [
										"As the simplest form of miracle, a god can produce the effect of any cleric spell or any spell associated with one of the god's domains, and have the spell take effect anywhere in the mortal realm. The gods' capabilities aren't limited by spell lists, though, and their miraculous intervention can have any effect you want. Direct godly intervention tends to be subtle and rare, though, as it attracts the attention of other gods and might encourage them to meddle in their own ways.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/072-04-04.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Willian Murai"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Divine Ordeals",
							"page": 114,
							"id": "248",
							"entries": [
								"Life as a champion of a god offers abundant opportunities to escape life's tedium, but a mortal who wants to truly take control of fate can request an ordeal from one of the gods. An ordeal, as the name indicates, is no easy task. To receive one, a candidate must accomplish at least one near-impossible feat to even make the request: finding a pathway into Nyx. But the reward for triumph is appropriate to the scale of the challenge.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Journey into Nyx",
									"page": 114,
									"id": "249",
									"entries": [
										"The first stage of a divine ordeal is entering Nyx. Callaphe the mariner is said to have sailed her ship over the waterfall at the edge of the world and right into Nyx, where she can still be seen among the constellations. Additionally, Kruphix's Temple of Mystery at the edge of the world and the shrine of Nykthos are known to hold portals that lead to the gates of Nyx.",
										"In theory, high-level characters can use spells such as {@spell plane shift} or {@spell gate} to move from the mortal realm to Nyx. In practice, securing the proper material component to travel to Nyx through the {@spell plane shift} spell is roughly as difficult as sailing to the edge of the world, and Kruphix can (and usually does) prevent the {@spell gate} spell from opening a portal into Nyx.",
										"There might be other ways to get into Nyx, and each one is a challenge suited for the greatest heroes."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ask and Receive",
									"page": 115,
									"id": "24a",
									"entries": [
										"After reaching Nyx, a hero must next ask a god for an ordeal. Asking for an ordeal is as simple as calling out one's intention to the god: \"Erebos, I request an ordeal!\"",
										"The gods grant ordeals only to those they consider worthy. The hero need not be a worshiper of the god being beseeched, or be concerned with upholding the god's ideals. As a rule, any hero capable of reaching Nyx is worthy of receiving an ordeal in most gods' eyes. Additionally, a god will typically only grant a champion one ordeal in their lifetime\u2014allowing more only under exceptional circumstances.",
										"A god might test multiple members of a group, confronting each with their own ordeals. Alternatively, champions devoted to different deities might all request ordeals from their own gods. Those who don't participate in an ordeal, though, still have plenty to do in Nyx and might find themselves contacted by agents of the gods or that realm's other legendary inhabitants."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Ordeal",
									"page": 115,
									"id": "24b",
									"entries": [
										"Assuming the god deems the hero worthy, the ordeal gets under way. The hero falls into a trance and steps alone into a dreamscape constructed by the god.",
										"Work to craft an ordeal that provides a significant challenge for the character to overcome. Fundamentally, an ordeal is a test of the character's heroic drive, as described in {@book chapter 1|MOT|1}. Will the character's drive prove strong enough to overcome everything else?",
										"An ordeal is a single encounter, which might involve combat, interaction, a series of ability checks, or other activities. It takes place in a dream state, so it's not essential that you give this encounter anything more than a narrative framing. The point is that the ordeal should test whether the hero's drive can counteract their other personality traits. The god who grants an ordeal shapes it. Keranos, for example, might challenge a hero with saving innocents during a dangerous storm, or Thassa might throw a mortal into a dreamscape where their ship is attacked by a kraken. Beyond the obvious challenge, the ordeal should create tension between a character's heroic drive and their other characteristics.",
										"You can use these guidelines to determine the appropriate degree of challenge for elements of an ordeal:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Combat with One Creature",
													"entry": "Use a monster or an NPC with a challenge rating equal to half the character's level."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Combat with Multiple Creatures",
													"entry": "Use {@dice 2d4} creatures, each of which has a challenge rating of about one-fifth the character's level."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Ability Checks",
													"entry": "Set the DC at 20 for most checks and 25 for checks that are crucial to the ordeal."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Reward",
									"page": 115,
									"id": "24c",
									"entries": [
										"There's typically no penalty for failing an ordeal, but the reward for success can be great. A character can request anything from a god. Consider these examples of what a god might grant to a successful hero:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"A miracle or other form of divine intervention",
												"A supernatural gift of your choice from those described in {@book chapter 1|MOT|1|Supernatural Gifts}",
												"A magic item of a rarity appropriate to the character's level"
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Athreos",
					"page": 116,
					"id": "24d",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/073-02-03-athreos.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"The River Guide straddles the line between life and death, maintaining the cosmological balance with no regard for the morals and emotions of mortals. Athreos's champions seek to further his goals, and rarely do so with greater sympathy than their grim patron.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Athreos's Champions",
							"page": 116,
							"id": "24e",
							"entries": [
								"Athreos expects his champions to maintain the balance between the living and the dead, just as he does. Beyond this, his servants take it upon themselves to maintain funerary customs unique to their cultures and preserve the memories of the departed. Beyond the mortal world, the River Guide opposes any who disrupt the cycle of life and death, behavior that occasionally brings him into conflict with other deities\u2014particularly Erebos and Heliod, but also occasionally Phenax and Pharika.",
								"The Athreos's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Athreos's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Seal a secret path that the Returned use to escape the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Strike against one of the necropoleis, either Asphodel or Odunos, curtailing its growth or bringing it to ruin."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Seek out a {@creature lampad|MOT} nymph who has fallen in love with a soul he was supposed to lead to the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Hunt down a rampaging cerberus and return it to its place guarding the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Reconsecrate a grand but neglected mausoleum, putting the unquiet spirits there to rest."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat an agent of a god who seeks to free a loved one, a mentor, or a champion from the Underworld."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "An Athreos Campaign",
									"page": 116,
									"id": "24f",
									"entries": [
										"Early in a campaign, Athreos's champions likely face dangerous or wayward undead, such as ghouls and ghosts, or monsters that have taken up residence in sacred burial sites. As the story progresses, the Returned and eidolons might feature more prominently, along with situations that force champions to oppose those seeking the souls of loved ones or the spirits of those with work left undone. At some point, Athreos's champions might come to oppose the arrogance and treachery of Erebos, Heliod, and Phenax, or the machinations of demons or the necropoleis of the Returned.",
										"The River Guide's mortal servants will likely find their emotions tested\u2014particularly their sense of morality and their inclination toward sympathy. Any mortal might be moved to restore a ruler whose death will ignite a war or by the plight of lovers separated by death. Athreos cares not for such things, and he expects his followers to guard the borders between life and death as emotionlessly as he does. If one of his servants falters, Athreos is quick to revoke his blessings."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Athreos's Villains",
							"page": 116,
							"id": "250",
							"entries": [
								"Athreos's champions readily forsake their connections to other mortals. Working among endless throngs of the dead and grieving can sap one's empathy and harden any soul. As a result, Athreos's followers make grim opponents when they prioritize the needs of the dead over the living. Their mission also makes them ready foes of the Returned and their allies. Some seek to achieve greater efficiency in the transition of the doomed into death, such as by impeding medical treatment or wrecking warships destined for hopeless wars. Athreos doesn't approve of utter cruelty, but neither does he particularly care, so long as the dead meet him with coin.",
								"The Athreos's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Athreos's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) follows omens to find those who have been resurrected, claiming they owe Athreos a debt."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A mercenary ({@creature gladiator}) accuses a community of harboring Returned and threatens to claim their leader's life to restore the balance."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A warmongering {@creature noble} rallies the public against a necropolis, encouraging a war between the living and the dead."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A group of {@creature Cult Fanatic||cult fanatics} charges exorbitant prices for funeral rites, threatening to lead the dead astray unless they're shown proper respect."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A {@creature priest} of Athreos speaks out against healers and Pharika's followers during a plague, offering death as the only alternative to suffering."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A {@creature lampad|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Lampad}) hunts the offspring of an ancient hero who escaped death, claiming they shouldn't exist."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Athreos's Monsters",
									"page": 116,
									"id": "251",
									"entries": [
										"Most creatures that serve Athreos aid the god in destroying the undead. Beyond that, the Athreos's Monsters table presents a few creatures likely to serve the god.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Athreos's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Giant vulture}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Two-headed cerberus|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Hell hound}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Lampad|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Invisible stalker}"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Underworld cerberus|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Spirit naga}"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Phylaskia|MOT}"
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Athreos as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 117,
							"id": "252",
							"entries": [
								"Athreos sees his responsibilities as necessary, but doesn't cherish them. Were there a more efficient way to maintain the cycle of life and death, or to create some sort of stasis, he might pursue it. Alternatively, wittingly or otherwise, Athreos might allow some less reliable being to take over his labors. Regardless of the circumstances, any change in the River Guide's role would have dramatic effects on the living and the balance of power between Theros's immortals. Adventurers caught in Athreos's machinations have the potential to influence nothing less than the underpinnings of existence.",
								"Correcting any imbalance in the cycle of life and death likely involves the assistance of other gods. If Athreos ever truly abandons his duties, it might be necessary for another to take up his labors. Candidates could include titans or gods, but a selfless mortal might also sacrifice themselves to become the new Athreos.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Athreos's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 117,
									"id": "253",
									"entries": [
										"If Athreos were to have desires beyond his responsibilities to the dead, he would likely keep them secret and act with slow, nearly invisible, deliberateness. The Athreos's Divine Schemes table suggests just a few of the god's potential objectives.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Athreos's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Athreos tires of his responsibilities but refuses to abandon them. Secretly, he has allowed the same spirit to be reborn again and again, allowing it to see all of life and death so it might one day take his place. When this apprentice disappears, Athreos refuses to ferry any more souls until his student is returned."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"The wealth Athreos collects in payment for his work has gone missing, stolen from his sanctuary at the end of the Tartyx River. The River Guide needs the treasure returned swiftly, not out of greed, but as it is payment for something beyond the gods."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"The Rivers That Ring the World are drying up. As the tides recede, great ruins are revealed, rising from the river bottom. Athreos sends agents to the headwaters of the Tartyx River, seeking the cause of the problem before whatever the river had kept drowned emerges."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"War between Heliod and Erebos is inevitable. Rather than letting it explode unpredictably, Athreos puts a plan into Motion to mitigate the damage. Ultimately, all it takes to end the war is Heliod's death or Erebos joining the Returned."
												]
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/074-04-05.webp"
											},
											"title": "The shores of the Rivers that Ring the World are watched by Athreos and his servants ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Raymond Swanland"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Underworld Crossing",
							"page": 118,
							"id": "254",
							"entries": [
								"The Tartyx River is dotted with ruined temples of Athreos on either side of its banks that serve as crossing points between the mortal world and the Underworld. Souls of the dead wait on the riverbank at these desolate places for the River Guide to appear and grant them passage to the Underworld side.",
								"The ruined temple buildings are as enigmatic as their patron. No priests inhabit or care for these places, though they are guarded by cerberi and phylaskia (both described in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6}). When living mortals enter these shrines, the buildings come alive with magic traps meant to keep the living out of the realm of the dead and the dead from returning to the land of the living.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Underworld Crossing Adventures",
									"page": 118,
									"id": "255",
									"entries": [
										"Adventures in Underworld crossings usually involve the characters entering or exiting the Underworld or helping or preventing someone or something from doing so. Souls with coin left after crossing the Tartyx often discard their excess valuables upon reaching the Underworld\u2014their treasures proving useless in the realm of the dead. The dunes of discarded coins that pile up on the Underworld's shores might be enough to tempt mortal treasure hunters, even at the risk of being eternally pursued by Athreos's servants.",
										"Alternatively, it might be souls rather than riches that tempt adventurers to the Tartyx's banks. A spirit who died without payment for Athreos might linger at the river's edge. Perhaps adventurers seek to help such a lost soul pass on to the Underworld, or they might offer to pay for passage if a spirit shares valuable information with them. In either case, adventurers might offer the dead help in reaching their final resting place.",
										"The Underworld Crossing Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Underworld Crossing Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Enter the Underworld without alerting Athreos to your presence."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Escape the Underworld."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Force someone to lose their identity in the waters of the Tartyx River."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Escort a {@creature Returned sentry|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned Sentry}) escaping from the Underworld into the mortal world."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Bargain with a {@creature lampad|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Lampad}) to learn where the body of a lost hero lies entombed."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Get information from a soul waiting to be ferried to the Underworld."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Pay for a stranded soul to cross the Tartyx River."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Steal a specific valuable from the banks of the Tartyx River and escape unseen."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Sail from the crossing to a nearby, haunted island in the center of the Tartyx River."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Convince an innocent spirit who keeps returning to their mortal home to pass into the Underworld."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Seek an audience with Athreos."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Capture an {@creature Underworld cerberus|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Underworld Cerberus})."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Underworld Crossing Map",
									"page": 118,
									"id": "256",
									"entries": [
										"The Underworld crossing shown in map 4.1 is made up of two halves of a bleak, broken temple on either side of the Tartyx River. Each half of the temple facing the river ends in a dock. The riverbank on the mortal side is covered in gold coins. This half of the temple holds a large sanctuary with a cracked floor and sinking altar where phylaskia and cerberi stand guard. Surrounding this cavernous hall, shadowy corridors that lead to the dock are covered in trapped glyphs that explode with energy and collapse ceilings when activated by the presence of mortals.",
										"The temple half on the Underworld side of the river consists of twisting crypt halls that hold no bones, bodies, or other remains\u2014only dust and guardians. These halls give way to a second sanctuary filled with somber funeral music\u2014though there are no instruments in sight. It's said that living creatures that hear this song are driven to the depths of despair. A massive statue of Athreos watches over this chamber and the guardians who reside there.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/076-map-4.1-Underworld-Crossing.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.1: Underworld Crossing",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "019",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/077-map-4.1-Underworld-Crossing-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "019"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Underworld Crossing Villains",
									"page": 118,
									"id": "257",
									"entries": [
										"Mortals who adventure in an Underworld crossing are likely to battle foes trying to enter or escape the Underworld\u2014or trying to prevent the characters from doing so. Examples of such villains appear on the Underworld Crossings Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Underworld Crossings Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A {@creature Returned palamnite|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned Palamnite}) seeks to destroy all Underworld crossings so the dead can freely enter the mortal world."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A conquering general captures a number of {@creature Underworld Cerberus|MOT|Underworld cerberi} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Underworld Cerberus}), plotting to unleash the terrifying beasts during a war."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A greedy {@creature priest} of Erebos steals coins from the dead before they are buried, thereby filling a crossing with stranded souls."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature nightmare shepherd|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Nightmare Shepherd}) takes over a crossing and doesn't allow souls to pass into the Underworld. As a result, they become {@creature Specter||specters} that harass the living in the mortal world."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A {@creature priest} of Athreos becomes annoyed with the dead returning and sends armies of clergy to secure the mortal side of the crossing."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature satyr reveler|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Satyr Reveler}) seeks to throw an eternal revel! By stealing coins from the dead, the satyr traps souls at his morbid, Tartyx-side bacchanal."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Ephara",
					"page": 120,
					"id": "258",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/076-02-03-ephara.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Serious and knowledgeable, Ephara watches over cities, protecting them from the wilds and seeing that they develop in a just and beautiful way.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Ephara's Champions",
							"page": 120,
							"id": "259",
							"entries": [
								"The god of the polis seeks out those who would defend their cities with the same devotion that she does, fighting against threats both within and outside a city's walls.",
								"The Ephara's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Ephara's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Oust the corrupt leader of a town or a city."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Reclaim a city that has been overrun by creatures of the wild."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Help establish a new city in a sparsely populated area."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Find a treasure to adorn a major landmark of a city."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Hunt down a criminal who is causing devastating damage to a city, such as by arson."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of an opposed deity, most likely Phenax or Nylea."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "An Ephara Campaign",
									"page": 120,
									"id": "25a",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign centered around Ephara is almost by necessity an urban campaign, and likely one that primarily or entirely takes place within a single city. Ephara is concerned with the establishment, development, and protection of cities, and a campaign centered on her champions and goals might focus on just one of these aspects over the course of the campaign.",
										"A game focused on establishment might see the characters founding a new city, or perhaps reviving a dead one. One focused on development could go beyond the basics of what a city needs to survive and get into what a city requires to thrive\u2014which could easily lead to campaigns less focused on combat and more on social encounters and intrigue. Lastly, a campaign focused on defending a city could present a range of threats, from external foes\u2014like wild creatures or invading armies\u2014to internal enemies\u2014like corrupt leaders or dangerous criminals. In any of these cases, Ephara cares about protecting cities from the poison of corruption and tyranny as well as threats from armies or the wild.",
										"If the characters falter in any of these major goals, they could lose Ephara's favor and have to prove themselves again worthy of her grace, perhaps by making substantial improvements to a city or defeating a major threat.",
										"Foes in an Ephara campaign could be deadly monsters, corrupt politicians, or even impending natural disasters. The reappearance of figures from a city's past, either as Returned or Nyxborn, can also throw a community into disorder. Who has the greater right to rule: the current ruler or the city's legendary founder?"
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Ephara's Villains",
							"page": 120,
							"id": "25b",
							"entries": [
								"Many see Ephara and her followers as villains, treading on the wilderness to expand cities and civilization. Even people who live in urban environments might not be safe from foes who profess to be in Ephara's service. Those who become excessively focused on rules and justice could overstep their bounds, using the law to oppress countercultural or nonconforming populations.",
								"The Ephara's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Ephara's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A neighborhood leader enacts punitive laws, preventing people from expressing themselves."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A {@creature guard} imprisons people who worship gods opposed to Ephara, such as Phenax and Nylea."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A {@creature noble} is building a new development directly in a forest, where it will displace wildlife that has lived there for millennia."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A {@creature soldier|GGR} begins killing people who have committed terrible crimes but have been acquitted because of loopholes in the judicial system."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A group of {@creature Mage||mages} who follow Ephara want to build a city on an island, heedless of the current residents."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) leads a cadre of scholars secretly destroying work that they deem antithetical to proper society."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ephara's Monsters",
									"page": 120,
									"id": "25c",
									"entries": [
										"Ephara isn't often associated with monsters. Even so, a few monsters common in urban settings might be involved with the deity or her worshipers. Since many of Ephara's most devout followers are scholars, they commonly use magically constructed creatures in their plans. The vast majority of villains associated with Ephara are humans: soldiers, politicians, priests, and scholars who believe that Ephara's vision of a proper city is more important than the people living in it. The Ephara's Monsters table presents just a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/077-04-06.webp"
											},
											"title": "Ephara's urn is a fountain of blessings ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Noah Bradley"
										},
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Ephara's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10",
												"col-1 text-center"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/8",
													"{@creature Guard}"
												],
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Anvilwrought raptor|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Meletian hoplite|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature War priest|VGM}"
												],
												[
													"11",
													"{@creature Gynosphinx}*"
												],
												[
													"15",
													"{@creature Hundred-handed one|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"17",
													"{@creature Androsphinx}*"
												],
												[
													"23",
													"{@creature Empyrean}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Sphinx} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Ephara as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 121,
							"id": "25d",
							"entries": [
								"A campaign with Ephara as the villain might be well suited to a wilderness-based campaign. Many people of the wilds see the patron of cities as inherently villainous\u2014a colonialist monster who crushes the wilderness in the name of supposed civilization. For player characters who are affiliated with the wilderness or who worship Nylea, Ephara makes an obvious antagonist.",
								"A likely storyline with Ephara as the main villain would involve the characters trying to stop champions of Ephara from establishing a new city or expanding an existing city into the wilderness, displacing the people and creatures that inhabit the area. This wilderness could be where the characters live, or the residents of the area might ask the characters for help. Since the followers of Ephara see cities as inherently superior to other locations, they are unmoved by simple pleas to leave the wilderness as it is, and the characters likely must stop them by force.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Ephara's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 121,
									"id": "25e",
									"entries": [
										"Ephara's power struggles with other deities often have a ripple effect that touches the mortal followers of all gods involved. The Ephara's Divine Schemes table presents just a few conflicts the god might be involved in.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Ephara's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Ephara tries to curry Karametra's favor, hoping to persuade her to use her influence over agriculture to help the cities under Ephara's protection flourish. But Karametra, as the patron of Setessa, thinks that Ephara's focus on cities is dangerous and damaging to the lands. Nylea lashes out at both Karametra and Ephara, believing them to be working together."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Ephara attempts to strip Phenax of his \"stolen\" divinity, outraged by his influence over criminals."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A recent earthquake has changed the coastline, exposing a new island with a verdant and lush landscape. Ephara and Nylea are locked in a battle for control over the island, with Nylea wanting it to remain wilderness and Ephara seeking to build a city on the fertile ground."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Ephara sends champions to free a city from the control of tyrants who worship Mogis, god of wrath. Mogis retaliates by sending his armies to attack a city under Ephara's protection."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Agora",
							"page": 122,
							"id": "25f",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/078-04-07.webp"
									},
									"width": 795,
									"height": 1000,
									"credit": "James Ryman"
								},
								"Many settlements in Theros have a centrally located agora, or public forum, where artists perform, politicians give speeches, philosophers debate, vendors hawk their wares, and people congregate. Many agoras are surrounded by stoas, covered walkways that lead to other areas of the settlement. People in the agora might retreat beneath the awnings for privacy and shade, while others stand on the roofs of the porticos to shout messages to the assembled crowds.",
								"In addition to activities involving art, commerce, politics, and religion, people come to the agora for socializing and learning the latest news and gossip. The crowds attract less savory folk, like spies and thieves. Priests of Ephara often bless agoras because they are so central to civilized life in Theros, but all the gods are usually honored in these forums with statues or other works of art.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Agora Adventures",
									"page": 122,
									"id": "260",
									"entries": [
										"An agora is the perfect location for adventures where roleplaying takes center stage. The characters could use the crowd as cover for a clandestine meeting or as an audience to rally to action. A simple shopping trip in an agora can turn into an adventure when a thief steals from the characters or they overhear a sinister conversation. The Agora Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Agora Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Apprehend the ringleader of a thieves' guild who frequently targets people in the agora."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Protect a civil leader giving a speech."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Perform for an audience."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Humiliate someone giving a speech or performing."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Make a profit running someone's market stall."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Sabotage business for the entire market."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Eavesdrop on a private meeting under a stoa."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Incite a crowd to action with a public speech."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Debate a well-loved politician or philosopher and convince the audience to take your side."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Recapture an escaped beast that was up for sale."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Stop a public execution."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Quell a riot without violence."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Agora Map",
									"page": 122,
									"id": "261",
									"entries": [
										"The agora shown in map 4.2 is surrounded by stoas, with statues of different gods on their roofs overlooking the public area. Market stalls stand in orderly lanes, and vendors position their carts between them.",
										"Two stages stand at either end of the forum. One is a huge platform where performers, politicians, and philosophers address the crowds. The smaller stage has steps that lead up to a higher platform. Criminals sentenced to death are thrown from this height onto the ground below, where the crowd then finishes the job. Stocks are also set up at the top of this stage for petty criminals to be publicly humiliated.",
										"At the agora's center stands a grand fountain with a larger-than-life sculpture depicting all the gods sharing a feast. On holy days, priests invite people to wash their feet in the fountain and receive blessings from the gods.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/081-map-4.2-Asora.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.2: Asora",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75,
														"offsetX": -1,
														"offsetY": -1
													},
													"id": "01a",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/082-map-4.2-Asora-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75,
														"offsetX": -1,
														"offsetY": -1
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "01a"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Agora Villains",
									"page": 122,
									"id": "262",
									"entries": [
										"An agora villain could be almost any humanoid, from a corrupt politician to a common criminal thug. Some of these folks use monsters to do their dirty work. Examples of such villains appear on the Agora Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Agora Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"An {@creature assassin} murders a politician's rivals then poses the victims in grisly, public tableaus."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A group of {@creature Thug||thugs} vandalizes market stalls whose owners don't pay a weekly protection fee."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Cultist||Cultists} of Pharika plot to spike the wine at a party in the agora with an experimental poison."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A snake charmer overreaches when he unsuccessfully attempts to control an {@creature amphisbaena|GoS} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Amphisbaena}) during a performance."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A disgraced priest of Ephara releases a horde of anvilwrought creatures (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Anvilwroughts}) on a crowd gathered at the agora."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature mage} politician uses enchantment magic to spread rumors about rivals."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Erebos",
					"page": 124,
					"id": "263",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/080-02-03-erebos.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Jealous but patient, Erebos is a demanding master. His champions know that service to him lasts not just until their deaths, but beyond that.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Erebos's Champions",
							"page": 124,
							"id": "264",
							"entries": [
								"Erebos spends most of his time and attention on the Underworld, leaving his champions to safeguard his interests in the realm of the living. He might call upon his followers to punish those who escape the Underworld, spread despair, or thwart the schemes of other gods, particularly Heliod and Phenax. The Erebos's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Erebos's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Capture a hero who came back to Theros as a Returned and send them back to the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Find out why those who die in a coastal village never arrive in the Underworld, and why the village is haunted by eidolons."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Protect those who attend the funeral of a village elder in the hills near Akros, where minotaurs have disrupted recent burials."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Investigate an alchemist who claims to have transmuted lead into gold\u2014but who might somehow be stealing it from the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Refute the claim of a priest of Heliod who is said to be immortal because of the sun god's blessing."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Take an aging champion of Iroas who has pledged their soul to Erebos in exchange for a glorious death on one last foray into the wild lands."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "An Erebos Campaign",
									"page": 124,
									"id": "265",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign structured around the player characters as champions of Erebos often invites a certain amount of moral complexity. Perhaps heroes are brought together to oppose an overreach by a champion of Heliod. Or maybe they're united by some common plight such as plague or war, as Erebos grants his blessings to those who determinedly face fate. From there, they might be drawn into helping Erebos maintain the line between life and death by fighting against Returned raiders.",
										"Champions of Erebos who want to maintain a moral code separate from that of their god have a difficult path to walk. They might find themselves forced to choose between what they believe is right and what their god tells them to do. If this leads them to violate one of Erebos's most sacred rules\u2014by allowing a lost soul to escape, for example\u2014Erebos could transform into a campaign villain. The characters might then try to atone for their behavior or seek the protection of another god."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Erebos's Villains",
							"page": 124,
							"id": "266",
							"entries": [
								"Erebos's sphere of influence is every bit as essential to life on Theros as Heliod's, but it is easy to see why many take a dim view of him and his champions. The status quo that Erebos seeks to uphold is a brutal one, based on the tragic fact that every life ends in death.",
								"Followers of Erebos might become villains when they follow their god's orders, sowing despair among the populace. Some become death-crazed killers or dispassionate murderers, unable to see the difference between dying now and dying later. Others abuse their blessings to cheat death for themselves or their loved ones, and still others simply want to get rich.",
								"The Erebos's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Erebos's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A {@creature veteran} bargains with Erebos to allow him to remain in the living world as a Returned in exchange for a steady stream of mortal sacrifices."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A prominent {@creature knight} of another god loses their entire family, then publicly turns to Erebos in hopes of being reunited with loved ones in the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"An {@creature acolyte} convinces Erebos to bring her murdered daughter back to life, but the daughter is restored as a potent Returned who now terrorizes the polis."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A wealthy {@creature noble} drives tenants out of a poor part of a polis so he can build a temple to Erebos."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"The queen of a remote settlement prays to Erebos for endless treasure, and Erebos \"blesses\" her by turning the nearby river to liquid silver. The tyrant is delighted, but everyone else in her domain suffers."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A {@creature priest} of Erebos terrorizes a village, convinced that a particular Returned has taken refuge there."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Erebos's Monsters",
									"page": 124,
									"id": "267",
									"entries": [
										"Erebos has legions of fallen monsters, heroes, and villains that he can send back to the world of the living temporarily as Nyxborn. The Erebos's Monsters table presents just a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Erebos's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Shadow}",
													"MM"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Two-headed cerberus|MOT}",
													"MOoT"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Lampad|MOT}",
													"MOoT"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Nightmare}",
													"MM"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Night hag}*",
													"MM"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Abhorrent Overlord|MOT}",
													"MOoT"
												],
												[
													"11",
													"{@creature Doomwake giant|MOT}",
													"MOoT"
												],
												[
													"11",
													"{@creature Nightmare shepherd|MOT}",
													"MOoT"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/081-04-08.webp"
											},
											"title": "Erebos's minions hunt the Returned and warn those who consider the same folly ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1116,
											"credit": "Cyril Van Der Haegen"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Erebos as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 125,
							"id": "268",
							"entries": [
								"The god of death is a natural villain, whether from the beginning of the campaign or after he takes a villainous turn against his former champions.",
								"As a campaign villain, Erebos will try to carry out the worst of his schemes: sowing despair, ending lives before their time, or supplanting Heliod. The campaign might begin with cultists of Erebos committing random murders, then escalate when a prominent priest or champion of Heliod is assassinated. Adventurers who have no love for the sun god might still find cause to put a stop to Erebos's terrors\u2014particularly if he starts lashing out against followers of other gods.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Erebos's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 125,
									"id": "269",
									"entries": [
										"When the god of death chooses to move against the other gods, the effects can be catastrophic. The Erebos's Divine Schemes table suggests a few ways Erebos might move against both gods and mortals.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Erebos's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Erebos has captured Phenax's eidolon, the identity severed from Phenax's body when he became the first Returned, and uses it to force Phenax to serve his whims."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Erebos unleashes a deadly plague. The cure grows only in the peaceful Underworld realm of Ilysia. Mortal champions flock to Ilysia, threatening to breach the ward's sanctity and allow Erebos's influence to creep in."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Servants of Heliod find a stone that can raise the dead in both body and soul. Enraged, Erebos sends his followers to claim the stone, which Heliod's worshipers have claimed as a holy relic."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"With the aid of Pharika, Erebos creates a poison capable of killing a god. Learning of this, the other gods try to force Erebos to relinquish the poison, but the god of the dead has already deployed it in the form of a sapient being. Now, champions of the gods scour the world, searching for the living weapon."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Graveyard Temple",
							"page": 126,
							"id": "26a",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/082-04-09.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 1064,
									"credit": "Nils Hamm"
								},
								"Any place where the remains of the dead are interred is considered a place of worship for Erebos. A graveyard can consist of mass graves, individual burial plots, family tombs containing interment niches or urns, or a combination of all such sites honoring the dead. These places often include a shrine to the god of death, which is home to the graveyard's priests.",
								"During the day, the priests lead funeral rites, care for the graveyard, and offer counsel to those praying for acceptance of their fates. Larger graveyard complexes might also have a vault for storing gold or other valuables, and the priests could act as financial advisors and executors of estates, since wealth and death go hand in hand in Theros.",
								"At night, the restless dead might walk through the graveyard's temple. Sometimes these dead are restless ghosts that can't pass into the Underworld until they finish a piece of business. Others might be Returned, lingering near their place of burial because they can't remember where else to go, or evil undead\u2014such as specters and wraiths\u2014waiting to harm any living creatures they come across.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Graveyard Temple Adventures",
									"page": 126,
									"id": "26b",
									"entries": [
										"Graveyard temple adventures are centered on death and wealth. The characters could be asked to deal with undead, protect or steal a grave's remains or treasure, or attend a funeral in the graveyard. Many graveyards have tunnels connecting the tombs that the priests use in their caretaking duties, so exploring such a complex can be a daunting task. The Graveyard Temple Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Graveyard Temple Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Rob a grave or the temple's vault."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Protect a grave or the temple's vault from robbery."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Destroy a seemingly endless wave of undead pouring forth from a graveyard."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Prevent the funeral of a loathed individual from being disrupted."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Find an entrance to the Underworld in the graveyard."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Reunite a {@creature Returned sentry|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned Sentry}) and their {@creature ghostblade eidolon|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Eidolons})."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Destroy {@creature Giant Spider||giant spiders} infesting a tomb."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Acquire death records for a family from a temple full of angry spirits."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Escape the graveyard when undead suddenly rise and overtake the complex."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Use a person's remains to raise them from the dead."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Graveyard Temple Map",
									"page": 126,
									"id": "26c",
									"entries": [
										"The temple shown in map 4.3 sits at the center of a graveyard, which consists of underground tombs that hold urns of ashes, individual burial plots, and a mass grave for those who couldn't afford better. The ground level of the temple contains a chapel with benches and a raised dais, which holds an altar and a viewing table for bodies of the deceased. The other chambers of the temple's first floor contain the priests' quarters, offices, embalming chambers, as well as a vault.",
										"The temple's cellar holds burial and financial records, as well as tools used in the caretaking of the graveyard. Tunnels that can be sealed with iron doors connect the cellar to all of the graveyard's tombs.",
										"One of the graveyard's individual plots is marked with a nameless marker. This grave plot doesn't contain a body. The most valuable treasures entrusted to the temple's care are buried in this spot.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/086-map-4.3-Graveyard.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.3: Graveyard",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "01b",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/087-map-4.3-Graveyard-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "01b"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Graveyard Temple Villains",
									"page": 126,
									"id": "26d",
									"entries": [
										"Graveyard temple villains include those seeking to control death and wealth. Examples of such figures appear on the Graveyard Temple Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Graveyard Temple Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A terrified {@creature Returned palamnite|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned Palamnite}) runs amok in the graveyard, having lost all sense of itself after finding its way back to the world."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature cyclops} with a taste for rotting flesh digs up plots in the graveyard each night."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A priest removes limbs from corpses to build an congregation of {@creature Flesh Golem||flesh golems} he can't control."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A gate to the Underworld releases a bloodthirsty {@creature Underworld cerberus|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Underworld Cerberus}) into the graveyard."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"An {@creature archmage} works to raise a vengeful army from the remains of her war-ravaged village."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A mob of paranoid, inexperienced {@creature Commoner||commoners} hunt for Returned but end up tormenting all strangers."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Heliod",
					"page": 128,
					"id": "26e",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/084-02-03-heliod.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"As powerful as he is arrogant, Heliod believes in his vision of a bright, orderly future and demands that his champions help bring it into being.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Heliod's Champions",
							"page": 128,
							"id": "26f",
							"entries": [
								"Heliod's champions are a means to accomplish his goals. In the world, Heliod is concerned with law and order, justice and fidelity. On a larger scale, he seeks to establish his superiority over the other gods, and his mortal champions might get caught up in those schemes in ways both large and small.",
								"The Heliod's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Heliod's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Bring a shard of sunlight to a place of unending darkness."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Establish law and order in a place of anarchy and lawlessness."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Keep people safe from a natural disaster caused by the anger of another god (such as a volcano spawned by Purphoros or a tidal wave caused by Thassa)."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Hunt down a notorious lawbreaker who has fled from a polis into the wilderness."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Triumph in a contest of strength or charisma to prove Heliod's superiority over the other gods."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Erebos, Purphoros, Phenax, or Mogis)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Heliod Campaign",
									"page": 128,
									"id": "270",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign structured around champions of Heliod might cast adventurers as valiant protectors of civilization. Rampaging monsters, lawless agitators, hardened criminals, oath breakers, and the champions of Heliod's divine enemies pose constant threats, and the characters are charged with combating them all.",
										"At the beginning of the campaign, the characters might stand alongside other defenders of a polis against attacking monsters and receive Heliod's blessing at a crucial moment to turn the tide of battle. Hailed as heroes by the polis, they continue to enjoy Heliod's favor as they vanquish one threat after another.",
										"Losing their patron's favor is the greatest danger to champions of Heliod. If the god views them as disobedient or comes to see them as a threat, he might turn against them. At that point, characters might either try to regain his favor or seek protection with another god."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Heliod's Villains",
							"page": 128,
							"id": "271",
							"entries": [
								"It's easy for servants of Heliod\u2014and even the god himself\u2014to take on a villainous role in the world. Heliod's followers easily become obsessed with upholding justice at the price of mercy, or with advancing order at the price of freedom, turning them into vicious tyrants or overzealous enforcers. On a smaller scale, someone who has suffered a grievous wrong might swear an oath of vengeance in Heliod's name and become a deadly vigilante. When a follower of Heliod's righteous zeal for justice turns to oppressive tyranny, Heliod himself might send champions to stop the would-be tyrant.",
								"The Heliod's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Heliod's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A local {@creature noble} imposes overwhelming punishments for even minor infractions of law."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A leader persecutes an entire population of people because of a crime committed by a single member."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"An {@creature assassin} starts killing everyone connected to a trial after which the perpetrator was exonerated."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A fanatical {@creature priest} tries to undermine the priests of other gods by outlawing their holidays."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A tyrant suppresses free expression, punishes protesters, and quashes any form of dissent."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A nervous {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) identifies the characters as a threat to the stability of the polis."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Heliod's Monsters",
									"page": 128,
									"id": "272",
									"entries": [
										"Heliod is rarely associated with deadly monsters, more often with celestial messengers and noble creatures. Even so, adventures that bring characters into conflict with Heliod's agents might pit them against creatures such as those on the Heliod's Monsters table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Heliod's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/8",
													"{@creature Noble}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Centaur}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Griffon}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Pegasus}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Fleecemane lion|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Cloud giant}"
												],
												[
													"11",
													"{@creature Roc}"
												],
												[
													"23",
													"{@creature Empyrean}"
												]
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/085-04-10.webp"
											},
											"title": "Heliod's spear doles out his blessings as well as his wrath ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1208,
											"credit": "Terese Nielsen"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Heliod as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 128,
							"id": "273",
							"entries": [
								"Whether Heliod is a villain from the beginning of the campaign or takes a villainous turn against his former champions, a campaign centered on Heliod's arrogance and peevishness brings the worst of the sun god's qualities into focus.",
								"As a campaign villain, Heliod is most likely driven by his desire to assert his rulership over the other gods of the pantheon and his kingship over everything: Nyx, the mortal world, and the Underworld. He might begin, through his agents, by enacting laws that make participation in Heliod's rites mandatory for the citizens of a polis. From there, it's a small step to suppressing the open worship of other gods, then trying to spread both policies to other cities. If the characters are champions of other gods, they might find themselves the targets of Heliod's agents, marked as a threat to order and stability in the poleis.",
								"Such a campaign might end with the characters appeasing Heliod in some way, convincing the other gods (especially Kruphix or Klothys) to intervene and rein in Heliod's hubris, or even confronting Heliod with the support of other gods.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Heliod's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 129,
									"id": "274",
									"entries": [
										"Heliod's activities among the other gods can have a wide-ranging impact on the pantheon and the mortal world. The Heliod's Divine Schemes table offers examples of how the god might have a mythic impact on the mortal world, embroiling the characters in the middle of divine squabbles.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Heliod's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Heliod decides to confront Erebos in the Underworld. He gathers fallen heroes around him as he marches on Erebos's palace in Tizerus. Meanwhile, the sun has vanished from the sky in the mortal world, and the dead can't enter the Underworld."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Heliod grows tired of the battles between Iroas and Mogis, and he decides to end their conflict by banishing Mogis. To his surprise, both gods turn against him. The resulting conflict causes the sun to rain divine blood, producing bizarre effects."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Angry at the hubris of nobles who boast of having the best hounds, Heliod turns all dogs into wolves and monsters that kill and run wild."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Heliod arms a champion with his weapon, Khrusor, but the hero goes wild with power and tries to slay Purphoros. The repercussions border on the cataclysmic, with the champion slain, Mount Velus erupting, and the spear shattered. Only Purphoros can repair the spear, and he's hardly in the mood to do so."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Sun Temple",
							"page": 130,
							"id": "275",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/086-04-11.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 724,
									"credit": "Zack Stella"
								},
								"These multistory towers of worship rise atop mountains, hills, and the highest ground in a settlement, bringing congregants as close as possible to the sun. Huge windows, light-reflecting stone, and art depicting legendary heroes make every sun temple a bright, inspiring space.",
								"The rites conducted in sun temples include marriages, ceremonies to honor heroes, dawn worship services, breakfast banquets, and occasionally funerals, which typically involve a pyre for the deceased. These events are held on the temple's roof, where worshipers are closest to the sun and can feel its warmth.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Sun Temple Adventures",
									"page": 130,
									"id": "276",
									"entries": [
										"Sun temples honor heroes and record their deeds. An adventure in which the characters need to meet, research, protect, or confront a legendary figure might happen in one of these houses of worship. Additionally, large groups gather in these temples, potentially leading to adventures involving crowds that need to be protected, quelled, or investigated. The Sun Temple Adventures table offers plots that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Sun Temple Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Acquire an artifact used by a legendary hero."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Defend a hero being honored in a ceremony from an assassination attempt."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Acquire the remains of a legendary hero from the temple's crypts so the person can be resurrected."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Prevent a wedding from taking place, so the couple's union doesn't fulfill an ominous prophecy."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Expose a celebrated hero as a fraud."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Learn the sins of a person seeking religious counsel."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Find out who among a crowd of people gathered at the temple murdered a priest."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Disperse a mob of people who blame Heliod and his clergy for a long drought."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Defend the temple's worshipers from followers of Mogis assaulting the building."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Offer Heliod a burnt sacrifice to gain his blessing."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Offer Heliod a mass sacrifice to prevent him from smiting a nearby settlement."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Find a hero's firsthand account of a battle with a unique monster among the temple's records before a rival group of adventurers does."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Sun Temple Map",
									"page": 130,
									"id": "277",
									"entries": [
										"The sun temple shown in map 4.4 presents a common design for Heliod's holy sites. Most ceremonies take place on the rooftop, which is surrounded by statues of heroic figures and magnificent gardens that bloom in the dawn light. Worshipers reach the top by climbing stairs on the outside of the tower.",
										"Floor-to-ceiling windows on the temple's fourth level reveal a crypt with hundreds of funeral urns placed in niches on the wall and in decorative columns. Lower levels hold the personal chambers of priests, as well as quiet chambers where people can worship at small altars or seek counsel from clergy who specialize in matters of morality. The temple's ground floor contains a museum displaying heroic artifacts and accounts of epic deeds, all of which are guarded by the ghosts of heroes interred in the crypt.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/091-map-4.4-Sun-Temple.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.4: Sun Temple",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5880,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 70
													},
													"id": "01c",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/092-map-4.4-Sun-Temple-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5880,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 70
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "01c"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Sun Temple Villains",
									"page": 130,
									"id": "278",
									"entries": [
										"Although sun temples are places that glorify heroic deeds, they do attract villains eager to please Heliod, defy him, or twist his tenets. Examples of such villains appear on the Sun Temple Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Sun Temple Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A once-heroic {@creature veteran} seeking to regain his youthful strength tries to burn attendees at a dawn banquet as a sacrifice to Heliod."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A secret cabal of Phenax {@creature Cult Fanatic||cult fanatics} infiltrates the temple and uses details learned in private counseling sessions to blackmail worshipers."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"An {@creature adult blue dragon}, scarred by a champion of Heliod, seeks to destroy all sun temples in the hopes of bringing about everlasting night."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A corrupt {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) of Heliod sells counterfeit heroic artifacts to those he can't see as being destined for greatness."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A lazy {@creature priest} of Heliod risks bringing the god's wrath down upon the entire temple."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"An {@creature archmage} devoted to Heliod has created a second sun, one which endlessly illuminates the land and burns those she considers wicked."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Iroas",
					"page": 132,
					"id": "279",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/088-02-03-iroas.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Iroas expects much of his champions. Constant training and testing oneself against the strongest foes available are the hallmarks of Iroas's champions.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Iroas's Champions",
							"page": 132,
							"id": "27a",
							"entries": [
								"Iroas's champions are his generals, through whom he can deliver death blows to his enemies. On a daily basis, Iroas serves the causes of justice and honor. The weak are to be protected, just laws are to be upheld, and evildoers must be struck down in righteous anger. Iroas's champions also serve as his vanguard in the eternal war against his brother, Mogis.",
								"The Iroas's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Iroas's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Defeat Returned bandits who are terrorizing the polis."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Defend a polis against a champion of Mogis."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Sail to a remote island to reclaim a lost weapon of great power."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Establish law and order in a place of anarchy and lawlessness."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Triumph in a contest of strength or dexterity to prove Iroas's superiority over the other gods."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Mogis, Phenax, or Pharika)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/089-04-12.webp"
									},
									"width": 737,
									"height": 1000,
									"credit": "Jason Chan"
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "An Iroas Campaign",
									"page": 132,
									"id": "27b",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign focused on champions of Iroas is filled with battle, stunning acts of heroism, and valorous stands against great odds. Iroas is a god of action, and his champions are the tip of his spear, expected to hurl themselves at danger when it presents itself. Iroas holds a bitter grudge against his brother Mogis, and Iroas's champions often counter the agents of the god of carnage.",
										"As the campaign begins, the characters could find themselves on a field of battle, either as mercenaries or sworn soldiers for a polis. Their courage at arms and the honor they demonstrate in battle impress Iroas, and he proudly bestows his blessing on them. Every subsequent engagement only enhances the characters' reputation as skilled, steadfast warriors without peer. Their actions inevitably lead to a challenge from a champion of Mogis who is intent on destroying the characters and anyone they hold dear.",
										"Iroas exalts winners, but even a narrow defeat is still a defeat. An opponent who has no qualms about cheating and using subterfuge holds an advantage over champions of Iroas. If the characters sink to using dishonorable tactics, they can expect swift retribution and loss of favor in return for their weakness.",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "27c",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of Kelephne the Victor",
												"It started with a rumor. Athletes gathering in Akros for the Iroan Games whispered of a hermit in the wilderness, a master wrestler who'd brought down giants with her bare hands. As the games commenced, the rumors continued, and athletic victories seemed hollow so long as the so-called best was not there to compete.",
												"When Kelephne did arrive, she was barefoot and had a fire in her eyes. The rumors of her skill were not exaggerated, and for three days, she battled a continuous stream of competitors. When no others would challenge her, she left without ceremony. She was never seen again, and some speculated she was Iroas in human form.",
												"Athletes tried for years to mimic Kelephne's techniques. Years later, wanderers discovered a cave covered in writing. These instructions became known as Kelephne's manual, and her technique was called pankration\u2014now a widely studied style of weaponless fighting."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Iroas's Villains",
							"page": 132,
							"id": "27d",
							"entries": [
								"Iroas, for all his love of justice and honor, is still a god of war. Anyone on the opposing side of Iroas's forces can expect to face motivated, dedicated warriors. He is also quite stubborn and takes losing a challenge personally, sometimes declaring a vendetta if he believes the challenge was won dishonorably.",
								"Iroas's followers sometimes forsake mercy and compassion, as matters of honor and victory are uppermost, making them pitiless foes. Writ small, this behavior could show up in an overzealous young commander who would sacrifice his unit in a hopeless battle rather than retreat. If a great champion of Iroas loses their moral compass amid the horrors of war and commits atrocities in the name of victory, Iroas himself will send heroes to stop the fallen champion.",
								"The Iroas's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Iroas's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A {@creature knight} in the polis guard regularly subjects his soldiers to extreme disciplinary techniques, leading them to start a revolt."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A general ({@creature Akroan hoplite|MOT}; see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Hoplites}) commands a town be put to the torch for its soldiers' crimes. Followers of Phenax are actually responsible for the crimes and are framing the community so it will be destroyed and turned into a haven for the Returned."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"An aging athlete ({@creature gladiator}) pursues sinister magic to aid his performance at the cost of innocent lives."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"The government of a polis fearful of impending war forces farmers to join a militia, precipitating a famine as crops are left untended."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A {@creature priest} tries to undermine the servants of other gods by forcing them into duels and shaming them if they lose."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A gifted orator ({@creature noble}) offers honest but scathing criticism of a champion of Iroas. The champion demands recompense, and the orator needs support against this threat."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Iroas's Monsters",
									"page": 132,
									"id": "27e",
									"entries": [
										"Iroas is associated with warriors of all backgrounds. Most of the creatures in his retinue lack subtlety and excel in physical combat. Adventures that bring characters into conflict with Iroas's agents might pit them against monsters such as these. The Iroas's Monsters table presents just a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Iroas's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/8",
													"{@creature Guard}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Nyx-fleece ram|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Griffon}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Akroan hoplite|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Fleecemane lion|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Gladiator}"
												],
												[
													"7",
													"{@creature Stone giant}"
												],
												[
													"11",
													"{@creature Roc}"
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Iroas as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 133,
							"id": "27f",
							"entries": [
								"Characters are likely to raise the ire of Iroas because they oppose his followers in battle or defy his ideals. His anger is direct and unsubtle, much like Iroas himself.",
								"Iroas might be titled the god of victory in all respects, but he cares less about victory in competitions than he does about victory in war. In war, both mortals and gods could be blinded by the rush to victory or by cleaving to stubbornly held ideas. Although a campaign against Iroas might be straightforward in how the action plays out, the underlying causes of conflict could be quite complex, involving attacks on people who may seem unrelated to the initial conflict. As a campaign villain, Iroas is most likely driven by his desire to win in battle, to confront Mogis, or to avenge an insult to his honor.",
								"The campaign might end with the adventurers winning Iroas's respect in some way, convincing the other gods (including Heliod if the party is interested in honor and justice, or Mogis if not) to blunt Iroas's anger, or even battle Iroas with the support of other gods.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Iroas's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 133,
									"id": "280",
									"entries": [
										"Iroas isn't much of a schemer. His view of the world is through the crystal-clear lens of battle\u2014strategic and tactical plans are unambiguous and executed with precision. This isn't to say he is unaware of treachery or unprepared for it, only that he prefers to act forthrightly and decisively. The Iroas's Divine Schemes table suggests a few plots the god might involve himself in.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Iroas's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Iroas inspires a brave Akroan general to travel forth with a handpicked army and confront the forces of a powerful and supposedly vulnerable minotaur warlord. The general loses despite Iroas's favor, and Akros is left exposed and poorly defended before a wave of Mogis-worshiping minotaurs."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Heliod, weary of the constant strife between Iroas and Mogis, swears an oath to destroy Mogis with a godly coalition behind him. Erebos, disgusted with Heliod's hubris, forms a group in support of Mogis. Iroas, rather than accepting Heliod's aid, launches a grand campaign of his own against his brother."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Mogis arms one of his champions with an axe capable of sundering the souls of mortal creatures. Iroas wants his champions to procure the weapon so he can lock it away in his armory and thwart his brother. Agents of Erebos also seek to recover the weapon on their master's behalf."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Iroas achieves the victory he has always pursued: he kills his brother, and the world falls into chaos."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Arena",
							"page": 134,
							"id": "281",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/090-04-13.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 851,
									"credit": "Yeong-Hao Han"
								},
								"Across Theros, contest grounds host athletic competitions and often serve as places to worship the god Iroas. The grandest hippodrome in Akros holds thousands of spectators, but more modest stadiums can be found throughout the land, serving as proving grounds for athletes and entertainment for the rich and poor. Foot and chariot races, hurling competitions, and combat sports (wrestling, boxing, and pankration) are all common events in arenas, especially during the Iroan Games, an annual series of athletic competitions held in Akros.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Arena Adventures",
									"page": 134,
									"id": "282",
									"entries": [
										"Adventures in an arena often feature the characters as contestants in an athletic competition. The reward for winning could be treasure, a favor, or an audience with a person of importance\u2014even Iroas himself, in the case of the Iroan Games. The Arena Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Arena Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d8",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Help an unfit participant survive an athletic competition."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Convincingly lose an athletic competition so a gambler can win big."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Sabotage a star athlete's chances of winning."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Attend tryouts to become members of a chariot racing team."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Assassinate a person watching a competition before the final match ends."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Save a wrestler from a planned murder in the arena."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Capture a beast that has escaped from the stadium."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Recover a blessed trophy and award it to a contest's rightful victor."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Arena Map",
									"page": 134,
									"id": "283",
									"entries": [
										"The arena shown in map 4.5 has a ring of raised benches and private boxes around its sandy floor. The map of the arena's upper levels depicts the exterior seating and the interior halls below (both of which are largely mirrored on the map's opposite site). Tunnels and trapdoors allow competitors to enter the arena from almost any angle. A large tarpaulin attached to the roof can be unfurled to shade the arena's audience. An awards platform serves as a shrine to Iroas. Winners of athletic competitions stand here to receive medals, wreaths, rewards, the blessings of priests, and the praise of the crowd.",
										"Outside the arena and beneath the seats are open areas and alcoves where vendors sell concessions and trinkets, along with booths for making bets.",
										"The space under the arena holds gymnasiums, an equipment hall, and several staging areas and specialty rooms used as locker rooms, animal pens, and separate training areas for various creatures.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/096-map-4.5-arena.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.5: Arena",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75,
														"distance": 10
													},
													"id": "01d",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/097-map-4.5-arena-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75,
														"distance": 10
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "01d"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Arena Villains",
									"page": 134,
									"id": "284",
									"entries": [
										"All sorts of unsavory elements can be found in an arena\u2014backstabbing competitors, desperate gamblers, cruel trainers, savage animals, and worse. The Arena Villains table presents just a few ne'er-do-wells who might frequent physical contests.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Arena Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d8",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A champion pankratiast ({@creature Akroan hoplite|MOT}; see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Hoplites}) has her cronies lock everyone in the arena. She allows none to leave until a challenger defeats her."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature minotaur} frees all the beasts in the amphitheater during a well-attended event."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A chariot racer ({@creature gladiator}) poisons members of a rival team, causing them to fall asleep during competition."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature mage} uses magic to spy on athletes' conversations and then blackmails them with the information."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A {@creature stone giant} interrupts a session of games and demands a chance to compete."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A promoter forces athletes to overexert themselves, causing dangerous accidents during competitions."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"An {@creature archmage} enchants or polymorphs innocents, forcing them to participate in brutal contests."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"A {@creature druid} uses the {@spell awaken} spell on beasts in the arena to make them more capable competitors."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Karametra",
					"page": 136,
					"id": "285",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/092-02-03-karametra.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"All life\u2014plant and animal\u2014needs fertility to continue to exist, making Karametra's constancy vital to sustaining a habitable world for mortals.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Karametra's Champions",
							"page": 136,
							"id": "286",
							"entries": [
								"Karametra's champions build community, advance civilization, and bestow bounty wherever they go in the name of their god. Karametra seeks to provide for all, end famine and desperation, and ensure that everyone is supported by family and community. She isn't a demanding god, but her champions diligently court her favor by trying to further her goals.",
								"The Karametra's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Karametra's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Plant a fruit-bearing tree where one has never grown."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Save a village whose crops are failing."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Defend or found an orphanage."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Teach a settlement to defend itself from wild beasts."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Reunite an orphan with living relatives."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Convince raiders to give up their ways, settle down, found a village, and devote their lives to farming."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Karametra Campaign",
									"page": 136,
									"id": "287",
									"entries": [
										"At first glance, a campaign in which the player characters are champions of Karametra might seem counterintuitive, since Karametra's goals seem to promote the antithesis of an adventuring life. But her ideals might be attractive to some adventurers, such as exiles for whom the idea of settling down in a safe, prosperous community can be a profoundly seductive prospect.",
										"Karametra lavishes her favor on those who protect established communities, but her most cherished champions are those who strike out to found a new settlement or bring aid to a struggling or endangered community. She loves most keenly those followers who embody her values of putting community before self by leaving their peaceful lives behind and looking for others to bring into the fold. And her pride in them is all the greater when they manage to build chosen families who journey with them to pursue the same goals.",
										"At the beginning of the campaign, the characters might discover a community in desperate straits and receive Karametra's blessing as they restore it to a state of safety and prosperity. Or they might find their home destroyed, only to receive a vision from Karametra that she's placing the community's refugees in their care.",
										"The greatest danger to champions of Karametra is walking the line between cultivating bounty and protecting the vulnerable versus becoming greed-driven and paternalistic. Karametra values humility, and often seeks to teach those who grow too big for their britches sharp lessons against hubris."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Karametra's Villains",
							"page": 136,
							"id": "288",
							"entries": [
								"Karametra's followers can embody the best or worst of civilization. Just as society can protect the vulnerable it can also reinforce injustice and give it the power of law. Too much material wealth and security can make people less inclined to empathize with those who have less, or even make them believe that wealth is a sign of virtue. Ignoring these truths can lead Karametra's followers down wicked paths.",
								"At its worst, the worship of Karametra can be twisted into compulsory conformity. It can value nature and people only for what they can provide. It can care for orphans while doing nothing to remedy the circumstances that made them orphans. It can turn defense of one's community into xenophobia. It can come to treat the wealthy as moral exemplars and the poor as moral failures. Karametra's followers can easily tip from valuing bounty to indulging in greed. Those who provide for others might come to believe it gives them a right to control them. When followers of Karametra cease to balance bounty with care, they might come to align with the foes presented on the Karametra's Villains table.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Karametra's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"The head of an orphanage ({@creature commoner}) believes she can care for the city's children better than their parents and works to have the other adults arrested."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A {@creature priest} begins imposing restrictive lifestyle rules on a nearby population in order to \"civilize\" them."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A local leader ({@creature Setessan hoplite|MOT}; see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Hoplites}) imposes harsh penalties on the poor, claiming their poverty is a sign they have invited the gods' wrath."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"The head of a prominent family ({@creature noble}) continues to exert abusive control over their adult children, citing their role as matriarch or patriarch to justify it."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A local leader ({@creature druid}) forces marriages between widows and widowers to increase the population."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A polis leader ({@creature soldier|GGR}) begins doing sweeps of the surrounding countryside to round up non-citizens and put them to work supporting the community."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Karametra's Monsters",
									"page": 136,
									"id": "289",
									"entries": [
										"Karametra's followers usually protect innocents from monsters, but in certain circumstances, they might oppose characters. The Karametra's Monsters table presents a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Karametra's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"0",
													"{@creature Awakened shrub}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Alseid|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Dryad}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Awakened tree}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Druid}"
												],
												[
													"4",
													"{@creature Setessan hoplite|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Earth elemental}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Unicorn}*"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Treant}"
												],
												[
													"12",
													"{@creature Archdruid|VGM}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Unicorn} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/093-04-14.webp"
											},
											"title": "Karametra's acolytes gather the bounty of the wilds for the god's feasts in Setessa ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Chase Stone"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Karametra as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 137,
							"id": "28a",
							"entries": [
								"The intrinsic wildness of nature is part of Karametra's being. A campaign that paints Karametra as a villain might explore the ferocity that seethes inside her, a wild aspect held in check by the power of mortal belief, which paints her as a gentle, mothering source of bounty. She no longer demands blood sacrifices from her worshipers because they no longer believe such supplication is necessary\u2014not because she decided to stop. In the pantheon, she personifies a truth that most gods don't fully appreciate but do fear: for all the influence they might have over mortal lives, the collective force of mortal belief can reshape the gods' very nature.",
								"As a campaign villain, Karametra might seek to return to her blood-soaked origins, sending her champions to convince communities they must again make blood sacrifices to please her. Karametra may send monsters to the poleis to remind them of the dangers of displeasing her, causing even more bloodshed. The campaign might end with heroes confronting Karametra or finding some other way to appease her.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Karametra's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 137,
									"id": "28b",
									"entries": [
										"The Karametra's Divine Schemes tables explores ways in which the god's whims might impact the mortal world and snare adventurers in divine affairs.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Karametra's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Karametra's statues have covered their faces as if in despair, and nothing will grow. No one seems to know what has caused the god of fertility to withdraw her blessings from the world, but the problem must be solved if life is to endure."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Karametra judges that mortals have over produced and moves to cull populations. She creates new plant species that feed on mortals, while her followers act oddly, running off to join bloody revels or sacrificing each other in the fields. How many must die before balance is restored?"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Karametra's civilizing influence infringes on the territory and freedom of other nature gods, and so Nylea and Pharika band together to reduce her power."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Karametra bestows her gifts on a wild cultist or minotaur champion trying to encourage her older, more bloodthirsty worship. The faith takes hold, causing the god to make vicious demands of her followers."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Arbor Watchtower",
							"page": 138,
							"id": "28c",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/094-04-15.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 727,
									"credit": "Noah Bradley"
								},
								"Sites that are sacred to Karametra, from her grand temple in the heart of Setessa to outposts in the wilderness, combine careful construction with natural growth. The god favors towers and hanging gardens that lift the verdant natural world up toward Nyx in her honor. In the Nessian Wood, Setessans build watchtowers that serve the dual purpose of military defense and worship.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Watchtower Adventures",
									"page": 138,
									"id": "28d",
									"entries": [
										"A watchtower adventure usually hinges on challenging the characters to find a way into or out of the fortress. As a military structure, a watchtower might hold secrets, weapons, soldiers, and prisoners, any of which the characters could liberate or defend. If the characters take over a watchtower, they could try to keep it for themselves. The Watchtower Adventures table offers ideas for adventures in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Watchtower Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Guard a watchtower from assault."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Assault a watchtower, defeating the guards defending it and claiming it for a different god."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Steal military plans kept within a watchtower without alerting any of the guards inside."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Free a prisoner from a cell."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Infiltrate the watchtower as spies."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Clear out monsters than have taken over the place."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Steal a legendary weapon."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Steal griffon mounts."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Find a spy among the soldiers stationed at a watchtower."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Train soldiers at a watchtower to face an approaching mythic monster."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Watchtower Map",
									"page": 138,
									"id": "28e",
									"entries": [
										"The watchtower shown in map 4.6 is a roughly hexagonal stone tower, sculpted to help it blend in with the natural landscape. Ancient trees grow into and around the structure, causing branches and ivy to sprout from every level's open balconies.",
										"The first floor houses the main entrance, guard posts, and alcove shrines devoted to the seasons. Most of it is taken up by gardens of flowers and fruiting trees. A spiral stairway ascends through all the higher levels.",
										"The second floor has an enclosed portion with space for storage, food supplies, and kitchens. A broad balcony features gardens of trees, vines, and food-bearing plants.",
										"The third floor looks much like the second, but has barracks for guards and a mess hall. Some of the balcony space is given over to archery targets, but most of it is still gardens.",
										"The fourth floor is similar to the last two, with rooms for priests and a library. There are also gardens on the balcony, perhaps featuring rarer or stranger plants.",
										"The top floor is open to the sky and is the main sanctuary of Karametra. A statue of the god and an altar are here. Several ancient trees form a canopy, and their trunks are sculpted to look like great heroes.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/101-map-4.6-Arbor-Watchtower.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.6: Arbor Watchtower",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "01e",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/102-map-4.6-Arbor-Watchtower-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "01e"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Watchtower Villains",
									"page": 138,
									"id": "28f",
									"entries": [
										"Villains at a watchtower usually want to take over, destroy, steal from, or infiltrate the place, or they already occupy it and use the defensible position to crush their enemies. Examples of such villains appear on the Watchtower Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Watchtower Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d8",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A disguised {@creature abhorrent overlord|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Abhorrent Overlord}) convinces the soldiers in a watchtower to rise up against the officers."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature medusa} takes over a watchtower and conducts experiments on the soldiers she captures."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Siren|TftYP|Sirens} (see the harpies entry in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Harpies}) call soldiers to the top of the watchtower, then entice them over the edge so they can feast on the corpses."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A flight of {@creature Griffon||griffons} attacks a watchtower after soldiers steal the creatures' eggs to train the hatchlings to serve as mounts."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A {@creature cyclops} attacks a watchtower, eager to devour the animals within."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature druid} of Nylea, angered by the construction of a watchtower in the forest, attracts a mythic beast to the area to destroy the structure."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"{@creature Blood-Toll Harpy|MOT|Blood-toll harpies} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Harpies}) take over a watchtower and light its beacon to bring more victims to the place."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"A {@creature spy} in a watchtower poisons the tower's food supply in advance of an upcoming attack."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Keranos",
					"page": 140,
					"id": "290",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/096-02-03-keranos.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Mercurial and temperamental, Keranos personifies storms. Adventuring in the service of the god of storms is often challenging but never dull.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Keranos's Champions",
							"page": 140,
							"id": "291",
							"entries": [
								"Keranos sees his champions as tools to bring insight and change to the world. He doesn't contemplate the moral or ethical consequences of his insights, believing that such concerns are beneath a god's notice. This outlook might put his champions in a difficult ideological situation, stuck between the demands of a wrathful deity and uncomfortable moral choices.",
								"The Keranos's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Keranos's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Help a genius artist who had their inspiration physically stolen."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Break down a ruling structure that stifles ingenuity and creativity."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Bring together lost icons of power to create an incredible storm with the might to halt a greater threat."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Find a long-lost artifact that bestows oracular visions upon the user."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Defeat the champion of another god in a battle of wits (perhaps Phenax, Mogis, or Klothys)."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Find and restore a lost art form, arcane technique, or crafting method for the glory of Keranos."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Keranos Campaign",
									"page": 140,
									"id": "292",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign focused on champions of Keranos might involve acquiring oracular visions, unraveling a prophecy, or bringing vengeance down on the storm god's enemies. He uses his champions as agents of change to bring about a great epiphany, as instruments of vengeance against those he feels have wronged him, or as divine agents sent to aid his faithful.",
										"As the campaign begins, the characters might be summoned by an oracle and told of a dire prophecy threatening the polis. Next, they manage to avert the worst consequences for the polis through their wits and skill at arms. Now, having demonstrated their potential to the polis and Keranos, they become embroiled in ever grander, more dangerous prophecies, potentially drawing in secrets of the other gods or of reality itself.",
										"It is relatively easy for a mortal to lose Keranos's favor because the god is quick to anger and doesn't suffer failure or foolishness well. Should the characters disappoint the god, they might have to assuage Keranos's wrath. They could accomplish this through a great feat of wit, by laying low a powerful foe, by embarrassing a rival god, or by discovering a great insight or secret. Until this is done, Keranos would be a potent adversary."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Keranos's Villains",
							"page": 140,
							"id": "293",
							"entries": [
								"Inspiration, unguided by morals and ethics, is a dangerous force, but Keranos isn't usually concerned with matters of good or evil. As such, a charismatic leader, acting on Keranos's divinely inspired intuition, could find themselves succumbing to megalomania and hubris, with disastrous consequences for a polis.",
								"Keranos's followers can become too narrowly focused on fulfilling dangerous prophecies without regard for loss of life. If you want to pit the characters against a morally gray antagonist who might have some traits or qualities that they admire, Keranos and his followers would work admirably.",
								"The Keranos's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Keranos's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) foretells disaster for a polis unless a number of innocent citizens are sacrificed."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"An {@creature mage} servant of Keranos enhances storms as they form, threatening the countryside."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"An artist ({@creature commoner}) creates incredible works of art whose subjects come to life and wreak havoc."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"An {@creature archmage} who controls lightning rises to power, blasting those who oppose her to smithereens."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A wild-eyed {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) points to the characters as harbingers of a coming disaster."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A living storm deluges an area, taking what it believes is righteous revenge on a community."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Keranos's Monsters",
									"page": 140,
									"id": "294",
									"entries": [
										"Keranos is associated with creatures that act as extensions of his volatile temper or his sudden, blinding insights. Adventures that bring characters into conflict with Keranos's agents might pit them against monsters such as these. The Keranos's Monsters table presents just a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Keranos's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Centaur}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Akroan hoplite|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Blue dragon wyrmling}*"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Air elemental}"
												],
												[
													"7",
													"{@creature Theran chimera|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Young blue dragon}*"
												],
												[
													"13",
													"{@creature Storm giant}"
												],
												[
													"16",
													"{@creature Adult blue dragon}*"
												],
												[
													"23",
													"{@creature Ancient blue dragon}*"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Blue Dragons} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/097-04-16.webp"
											},
											"title": "The mountain temples of Keranos are constantly wrapped in storm clouds ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Yeong-Hao Han"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Keranos as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 141,
							"id": "295",
							"entries": [
								"Because Keranos doesn't readily concern himself with quandaries of good versus evil, it is easy to use him as a villain. The god might be driven by frustration at mortals over their lack of vision, or by a consuming need to trigger unrestrained creative impulses that have far-reaching effects, by anger at a real or perceived slight. His will might be expressed through an oracle who foretells a great tragedy that involves the characters or someone they care about. As the campaign progresses, Keranos becomes increasingly upset at the actions the characters take to thwart his insights or their defense of the status quo and sends his agents to enlighten them.",
								"The campaign might end with the adventurers unraveling a troublesome prophecy, proving themselves of sufficient wisdom to merit respect, or when they convince the other gods (especially Klothys) to intervene and check Keranos's wrath.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Keranos's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 141,
									"id": "296",
									"entries": [
										"Keranos doesn't interact much with the rest of the pantheon, preferring to brood and dispense epiphanies in solitude. He is, however, easily roused to anger and goes to extremes to satisfy real or perceived slights. The Keranos's Divine Schemes table explores the sorts of plots the god might pursue.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Keranos's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Bored with the temporary beauty of violent weather, Keranos creates a massive, self-perpetuating storm. Over time, the storm grows out of control. Keranos is delighted by his creation."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Dared by Phenax to prove that he can, Keranos inspires eight mortals with eight ingenious ways to destroy the world. As a result, a genius actor, alchemist, inventor, diver, miner, sculptor, thief, and a duplicitous goat all set forth to enact their terrible brilliance."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Keranos finds the spread of mortal knowledge inconsistent and slow. He empowers a champion to grant vast knowledge to any person or beast she touches. The advent of sagacious cattle, wolves, and children greatly disrupts (and unnerves) those who live in the areas through which Keranos's champion travels."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Keranos creates a realm of his own design amid the Dakra Isles, a place where the land and its creatures obey unique physical laws and strange truths. Some of the inhabitants escape the isle and begin infecting the rest of Theros with their alternate reality."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Oracular Conflux",
							"page": 142,
							"id": "297",
							"entries": [
								"A few of Keranos's most isolated temples serve a purpose beyond worship, being sites for the reading of worldly signs and recording of knowledge. These oracular confluxes provide followers of Keranos the tools to glean great truths, be they natural occurrences or omens of the gods. Because of Keranos's connection to storms and the heavens, such temples often have weather vanes, telescopes, and other tools used to predict the weather and chart the course of celestial bodies.",
								"Each shrine has multiple methods of predicting the future that it might offer visitors\u2014with reading the stars, the clouds, or the entrails of sacrificed animals being particularly common. The most popular readings are those conducted during thunderstorms. Crowds gather in the shrines to watch oracles make predictions based on rainfall, wind, thunder, and other weather measurements. In some communities, oracles actively strive to be struck by lightning, risking their lives to receive mighty messages from their god.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Oracular Conflux Adventures",
									"page": 142,
									"id": "298",
									"entries": [
										"The player characters could come to an oracular shrine for the same reason that most other people do: to receive a prediction about the future. They also might be hired as bodyguards for the oracles, who often deliver distressing (and perhaps incorrect) predictions to violent individuals. The Oracular Conflux Adventures table offers ideas for adventures in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Oracular Conflux Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Race an air elemental to an oracular conflux in order to receive a prediction of the future before the elemental's whirlwind obliterates all evidence of the reading."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Defend the shrine from a worshiper who is angry with an oracle for an incorrect prediction."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Convince an oracle to give a worshiper a particular false prediction."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Help the addled victim of a lightning strike recover."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Recover sacrificial animals from a {@creature cyclops} raider."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Rig tools used to predict the future so that they produce a specific outcome."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Manipulate a situation so prophesied events transpire within sight of a half-blind oracle."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Evacuate a crowded shrine during a storm when lightning strike sets the temple ablaze."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Infiltrate the shrine to determine the accuracy of a particular oracle or prediction method."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Steal a book of recorded predictions from the shrine."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Collect the materials necessary to create a revolutionary oracular device."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Protect an oracle who must deliver bad news to a worshiper who is both influential and unpredictable."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Oracular Conflux Map",
									"page": 142,
									"id": "299",
									"entries": [
										"The oracular conflux shown in map 4.7 has a glass-domed roof, atop which is mounted a massive, ornate weather vane. During stormy services, oracles watch the sky for lightning patterns that they use in predictions.",
										"The center of the shrine contains a massive orrery. Connected to the orrery room is a divination chamber, and situated within this chamber is the sacrifice chamber. These areas are used for various forms of soothsaying and predictions, including animal sacrifice and the reading of entrails.",
										"Off the divination chamber is the observatory, which houses a telescope, an astrolabe, and star charts. Past that is the Shrine of Keranos, where a massive statue of the god is connected to a lightning rod which extends through the roof and 100 feet into the sky. When lightning strikes the rod, magical iron plates in the floor temporarily glow in the colors of the rainbow. Oracles use this display to predict the future.",
										"Another section contains living areas for priests and oracles, and the library which connects the living areas to the orrery room contains books that can help oracles interpret visions.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/105-map-4.7-Oracular-Conflux.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.7: Oracular Conflux",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "01f",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/106-map-4.7-Oracular-Conflux-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "01f"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Oracular Conflux Villains",
									"page": 142,
									"id": "29a",
									"entries": [
										"A villain in an oracular shrine is likely taking advantage of or fighting against the predictions of the future. Examples of such villains appear on the Oracular Conflux Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Oracular Conflux Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A bitter {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) who has foreseen her imminent death gives false predictions to worshipers so they will share her misery."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature storm giant} pretends to be an avatar of Keranos and takes over the shrine, making its worshipers his subjects."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A {@creature revenant} who died due to a misinterpreted prophecy comes back for revenge against the oracle who issued it."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature cult fanatic} from a rival shrine gets the temple's animals drunk on fermented fruit, throwing off their predictions."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"An angry athlete ({@creature gladiator}) takes the conflux's oracles hostage, demanding they alter the future after predicting his defeat in an upcoming match."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) makes false predictions to convince nobles to give him money and lavish gifts."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Klothys",
					"page": 144,
					"id": "29b",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/099-02-03-klothys.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Secretive yet vindictive in enforcing her vision of destiny in Theros, Klothys not only takes umbrage at perceived slights but has also awakened a horde of terrors during her ascent from the Underworld.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Klothys's Champions",
							"page": 144,
							"id": "29c",
							"entries": [
								"The world has suffered terrible wounds from the hubris of mortals and divine entities alike. Klothys directs her champions to thwart the overly ambitious, undo their damage, and reinforce the natural order that sustains Theros.",
								"The Klothys's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Klothys's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Defeat a titan-spawned monster that has escaped the Underworld."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Destroy an undead creature terrorizing a small community."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Punish a powerful mortal for their hubris."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Reestablish the balance between nature and civilization in a particular location."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Repair the fabric of reality in a place where the mortal world was overlaid by Nyx during Xenagos's pretensions to godhood."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Ephara, Heliod, or Iroas)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Klothys Campaign",
									"page": 144,
									"id": "29d",
									"entries": [
										"Although followers of Klothys tend to be solitary, fate might conspire to bring them together to execute a grand plan or be prepared for an imminent event. A campaign structured around the player characters as champions of Klothys might cast them as anarchists, prophets, or vigilantes committed to primal justice. The excessive pride of gods and mortals threatens a world already weakened by Xenagos's gambit, and Klothys chooses champions who can restore and restabilize Theros\u2014even if doing so requires extreme measures.",
										"Klothys rarely reveals her plans. The characters might begin the campaign by following a prophecy to a far-off land or interpreting infrequent omens to learn of nearby threats. Such a campaign can be flexible, allowing the player characters freedom to explore other opportunities before the next augury draws them back into the main storyline. As they overcome greater challenges, topple mighty demagogues, and mold the world in accordance with its destiny, the characters might attract followers, incite rebellions, and clash with rivals who interpret Klothys's will in different ways.",
										"Champions of Klothys are at risk of misinterpreting their god's intentions to serve their own purposes or selfishly demanding a greater destiny than what they are due. This behavior could lead to Klothys retracting her blessings or even dispatching loyal champions to destroy her wayward servants. Her most successful champions stand to reorder errant civilizations or rebalance disrupted natural orders.",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "29e",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of Klothys and the Titans",
												"Most mortals know little of the titans, except the comforting fact that these ancient, gigantic terrors are bound far away in the Underworld\u2014and are therefore nothing to worry about. The fact that Klothys, god of destiny, personally and actively holds them there is unknown to most. With her spindle, Klothys endlessly knots and unravels the strands of destiny, constantly tightening the trap that keeps the titans imprisoned. Were it not for her immortal vigilance, the titans might once again claim the mortal realm as their own."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Klothys's Villains",
							"page": 144,
							"id": "29f",
							"entries": [
								"Klothys emerged from the Underworld in order to restore the natural order on Theros, creating a number of Nyxborn agents to aid her. Virtually anyone could end up a target of the god or her agents if they stand in opposition to destiny.",
								"Various monsters rose from the Underworld when Klothys entered the mortal realm, and her most zealous followers often see them as manifestations of her will. Some might goad these terrors into attacking communities, or foster them to further spread the god's will. Klothys's most callous followers might also believe that society must crumble for the world to heal. If Klothys didn't intend this, they reason, then surely she wouldn't have brought so many monsters along in her wake.",
								"The Klothys's Villains table suggests just a few foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Klothys's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A single-minded Nyxborn {@creature assassin} of Klothys hunts a hero who was raised from the dead."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Believing in the holiness of a terrible beast, Klothys's {@creature Acolyte||acolytes} murder heroes sent to deal with it."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Certain that civilization offends fate, a {@creature priest} raises a herd of {@creature Typhon|MOT|typhons} to release on a city."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Insulted {@creature Satyr Reveler|MOT|satyr revelers} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Satyr}) channel Klothys's magic to drive a polis's priests into embarrassing debauchery."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) knows it is a character's destiny to serve Klothys. The seer manufactures tragedy for the individual to provoke this revelation."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A {@creature cult fanatic} of Klothys believes that the characters' deeds mark them as servants of the titans, destined to free one of those ancient terrors."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Klothys's Monsters",
									"page": 144,
									"id": "2a0",
									"entries": [
										"A variety of monstrous creatures might arise in an area as a result of Klothys's influence, particularly those presented on the Klothys's Monsters table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Klothys's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Satyr reveler|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Satyr thornbearer|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Green hag}"
												],
												[
													"4",
													"{@creature Oracle|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Annis hag|VGM}"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Cyclops}*"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Underworld cerberus|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"7",
													"{@creature Woe strider|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Phylaskia|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"15",
													"{@creature Typhon|MOT}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Cyclops} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Klothys as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 145,
							"id": "2a1",
							"entries": [
								"As a foe, Klothys might endeavor to reestablish the order of the cosmos that existed before the meddling of Xenagos and Heliod. These corrections start small, manifesting as fires, monster infestations, or a spate of accidental deaths. The more the characters intervene, the more dire these events become as the god's servants overcorrect to account for the heroes' meddling. Alternatively, averting one disaster might naturally lead to a greater one, at which point characters must contend not only with the latest catastrophe but also with the accusations and assaults of Klothys's tireless followers.",
								"Ultimately, Klothys holds grudges only rarely. The campaign might conclude when the characters identify the moment they strayed from their destined place and correct things in order to appease the god. Likewise, the heroes might invoke the other gods' support to deflect Klothys's wrath. Boldest of all, the characters might determine what device allowed the god to enter the mortal realm; its destruction could hurl Klothys back into the Underworld for untold ages to come.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Klothys's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 145,
									"id": "2a2",
									"entries": [
										"Klothys has many designs for Theros and for the futures she has foretold that might never come to pass. The Klothys's Divine Schemes table provides several ways in which her foresight and fury might ensnare adventurers.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/100-04-17.webp"
											},
											"width": 420,
											"height": 1000,
											"credit": "Adam Paquette"
										},
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Klothys's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Convinced that Heliod's boundless ambition will destroy Theros, Klothys creates an artifact that will destroy the sun god once he claims it as his own. She needs mortal heroes who can demonstrate the artifact's power by vanquishing Erebos's servants, and in the process stoke Heliod's envy."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Concerned by the spread of Meletian influence, Klothys fills the dreams of the polis's people with treachery. Neighbors attack neighbors, and attempts by Ephara's followers to intervene only redirect the violence toward the polis's patron."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Klothys becomes convinced that mortals giving worship to the gods distorts their proper relationship to each other, and she sets out to abolish religion."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Now that she has left the Underworld, Klothys knows it's only a matter of time until the titans escape. To prepare the world for the horrors of that inevitable conflict, she unleashes Underworld beasts into the mortal realm, trusting that the mayhem will bring forth heroes who can ultimately defeat the titans."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Abandoned Temple",
							"page": 146,
							"id": "2a3",
							"entries": [
								"Abandoned temples can be found across Theros. Some of these places were once houses of worship of Klothys, the nearly forgotten god of destiny, but abandoned temples of many other gods also exist as the result of war, monster attacks, natural disasters, mass migration, neglect, or the wrath of deities.",
								"Every abandoned temple is distinctive, combining aspects of its patron god with the result or effect of what caused it to be abandoned. You can use the Abandoned Temple Condition table to determine an abandoned temple's present state.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Abandoned Temple Condition",
									"colLabels": [
										"d8",
										"Status"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Sunken underground"
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Overgrown with plants"
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Underwater"
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Partially collapsed"
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Buried in dirt, mud, sand, or snow"
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Beneath a new temple"
										],
										[
											"7",
											"Cracked into more than one piece"
										],
										[
											"8",
											"Floating in an unstable parallel reality"
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/101-04-18.webp"
									},
									"width": 746,
									"height": 800,
									"credit": "Sam Burley"
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Abandoned Temple Adventures",
									"page": 146,
									"id": "2a4",
									"entries": [
										"An abandoned temple might contain records, special items, and humanoid remains, any of which adventurers might be called upon to retrieve. Many of these temples hold dangerous phenomena (such as gates to the Underworld), which might have been their undoing. Monsters and brigands often inhabit these ruins, as do hermits and scholars hording secrets too dangerous to sequester elsewhere.",
										"The Abandoned Temple Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Abandoned Temple Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Retrieve records or a magic item left in the temple."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Demolish what's left of the temple to prevent anyone from retrieving the ancient secrets hidden inside."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Retrieve the remains of a dead humanoid from the temple."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Kill monsters infesting the temple."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Find a replacement for the temple's current guardian."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Consult with a hermit who lives in the temple."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Stop cultists from performing a destructive ritual in the temple."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Restore the temple to receive the patron deity's blessing."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Find a gate to the Underworld or Nyx."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Consult a demon living in the temple."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Discover why the temple was abandoned."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Restore the temple to reveal the truth hidden in its architecture."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Abandoned Temple Map",
									"page": 146,
									"id": "2a5",
									"entries": [
										"The abandoned temple shown in map 4.8 is partially collapsed, with overturned pillars, and parts of the ceiling sunken in to prevent passage to some areas. The aboveground section is overgrown with vines and includes the ruins of the main sanctuary, which contains mostly rubble except for a cracked altar and a headless statue. A library of rotting books and priests' quarters containing skeletal remains complete this section.",
										"The halls are streaked with burn marks. Many of the rooms in this place are rubble-strewn and ruined. A passage leads to an ancient room with scrying pools filled with blood that has barely a trace of dust. A sturdy iron door protects the temple's vault.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/110-map-4.8-Abandoned-Temple.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.8: Abandoned Temple",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square"
													},
													"id": "020",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/111-map-4.8-Abandoned-Temple-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square"
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "020"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Abandoned Temple Villains",
									"page": 146,
									"id": "2a6",
									"entries": [
										"Monsters who plot alone and criminals on the run or who engage in taboo behavior are often found in abandoned temples. Examples of such villains appear on the Abandoned Temple Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Abandoned Temple Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A depraved cult of Klothys captures victims on the road and brings them to the temple for ritual torture."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature hydra} slumbers within an abandoned temple, having dug a lair out of one of the collapsed sections."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A {@creature medusa} living in an abandoned temple grants curative aid to those who bring her a humanoid sacrifice."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature bandit captain} hiding in a temple hopes to open its vault to find treasure, not knowing that a demon is trapped inside."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Blood-Toll Harpy|MOT|Blood-toll harpies} make an abandoned temple their nest and devour any creatures that get too close."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature gynosphinx} curious about human behavior creates a series of deadly traps in an abandoned temple and lures adventurers to the place to witness if and how they overcome its challenges."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Kruphix",
					"page": 148,
					"id": "2a7",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/103-02-03-kruphix.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Enigmatic and patient, Kruphix influences the lives of his champions in ways both subtle and profound.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Kruphix's Champions",
							"page": 148,
							"id": "2a8",
							"entries": [
								"Kruphix seldom works directly in the mortal world, preferring to act through his champions\u2014when he acts at all. He might call upon his followers to suppress a dangerous truth, reveal a vital secret, or end a destructive conflict. When the other gods send their champions to circumvent divine agreements, Kruphix often calls upon his champions to set things right.",
								"The Kruphix's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Kruphix's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Seize a powerful magic item from those who would misuse it, study it, and then destroy it."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Capture a former follower of Kruphix who used secret knowledge for personal gain and deliver them to Kruphix's temple for judgment."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Suppress all knowledge of a dangerous secret, such as the location of a fountain of immortality, by any means necessary."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Bring proof of a powerful conspiracy to the leaders of a human polis while evading or defeating the agents sent to stop you."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Investigate rumors of an unearthed divine relic and decide whether it's safe to be in the mortal realm."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"End a conflict between the followers of two other gods, whether by mediating, forcing a truce, or siding with the weaker group to defeat the stronger one."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Kruphix Campaign",
									"page": 148,
									"id": "2a9",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign structured around champions of Kruphix can embrace moral complexity, with the adventurers sometimes making choices that cause short-term harm in the service of long-term good. They might be charged with destroying secret knowledge that could help people, revealing a secret that could kill someone but avert a larger conflict, or standing in judgment over whether knowledge is safe or unsafe.",
										"At the beginning of the campaign, the characters might be united by their discovery of a powerful secret, earning Kruphix's patronage in order to keep that secret safe. Armed with knowledge that they alone possess, the adventurers set out to learn more about the secret they share and avert dangers that only they are aware of.",
										"Champions of Kruphix approach their work with an impartiality that others don't always respect, and they could find themselves the targets of vendettas by the followers of other gods. Over the long term, they risk learning things about their world and its gods that could shake their faith. Some might even abandon Kruphix's principle of balance, either to enrich themselves or to serve what they see as the greater good. Kruphix would then become a villain, as he sends other agents to suppress the secrets the adventurers carry with them.",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "2aa",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of the Temple at the World's Edge",
												"Legends say that Kruphix's holiest temple of mystery stands at the edge of the world. Dominated by Kruphix's Tree, the temple overhangs Nyx itself, jutting past the vast waterfall that marks the edge of the mortal realm. The site's precise location can't be found on any map, but tales claim it is one of the few places on Theros where mortals can pass directly into Nyx. To pass beyond the waterfall anywhere else is to tumble into the Underworld."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/104-04-19.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 869,
											"credit": "Adam Paquette"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Kruphix's Villains",
							"page": 148,
							"id": "2ab",
							"entries": [
								"Kruphix doesn't often act in the world, but when he does, his agenda is often morally ambiguous, and his servants' sacred quests can look like villainous schemes from other points of view. Kruphix often leaves his instructions open to interpretation, and not all of his agents use this considerable latitude responsibly.",
								"The Kruphix's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Kruphix's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) seeks to erase the memories of an entire community, reducing them to a simpler, happier, more natural state."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A {@creature gynosphinx} possesses magic that can stop a rampaging monster, but refuses to share it for fear that it might be misused."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A former agent ({@creature spy}) of Kruphix knows the location of an unguarded portal to the Underworld and plans to sell it to the highest bidder."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A {@creature noble} sows discord among Heliod's followers, believing that the sun god is the greatest threat to harmony among the gods."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"An {@creature archmage} works to destroy the Temple of Mystery to further divide Nyx from the mortal world."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A {@creature cult fanatic} of Kruphix learns that the characters have discovered knowledge mortals were not meant to know and works to silence them."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Kruphix's Monsters",
									"page": 148,
									"id": "2ac",
									"entries": [
										"Kruphix is rarely associated with monsters, but those most likely to serve him appear on the Kruphix's Monsters table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Kruphix's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/4",
													"{@creature Blink dog}"
												],
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Cockatrice}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Nothic}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Phase spider}"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Invisible stalker}"
												],
												[
													"7",
													"{@creature Theran chimera|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"11",
													"{@creature Gynosphinx}*"
												],
												[
													"12",
													"{@creature Archmage}"
												],
												[
													"17",
													"{@creature Androsphinx}*"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Sphinx} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Kruphix as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 149,
							"id": "2ad",
							"entries": [
								"As a campaign villain, Kruphix is most likely trying to maintain or restore the balance of power among the gods. He doesn't know the future, and his actions sometimes have dire consequences that he can't predict and wouldn't willingly cause.",
								"The campaign might begin with the misbehavior of another god or gods, then escalate when Kruphix delivers a punishment that seems out of proportion to the crime. Further attempts by the other gods to circumvent or reverse the punishment could be countered by more edicts from Kruphix, perhaps even culminating in another great Silence.",
								"Just as Kruphix reins in the worst excesses of the other gods, the best chance of foiling Kruphix as a villain lies in the nature of Kruphix himself. A campaign in which Kruphix is a villain might end with the adventurers convincing him that his current actions don't serve the balance among the gods. Kruphix's mind isn't easily changed, though, and the adventurers might need to produce extraordinary testimony or evidence. Even just reaching Kruphix in order to communicate with him could easily require the patronage of other gods.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Kruphix's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 149,
									"id": "2ae",
									"entries": [
										"Kruphix wants to maintain the status quo rather than overturn it, so his schemes often begin as reactions to the activities of another god. The Kruphix's Divine Schemes table presents a few examples of how Kruphix's inflexible judgments might have a mythic impact on the mortal world and make divine conflicts more severe rather than less.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Kruphix's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Shadowy forces steal a holy artifact, thought to be a part of the sun, from Heliod's followers. The priesthood blames Phenax or Erebos, but Kruphix is behind the theft. The sun stone holds a terrible secret power, and Kruphix seeks to remove it from the mortal world before it does great harm."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Kruphix sends Nyxborn to torment a community. The locals are baffled, until it's revealed that miners have impeded on a cave that underpins the nature of time. Not only are mortals not welcome there, but someone has already entered, employed the passages there, and stolen something from the past."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A philosopher in Meletis argues that the gods rely on mortals for their existence, rather than the other way around. When this idea gains adherents, Kruphix curses the polis so that no one can speak or read."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"After a minor altercation between the gods, Kruphix declares a new Silence. He refuses to lift it unless the other gods agree to aid him in forcing Klothys back into the Underworld."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Temple of Mystery",
							"page": 150,
							"id": "2af",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/105-04-20.webp"
									},
									"width": 800,
									"height": 720,
									"credit": "Raymond Swanland"
								},
								"A temple of mystery is an enigmatic location full of puzzles and traps, found in remote regions of Theros. It is believed that surviving and solving the mysteries of such a shrine earns Kruphix's respect. Some scholars claim the temples aren't stationary and that finding a shrine's location is the first puzzle that explorers must solve.",
								"The priests who care for temples of mystery tend to be as mystifying as the puzzles within the places. Each temple typically has one caretaker\u2014a powerful oracle willing to answer questions for adventurers who can overcome the temple's challenges. The priests are particularly impressed with guests who can solve puzzles that the oracles themselves have yet to complete.",
								"At most temples of mystery, the most valuable knowledge and treasures are protected by the most difficult and deadly challenges. For a few bold\u2014or foolish\u2014investigators, the rewards are worth the risk.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Temple of Mystery Adventures",
									"page": 150,
									"id": "2b0",
									"entries": [
										"Exploring a temple of mystery presents the opportunity for an adventure that features puzzles and traps, though you can also populate it with any other challenges you like. The Temple of Mystery Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Temple of Mystery Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Find and repair one of the temple's challenges that has malfunctioned."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Seek the help of the temple's priest, who's become trapped in stasis due to a malfunctioning trap."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Solve the puzzles in a temple to claim a magic item hidden inside."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Rescue someone trapped in the temple."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Learn how a particular trap or puzzle works so it can be recreated."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Solve more challenges than a rival party of adventurers who are also in the temple."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Enter the temple and contend with a complex trap that, over time, has developed consciousness."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Lead dangerous individuals into the temple and ensure they never leave."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Question the priest to find the location of another temple of mystery."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Lead dangerous creatures into the temple to trap them there."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Defeat a cabal of mages that has claimed the temple."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Defeat a temple's challenges to get the attention of the gods."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Temple of Mystery Map",
									"page": 150,
									"id": "2b1",
									"entries": [
										"The temple of mystery shown in map 4.9 presents a labyrinth Kruphix might use to test followers and to protect valuable secrets of existence. The four-armed sculpture at the maze's heart is said to hold a great secret, perhaps a mysterious treasure or a riddle that the statue alone can speak. Each other chamber in the complex also holds its own unique puzzle or trap. When solved, these hazards allow one to progress, but also often impart some lesson about history, the nature of the cosmos, or the explorer themselves. While this temple exemplifies one of Kruphix's more elaborate (and potentially deadly) holy sites, no two of the god's temples are alike.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/115-map-4.9-Temple-of-Mystery.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.9: Temple of Mystery",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "021",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/116-map-4.9-Temple-of-Mystery-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "021"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Temple of Mystery Villains",
									"page": 150,
									"id": "2b2",
									"entries": [
										"A villain in a temple of mystery might seek information, enjoy torturing adventurers with traps, or have motives as enigmatic as the place itself. Examples of such villains appear on the Temple of Mystery Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Temple of Mystery Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A bored {@creature androsphinx} asks visitors riddles with no correct answer, then tears them apart for fun when they respond incorrectly."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A mad {@creature archmage}, obsessed with a mystery she can't solve, wanders the halls of the temple and forces those she meets to confront the puzzle."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A dragon disguised as a humanoid waits in the temple's entrance and demands treasure from anyone leaving."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"The {@creature priest} caring for the temple gets jealous whenever adventurers solve a puzzle he couldn't and tries to kill them."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A hero challenges adventurers to solve the temple's mysteries faster than she can, but she has rigged each to ensure her victory."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature cyclops} accidentally trapped in the temple goes on a rampage."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Mogis",
					"page": 152,
					"id": "2b3",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/107-02-03-mogis.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Mogis demands deeds, not just words, from his followers\u2014and he is by far the most bloodthirsty god of the pantheon. As such, Mogis and his worshipers are ideal antagonists to pit heroes against. Tread carefully when using him as a patron, as his area of concern trends toward villainy rather than heroics.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Mogis's Champions",
							"page": 152,
							"id": "2b4",
							"entries": [
								"Mogis's champions are extensions of his ability to wreak havoc in the world. The god of slaughter cares only for causing strife, and he uses his agents to heighten the tension between the poleis, hoping to ignite an all-out war. In part, he wants to cause so much carnage that his brother eventually has no choice but to face him in a duel to the death.",
								"The Mogis's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Mogis's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Foment a war between rival poleis."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Bring about anarchy and lawlessness in a formerly peaceful polis."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Organize disparate groups of bandits and criminals into a cohesive fighting force."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Hunt down a famous defender of the law who champions Iroas."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Triumph in a contest of strength or endurance to prove Mogis's superiority over other gods."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Iroas, Heliod, or Ephara)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Mogis Campaign",
									"page": 152,
									"id": "2b5",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign structured around Mogis as the party's patron can be challenging, and all players must agree to play characters in service to the god of slaughter. You should work to create a narrative that eventually allows the characters to perform acts of heroism. Perhaps this means the group swears a vow to Mogis to pursue some collective revenge, or maybe the group understands that just as Mogis watches them, so does Iroas, and they'll be courted by both gods during the campaign.",
										"In one possibility, perhaps the characters start out as the sole survivors of a mercenary company left to die. Embittered and resentful, the party swears vengeance on their former employer, thereby catching Mogis's attention. He offers the characters power to help them pursue their quest for revenge in exchange for their fealty.",
										"As the characters become immersed in their plans for vengeance, Mogis, acting through his agents, pushes them farther down a dark path until, at last, they realize what they have become. The characters, now deeply indebted to the god of slaughter, realize that he will not release them willingly from his service. At this point, the characters might seek freedom from Mogis's service. Iroas or another god could take this opportunity to offer the party aid against their former patron. Mogis might then assume the role of campaign villain as the characters do what they must to atone."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Mogis's Villains",
							"page": 152,
							"id": "2b6",
							"entries": [
								"Unquestionably, Mogis makes an excellent villain. His lust for bloodshed and willingness to fight all comers makes him easy to build a campaign around if you want a straightforward, unambiguous foe.",
								"Mogis's followers could be anything from a disgraced politician seeking revenge against their enemies to a roving band of minotaurs pillaging the countryside. Mogis's faithful tend to be at least partially blinded by dark emotions, a state that might make them easy to manipulate by the followers of clever deities. The servants of the god of slaughter aren't all mindless brutes, though, and many allow themselves to be underestimated as a ploy to bring ruin upon their foes.",
								"The Mogis's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Mogis's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d8",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A petty tyrant ({@creature gladiator}) rules his populace through threats and intimidation. His favorite pastime is forcing unwilling subjects to fight in gladiatorial blood sports."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A band of {@creature Minotaur||minotaurs} directed by a champion of Mogis forges a trail of devastation through the countryside."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A serial killer ({@creature assassin}) stalks the streets of the polis, taking lives seemingly at random."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) of Mogis marches into town and predicts doom on the populace within a fortnight."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Priests of Iroas and Heliod are being murdered by unknown assailants and their temples desecrated."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"An {@creature archmage} is corrupted by Mogis and begins summoning demons to savage the population."
										],
										[
											"7",
											"A badly wounded caravan guard ({@creature bandit captain}) accuses the characters of murder and banditry."
										],
										[
											"8",
											"A cabal of Mogis's {@creature Cult Fanatic||cult fanatics} have almost succeeded in finding a way to summon Mogis's warhound to their service."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Mogis's Monsters",
									"page": 152,
									"id": "2b7",
									"entries": [
										"Mogis is associated with vicious monsters bent on wholesale destruction. He isn't at all concerned with subtlety, but rather with creating mayhem. Adventures that bring characters into conflict with agents of the god of slaughter might pit them against monsters from the Mogis's Monsters table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Mogis's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Death dog}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Berserker}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Fleecemane lion|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Manticore}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Minotaur}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Catoblepas|VGM}*"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Cyclops}*"
												],
												[
													"7",
													"{@creature Theran chimera|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Blackguard|VGM}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Classic Monsters} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/108-04-21.webp"
											},
											"title": "Temples to Mogis can be found scattered across the badlands of Phoberos ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Sam Burley"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Mogis as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 153,
							"id": "2b8",
							"entries": [
								"Left unchecked, Mogis and his followers would destroy all of creation. This situation leads to plenty of campaign hooks and opportunities for the characters to act heroically in the face of classically villainous foes.",
								"Mogis is obsessed with defeating his brother Iroas, just as Iroas is obsessed with besting him. The characters could easily find themselves in the middle of the brothers' war. At first, they might be swept along by events, but as they grow in power, the characters will become the key to checking Mogis's influence, perhaps even helping Iroas triumph over his brother. Such an event could be fraught with unforeseen consequences for the fate of Theros!",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Mogis's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 153,
									"id": "2b9",
									"entries": [
										"Mogis takes a brutal hand in the affairs of gods and mortals. The Mogis's Divine Schemes tables presents some ways in which Mogis's unsubtle plots might have a mythic impact on the mortal world, catching adventurers up in the middle of divine vendettas.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Mogis's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A champion of Mogis unites the {@creature minotaur} bands and {@creature cyclops} tribes of Phoberos under her banner, creating a terrifying army. At Mogis's command, she leads the army in an all-out assault on Akros, hoping to draw Iroas into battle and defeat him once and for all."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Mogis bargains with Pharika, convincing her to create elixirs that will turn his followers into invincible monsters. He sends his champions to fetch the necessary ingredients for her."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A bitter noble makes a pact with Mogis for power in exchange for carrying out a plot to ignite a war between Meletis and Setessa. Thousands will die unless the scheme is put to rest."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Mogis agrees to ally with three other gods against their rivals if they help him defeat Iroas. Mogis's brother does the same. Soon the entire pantheon divides along faction lines and prepare for the final war."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Canyon Shrine",
							"page": 154,
							"id": "2ba",
							"entries": [
								"Aside from the other dangers of the twisting canyons of Phoberos, followers of Mogis openly worship and offer sacrifices to their dark god in these places. Twisting cave systems run through the canyon walls, offering shelter to both fugitives and monsters, and the darkness within the caverns provides a suitable environment for the bloodthirsty deeds of the god's most depraved servants.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Canyon Shrine Adventures",
									"page": 154,
									"id": "2bb",
									"entries": [
										"A journey into a canyon where Mogis is worshiped can be an adventure full of unspeakable horrors. A group of characters could come to a canyon shrine as armed escorts, or would-be rescuers of captives, or to cleanse the place of its evil. The characters might also brave such a gorge to hunt one of the many dangerous creatures that haunt the area, such as a {@creature catoblepas|VGM} or a {@creature Theran Chimera|MOT|chimera}. The Canyon Shrine Adventures table offers ideas for adventures in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/109-04-22.webp"
											},
											"width": 1000,
											"height": 1223,
											"credit": "Daarken"
										},
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Canyon Shrine Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Survive a journey through the canyon while escorting a caravan transporting offerings to another god."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Slay a massive, blood-drunk monster that rampages through the region."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Find a band of {@creature Minotaur||minotaurs} residing in the canyon and convince them to attack a gang of undead about to pass through on their way to attack a village."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Consult a hermit who lives in a hidden part of the canyon."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Retrieve an item buried amid the shrine's sacrifices."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Destroy the shrine."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Negotiate with a group of Mogis's followers."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Convince a young aristocrat who was seduced into joining a cult of Mogis to return home."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Infiltrate a cult of Mogis to learn of any raids they have planned."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Steal an egg from a griffon nest in the canyon."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Canyon Shrine Map",
									"page": 154,
									"id": "2bc",
									"entries": [
										"Map 4.10 shows a wild canyon that is holy to Mogis. Caves long used by bandits, minotaur raiders, and predatory beasts carve their ways through the craggy walls. Many of the caves are connected, but some are isolated. Ledges cling to the canyon's sides. Reaching some of these natural platforms requires a dangerous climb over jagged rocks.",
										"The top of the canyon has a few scrubby plants, but is otherwise barren. Flying monsters, such as chimeras, griffons, harpies, and manticores, make nests on the sides of the canyon. At the bottom of the gorge, a river cuts through the stone.",
										"A massive statue of Mogis is carved into an out-of-the-way canyon wall. Signs of a bloody battle and the stains of countless sacrifices lie before it.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/120-map-4.10-Canyon-Shrine.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.10: Canyon Shrine",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75,
														"distance": 10
													},
													"id": "022",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/121-map-4.10-Canyon-Shrine-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75,
														"distance": 10
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "022"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Canyon Shrine Villains",
									"page": 154,
									"id": "2bd",
									"entries": [
										"Most of the residents in a canyon shrine make excellent adversaries. The sapient beings are clever and cruel, and the monsters of animal intelligence are as savage as the god of slaughter himself. Examples of such villains appear on the Canyon Shrine Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Canyon Shrine Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d8",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A {@creature minotaur} captures and devours other creatures limb by limb as part of a bizarre ritual honoring Mogis."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A tribe of {@creature Berserker||berserkers} ride {@creature Giant Bat||giant bats} and hunt humanoids that travel through the canyon."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"An {@creature adult blue dragon} enslaves the inhabitants of the caves, intent on building an army to conquer a neighboring settlement."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature manticore} captures warriors and forces them to fight to the death for its amusement."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A group of {@creature Cyclops||cyclopes} capture travelers and keep them as livestock in their caves."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature lamia} lures young nobles into its cult with promises of hedonism and sells those who disappoint it to other canyon inhabitants."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"A vicious {@creature gynosphinx} captures groups of people, then forces one person to choose which of the others should be devoured first."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"The victims of the canyon's inhabitants rise as {@creature Wraith||wraiths} determined to end all life in the area."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Nylea",
					"page": 156,
					"id": "2be",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/111-02-03-nylea.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Wild and unpredictable, Nylea can bring both blessings and hardships to the heroes whose lives she touches.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Nylea's Champions",
							"page": 156,
							"id": "2bf",
							"entries": [
								"Nylea is one of the more active of the gods in the mortal realm, but she can't be everywhere at once. Her heroes are her eyes, ears, and arrows on Theros, defending her interests anywhere and anytime she can't.",
								"The Nylea's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Nylea's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Free a hydra that has been captured and imprisoned in a menagerie."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Investigate reports of unnatural horrors infesting the Nessian Wood."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Plant a golden acorn in a distant grove guarded by monsters."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Find and punish an unknown perpetrator who killed a unicorn, cut off its horn, and left its body to rot, and retrieve the horn."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Hunt a dangerous creature for a sacred feast."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Karametra, Heliod, or Ephara)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Nylea Campaign",
									"page": 156,
									"id": "2c0",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign in which the player characters are champions of Nylea will feature great feats of heroism in defense of nature. Nylea might instruct the characters to defend a corner of the Nessian Wood, pitting them against poachers, sport hunters, unnatural abominations, and ordinary people who want to develop the wood for mortals' use. Nylea doesn't care if the characters are opposed by simple peasants, or by monsters beyond the characters' ability to cope with. They might need to get creative, calling upon Nylea's own servants\u2014such as hydras\u2014to beat back the more powerful threats.",
										"At the beginning of the campaign, the heroes might help defend Setessa from an attack that also threatens all of the Nessian Wood, which is their main concern. Hailed as heroes even though their defense of the polis was a secondary goal, they continue to enjoy Nylea's favor as they confront greater threats. Perhaps they will align themselves with the leaders of the polis, or maybe Setessa will eventually find itself at odds with the wild ideals of Nylea.",
										"Nylea's dictates are simple but inflexible, and her champions find that her favor turns to wrath if they neglect their duty to the forest. She might simply banish them from the Nessian Wood, or she might become a villain, with the characters either seeking to appease her or trying to find a new divine patron to protect them.",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "2c1",
											"entries": [
												"Myth of Halma, Nylea's Emissary",
												"One day, Nylea came upon an enormous lynx lounging in the shade of an olive grove, blood on its maw, the carcass of a colossal boar beside him. The boar had been one of Nylea's favorites, and what followed was a legendary chase where the god pursued the lynx through the heart of the Nessian Wood. Whenever Nylea drew close, the great cat vanished into the forest's shadows. Seasons passed as the god loosed arrow after arrow at the lynx, but her efforts remained fruitless. Nylea eventually abandoned the hunt, only to find the feline waiting for her at the edge of a stream the next evening. The hunt resumed, but with the same outcome. It continued like that for some time, until Nylea began to grow fond of the beast. Soon, the pair started hunting together, and the lynx, which she called Halma, became one of Nylea's confidants."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/112-04-23.webp"
											},
											"title": "Nylea's sacred lynx guards those who honor the Nessian Wood and hunts those who don't ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 978,
											"credit": "Mathias Kollros"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Nylea's Villains",
							"page": 156,
							"id": "2c2",
							"entries": [
								"From Nylea's perspective, her desires are benign, but her unwillingness to favor sapient beings over wild animals and plants sometimes makes her a figure of menace. Those who dwell in permanent settlements often do not understand or appreciate the boundaries Nylea sets, and can run afoul of her even with the best intentions.",
								"Nylea's followers might obsess over the idea of wiping out civilization, turning them into agents of destruction. On a smaller scale, they might twist her patronage of the hunt into an excuse to enact vendettas against those who wrong them. Even natural creatures can become threats when the balance of nature is disrupted, and Nylea herself could send champions to intervene when her own creatures and followers turn toward evil.",
								"The Nylea's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Nylea's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A Setessan hunt-leader ({@creature Setessan hoplite|MOT}; see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Hoplites}) swears vengeance on a poacher in the Nessian Wood who turns out to be an Akroan general."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A {@creature hydra} goes on a rampage at the edge of the forest. It must be dealt with, but a {@creature druid} follower of Nylea will take vengeance on anyone who kills it outright."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A {@creature mage} who lives in a secluded grove has been using a magic item to transform interlopers into boars. She claims that Nylea gave her this item."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A {@creature druid} uses magic on fields near the border of the forest, creating animated plants to drive off farmers."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A {@creature scout} has taken to hunting and eating sapient beings. What could have caused this gruesome turn?"
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Those who follow a mysterious green {@creature unicorn} inevitably turn up dead, their bodies entangled in strangling vines."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nylea's Monsters",
									"page": 157,
									"id": "2c3",
									"entries": [
										"Nylea's forests are home to many dangerous creatures, both natural and supernatural. Adventures that take characters into the Nessian Wood might pit them against monsters such as those that appear on the Nylea's Monsters table. Additionally, Nylea might turn any natural creature\u2014from the rarest of exotic creatures to suddenly-bloodthirsty livestock\u2014against those who offend her.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Nylea's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Scout}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Dryad}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"Nyxborn {@creature brown bear}*"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Nyxborn {@creature saber-toothed tiger}*"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Satyr thornbearer|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Archer|VGM}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Shambling mound}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Unicorn}*"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Treant}"
												],
												[
													"12",
													"{@creature Ironscale hydra|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"19",
													"{@creature Polukranos|MOT}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Nylea as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 157,
							"id": "2c4",
							"entries": [
								"As a villain, Nylea is most likely driven by transgressions against her realm, whether by mortals or by other gods. She might begin her retaliation by barring all sapient creatures from the Nessian Wood, or by visiting punishment on an entire polis for the actions of a few citizens. From there, she could easily end up in an escalating conflict against mortals across Theros, drawing in multiple gods and threatening the idea of civilization itself. Player characters who are champions of other gods could find themselves marked for death by hunters who have a grudge against their patrons.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nylea's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 157,
									"id": "2c5",
									"entries": [
										"The Nylea's Divine Schemes table suggests a few ways in which Nylea's whims might impact the mortal world.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Nylea's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"When the polis of Meletis expands, clearing new land for houses and crops, Nylea decides to punish the polis and destroy it if necessary. Animated trees topple the walls, and Nyxborn beasts invade the city."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Nylea refuses to turn winter into spring unless Karametra agrees to abolish agriculture and yield all cropland back to the forest."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"When tensions between Akros and Setessa peak, Nylea blames Iroas for stirring up the conflict and puts Setessa under her protection, expanding the borders of the Nessian Wood to encompass all of Setessa, creating a near-impenetrable fortress filled with dangerous creatures."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Nylea abruptly vanishes. Explorers deep in the Nessian Wood discover her sacred grove abandoned, and the giant chrysalis at its heart empty. What was in the chrysalis? Could it have harmed Nylea? Or did she leave with the creature\u2014and if so, did she do that to protect the creature, or to protect Theros?"
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Forest Shrine",
							"page": 158,
							"id": "2c6",
							"entries": [
								"Forest shrines honoring Nylea are found in the woodlands of Theros. These places have few features made of stone or steel. Instead, the druids and nymphs who care for the shrines use magic to direct the growth of plants, producing beautiful natural altars, sculptures, and shelters. These creations, wondrous as they are, don't dominate the layout of a shrine, since Nylea and her worshipers prefer to let nature flourish untamed at her holy sites.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/113-04-24.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 1074,
									"credit": "Ralph Horsley"
								},
								"The druids that occupy a shrine sometimes leave for days at a time to go on a mission, but they never leave the place without guardians. Beasts, plants, and nymphs are always on the lookout for intruders.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Forest Shrine Adventures",
									"page": 158,
									"id": "2c7",
									"entries": [
										"A forest shrine is a remote place with inhabitants who are difficult to impress. Simply finding and getting permission to enter a shrine can be an adventure in itself, since the druids and nymphs that guard the place are wary of outsiders and ready to put down those who take needlessly from the forest.",
										"Characters who are accepted into a forest shrine find it to be a guarded, peaceful place, an excellent shelter against enemies and weather. Sacred animals and hunting weapons are protected in the shrines. The druids might be willing to share knowledge and forest secrets with those who gain their trust. The Forest Shrine Adventures table offers ideas for adventures that could occur in or around such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Forest Shrine Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Get permission from the shrine's {@creature Druid||druids} to take part in a sacred hunt with them."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Prevent game hunters from killing a {@creature unicorn}, and lead the unicorn to a shrine for shelter."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Find a {@creature scout} from the shrine who has gone missing."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Escape a shrine after being captured and held there for crimes against the forest."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Rescue trophy hunters being tortured at a shrine."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Earn a {@creature Druid||druid's} trust to learn a valuable secret about the forest."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Retrieve a sacred weapon held in the grove."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Recruit the help of the shrine's {@creature Druid||druids} to defeat a group of poachers."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Acquire a beast companion from the shrine."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Defend the shrine from a group of {@creature Harpy||harpies}."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Forest Shrine Map",
									"page": 158,
									"id": "2c8",
									"entries": [
										"The forest shrine shown in map 4.11 is a clearing surrounded by a grove of wild olive trees. A pond at the center is fed by streams coming from the north and south. Arches of grapevines grow up from the ground, each creating a small, sheltered area for private conversations. Several bushes sculpted in the shape of Nylea and predatory forest animals, such as the bear and the wolf, are scattered throughout the shrine. These plants can come to life as guardians if the shrine's protectors call upon them.",
										"An old, twisted lemon tree grows near the hunters' quarters. Bows, spears, and other hunting weapons hang from the tree's branches alongside a beehive. South of the tree is a firepit with a few boulders surrounding it for seats. Nearby, a dense, flowering bush shaped as an altar stands before a simple log table and wood rack used in dressing animals.",
										"Several hunting blinds lie hidden in the forest surrounding the shrine. From these camouflaged posts archers keep watch for game and threats.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/125-map-4.11-Forest-Shrine.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.11: Forest Shrine",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "023",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/126-map-4.11-Forest-Shrine-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "023"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Forest Shrine Villains",
									"page": 158,
									"id": "2c9",
									"entries": [
										"Villains in a forest shrine are likely either trying to destroy nature or using the power of the natural world to harm others. Examples of such figures appear on the Forest Shrine Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Forest Shrine Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A group of {@creature Dryad||dryads}, enraged by seeing a section of forest burned, plots to destroy the shrine in order to punish the druids for failing to protect the trees."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Poachers ({@creature Scout||scouts}) kill the shrine's defenders and set their traps in the surrounding forest."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"The shrine stands in the path of a {@creature hydra} on a destructive rampage."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature druid} who lost her spouse in a hunting accident attacks any hunters who come to the shrine."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A {@creature giant boar} affected by the {@spell awaken} spell convinces the shrine's druids to cast the spell on other boars to strike back at a contingent of hunting nobles."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A {@creature cult fanatic} of Erebos infiltrates the shrine in disguise and plans to kill all its plant life."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Pharika",
					"page": 160,
					"id": "2ca",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/115-02-03-pharika.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"The god of affliction cares little for mortals, seeing them as test subjects whose agony, resilience, and defiance all contribute to Pharika's efforts to reveal reality's secrets.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Pharika's Champions",
							"page": 160,
							"id": "2cb",
							"entries": [
								"The champions of Pharika are custodians of her experiments, keepers of her secrets, and practitioners of her esoteric arts. They serve as doctors, herbalists, and advisors as often as they do assassins and poisoners.",
								"The Pharika's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Pharika's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Concoct the antidote for a powerful affliction that resists conventional treatments."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Seek out a powerful beast whose blood has unique alchemical value."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Infiltrate the Underworld to extract a secret someone carried with them to the grave."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Track down and eliminate someone who is trying to keep a radical discovery a secret."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Assassinate an important figure whose death would catalyze one of Pharika's experiments."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Perfect a perilous ritual to awaken the landscape and learn how to discover its forgotten lore."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Pharika Campaign",
									"page": 160,
									"id": "2cc",
									"entries": [
										"Pharika delights in testing the limits of mortality, vacillating between helping and harming innocent subjects. Characters working in Pharika's service might travel to sites of suffering and death in order to provide relief, such as by slaying the monstrous guardians of a place that holds the medicine needed to cure a plague. Then, before leaving the area, they or the god's other servants might sow the seeds of a new threat.",
										"Despite any aid they provide, Pharika's servants are likely viewed with suspicion. In obtaining rare ingredients or defending researchers, the characters might come into conflict with those who can't see the bigger picture\u2014often followers of Heliod or Ephara. Undermining these faiths might be the best means of preserving Pharika's favorite wildernesses and laboratories.",
										"Ultimately, Pharika might call upon servants to abandon worldly scruples in favor of deciphering one of Theros's great secrets. To accomplish this, the god might send the characters into the Underworld or Nyx to answer a burning cosmic question."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Pharika's Villains",
							"page": 160,
							"id": "2cd",
							"entries": [
								"Even the most well-intentioned of Pharika's healers can be hiding a venomous ulterior motive, and the same hand that stitches the characters' wounds one day might try to slit their throats the next. Pharika encourages her followers to seek balance in administering their \"cures,\" spreading afflictions to counteract excessive prosperity at least as often as they provide life-saving help to those on the brink of death. All the while, Pharika watches with interest to see how mortals contend with both good fortune and misfortune, gleaning new knowledge through every cry of elation and every death rattle.",
								"On occasion, Pharika's followers might seem to be beneficent when they ease others' suffering or cure a pandemic. Yet they do so indiscriminately, meaning that these cures could also save the lives of terrible beasts and unrepentant villains.",
								"The Pharika's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Pharika's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A {@creature druid} seeds deadly herbs into a village's fields, coaxing the plants to resemble farmers' crops."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"The life of a tyrant ({@creature knight}) is central to one of Pharika's experiments in mortal suffering, so the god resurrects the tyrant whenever enemies kill him."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Legend tells of a hydra with alchemical lore scribed upon its bones. When an alchemist ({@creature mage}) begins poisoning the beasts, Nylea sends dozens of {@creature Hydra||hydras} to seek revenge, catching innocents in the fray."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A town suffering from a plague seeks a cure from a {@creature cult fanatic} of Pharika engaged in warlike research. The researcher's blessing alleviates the pox but leaves the survivors delusional and violent."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"After the characters witness a miracle, an apothecary ({@creature mage}) seeks their blood as a medicinal ingredient."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"An {@creature archmage} devotee of Pharika manages to shrink monsters to a size so small that they effectively behave as viruses."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Pharika's Monsters",
									"page": 160,
									"id": "2ce",
									"entries": [
										"Serpents, rare magical beings, and poisonous creatures number among Pharika's favorite servants, and medusas and basilisks hold special places in her esteem. The Pharika's Monsters table presents just a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Pharika's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/4",
													"Nyxborn {@creature giant poisonous snake}*"
												],
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Amphisbaena|GoS}"
												],
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Cockatrice}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Swarm of poisonous snakes}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Basilisk}*"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Medusa}*"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Assassin}"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Hydra}"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Spirit naga}"
												],
												[
													"17",
													"{@creature Hythonia|MOT}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/116-04-25.webp"
											},
											"title": "Pharika's clerics believe that they are better healers because they are so well acquainted with death ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 957,
											"credit": "Chase Stone"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Pharika as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 161,
							"id": "2cf",
							"entries": [
								"As a campaign villain, Pharika might conduct experiments in mortal resilience and curiosity, tests that unfold over generations. The characters might spoil one of these experiments, making them the target of Pharika's ire. While tormenting mortals might seem petty, the perils she puts them through could also be a way of toughening up the characters to face greater threats. As the campaign progresses, Pharika could evolve from antagonist into an unlikely patron.",
								"Pharika is also an excellent partner for a range of other divine antagonists, lending her support in exchange for future favors. However, with the right overtures and services, the characters might entreat her to betray a client, turning her against a new mutual enemy.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Pharika's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 161,
									"id": "2d0",
									"entries": [
										"Pharika has hundreds of ongoing schemes and experiments, any number of which might come to fruition in the near future. The Pharika's Divine Schemes table describes several ways her deadly plans might complicate adventurers' lives.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Pharika's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Pharika creates a mind-controlling incense to manipulate several of Kruphix's oracles, compelling them to reveal secrets of the cosmos. Unfortunately, her mutagenic mist causes them to transform into beings they've glimpsed from beyond Theros."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Seeking to understand more about the Returned, Pharika begins granting them elixirs meant to restore their lost memories. Although this works as intended for a rare few, most of the Returned instead experience traumatic visions that drive them to violence."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Medusas the world over find themselves infected with a strange disease. They believe Pharika is collecting their souls to harvest the secrets they hoard. The medusas seek advocates to end Pharika's plague."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"After losing a bet to an ambitious physician, Pharika loans the doctor her sacred kylix for one week and invites him to cure as many patients as he pleases. In that time, he cures death itself in a small town. Not only has this emboldened some of the town's scalawags to commit crimes without fear of retribution, but the news has also infuriated disciples of Erebos, Mogis, and Klothys. Meanwhile, Pharika watches with delight as too much of a good medicine inspires distress and conflict that threaten to boil over into surrounding regions."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Healing Pools",
							"page": 162,
							"id": "2d1",
							"entries": [
								"Healing pools are naturally occurring springs and tidal pools said to have magical curative properties because Pharika has blessed them. Sick or injured people come to the pools and leave an offering for the god with her priests before bathing. If Pharika deems an offering worthy, the waters rapidly cure diseases, heal wounds, and sometimes even remove magical curses. If the god finds the offering unworthy, the waters poison the bather in some way, making their plight worse. If a person who wants to bathe has no offering for the god, that individual can offer themselves or a captured beast as a subject for the priest's medical experiments.",
								"Many healing pools are in remote locations that are difficult to reach, such as hot springs at the top of a volcano or tidal pools on a monster-infested island. A priest of Pharika, often a {@creature medusa|MOT}, usually watches over the pool. The priest's chambers are often in a building or a cave near the pools. Such places are part living quarters and part medical and alchemical laboratory, where the priest makes medicines and poisons and performs experiments on beasts and humanoid subjects.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Healing Pools Adventures",
									"page": 162,
									"id": "2d2",
									"entries": [
										"Sick or injured characters might have good reason to seek out healing pools when a malady is beyond their ability to treat. Medical tests that are being conducted near healing pools could also present opportunities for adventures involving rare cures, new poisons, and experiments gone awry. The Healing Pools Adventures table suggests ideas for adventures in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/117-04-26.webp"
											},
											"width": 1000,
											"height": 1138,
											"credit": "Peter Mohrbacher"
										},
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Healing Pools Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Heal yourself or a diseased or injured party member in the pools."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Escort a sick or injured person to the pools."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Kill monsters taking up residence in the pools."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Capture people and creatures for the priests to use in their experiments."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Cure the pools of a contamination."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Create a poison based on notes provided to you by one of Pharika's priests and contaminate the pools."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Steal reagent-rich water from the pools."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Rescue a priest's test subject and help them undo or adapt to the transformations they underwent due to the priest's experiments."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Kill or capture an escaped beast monstrously transformed by the priest's experiments."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Retrieve materials needed to create a cure for a disease and convince a priest to help you make it."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Healing Pools Map",
									"page": 162,
									"id": "2d3",
									"entries": [
										"The healing pools shown in map 4.12 are located in an underground cavern, accessible through a wide hole in the cavern's ceiling that leads to a shaft connected to the surface. The pools have varying shapes and depths, with a bronze statue of Pharika holding out a bowl for offerings overlooking many of them. One small but deep pool contains an underwater tunnel, which leads outward and then upward to a dry cavern that serves as the priest's chambers.",
										"In crude laboratory above the pools, a stone table with restraints is used for experiments on humanoid subjects. The cages lining the walls are meant for beasts used in experiments. Secret passages connected to these chambers connects to the pools and the surface.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/130-map-4.12-Healing-Pools.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.12: Healing Pools",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "024",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/131-map-4.12-Healing-Pools-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "024"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Healing Pools Villains",
									"page": 162,
									"id": "2d4",
									"entries": [
										"Villains at healing pools are usually interested in healing themselves, harming others, or controlling others' access to the pools. They might also take issue with the strange practices of the pools' clergy. Examples of such villains appear on the Healing Pools Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Healing Pools Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A group of {@creature Returned Palamnite|MOT|Returned palamnites} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned Palamnite}) invade the pools, believing the waters' magic can restore their lost memories and mortal bodies."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Naiad|MOT|Naiads} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Naiad}) guard the pools, making their own judgments about who is and isn't worthy of the pools' healing magic."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"The magic waters of the pools wash out to sea and attract a dying {@creature kraken} to the area."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"An {@creature assassin} barters captured humanoid test subjects for poison from the pools' {@creature medusa} priest."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A dying {@creature veteran} who was {@condition poisoned} by the pools slaughters any person who is healed by the waters."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"An {@creature oracle|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oracle}) allows the pools' poisons to seep from the caves and contaminate a community."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Phenax",
					"page": 164,
					"id": "2d5",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/119-02-03-phenax.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Cunning and deceitful, Phenax spins innumerable plots across all of creation. He enjoys upsetting the natural order of things, either by thwarting the plans of his fellow gods or secreting away information for later use.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Phenax's Champions",
							"page": 164,
							"id": "2d6",
							"entries": [
								"Phenax's champions are pawns in his grand game of lying, cheating, and deception. He takes particular pleasure in tormenting Heliod and Iroas, whom he regards with special scorn. Phenax's servants have a tendency to show up at the most inconvenient times and places.",
								"The Phenax's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Phenax's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Rob or defend a gambling parlor."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Destabilize or aid the government of the local polis."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Form or foil a heretical cult of Heliod to bring discord to the countryside."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Assassinate or protect the local magistrate who has been cracking down on Phenax worshipers."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Create a grand prank built around obfuscation and deceit to embarrass a local government or temple."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Heliod, Erebos, or Iroas)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Phenax Campaign",
									"page": 164,
									"id": "2d7",
									"entries": [
										"Phenax fits easily into the role of primary campaign villain. He also might be an unconventional and exciting patron of the player characters. Phenax is the archetypal outsider, and his champions might be tasked with disrupting the established order of a polis or aiding one of the necropoleis in expanding or dealing with various threats.",
										"Plots and schemes are Phenax's lifeblood, suggesting a complex, shifting campaign full of surprises and twists. For example, a simple heist could be the triggering event for a series of major conflicts between two rival temples that ends in a citywide conflagration.",
										"Champions of Phenax could also serve as a bulwark against more aggressive gods who oppress or subjugate others. Alternatively, the party could be a band of freedom fighters resisting the tyrannical ruler of their polis. Even though Phenax traffics in lies and deceit, a morally gray campaign can be built around the use of illicit means to achieve righteous ends."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Phenax's Villains",
							"page": 164,
							"id": "2d8",
							"entries": [
								"Servants of Phenax dot the world, largely staying hidden until they are needed to help spin the web of lies that advances his plots. His servants prefer to confront foes using guile, cunning, and planning instead of brute force. Phenax and his champions move with purpose, don't draw attention to themselves, and use misdirection to keep foes guessing about when and where their next attack will come.",
								"Phenax's followers could be involved in the political machinations of a polis or the crimes of the local thieves' guild. Investigating instances of gambling, smuggling, robbery, and fencing stolen loot might bring the characters into opposition against Phenax and his followers. Whenever possible, servants of Phenax try to stage their misdeeds in a way that implicates other faiths or groups, to stir up as much conflict and confusion as possible.",
								"The Phenax's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Phenax's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d8",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A charismatic crime boss ({@creature bandit captain}) unites local gangs in a bid to seize control of the polis."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A {@creature Returned palamnite|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned Palamnite}) wreaks havoc across the countryside in Phenax's name."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"The lies of a government functionary ({@creature noble}) start a trade war between struggling settlements."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Phenax {@creature Cultist||cultists} establish a fake cult of Ephara in a bid to start a sectarian civil war in Meletis."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"An information broker ({@creature spy}) holds damaging secrets about important folk and is blackmailing them."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A group of vocal iconoclasts ({@creature Noble||nobles}) are fomenting social upheaval that threatens to turn to violence."
										],
										[
											"7",
											"A champion ({@creature veteran}) of Heliod is threatening to torch a section of the polis in her hunt for a Phenax-worshiping oath breaker."
										],
										[
											"8",
											"Folk go missing then turn up with no memory of their disappearance. Phenax {@creature Cult Fanatic||cult fanatics} are brainwashing these souls for use as sleeper agents."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Phenax's Monsters",
									"page": 164,
									"id": "2d9",
									"entries": [
										"Phenax is often associated with monsters and individuals that use cleverness and guile to overcome foes. The Phenax's Monsters table presents just a few foes likely to serve the god's will.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Phenax's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Returned sentry|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Leucrotta|VGM}"
												],
												[
													"3",
													"{@creature Slithering tracker|VGM}"
												],
												[
													"4",
													"{@creature Returned palamnite|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Ghostblade eidolon|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Master thief|VGM}"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Assassin}"
												],
												[
													"16",
													"{@creature Phoenix|MTF}"
												]
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/120-04-27.webp"
											},
											"title": "Followers of Phenax have little respect for the rest of the pantheon ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1102,
											"credit": "Evyn Fong"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Phenax as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 165,
							"id": "2da",
							"entries": [
								"Regardless of whether Phenax begins the campaign as a villain or turns against his champions during the course of play, he presents himself as a confounding, slippery foe.",
								"As a campaign villain, Phenax might be driven by a desire to incite conflict against his fellow gods, usually to serve his own ends. Although Phenax doesn't desire rulership over Nyx, he does love to hoard damaging secrets and powerful magic. Acquiring these coveted items always involves duplicity and theft, and sometimes murder. To Phenax, the ends justify the means. Upsetting the order of things is a worthy goal, whether it's done as a means to a greater end or simply to enjoy the disruption caused by radical change.",
								"The campaign's objective might involve determining what Phenax is up to and thwarting his scheme or, failing that, dealing with the fallout. Whatever the objective, it will require the player characters to confront a being who was clever enough to escape the Underworld.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Phenax's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 165,
									"id": "2db",
									"entries": [
										"Phenax's activities can have a wide-ranging impact on both the pantheon and the mortal world. The Phenax's Divine Schemes table offers examples of the ways in which Phenax's duplicity might have a mythic impact, catching adventurers in the middle of divine squabbles.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Phenax's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Phenax finds an artifact capable of imprisoning Athreos and engages in a shadow war with Erebos, causing pandemonium in the Underworld. As a result, droves of Returned flood the mortal world."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Phenax undertakes a plot to transform Erebos into one of the Returned. If he succeeds, the balance of life and death will be shattered."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Phenax vanishes. For a time, it's believe the god has been killed or grew bored and left Theros. In fact, though, Phenax managed to imprison another god and has since taken their place."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Phenax dispatches a powerful agent to find a lost relic called Deception's Edge, a dagger that enables the wielder to warp the minds of mortals. Once in possession of the artifact, the agent embarks on a campaign of assassination and espionage that threatens to lead to all-out war between Akros and Meletis."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Amphitheater",
							"page": 166,
							"id": "2dc",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/121-04-28.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 1026,
									"credit": "Daarken"
								},
								"Music, dance, poetry, drama, comedy, and satire are all performed and celebrated in the amphitheaters of Theros. These public spaces are also the scene of secret hand offs, private meetings, and espionage. The amphitheater's costumes, makeup, props, and hidden halls and entrances make it a good place for those who operate in the shadows to do so without arousing suspicion. Many performers moonlight as assassins, spies, and thieves, given their talents and resources, and as such many amphitheaters contain hidden shrines to Phenax.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Amphitheater Adventures",
									"page": 166,
									"id": "2dd",
									"entries": [
										"Adventures in an amphitheater often revolve around deception. Great performances get audiences immersed in what they're seeing, lowering their defenses and allowing pickpockets and spies to work. Backstage, the performers and staff hide stolen goods and even bodies in plain sight among legitimate props, and they craft disguises for use outside the theater.",
										"Theaters make great settings for social adventures. In a place where the rich and poor relax together, the characters can impress, blackmail, bribe, or steal from people of all walks of life. The Amphitheater Adventures table presents ideas for adventures in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Amphitheater Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Steal an item from an audience member."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Find evidence of a crime hidden backstage."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Defend a theater being run by a criminal cabal from a rival gang's assault."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Take the place of a group of performers on stage to impress an audience member."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Assassinate an audience member during a performance without being seen."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Serve as bodyguards for an audience member."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Learn which performers are criminals."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Find a spy among the audience members and deliver a message to that person."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Steal costumes from the theater to infiltrate a temple in disguise."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Intercept and decipher a coded message meant for someone else."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Amphitheater Map",
									"page": 166,
									"id": "2de",
									"entries": [
										"The amphitheater shown in map 4.13 is set in a natural depression that provides seating for the audience. The backstage area contains dressing rooms for the performers, a prop workshop, and a storage area filled with extra set pieces. Below, secret halls include space for the games and drinking one might expect from a typical den of iniquity, but it also disguises the barracks and training hall of a thieves' guild devoted to Phenax, a shrine, and an escape tunnel for making a quick getaway.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/135-map-4.13-Amphitheater.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.13: Amphitheater",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "025",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/136-map-4.13-Amphitheater-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "025"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Amphitheater Villains",
									"page": 166,
									"id": "2df",
									"entries": [
										"Liars, sneaks, and charmers often make their living as performers. Examples of such villains appear on the Amphitheater Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Amphitheater Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d8",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"An actor charms nobles who see him perform into surrendering their fortunes."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"The {@creature wraith} of a murdered actress reenacts her death every night, playing the role of the murderer and targeting a new performer in her place."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"An untalented dancer ({@creature scout}) poisons those with more skill in order to get ahead."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature mage} playwright invites political figures to see his satires, then uses magic to make them react dramatically, which encourages more people to see his plays."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A leading lady is also an {@creature assassin} for hire, and she uses a secret room in the theater as her base."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Burglars ({@creature Veteran||veterans}) masquerading as acrobats identify marks during their performances, then rob them afterward."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"A murderer ({@creature spy}) who works as a prop maker hides his weapons and victims in among pieces of the set."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"A theater-loving {@creature mage} uses a {@creature homunculus} to spy on audience members to gain blackmail material."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Purphoros",
					"page": 168,
					"id": "2e0",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/123-02-03-purphoros.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Impulsive and unsubtle, Purphoros is an unpredictable force in the lives of his chosen champions.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Purphoros's Champions",
							"page": 168,
							"id": "2e1",
							"entries": [
								"Purphoros's relationship to his champions is more that of a patron than a ruler. He chooses champions whose passions advance his interests in the world, and he grants them his blessings to use as they see fit in service to him. Purphoros is eccentric, however, and he could suddenly appear to hand down commands to his champions after months or years of silence. Priests, other followers of Purphoros, and regular people in need might also approach the champions requesting aid. Purphoros never rebuffs followers of other gods if their need is genuine.",
								"The Purphoros's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Purphoros's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Clear out a monster-infested mine and help procure precious iron ore for a master smith."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Protect a traveling theater troupe as they perform a new play that glorifies Purphoros and makes another god look foolish."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Retrieve a sacred weapon of Purphoros that has fallen into the hands of minotaurs."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Resist the corrupt authority of a powerful priest of Heliod or a cruel village elder."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Triumph in a contest of strength or crafting to bring glory to Purphoros."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Defeat a champion of another god (most likely Heliod, Kruphix, Phenax, or Mogis)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Purphoros Campaign",
									"page": 168,
									"id": "2e2",
									"entries": [
										"A campaign structured around champions of Purphoros can feature the themes of freedom, self-expression, and passion, casting the adventurers as brave rebels fighting against tyranny and convention. Purphoros's champions come from many walks of life, but they are united in their dedication to their god and his ideals.",
										"A Purphoros campaign might begin with the adventurers being called together by a priest of Purphoros or a master smith to lend aid with an urgent matter. From there, the characters' victories on behalf of Purphoros might arouse the ire of Heliod's followers. Given Purphoros's impulsiveness, conflict with the followers of other gods can quickly escalate from petty to violent.",
										"Although Purphoros is usually even-tempered, his champions occasionally run afoul of his violent impulses. They might find themselves inadvertently in the path of one of his destructive rages, or they might earn his wrath more directly by displaying weakness or cowardice. Wayward champions are usually able to atone for their deeds and regain his favor when he is in a better temperament, but in extreme cases, they could be forced to seek refuge with another god, thereafter contending with Purphoros as a villain."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Purphoros's Villains",
							"page": 168,
							"id": "2e3",
							"entries": [
								"Though Purphoros's ideals are shared by many, the methods he uses to advance them can be brutal. His belief that creation necessitates destruction, combined with his cavalier attitude toward authority, make it easy for followers of the forge god to be seen as villains.",
								"There are many paths to villainy in the name of Purphoros. The quest for ever finer works of craft can give rise to deadly rivalries. Resistance to lawful authority can become tyranny of another sort. And when passions become inflamed, giving in to them can lead to tragedy rather than triumph. Purphoros's general hands-off attitude toward his champions means that groups of his followers could easily find themselves on opposite sides in a conflict, and in extreme cases Purphoros himself sends heroes to strike down those who stray.",
								"The Purphoros's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Purphoros's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A {@creature cult fanatic} of Purphoros turns to Mogis to enhance his craft, engaging in bloody rituals to produce exquisite cursed weapons."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"An aging {@creature veteran} seeks to replace her body with living bronze and enlists a genius {@creature archmage} of Purphoros to aid her. Then several of their test limbs escape."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A rebel ({@creature spy}) plots to set fire to a temple of Heliod and dedicate the blaze to Purphoros, driving the gods toward a conflict he's certain Purphoros will win."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A {@creature gladiator} of Purphoros partakes of the fumes at Mount Velus then goes on what seems to be a rampage that contributes to a mysterious design."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"A {@creature priest} of Purphoros condemns the party for treating their weapons and tools poorly, insisting they discard them until the heroes prove their worthiness."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A group of {@creature Oread|MOT|oreads} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Oread}) seeks inspiration in flames. The oreads leave Purphoros's forge and conduct thorough studies of everything they burn."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Purphoros's Monsters",
									"page": 168,
									"id": "2e4",
									"entries": [
										"In addition to his followers, Purphoros is associated with a wide range of other creatures, such as those presented on the Purphoros's Monsters table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Purphoros's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Anvilwrought raptor|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"{@creature Bronze sable|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Burnished hart|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"4",
													"{@creature Oread|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Gold-forged sentinel|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Fire elemental}"
												],
												[
													"6",
													"{@creature Cyclops}*"
												],
												[
													"9",
													"{@creature Fire giant}"
												],
												[
													"16",
													"{@creature Iron golem}"
												],
												[
													"17",
													"{@creature Adult red dragon}*"
												],
												[
													"24",
													"{@creature Ancient red dragon}*"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Classic Monsters} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/124-04-29.webp"
											},
											"title": "The oracles of Purphoros read the god's will in earth, fire, and volcanic fumes ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1043,
											"credit": "Ryan Barger"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Purphoros as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 169,
							"id": "2e5",
							"entries": [
								"As a campaign villain, Purphoros is more likely to be driven by his impulses rather than by any coherent plan. He might begin by encouraging his champions to create works and spread tales that belittle the other gods. When other deities retaliate against his chosen, Purphoros reacts with rage, taking vengeance on other gods' temples and priests across Theros. Assuming the player characters are champions of other gods, they might well find themselves the targets of Purphoros's rage.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Purphoros's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 169,
									"id": "2e6",
									"entries": [
										"Purphoros's fits of passion can have a long-lasting impact on both gods and mortals. The Purphoros's Divine Schemes tables outlines a few ways the god's explosive temper might have dire consequences for the world.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Purphoros's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Enraged at Heliod's latest insult, Purphoros causes Mount Velus to erupt. The volcano's rage doesn't cease, though, threatening the region."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Insulted that the other gods don't appreciate his creations, Purphoros breaks the Nyx-infused chains that bind the ancient red dragon Thraxes, allowing it to go on a far-ranging rampage."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Gripped by sudden inspiration, Purphoros begins building a massive Nyx-bronze bridge that will link Mount Velus in the mortal world with Nyx itself. Every god opposes him in this effort. Can the construction effort be sabotaged without bringing the bridge tumbling down on the mortal world?"
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Purphoros's double, Petros, reveals an army of metal Nyxborn creatures and unleashes them against temples and settlements dedicated to other gods. The gods blame Purphoros for the attack, but he is too proud, and too fond of Petros, to stop the attacks."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Volcano Temple",
							"page": 170,
							"id": "2e7",
							"entries": [
								"The grandest temples of Purphoros burrow into the hearts of active volcanoes, being both places of worship and workshops. The volcanic vapors inspire artisans who worship at the top of the temple, then journey down to glowing forges where they craft armor, jewelry, weapons, and other works of art. The forges in a volcano temple get so hot they can work almost any material, mundane or extraordinary. The faithful of Purphoros often work on commission or sell their works, though some create strictly for themselves.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/125-04-30.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 1285,
									"credit": "Cory Trego-Erdner"
								},
								"Just like the treasures forged inside them, volcanic temples are works of art. The priests who maintain the structures carve intricate designs with metal filigree in the stone walls and craft ornamental decorations that make each temple look more like an art museum than a cave inside a mountain. The priests know that one day the volcano will erupt, destroying their work but providing an opportunity to start afresh with newly inspired ideas when the cataclysm subsides.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Volcano Temple Adventures",
									"page": 170,
									"id": "2e8",
									"entries": [
										"An adventure in a volcano temple incorporates the danger of fire, the power of divine magic, and the allure of art and treasure. It is easy to get lost in the temple's twisting, never-finished halls, minor eruptions pose a constant threat, and former temples ruined by eruptions now connect to dark places that monsters call home. Despite these hazards, the valuables most temples hold can be too tempting for some adventurers to pass up. The Volcano Temple Adventures table presents ideas for adventures that could occur in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Volcano Temple Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Acquire an item that wasn't up to Purphoros's standards before it's cast into the lava."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Defend the temple from fiery zombies emerging from tunnels connecting to a collapsed temple."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Steal a phoenix egg from the temple."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Become an apprentice to one of the priests and craft an item in the temple."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Explore a ruined temple after an eruption to make sure it is safe for others to enter."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Stop the temple priests from destroying well-crafted but substandard armor and weapons that are needed by a nearby settlement."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"The volcano is erupting! Prevent it, or save the most fanatical priests who refuse to leave their forges."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Negotiate with fire giants who want to use the temple's forges."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Destroy a near-indestructible item in the volcano's forges."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Rescue an artisan lost in the temple's twisting halls."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Volcano Temple Map",
									"page": 170,
									"id": "2e9",
									"entries": [
										"The volcano temple shown in map 4.14 is reached by a switchback stair carved into the side of the volcano, which leads to an ornate edifice sculpted into the face of the mountain. The temple's facade features massive pillars, two mighty statues, and a pair of towering, bronze-bound doors. The interior holds a complex of workshops, forges, barracks, and mines. The physical and spiritual heart of the place is a large cavern where a gigantic statue of Purphoros stands amid a pool of lava, with a raised altar facing a forge where smiths can complete their work in sight of their god.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/140-map-4.14-Volcano-Temple.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.14: Volcano Temple",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "026",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/141-map-4.14-Volcano-Temple-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "026"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Volcano Temple Villains",
									"page": 170,
									"id": "2ea",
									"entries": [
										"Villains in a volcano temple are out to claim the place's treasures or harness the mountain's destructive power. Examples of such villains appear on the Volcano Temple Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Volcano Temple Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"An {@creature adult red dragon} tries to make its nest inside the temple, attacking the artisans and priests within."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature priest} of Mogis infiltrates the volcano and mars its ornate halls, hoping to draw Purphoros's ire and thus cause the volcano to erupt at an unexpected time, killing everyone in the temple."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A obsessed {@creature cult fanatic} is never satisfied with her apprentices' creations and works them to death."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A unit of defeated and desperate {@b hoplites} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Hoplites}) raid the temple, steal magical weapons, and prepare to avenge their fallen companions."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"An apprentice artisan summons {@creature Fire Elemental||fire elementals} that he can't control to murder his cruel master."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"An {@creature iron golem} forged in the temple breaks free of its maker's control and goes on a killing spree."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Thassa",
					"page": 172,
					"id": "2eb",
					"entries": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/127-02-03-Thassa.webp"
							},
							"width": 850,
							"height": 600
						},
						"Thassa's influence on the lives of her champions varies wildly, often influenced by her stormy whims. A champion of the god who serves dutifully might not attract her attention for years. Those who displease her, though, or who engage with those who have earned her ire, might find themselves the uncomfortable focus of her attention for an extended period.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Thassa's Champions",
							"page": 172,
							"id": "2ec",
							"entries": [
								"Thassa's champions are more expressions of her desires than the means for enacting long-term agendas. She disdains the status quo but also has no interest in committing to lengthy campaigns to overturn it. Rather, her champions' work often serves her immediate interests or embodies her ire about some recent slight.",
								"The Thassa's Quests table suggests a few adventures the god's champions might involve themselves in.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Thassa's Quests",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Adventure Goal"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Help a village of Thassa's faithful evacuate to the hills before Thassa sends a great wave to punish the village's willful coastal neighbors."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Phenax has learned the location of a sunken treasure in a flooded cave. Retrieve the treasure before his fortune-hunters can steal it from Thassa."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Smuggle a cargo of offerings for Thassa past harbor inspectors at Meletis, skirting new laws put into place at the behest of Heliod's priesthood that ban the import of items intended for sacrifice to other gods."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Find a magically stolen vessel sequestered high in the mountains and return it to the ocean."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Capture a great beast of the land and bring it to the shore as an offering for a kraken."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Humiliate a champion of another god (most likely Ephara, Karametra, Pharika, Iroas, or Mogis)."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "A Thassa Campaign",
									"page": 172,
									"id": "2ed",
									"entries": [
										"Thassa's interests naturally pull the characters toward the sea, coasts, or lands affected by (or starved of) water. She makes a fantastic patron for sea-based campaigns, but also land-based journeys where the characters might spread Thassa's desire for change and discovering ancient knowledge.",
										"The campaign might begin with Thassa warning the characters about an impending attack or disaster involving a seaside community, leaving them to convince others and organize a defense. Some citizens might hail them as heroes, while others are suspicious of them\u2014particularly when one of the disasters they foretell seems likely to be Thassa's doing. They might get caught up in the schemes of other gods' minions who resent their growing influence over the community.",
										"Thassa knows nothing is permanent, including her champions' service. If they fail to uphold her wishes, she will abandon them. In such a case, she might become a villain, trying to thwart the characters unless they can appease her or gain the protection of a new patron."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Thassa's Villains",
							"page": 172,
							"id": "2ee",
							"entries": [
								"Thassa can take on a villainous role as much through indifference as through malice. Thassa takes revenge on those who wrong her, and she doesn't particularly care who else is harmed.",
								"Thassa's followers might become villains for a vast range of reasons. Some become obsessed with recovering or keeping hidden the secrets of the deep. Others come to worship the ocean itself, with its uncaring depths and half-glimpsed monsters. Still others preemptively strike at those who risk offending the god\u2014white knights, overprotective of their own deity.",
								"The Thassa's Villains table suggests a variety of foes that might arise from among the god's followers.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Thassa's Villains",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Villain"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"A {@creature triton master of waves|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Triton}) demands ever greater sacrifices to Thassa from merchants moving along a crucial trade route, threatening to sink ships that don't comply."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"A former {@creature priest} of Thassa kidnaps indigents and plans to drown them as offerings to regain her favor."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"A {@creature druid} of Thassa, after being mistreated by a coastal community, uses magic to lure a plague of {@creature Giant Crab||giant crabs} out of the depths to take revenge."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"A {@creature water elemental} is trapped in a village well and has changed the drinking water to saltwater. It needs help returning to the sea."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Sirens (see the harpies entry in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Harpies}) favored by Thassa take up residence in a lighthouse, preventing its use."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A ship carrying a massive pearl sacred to Thassa has been sunk. Thassa's {@creature Cultist||cultists} want the pearl back, but anyone trying to retrieve it find that the god's triton followers have claimed it."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Thassa's Monsters",
									"page": 172,
									"id": "2ef",
									"entries": [
										"Any sea creature might answer Thassa's call. In addition to any aquatic beast or being of elemental water, the Thassa's Monsters table presents a few of her servants.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Thassa's Monsters",
											"colLabels": [
												"Challenge",
												"Creature"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1/2",
													"{@creature Hippocamp|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"1",
													"Siren ({@creature harpy})*"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Naiad|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"{@creature Triton shorestalker|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"5",
													"{@creature Water elemental}"
												],
												[
													"8",
													"{@creature Triton master of waves|MOT}"
												],
												[
													"13",
													"{@creature Storm giant}"
												],
												[
													"17",
													"{@creature Dragon turtle}"
												],
												[
													"23",
													"{@creature Kraken}*"
												],
												[
													"26",
													"{@creature Tromokratis|MOT}"
												]
											],
											"footnotes": [
												"* See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6} for details about these creatures in Theros."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/128-04-31.webp"
											},
											"title": "The floor of the Siren Sea is littered with vessels that navigated the waves unwelcomed ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Chris Rahn"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Thassa as Campaign Villain",
							"page": 173,
							"id": "2f0",
							"entries": [
								"Many of Thassa's schemes begin with some perceived slight, or even a genuine threat, perpetrated by one of the other gods. But Thassa's acts of intervention are seldom subtle, and her resistance to change sometimes causes her to let a situation worsen until she erupts in rage.",
								"Thassa might begin by answering another god's offensive act with a display of power\u2014which might be viewed as a threat by other gods. An arrogant dictate from Heliod or developments in a coastal community might prompt Thassa to send forth a kraken, requiring that heroes fight it off. When the kraken is defeated, Thassa sends her champions to collect the beast's heart so they might resurrect the creature. Characters might then face off against Thassa's champions while they attempt this resurrection, or fight several younger krakens her champions are training. Such a campaign might end with the adventurers convincing other gods to placate Thassa, or paying penance in the form of treasure, service, or sacrifice.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Thassa's Divine Schemes",
									"page": 173,
									"id": "2f1",
									"entries": [
										"The Thassa's Divine Schemes tables offers examples of how the god's whims might have ruinous impact upon the world.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Thassa's Divine Schemes",
											"colLabels": [
												"d4",
												"Scheme"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"After a kraken is sighted near an inhabited island, a fleet prepares to set sail from Meletis to face it. In retribution, Thassa pulls the ocean back from the entire coastline, stranding not only the fleet, but the fishing boats and merchant vessels that keep the polis fed and supplied. Thassa's oracles announce that \"the forest of masts must be felled\" before the waters will return, but Meletis refuses to give up its navy. How can Thassa be appeased?"
												],
												[
													"2",
													"During a divine conflict, one of the gods' weapons tumbles into the sea. Thassa refuses to return the godly weapon, claiming it as her own, much to the owner's ire."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Thassa turns a ship full of another god's champions into dolphins as punishment for setting foot on one of her holy isles. Can she be persuaded to change them back? How will the champions' patrons respond if she refuses?"
												],
												[
													"4",
													"When multiple gods turn against her in a dispute, Thassa is enraged. She releases the locks binding every kraken in the sea, along with that of an ancient and mysterious kraken brood mother."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Coastal Temple",
							"page": 174,
							"id": "2f2",
							"entries": [
								"Thassa's temples are often located in coastal areas, to accommodate both her land-dwelling worshipers and her faithful who live beneath the waves, such as tritons. These houses of worship often make use of natural caves and coves that demonstrate the power of the sea over the passage of time. Wave-worn rocks, tidal pools, stalactites, stalagmites, coral reefs, and other marine features are all incorporated into the decor of a temple.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/129-04-32.webp"
									},
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 1011,
									"credit": "Steven Belledin"
								},
								"Most coastal temples include chambers that are underwater at high tide. Worshipers sit in these places at low tide and meditate on what the future might hold while the water rises around them. They leave offerings to Thassa in these places, which are carried out to sea as the water recedes.",
								"A coastal temple is where people come to contemplate the sea, the passage of time, and the natural world while enjoying the sound of the waves, the sight of the sea's sculptures, and the refreshing feeling of cool water.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Coastal Temple Adventures",
									"page": 174,
									"id": "2f3",
									"entries": [
										"Fierce tides and sudden storms make coastal temples potentially hostile places for the land-dwelling faithful. No worshiper, aquatic or otherwise, is safe on the rare occasions when a shark or something worse comes up from the depths.",
										"Adventurers could come to a temple to clash with a group of Thassa's faithful, which include pirates, cultists who worship krakens, and other unsavory types who sail the waves or swim beneath them. Characters might also to come to such a place to meditate and listen to what the sea tells them. The Coastal Temple Adventures table offers ideas for adventures in such a place.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Coastal Temple Adventures",
											"colLabels": [
												"d12",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Save land-dwelling worshipers who became trapped inside the temple during a flood."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Steal an offering before it washes away."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Confront pirates worshiping at the temple."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Defend the temple from kraken-worshiping cultists."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Kill or drive off a {@creature hydra} that has claimed the temple as its home."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Help a {@creature killer whale} beached in the temple."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Get information from a worshiper."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Kidnap a worshiper without making a scene."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Steal a magic {@creature quipper} from a sacred tide pool."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Spy on a conversation between two worshipers."
												],
												[
													"11",
													"Negotiate with a {@b blue dragon} that wants to claim the temple as its lair."
												],
												[
													"12",
													"Escape the temple as it floods."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Coastal Temple Map",
									"page": 174,
									"id": "2f4",
									"entries": [
										"At high tide, the coastal temple shown in map 4.15 is covered in a few inches of water, some of which gets trapped in depressions when the tide goes out. These shallow pools sometimes contain colorful fish, crabs, shells, and flotsam, any of which Thassa's followers might consider to have divine meaning. The largest cavern boasts a massive coral altar where the sea god is worshiped. Tunnels lead to priests' quarters, private meditation areas, docks, and other areas well suited to the use of both land-dwelling and aquatic worshipers.",
										{
											"type": "gallery",
											"images": [
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/145-map-4.15-Coastal-Temple.webp"
													},
													"title": "Map 4.15: Coastal Temple",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "map",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"id": "027",
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												},
												{
													"type": "image",
													"href": {
														"type": "internal",
														"path": "book/MOT/146-map-4.15-Coastal-Temple-player.webp"
													},
													"title": "Player Version",
													"width": 4200,
													"height": 5700,
													"imageType": "mapPlayer",
													"grid": {
														"type": "square",
														"size": 75
													},
													"mapParent": {
														"id": "027"
													},
													"credit": "Dyson Logos"
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Coastal Temple Villains",
									"page": 174,
									"id": "2f5",
									"entries": [
										"Villains in seaside temples often seek to harness the might of the sea or are almost alien beings that have crawled from the depths. Examples of such villains appear on the Coastal Temple Villains table.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Coastal Temple Villains",
											"colLabels": [
												"d6",
												"Villain"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"A {@creature kraken} threatens to destroy the temple if worshipers don't pay tribute to the creature."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"A {@creature Naiad|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Naiad}) hides inside the temple and murders fishers who worship here for their crimes against the sea."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"A group of sirens (see the {@creature Harpy||harpies} entry in {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Harpies}) take over the temple and lure new victims inside to drown themselves during high tide."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"A {@creature priest} of Thassa falsely convinces elderly worshipers that giving more wealth to the temple increases the length of time they live."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"A {@creature giant octopus} under the effects of the {@spell awaken} spell hunts in the temple at high tide."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"A rageful {@creature triton master of waves|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Triton Master of Waves}) believes everyone in a temple is secretly serving a kraken and begins murdering them."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Nautical Adventures",
					"page": 176,
					"id": "2f7",
					"entries": [
						"{@i The} {@i Callapheia} chronicles the legendary story of Callaphe, captain of {@i The} {@i Monsoon}, whose wild adventures pitted her against all manner of pirates and sea monsters. Sailors also tell tales of the bold explorer Captain Siona and her ship, the {@i Pyleas}, recounting her epic voyages to mystical islands. Both captains and their crews still sail the waves of Theros, their stories far from complete. Yet word of their deeds has inspired generations of sailors, merely hinting at the endless treasures and adventures to be found at sea. This section provides an overview of the wonders and dangers heroes might encounter when they venture out to sea.",
						{
							"type": "inset",
							"name": "Running Nautical Adventures",
							"page": 176,
							"id": "2f8",
							"entries": [
								"Running adventures involving ships and the sea doesn't need to be daunting, especially not in a world as steeped in magic as Theros. Knowing the difference between port (left) and starboard (right), or a ship's bow (front) and stern (rear) isn't necessarily important to legendary heroes, particularly when brave crews sail along with them. Feel free to think of the ship your heroes travel upon less in the terms of a pirate story (full of commonplace duties and dangers) and more like a vessel in a space-faring, sci-fi adventure (where mundane operations often fade into the background). How much a story engages with course setting, provisioning, periods of inactivity, and other aspects of long ocean journeys is ultimately up to you and the players to decide, but consider cleaving to what the group thinks is fun rather than stretching for unnecessary accuracy (whatever that might mean for a world as magical as Theros).",
								"That said, if you'd like to add nuance to your nautical adventures in Theros, the book {@adventure Ghosts of Saltmarsh|GoS} provides more information on ships, hazards, and environments at sea as well as tables for use with nautical encounters, mysterious islands, and other marine features. The galley presented in that book might also make a fine vessel for your adventures\u2014once your players give it a name worthy of their legend, that is."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Sailing the Sea",
							"page": 176,
							"id": "2f9",
							"entries": [
								"Just as on land, everything in the waters of Theros exists on a mythic scale. While map 3.1 in {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|Map 3.1: world of theros} suggests that travel across the Siren Sea should take only a few days, its hazards and countless uncharted islands can make what should be a journey of a month a year-long odyssey. Even a routine journey can become an epic adventure if the characters anger a god, such as Thassa, who can make sure the waves are never in their favor.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Embarking on Adventure",
									"page": 176,
									"id": "2fa",
									"entries": [
										"To begin any nautical adventure, heroes must take that first, often daunting, step away from dry land. The Adventures at Sea table provides a variety of story ideas that might help compel heroes to set forth upon the waves.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Adventures at Sea",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Adventure Goal"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Slay a monster or pirates terrorizing ships at sea."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Follow an omen that leads out to sea."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Seek an artifact hidden underwater or on an island."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Find your way home after getting lost."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Find a lost temple of a god."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Relocate settlers trying to colonize an inhabited isle."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Discover a safe route through deadly waters."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Retrace the path of a hero lost at sea."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Find a whirlpool that is a passage to the Underworld."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Sail from the edge of the world into Nyx."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Getting Lost",
									"page": 176,
									"id": "2fb",
									"entries": [
										"Many adventures at sea start with a simple premise: get home. Whether the tale starts with characters getting marooned or in the aftermath of some calamity, the characters might share the goal of getting back to where they belong. Perhaps the characters find themselves on an island of legend, one not found on any map, making their travels a journey through the unknown. Even if the characters are shipwrecked on a well-known island, the influence of the gods, pursuit of deadly sea beasts, will of a living vessel, or countless other challenges could stand in the way of them reaching home."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Maintaining Relationships",
									"page": 176,
									"id": "2fc",
									"entries": [
										"In a campaign that often changes location, it can be difficult to have recurring NPCs. If you introduce characters you'd like the party to stay in touch with, consider the following options:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"Aquatic or flying characters can visit the characters as they travel, appearing unexpectedly.",
												"Magic items such as {@item sending stones} and spells such as {@spell animal messenger} allow characters to stay in touch over long distances.",
												"Powerful creatures might teleport to the characters' location\u2014particularly those unable (or disinclined) to share their teleportation powers.",
												"When the characters dream, they might meet other creatures in Nyx.",
												"Some of Theros's mystical islands move around on the sea, allowing the characters to run into them and their inhabitants multiple times."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/131-04-33.webp"
											},
											"title": "The kraken Arixmethes carries the ruins of a lost city affixed to the length of its spine ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Dimitar Marinski"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Mystical Islands",
							"page": 177,
							"id": "2fd",
							"entries": [
								"The Siren Sea is dotted with mysterious islands that are home to strange creatures, mysterious hermits, odd phenomena, and ancient ruins. These islands make fantastic adventure locations for characters exploring uncharted oceans or those simply trying to get home. While any island might present the opportunity to rest, weather storms, restock, and explore, the islands of Theros might also be worlds unto themselves, where unlikely beings hold dominion or the gods have crafted a realm to their specific whims. Such mystical islands aren't just stops on an ocean journey; they're unique lands touched by the magic of the gods.",
								"A mystical island could be the ultimate destination of a nautical adventure, or a magical interlude amid a larger seafaring campaign. When creating a mystical island, consider how its environment and inhabitants contribute to making it feel like a world unto itself. Also, consider how the laws of nature and the gods might operate differently on the island, giving rise to all manner of magical properties.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Island Environments",
									"page": 177,
									"id": "2fe",
									"entries": [
										"While a mystical island could be a simple spur of rock and sand jutting from the ocean depths, there's the potential to make it much more. When considering the very foundations of an island, consider what the gods might have set adrift, what might have fallen from Nyx, or what might have floated upon the seas for centuries. The Mystical Island Environments table suggests some possibilities for the sorts of unusual islands that might be floating in the Siren Sea.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Island Environments",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Environment"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"Frozen. The island is magically frozen or is a floating iceberg. Perhaps something lies locked within."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"Sargassum. The island is a dense layer of seaweed that has developed its own ecosystem of strange beasts and trapped sailors."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Living. The island is actually a gigantic slumbering creature\u2014potentially unbeknown to its residents."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Mirage. Magical phenomena surround a mundane island with tempting or treacherous illusions."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Nyx Shard. The island is a manifestation of Nyx, a recreation of a land from the distant past or completely from fiction."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Idyllic. The island has beautiful weather and abundant fruit\u2014so much so that some might consider never leaving."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Lost Ruin. The island is all that survived a calamity that destroyed a legendary city."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"Gateway. The island is inherently magical, perhaps being an intrusion from a bizarre demiplane or the dream of a sleeping demigod."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Promised Land. The island is a gift from a god to a favored individual or population, specially tailored to suit their whims."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Divine Refuge. A god created this island to be a personal getaway, making it a reflection of the world as it would appear if they were in complete control."
												]
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/132-04-34.webp"
											},
											"title": "Upon one of the Dakra Isles, trespassers learn the truth behind the storied Curse of the Swine ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 951,
											"credit": "James Ryman"
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Island Inhabitants",
									"page": 178,
									"id": "2ff",
									"entries": [
										"Any sort of people, from isolated societies to desperate castaways, from monstrous predators to the last beings of their kind, might make their home in a hidden island sanctuary. The Island Inhabitants table offers just a few suggestions for what sort of people might make their home on a mystical island.",
										{
											"type": "table",
											"caption": "Island Inhabitants",
											"colLabels": [
												"d10",
												"Inhabitants"
											],
											"colStyles": [
												"col-2 text-center",
												"col-10"
											],
											"rows": [
												[
													"1",
													"The Last. Creatures that think they're the last of their kind\u2014perhaps Returned, leonin, or humans\u2014make their home on the island."
												],
												[
													"2",
													"First Contact. A prosperous civilization, unconnected to the great poleis, thrives on the island."
												],
												[
													"3",
													"Strangers. A species not usually connected to Theros dwells here\u2014such as thri-kreen, yuan-ti, or another creature from the {@book Monster Manual|MM}."
												],
												[
													"4",
													"Rivals. Two settlements have turned the island into a war zone."
												],
												[
													"5",
													"Prisoner. A powerful monster or dangerous figure from legend is imprisoned on this island."
												],
												[
													"6",
													"Tyrant. A powerful individual built a fortress on the island, and all other residents revere them."
												],
												[
													"7",
													"Fanatics. The island's residents know only one god and don't appreciate visits from heretics."
												],
												[
													"8",
													"The Dead. A settlement of the Returned is located near an obscure passage to the Underworld."
												],
												[
													"9",
													"Memories. Everyone on the island is Nyxborn, being the reincarnation of a lost people."
												],
												[
													"10",
													"Oracle. An oracle with a reputation for accurate knowledge and prediction lives on the island."
												]
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Island Magical Properties",
									"page": 178,
									"id": "300",
									"entries": [
										"Beyond unusual physical compositions and strange inhabitants, mystical islands might have magical properties. Effects include persistent weather, a unique law of physics, a curse that affects visitors, or something stranger. When determining what magical properties affect a mystical island, consider using any of the magical effects here, either as presented or as inspiration for magical properties of your own design.",
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Bliss Island",
											"page": 178,
											"id": "301",
											"entries": [
												"Those who visit the island risk being enchanted so they never want to leave. At the end of each long rest it takes on this island, a visitor must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be unwilling to leave the island before finishing another long rest. After failing this saving throw three times, the creature never willingly leaves the island and, if forcibly removed, does everything in its power to return. A {@spell dispel evil and good} spell removes this effect from the creature."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Swine Island",
											"page": 178,
											"id": "302",
											"entries": [
												"Visitors to this island risk being afflicted by the Curse of the Swine. At the end of each long rest it takes on this island, a visitor must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the {@spell polymorph} spell and transformed into a pig (use the {@creature boar} stat block). The curse lasts until the visitor leaves the isle or until it is broken by a spell like {@spell remove curse}."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Timeless Island",
											"page": 178,
											"id": "303",
											"entries": [
												"When characters leave the island after spending at least 1 day there, they might find that time has passed differently for the outside world. Use the Feywild Time Warp table in {@table feywild time warp||chapter 2} of the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG} to determine how much time has passed."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Wild Magic Island",
											"page": 178,
											"id": "304",
											"entries": [
												"Whenever a spell is cast on the island, the caster must roll on the {@table Wild Magic Surge|PHB} table from {@class sorcerer|phb|chapter 3|Wild|phb} of the {@book Player's Handbook|PHB}."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Underwater Adventures",
							"page": 179,
							"id": "305",
							"entries": [
								"With vast triton realms hidden beneath the waves and legendary ruins drowned in the deep, endless potential for adventure lies under the sea. Characters interested in exploring the ocean's depths might seek the means of surviving underwater\u2014whether such takes the form of magic items or devices crafted by ingenious inventors. Alternatively, drowning might only be a concern of those who aren't favored by the gods, and heroes might find themselves welcomed into the deep by Thassa herself. The riches of the deep are also vast, with the peoples of the sea hoarding strange treasures and more ships resting on the ocean floor than sailing its surface. However characters contend with the depths and whatever they might seek, consider using the possibilities on the Underwater Adventures table to launch a party's explorations into the deep.",
								{
									"type": "insetReadaloud",
									"id": "306",
									"entries": [
										"Myth of the Sinking of Olantin",
										"In ancient days, Olantin was a wealthy coastal polis along the Siren Sea. Because it was the westernmost of the great poleis of old, it became associated with sunset, and therefore, with Heliod. A magnificent shrine to the sun god rose within the polis, and its priests, a group known as the Triarchy, grew wealthy and powerful.",
										"Details about what came next are unclear, but records tell of a veil of darkness that engulfed the coast. People believed that Heliod had abandoned them, and many fled the polis. In a panic, the Triarchy raised an enormous ball of light into the sky as a replacement sun. When the darkness cleared, Heliod saw the fake sun and grew furious. With his spear, he struck Olantin, shattering the city and casting its ruins into the depths of the sea."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Underwater Adventures",
									"colLabels": [
										"d12",
										"Plot"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"Seek aid or advice from the eldest member of an aquatic species\u2014such as the first dolphin."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Recover the treasure of a hero long ago devoured by a sea beast."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Carry a coastal city's gifts and diplomatic messages to an underwater community."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Calm a kraken attempting to break out of its sea lock (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Kraken})."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Make a sacrifice at a triton temple devoted to Thassa or another god."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Transform into a sea creature and infiltrate an undersea community."
										],
										[
											"7",
											"Convince a hero who's fallen in love with a sea dweller to return home."
										],
										[
											"8",
											"Raise a sunken city back above the waves while avoiding whatever now makes the place its home."
										],
										[
											"9",
											"Seek information from an oracle who lives on a sunken island inside a giant bubble."
										],
										[
											"10",
											"Seal a hole in the sea that's allowing denizens of the Underworld ward of Nerono to escape."
										],
										[
											"11",
											"Return a juvenile sea monster caught in a fisher's net to its home."
										],
										[
											"12",
											"Protect a priest of Thassa intent on journeying to the bottom of the sea."
										]
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/133-04-35.webp"
									},
									"title": "As the people of Olantin discovered, ages of prosperity and culture mean nothing in the face of a wrathful sea ",
									"width": 1000,
									"height": 1018,
									"credit": "Slawomir Maniak"
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Underworld Adventures",
					"page": 180,
					"id": "307",
					"entries": [
						"All things eventually reach their end and pass into the Underworld. That doesn't mean the heroes of Theros need to accept that fate and embrace eternity quietly, though. This section examines fates and features of the Underworld, including how the living and the dead might interact with this grim land and its inhabitants. Methods of escaping this supposedly final resting place of all mortal souls are also explored here, along with what adventures the Underworld holds for Theros's bravest heroes.",
						{
							"type": "inset",
							"name": "What Happens When You Die?",
							"page": 180,
							"id": "308",
							"entries": [
								"When a soul arrives in the Underworld, it has all the memories and skills it enjoyed in life. In all respects, it is identical to its living self, including its game statistics. Though souls can enjoy the acts of eating, drinking, and sleeping, they don't require them. They feel hunger and thirst and might be tormented by deprivation, but they don't suffer the effects of {@condition exhaustion} because of it.",
								"Every time a soul dies in the Underworld, it reanimates at the start of its next turn with 1 hit point per Hit Die it possesses, and it gains one level of {@condition exhaustion} that can't be removed unless the soul returns to life, at which point all {@condition exhaustion} gained in this way vanishes. With each level of permanent {@condition exhaustion}, the soul becomes faded and dull, its eyes glazing over more and more until they are blank, staring pools.",
								"A soul that suffers level 6 {@condition exhaustion} from the continued application of this effect petrifies into a statue called a misera, and it doesn't rise again."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Living Descent",
							"page": 180,
							"id": "309",
							"entries": [
								"Sometimes the answer to a riddle is lost beyond the inky waters of the Tartyx River. When spells and sages fail to recover some crucial bit of information, how far might heroes go to recover it? One answer is to dare an expedition into the Underworld to find what was lost. Entering the Underworld is arguably one of the easiest feats imaginable\u2014everyone ends up there when they die. Entering while still alive, and in such a way as to be able to walk out again, is another matter entirely.",
								"Legends tell of places where the boundary between the mortal world and the Underworld is weak. These paths lie beyond lands controlled by the poleis and other civilized beings. Dark caves with tunnels leading down into darkness and rivers quietly lapping at fog-shrouded gravel shores give way to the Underworld's borders. Though Athreos ferries the dead across the Tartyx, he's not above accepting a one-way fare from those who still breathe. Even the other fearsome Underworld guardians that keep watch over the dead often allow the living to enter. Leaving the Underworld isn't so simple, and once beyond the Tartyx River the living find themselves in the same predicament as the dead. Within the Underworld, characters who entered bodily are still fully alive. They age, suffer damage, heal naturally, and require air, food, drink, and sleep as normal. The Underworld isn't conducive to mortal life, though, and between deadly creatures and dangerous otherworldly environments, the living might soon find themselves numbering among the dead.",
								"Characters can pursue all manner of goals to the Underworld. Many center on finding something that was lost with no other means available to recover it. Perhaps this means rescuing a dead soul when resurrection magic isn't an option or retrieving a vital piece of information from someone who wasn't supposed to die. This might even mean pursuing the soul of a player character, particularly if they're somehow barred from being returned to life through usual magical means. In such a case, consider allowing the player to run a temporary character who assists the party in the rescue or to play their own character as a soul and let them rejoin the party to help effect their own escape.",
								"Regardless of why living characters might enter the Underworld, those who attempt the undertaking might seek to learn more about the realm of the dead, its various wards (see {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|The Underworld}), and where the object of their quest ended up. Oracles of any of the gods might aid in divining these details, but those likely to be the most precise\u2014followers of Erebos\u2014are also the least likely to be interested in aiding an Underworld escape. How characters turn such an oracle to their side and determine the accuracy of the information they receive are all part of such a momentous quest.",
								"Once characters enter the Underworld and attain their goal, they still face their most daunting challenge: escape. Consult the following \"{@book Paths of Escape|MOT|4|Paths of Escape}\" section for ideas on how the living might ultimately make their way back out of the Underworld."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Deathly Interludes",
							"page": 180,
							"id": "30a",
							"entries": [
								"When a character dies, their adventures don't need to end. The Underworld presents an opportunity to provide a sense of closure for deceased characters\u2014as adventurers' ends tend to be quite sudden\u2014or to give them a way to continue engaging in the quest while their companions attempt to bring them back to life.",
								"These interludes can be played as brief scenes where the player of the dead character is in the spotlight and the rest of the group observes. Alternatively, the rest of the group could participate as NPCs or even monsters the dead character meets and interacts with.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Hero's Epilogue",
									"page": 180,
									"id": "30b",
									"entries": [
										"Most adventurers hope their lives come to an end with some worthy conclusion. Sometimes in the heat of battle, though, that end can be abrupt and without real resolution. An epilogue featuring a hero's soul descending into the Underworld, crossing the Tartyx River, and being guided\u2014or dragged\u2014to the ward which awaits them might create that satisfying conclusion.",
										"Consider memorable moments from the character's story and how they can be reflected in the events of their final descent. Maybe they see the souls of friends, allies, or loved ones who perished, whether their fates are good or ill. Perhaps a villain the hero slew now exists as a broken misera, giving mute testament to the hero's success. Characters who overcame their personal flaws might even be confronted with symbolic or direct examples of their past failings and rebuke their old vices in a final, crystallizing act of growth.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/134-04-36.webp"
											},
											"title": "Funerary masks help the newly dead resist the erosion of memory and identity in the Underworld ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1000,
											"credit": "John Stanko"
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Soul Abides",
									"page": 181,
									"id": "30c",
									"entries": [
										"When adventurers in higher tiers of play die, they can often expect to be resurrected. In these cases, an interlude where the hero gets a glimpse of the afterlife awaiting them can be powerful. From a personal standpoint, this sort of interlude can serve to reinforce a character's choices and actions or offer a warning of what's to come if their priorities don't change.",
										"For characters who embrace heroic virtues and live as a beneficial force in the world, they might spend a few hours or days in the idyllic embrace of Ilysia. On the other hand, those who have stained their soul with dark acts might return to life after suffering what feels like years of torture in Tizerus's Mire of Punishment.",
										"In either case, the character might even gain some helpful insight into their current predicament or a portent of events to come. Maybe the soul of a long dead sage offers guidance or a legend the hero long idolized provides advice on how they defeated a similar threat. Silent contemplation while sailing on the Nerono oceans could give the character time to decipher part of a mystery. An Underworld demon might even say something that only one of the character's dead rivals could have known. Whatever a character learns during their temporary death, they can carry with them back into the mortal world. Such might make dying one of the most helpful things to happen in a character's greater heroic career."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Journey into Death",
							"page": 181,
							"id": "30d",
							"entries": [
								"Those who are prepared for death, or who receive funeral rites, typically have or are given a coin (or similar token of value) interred with their corpse. When these individuals' souls reach the banks of the Tartyx River, they have with them the fare necessary to board Athreos's skiff and pass on to the Underworld.",
								"Those who don't have a coin with them when they die and aren't given funeral rites have no means to pay Athreos's toll and thus have no way of reaching their place of rest. These lost souls primarily collect along the Tartyx's shores where they languish or beg for coins to pay for their passage. Some wander away from the shore, though, becoming ghosts or other undead. Only if their body is granted funeral rites or if the living give them payment for Athreos can such souls find rest.",
								{
									"type": "inset",
									"name": "What Happens When a Soul Escapes?",
									"page": 182,
									"id": "30e",
									"entries": [
										"If a soul meets all the challenges set before it and slips from Erebos's clutches, several things likely happen:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"The soul becomes a true, physical being. It is in a new version of its body, a physical manifestation of the soul's perception of itself (which may or may not be identical to its former body).",
												"The soul's former body has no further connection to the soul; it is an inert, empty shell. Casting spells on the body that restore it to life simply have no effect.",
												"Any object carried out of the Underworld becomes a real, physical thing in the mortal world, with all the properties and features common to objects of its type."
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Denizens of the Underworld",
							"page": 182,
							"id": "30f",
							"entries": [
								"When a spirit reaches the Underworld, they find that they're far from alone. The nature of the Underworld under Erebos's rule takes its toll on even the heartiest souls. As time wears on, most of the dead feel the weight of ages and misery. Souls suffer injury and pain just as living creatures do, and even the dead can perish over time or after enduring multiple deaths. The result of these forms of spiritual weathering divides the dead into the following groups:",
								"{@b Neoli} are newcomers to the Underworld\u2014vibrant spirits who remember their lives and, in many cases, are coming to terms with death.",
								"{@b Glazers} are vacant, misery-worn souls who have endured decades of existence in the Underworld. Most have spent far more time dead than they did alive and remember life as little more than a faded dream.",
								"{@b Misera} are souls permanently turned to stone after enduring numerous deaths in the Underworld. These corpses of the dead linger where they {@condition petrified} until they crumble to dust."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Paths of Escape",
							"page": 182,
							"id": "310",
							"entries": [
								"Despite the inexorable pull of Erebos's lash, even death itself can end\u2014or at least be forestalled. Simply walking out the way one entered isn't an option\u2014Athreos refuses to ferry souls back across the Tartyx. Other pathways that connect the Underworld and the living world are guarded by vicious creatures. Still, there are a few means by which a dead soul can return to life.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Resurrection Magic",
									"page": 182,
									"id": "311",
									"entries": [
										"By far the simplest means of return for a dead soul is for someone who yet lives to cast a {@spell raise dead}, {@spell resurrection}, or {@spell true resurrection} spell. If a mortal is a frequent recipient of resurrection magic, Erebos might take a special interest in that soul. A soul in the clutches of Erebos himself isn't free, so it can't be returned to life by mortal magic."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Demon Flight",
									"page": 182,
									"id": "312",
									"entries": [
										"Creatures that fly across the Tartyx without Erebos's permission find themselves attacked by flocks of vicious monsters. The demons of the Underworld make this flight with better success than most, though. By bargaining or force, a demon might be convinced to carry a soul on this lengthy, dangerous flight. Should a soul manage to survive the harrowing journey, it finds itself restored to life in the mortal world.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Escaping Characters",
													"entry": "To attempt this means of escape, a party must bargain with a demon or acquire another means of flight in the Underworld. Then they'd better be ready for the fight of their lives as demons, harpies, and other deadly foes pursue them."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Lathos",
									"page": 182,
									"id": "313",
									"entries": [
										"Hidden in the bowels of Erebos's palace is the portal Lathos, which leads to the mortal world. Moreover, tales say that Lathos can restore a soul to life without any cost or loss of one's identity and sense of self. This isn't to say that Lathos is an easy path to walk, however. Erebos's most fearsome servants guard the portal. So far, no one has succeeded in escaping through Lathos, and the location of the portal's exit in the mortal world is unknown.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Escaping Characters",
													"entry": "Escaping through Lathos is likely an appealing option as the portal exacts no price. The trick is reaching it. Perhaps the characters know some secret that Erebos covets and so might bargain for access. Alternatively, they might conduct an elaborate infiltration of Erebos's palace. Such would be a challenging endeavor but also a feat worthy of legend."
												}
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Path of Phenax",
									"page": 182,
									"id": "314",
									"entries": [
										"The god Phenax, once a mortal who died and passed into the Underworld, was the first to discover a way to escape, forever known as the Path of Phenax. As part of his escape, he swam across the Tartyx, whose waters stripped away his identity. Without that vital part of his being, Phenax couldn't be detected by Athreos, and Erebos couldn't snare him with his great whip.",
										"Since Phenax's escape, other souls have repeated his dangerous journey. When mortal souls travel the Path of Phenax, the Tartyx washes away their identities, symbolized by their faces, which become nothing more than blank flesh. Souls that successfully emerge on the mortal side of the Tartyx River become Returned, with no knowledge of their former name or past life. As this is a known consequence, most souls forge a gold mask to carry with them. This mask becomes the proxy identity worn by all Returned. Souls' lost identities continue to exist, though, becoming eidolons, which scatter throughout the mortal realm, having no connection to their Returned bodies. (See {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Returned} for more information about eidolons and the Returned.)",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Escaping Characters",
													"entry": "Traveling the Path of Phenax can present an exciting but challenging option for most parties, as it results in affected characters becoming a monster of some type\u2014either an eidolon or a Returned. If you're comfortable with characters playing as monsters or retiring their characters at the end of the quest, this can be a rewarding arc to play through. You might also introduce some means to reunite a character's eidolon with its Returned body and restore the character to at least some semblance of their former self. This should be a monumental undertaking, as it shakes the foundation of Theros's division of life and death."
												}
											]
										},
										"The exact details of Phenax's route are unclear, and aside from forging masks and a final swim, any number of challenges among islands in the Tartyx might comprise the path.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/135-04-37.webp"
											},
											"title": "Those who follow the Path of Phenax might return to the mortal world, but they never regain the lives they lost ",
											"width": 1000,
											"height": 906,
											"credit": "Zack Stella"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Beyond Death",
							"page": 183,
							"id": "315",
							"entries": [
								"When a character dies, the Underworld serves as an opportunity to allow a dead character to experience their own story while their companions (hopefully) try to get the body resurrected. Consider the possibilities on the Underworld Adventures table should a character find themselves trying to escape the realm of the dead.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Underworld Adventures",
									"colLabels": [
										"d20",
										"Plot"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"In Phylias, find and bargain for information with your least favorite dead acquaintance or family member."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"Smuggle the puppy of an {@creature Underworld cerberus|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Underworld Cerberus}) into the mortal world."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"Find and free a lost hero from the Labyrinth of Memories on Nerono."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"Free a legendary lost ship and the souls aboard from the endless Nerono whirlpool they're trapped within."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"Meet with your family's most legendary member in Ilysia and prove yourself worthy of their name."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"Steal a legendary, long-shattered treasure from its resting place in Ilysia's Citadel of Destiny."
										],
										[
											"7",
											"Seek out a long-dead foe and learn how they're keeping you from being magically resurrected."
										],
										[
											"8",
											"Discover a secret from an infamous member of your family who became a {@creature typhon|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Typhon})."
										],
										[
											"9",
											"Save a god's favored worshiper from a cruel punishment in the Underworld\u2014even though they've been dead for hundreds of years."
										],
										[
											"10",
											"Sever one of the massive chains of Tizerus, releasing the ancient being it binds."
										],
										[
											"11",
											"Lead an immortal anvilwrought to Erebos's palace and convince the god to let the construct die."
										],
										[
											"12",
											"Discover why Erebos is no longer allowing certain individuals to die."
										],
										[
											"13",
											"Coerce a {@creature night hag} into granting a morbid prophecy by stealing its eye."
										],
										[
											"14",
											"Learn a secret way to escape the Underworld from one of the titans."
										],
										[
											"15",
											"Find the lost secret of a long-dead warlord that now rests with the villain's misera."
										],
										[
											"16",
											"Discover from a {@creature woe strider|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Woe Strider}) how to escape the bonds of destiny."
										],
										[
											"17",
											"Defeat a host of legendary villains in Agonas's Stadium of Dishonor."
										],
										[
											"18",
											"Prevent one of your ancestors from transforming into an {@creature eater of hope|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Eater of Hope})."
										],
										[
											"19",
											"Travel to Erebos's palace and recover a secret from one who failed to bargain for their release."
										],
										[
											"20",
											"Seek out Klothys's domain and learn from her oracles how you're destined to escape the Underworld."
										]
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "No Silent Secret",
					"page": 184,
					"id": "316",
					"entries": [
						"\"{@adventure No Silent Secret|MOT-NSS}\" is a short adventure for a party of four to six 1st-level characters, who will advance to at least 2nd level by the adventure's conclusion."
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Treasures",
			"page": 195,
			"id": "354",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"The Sun God reached out and put his hand upon Kytheon's shoulder. \"You proved your worth as a warrior in the attack on your polis, but it is time to prove yourself worthy to be my champion.\" He reached up to the sunlit sky, and the light coalesced around his fist. It elongated and took the shape of a spear that resembled the god's own weapon.",
						"\"With this spear, destroy the titan. This is what I task you with. This is your ordeal.\"",
						"Kytheon gaped, both at the spear and at the task the god had set before him."
					],
					"by": "Ari Levitch, \"Gideon: Kytheon Iora of Akros\""
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/141-05-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "Within his workshop, the triton genius Dalakos equips a satyr and leonin with the tools they need to become legends ",
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1995,
					"credit": "Chris Rallis"
				},
				"On Theros, magic items carry reputations as rich and storied as those who wield them. They might take form in the god-realm of Nyx, spring from Purphoros's forge in Mount Velus, or come from legendary mortal smiths. Some crafters create great works to put an end to a specific peril, while others create to honor the gods. The most renowned works are the weapons of the gods themselves, treasures synonymous with divine power that forge legends with their every use.",
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Magic Items",
					"page": 195,
					"id": "356",
					"entries": [
						"The following sections explore some of the magic items that heroes might encounter during their adventures across Theros. These treasures might serve as rewards for heroic deeds, or they could spur the gods' champions toward great acts. All the gods have access to mighty troves of storied items, which they have few qualms about granting to their favored servants\u2014or reclaiming when their usefulness is over.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Gifts of the Gods",
							"page": 195,
							"id": "357",
							"entries": [
								"Just as the heroes of Theros carry great destinies, so too do many of the magic items they encounter. The common folk don't typically possess magic items, yet adventurers come across them with some regularity\u2014further evidencing the divine favor most enjoy. Nearly every magic item was created with a purpose and often carries with it a role in some greater story, whether an epic long ended or one yet untold.",
								"As DM, feel free to make ordinary magic items feel like they have significant history and purpose. Even a {@item +1 spear} might have been carried by a company of hoplite veterans that went missing during their quest to reach the edge of the world. Wands might be crafted from legendary sources, while potions might bear the seals of famed alchemists or include signature reagents\u2014like a pegasus feather in a {@item potion of flying}. The Remarkable Origins table offers just a few ways to suggest a magic item's remarkable pedigree without altering its magical properties.",
								"Certain treasures might also be the objects of heroic quests. For example, one might not be considered a true hero until one follows in the footsteps of past legends and either makes or claims one's own magical garment from the wool of a {@creature Nyx-fleece ram|MOT} (see {@book chapter 6|MOT|6|Nyx-Fleece Ram}). You can also use the tables in {@book chapter 7|DMG|7|Special Features} of the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG} to help further inspire the story you create for a magic item.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Remarkable Origins",
									"colLabels": [
										"d12",
										"Origin"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"The item bears the name or emblem of a lost troop of Akroan stratians (described in {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|Stratians})."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"The item is etched with a name or prayer written in Celestial (the language of the gods)."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"The item looks like it's been at the bottom of the sea for a hundred years but functions perfectly."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"The item is wrapped in handwritten scrolls, suggesting it was once possessed by a founder of one of Meletis's philosophical schools (described in {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|Meletis})."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"The item bears a design or sculpted feature suggestive of a Returned mask."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"A knotted cover or grip depicts colorful birds or stylized herd animals from the plains of Oreskos."
										],
										[
											"7",
											"The item is at least partially made from the heartwood of a Setessan caryatid (described in {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|Caryatid Groves}). The wood regularly sprouts fresh leaves, or its whorls suggest humanoid features."
										],
										[
											"8",
											"The item rests among the remains of its former owner, who thanks (or curses) those who take it."
										],
										[
											"9",
											"The item is at least partially made of iron."
										],
										[
											"10",
											"Whoever first touches the item receives an omen from the god who watches over it (see {@book chapter 4|MOT|4|Omens} for details on omens)."
										],
										[
											"11",
											"The item lies in a crater, as if it fell from the heavens."
										],
										[
											"12",
											"The item glimmers with the stars of Nyx and is a perfect facsimile of an item used by a legendary hero."
										]
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Magic Item Descriptions",
					"page": 196,
					"id": "358",
					"entries": [
						"This section presents an assortment of magic items in alphabetical order. See the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG} for the rules on magic items.",
						{
							"type": "list",
							"columns": 3,
							"items": [
								"{@item Flying Chariot|MOT}",
								"{@item Helm of the Gods|MOT}",
								"{@item Molten Bronze Skin|MOT}",
								"{@item Potion of Aqueous Form|MOT}",
								"{@item Pyxis of Pandemonium|MOT}",
								"{@item Siren Song Lyre|MOT}",
								"{@item Sling Bullets of Althemone|MOT}",
								"{@item Two-Birds Sling|MOT}"
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Artifacts",
					"page": 198,
					"id": "364",
					"entries": [
						"Miraculous relics fill the tales of Theros. Among these legendary items, none are more renowned than the weapons of the gods themselves. These artifacts embody divine will and the power of Nyx. Where they appear, these weapons change the tide of wars and the course of history.",
						"Typically a deity bestows their weapon only on a favored champion or devotee. Depending on the champion's piety score, the mortal can tap into hidden properties of the weapon (see {@book chapter 2|MOT|2|Piety} for details on piety). Alternatively, those who don't worship the weapon's divine owner often find themselves cursed for their lack of proper devotion.",
						"Occasionally a god's weapon might fall into the wrong hands or go missing entirely, sparking fantastic quests. Consult the Weapons of the Gods Adventures table for suggestions of the sort of quests these artifacts might inspire.",
						{
							"type": "table",
							"caption": "Weapons of the Gods Adventures",
							"colLabels": [
								"d6",
								"Plot"
							],
							"colStyles": [
								"col-2 text-center",
								"col-10"
							],
							"rows": [
								[
									"1",
									"Steal a god's weapon to lay low one of that god's servants\u2014a creature that can only be harmed by its creator's wrath."
								],
								[
									"2",
									"Recover a god's weapon that has been stolen by another god's champion in an attempt to frame the weapon's owner for cruel acts."
								],
								[
									"3",
									"Wrest back a god's weapon from a divine champion who needed it but refuses to return it."
								],
								[
									"4",
									"Destroy a god's weapon and channel the energy released to create a new magic item or work a miracle."
								],
								[
									"5",
									"Reforge a god's weapon after an incredible feat caused it to shatter."
								],
								[
									"6",
									"A god's weapon has gained sentience (see \"{@book Sentient Magic Items|DMG|-1}\" in chapter 7 of the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG}). Determine whether to use it, return it to its creator, or help it grow into its own being."
								]
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Artifact Descriptions",
					"page": 198,
					"id": "365",
					"entries": [
						"This section presents an assortment of artifacts in alphabetical order. See the {@book Dungeon Master's Guide|DMG} for the rules on artifacts.",
						{
							"type": "list",
							"columns": 3,
							"items": [
								"{@item Akmon, Hammer of Purphoros|MOT}",
								"{@item Dekella, Bident of Thassa|MOT}",
								"{@item Ephixis, Bow of Nylea|MOT}",
								"{@item Khrusor, Spear of Heliod|MOT}",
								"{@item Mastix, Whip of Erebos|MOT}"
							]
						}
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Friends and Foes",
			"page": 203,
			"id": "37e",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "quote",
					"entries": [
						"As they so often do, destruction and creation intermingled. As Purphoros cut into Nyx, he rattled the celestial creatures that populated the night sky. He accidentally dislodged {@creature Polukranos|MOT}, the World Eater, from its heavenly perch. The fifty-headed monster plunged toward the mortal realm, leaving a trail of Nyx blazing in the sky.",
						"Heliod joined with Nylea, God of the Hunt, who cast vines beneath the hydra's body to ease its harsh entrance into the world. The hydra materialized in the valley and was momentarily stunned into stillness. Though much diminished in size, the hydra could still destroy every human city unless it was immediately contained. Together the gods trapped the hydra inside a cavern deep under the Nessian Forest."
					],
					"by": "Jenna Helland, Godsend"
				},
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/149-06-01.webp"
					},
					"title": "{@creature Arasta|MOT} of the Endless Web exacts her undying revenge upon two more champions of the gods ",
					"width": 1500,
					"height": 1993,
					"credit": "Brian Valeza"
				},
				"This chapter provides stat blocks for a variety of creatures unique to Theros, including mythic monsters\u2014legendary beings intended to serve as peerless threats. It also includes lore relevant to monsters from the {@book Monster Manual|MM} that appear on Theros.",
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Nyxborn Creatures",
					"page": 203,
					"id": "380",
					"entries": [
						"Just as the gods are born of Nyx, so are many creatures. Nyxborn creatures are beings of legend, some the subjects of hopeful dreams and others the product of nightmares. They come into existence as the result of divine action, as the expression of abstract ideals, or as manifestations of the strength of shared belief. As mortals continue to tell their tales of creatures that never were and repeat legends that glorify historic individuals, Nyxborn creatures of those stories might arise.",
						"Whether monsters, manifestations of long-dead mortals, or other beings, Nyxborn creatures share certain characteristics: they resemble ordinary mortal creatures, but any part of their body that isn't lit by direct light shows the starry gleam of Nyx. Nyxborn creatures typically act as the direct servants of one of the gods, but occasionally they escape from the realm of Nyx and pursue their own goals\u2014which might be as simple as violent rampage, or as complex as a far-reaching plan to break the power of the gods.",
						"You can use the Nyxborn Monster Origin table to help you decide what brought a Nyxborn creature into existence.",
						{
							"type": "table",
							"caption": "Nyxborn Monster Origin",
							"colLabels": [
								"d6",
								"Origin"
							],
							"colStyles": [
								"col-2 text-center",
								"col-10"
							],
							"rows": [
								[
									"1",
									"A god created the creature to serve as an emissary."
								],
								[
									"2",
									"The creature formed as the side effect of some other divine action."
								],
								[
									"3",
									"The creature escaped from the Underworld."
								],
								[
									"4",
									"The creature took shape from the tales told about it."
								],
								[
									"5",
									"A god made the creature to serve as a pet or mount."
								],
								[
									"6",
									"The creature took shape from dreams or nightmares."
								]
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Nyxborn Statistics",
							"page": 203,
							"id": "381",
							"entries": [
								"Any type of creature might be Nyxborn. A Nyxborn creature has the normal statistics for its kind, but usually has a special characteristic, a magical quality that sets it apart. When creating Nyxborn creatures, you can summarize their Nyxborn traits as Magic Resistance, as in the Nyxborn Traits table. Alternatively, if you'd like more variety, roll on that table to randomly determine the distinctive characteristic of a Nyxborn creature, or choose one of these or similar traits.",
								{
									"type": "table",
									"caption": "Nyxborn Traits",
									"colLabels": [
										"d6",
										"Trait"
									],
									"colStyles": [
										"col-2 text-center",
										"col-10"
									],
									"rows": [
										[
											"1",
											"{@b Magic Resistance}. The creature's Nyxborn nature gives it advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects."
										],
										[
											"2",
											"{@b Light Sensitivity}. A creature of the night sky, the Nyxborn has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom ({@skill Perception}) checks that rely on sight, while it is in bright light."
										],
										[
											"3",
											"{@b Immutable Form}. The Nyxborn creature is the philosophical ideal of its kind. It is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form."
										],
										[
											"4",
											"{@b Magic Weapons}. The Nyxborn creature's weapon attacks are magical."
										],
										[
											"5",
											"{@b Nyx Step}. The Nyxborn can move through other creatures and objects as if they were {@quickref difficult terrain||3}. It takes 5 ({@dice 1d10}) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object."
										],
										[
											"6",
											"{@b Starlight Form}. The Nyxborn glows with the soft light of the night sky, shedding dim light in a 15-foot radius."
										]
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Classic Monsters",
					"page": 204,
					"id": "382",
					"entries": [
						"Numerous creatures hold special places in the lives and myths of Theros's people. Some are beings said to have been created by the gods\u2014often for special purposes or as divine punishments. Others roam particular territories\u2014lands that have become synonymous with a monstrous population. And still other monsters are in some way unique to Theros, exhibiting appearances, behaviors, and abilities seen few other places in existence.",
						"This section explores Theros's most noteworthy monstrous myths and curiosities unique to this world. If a monster appears differently on Theros than elsewhere in the multiverse, those differences are noted here. Should those differences be significant enough to alter a creature's statistics, those changes are detailed here, as well. If a monster is from a collection other than the {@book Monster Manual|MM}, its source is listed in its description.",
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Basilisk",
							"page": 204,
							"id": "383",
							"entries": [
								"Legends told among the worshipers of Pharika describe how the god hid a treasure trove of secrets in basilisk blood, inspiring her followers to seek ways to reveal the truths hidden among organs and scales. Healers dilute the blood to use in potions, and oracles employ it in divination rituals.",
								"{@creature Basilisk||Basilisks} on Theros have only four legs but are statistically identical to the monster described in the {@book Monster Manual|MM}."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Catoblepas",
							"page": 204,
							"id": "384",
							"entries": [
								"Legends tell of a human herder who bragged that his cattle were the finest in all of Theros. When the gods heard this, Heliod, Nylea, and Mogis became involved in laying a curse that afflicted the mortal and his cattle, giving rise to the first catoblepas. How the gods were involved, though, and for what honorable or petty reasons, the gods' faithful\u2014particularly those of Heliod and Nylea\u2014greatly debate (see {@book chapter 2|MOT|2|Myths of Nylea}). Regardless, catoblepases are widely viewed as cursed creatures, which only Mogis's faithful hold in wicked esteem.",
								"The {@creature catoblepas|VGM} appears in {@book Volo's Guide to Monsters|VGM}."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Cyclops",
							"page": 204,
							"id": "385",
							"entries": [
								"The human polis of Akros maintains an outpost in the Katachthon Mountains to keep an eye on the cyclops population around One-Eyed Pass (see {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|The Katachthon Mountains}). From the cyclopes' perspective, the Akroan soldiers provide a reliable source of food, for the soldiers herd approaching enemies into cyclops territory rather than fighting these foes themselves. Thus, the cyclopes attack the Akroans just enough to keep the humans afraid of them, but not so much that they eliminate them or drive them off.",
								"Similarly, cyclopes who prey on sheep learn never to eat the shepherd. Like the pit of a fruit, a discarded shepherd will eventually \"grow\" a new flock to feed the cyclopes.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/150-06-02.webp"
									},
									"title": "Cyclopes would rather steal the bounty of smaller beings than toil themselves ",
									"width": 1500,
									"height": 1046,
									"credit": "Steve Prescott"
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Dragon",
							"page": 205,
							"id": "386",
							"entries": [
								"The dragons of Theros are barely capable of speech and sow destruction either individually or by forcing minions to carry out their will. Only red and blue dragons exist on Theros, and both are brutish tyrants that leave devastation in their wake.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Blue Dragons",
									"page": 205,
									"id": "387",
									"entries": [
										"Blue dragons live along the ocean shore in cliffside caves, from where they scan the waves for prey that swims or flies into their territory. Many experienced sea captains know the blue dragon lairs along the coastlines they ply and chart routes to avoid draconic scrutiny."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Red Dragons",
									"page": 205,
									"id": "388",
									"entries": [
										"Red dragons soar over mountain slopes and lowland valleys, feasting on cattle and those who tend herds. They often lair in dangerous mountain caves or volcanoes. Akroans revere red dragons and employ their images in the design of their armor, believing that the creatures embody the drive for power and dominion. Akroans sometimes settle near a red dragon's lair, forging tenuous alliances by making sacrifices of cattle or prisoners to gain its favor and protection."
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Immortal Perspective",
									"page": 205,
									"id": "389",
									"entries": [
										"Despite their arrogance and viciousness, dragons are long-lived and perceptive. Their age and patience allows them to divine signs amid violent weather and the rotation of constellations. For worthy sacrifices of food, wealth, or flattery, a dragon might share its interpretations of omens\u2014either those it has witnessed or sights mortals relate to them. Roll on the omens tables in {@book chapter 4|MOT|4|Omens} to determine what the dragon has seen. How the dragon interprets these visions is up to you."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Kraken",
							"page": 205,
							"id": "38a",
							"entries": [
								"Krakens number among the most terrifying denizens of the sea, their wrath capable of ruining entire poleis. Under normal circumstances, each kraken is bound by a sea lock, a magical effect that restricts its travel. The area encompassed by the lock is large enough to enable the kraken to feed but prevents these near-immortal beings from raiding densely populated regions. Some stories claim that a seaquake or other natural disaster might break a sea lock and free the kraken to rage as it pleases. Other tales, though, suggest that sea locks emanate from ancient coral weapons buried in the ocean depths and that keep a kraken tied within a few hundred miles.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Nadir Krakens",
									"page": 205,
									"id": "38b",
									"entries": [
										"The largest and most devastating krakens, nadir krakens, dwell in the deepest ocean trenches. These krakens are unique beings, of which the terrifying {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} (described in the \"{@book Mythic Monsters|MOT|6|Tromokratis}\" section of this chapter) numbers among the most feared. When a nadir kraken breaks free of its sea lock and rises to the surface, continents are redrawn, civilizations collapse, and eras end.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/151-06-03.webp"
											},
											"title": "Unleashed from the darkest ocean depths, each nadir kraken is a unique aquatic nightmare ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1002,
											"credit": "Jack Wang"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Lamia",
							"page": 206,
							"id": "38c",
							"entries": [
								"When rage and despair at the gods' misdeeds consume a mortal mind, lamia comes into being. Most lamias in Theros are Nyxborn (described earlier in this {@book chapter|MOT|6|Nyxborn Creatures}), owing their existence to their own twisted imagination, which has changed their physical nature to reflect their internal self. Lamias have wildly varying physical forms, ranging from a feline shape similar to the lamia in the {@book Monster Manual|MM} to a more serpentine form similar to a yuan-ti. In each case, the lamia's body reflects the creature's corrupted instincts and predatory nature."
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Medusa",
							"page": 206,
							"id": "38d",
							"entries": [
								"{@creature Medusa|MOT|Medusas} (often called gorgons on Theros) are closely associated with Pharika, the god of poison and medicine. Pharika has charged her favored servants with guarding secrets of life, health, and immortality that are too powerful to be known by those who lack the wisdom to use them properly. Those who approach a {@creature medusa|MOT} with humility and worthy offerings might receive the creature's favor. The {@creature medusa|MOT} might propose a dangerous quest to fetch some rare ingredient or legendary relic, promising to reward success with a bit of Pharika's knowledge. This information might lead to a cure for a plague, an alchemical breakthrough, or a secret of the cosmos.",
								"The medusas of Theros differ from those in the {@book Monster Manual|MM} in that they have long, serpentine bodies in place of legs. A {@creature medusa|MOT} uses the stat block from the {@book Monster Manual|MM} with the following altered and additional actions:",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"id": "38e",
									"entries": [
										{
											"type": "entries",
											"name": "Constrict",
											"page": 206,
											"id": "38f",
											"entries": [
												" Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 ({@dice 2d6}) bludgeoning damage, and the target is {@condition grappled} (escape DC 11) if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is {@condition restrained}, and the {@creature medusa|MOT} can't constrict another target.",
												{
													"type": "list",
													"style": "list-hang-notitle",
													"items": [
														{
															"type": "item",
															"name": "Multiattack",
															"entry": "The {@creature medusa|MOT} makes either three melee attacks\u2014one with its snake hair, one to constrict, and one with its shortsword\u2014or two ranged attacks with its longbow."
														}
													]
												}
											]
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Night Hag",
							"page": 206,
							"id": "390",
							"entries": [
								"Night hags on Theros appear as leathery-faced crones that hold their single eye within their withered lips as they stare with eyeless sockets. They usually build their huts in the Underworld, particularly around the towering pillars of basalt and granite within the Mire of Punishment (see {@book chapter 3|MOT|3|Tizerus}). There, amid the lamentations of those who have offended the gods, night hags inhale the smoke of toxic balefires. They follow the visions the smoke invokes to the dreams of vulnerable mortals where they sow the seeds of folly.",
								"A night hag senses the world around her with sensitive fingers, keen hearing, and the single eye she typically holds in her mouth. When a night hag uses her powers to transform, her eye often becomes a bauble or piece of jewelry she keeps close at all times.",
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/152-06-04.webp"
									},
									"title": "From the foulest reaches of the Underworld, night hags invade the dreams of mortals ",
									"width": 1500,
									"height": 1002,
									"credit": "David Palumbo"
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Sphinx",
							"page": 207,
							"id": "391",
							"entries": [
								"Sphinxes typically dwell in island sanctums, especially in the far reaches of the Dakra Isles. Many develop schools of philosophy or academic methods that they share with students they deem worthy, their ideas remarkable enough to seem akin to magic. Their age and wisdom also often allows them to predict what's to come as effectively as any oracle.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Riddles of the Sphinx",
									"page": 207,
									"id": "392",
									"entries": [
										"A sphinx might ask riddles to explore the cleverness, thought processes, and humility of those who seek to learn from them. These inquiries help the sphinx gauge a would-be student's mettle before allowing them access to its secrets. The following are just a few riddles (along with their answers) that a sphinx might use to test a visitor's wit:",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"The more of these you take, the more you leave behind. (Steps)",
												"What has six faces, but no mouth, has twenty-one eyes, but cannot see? (A die)",
												"What turns everything but does not move? (A mirror)",
												"The more there is, the less you see. (Darkness)",
												"What is stronger than the gods, more terrifying than the demons, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you die? (Nothing)"
											]
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "The Wandering Oracle",
									"page": 207,
									"id": "393",
									"entries": [
										"Throughout history, the wise and ancient androsphinx Medomai has appeared in Meletis during moments of historical import, such as religious ceremonies, coronations, and the onset of wars. For decades, he has brought his cryptic knowledge of future events to the people, but since his predictions tend to be dire, his arrival is generally viewed as a bad omen.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/153-06-05.webp"
											},
											"title": "Although they possess great wisdom, sphinxes won't share their secrets with just anyone ",
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1119,
											"credit": "Jesper Ejsing"
										}
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Unicorn",
							"page": 207,
							"id": "394",
							"entries": [
								"Unicorns on Theros are closely tied to the mysteries of Nyx. They often appear in the dreams of those doing the work of goodly gods. In such dreams, they might guide the weary to solace, the forlorn to joy, and the heroic to their destiny. In the waking world, they often provide the same aid, sometimes appearing to step from dreams into reality. Those who follow unicorns might find the treasures of lost heroes, hallowed ruins, or grand omens from the gods."
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Bestiary",
					"page": 208,
					"id": "395",
					"entries": [
						"The following pages include descriptions and stat blocks for inhabitants of Theros. The majority are presented in alphabetical order. At the end of this section, you'll find a selection of mythic monsters, foes designed to pose challenges worthy of legend.",
						{
							"type": "list",
							"columns": 4,
							"items": [
								"{@creature Abhorrent Overlord|MOT}",
								"{@creature Akroan Hoplite|MOT}",
								"{@creature Alseid|MOT}",
								"{@creature Amphisbaena|GoS}",
								"{@creature Anvilwrought Raptor|MOT}",
								"{@creature Aphemia|MOT}",
								"{@creature Archon of Falling Stars|MOT}",
								"{@creature Ashen Rider|MOT}",
								"{@creature Blood-Toll Harpy|MOT}",
								"{@creature Bronze Sable|MOT}",
								"{@creature Burnished Hart|MOT}",
								"{@creature Colossus of Akros|MOT}",
								"{@creature Doomwake Giant|MOT}",
								"{@creature Eater of Hope|MOT}",
								"{@creature Fleecemane Lion|MOT}",
								"{@creature Flitterstep Eidolon|MOT}",
								"{@creature Ghostblade Eidolon|MOT}",
								"{@creature Gold-Forged Sentinel|MOT}",
								"{@creature Hippocamp|MOT}",
								"{@creature Hundred-Handed One|MOT}",
								"{@creature Ironscale Hydra|MOT}",
								"{@creature Lampad|MOT}",
								"{@creature Leonin Iconoclast|MOT}",
								"{@creature Meletian Hoplite|MOT}",
								"{@creature Naiad|MOT}",
								"{@creature Nightmare Shepherd|MOT}",
								"{@creature Nyx-Fleece Ram|MOT}",
								"{@creature Oracle|MOT}",
								"{@creature Oread|MOT}",
								"{@creature Phylaskia|MOT}",
								"{@creature Polukranos|MOT}",
								"{@creature Returned Drifter|MOT}",
								"{@creature Returned Kakomantis|MOT}",
								"{@creature Returned Palamnite|MOT}",
								"{@creature Returned Sentry|MOT}",
								"{@creature Satyr Reveler|MOT}",
								"{@creature Satyr Thornbearer|MOT}",
								"{@creature Setessan Hoplite|MOT}",
								"{@creature Theran Chimera|MOT}",
								"{@creature Triton Master of Waves|MOT}",
								"{@creature Triton Shorestalker|MOT}",
								"{@creature Two-Headed Cerberus|MOT}",
								"{@creature Typhon|MOT}",
								"{@creature Underworld Cerberus|MOT}",
								"{@creature Winged Bull|MOT}",
								"{@creature Winged Lion|MOT}",
								"{@creature Woe Strider|MOT}"
							]
						}
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "section",
					"name": "Mythic Monsters",
					"page": 248,
					"id": "3e5",
					"entries": [
						"This section describes three of Theros's most infamous terrors, beings whose might and dreadful deeds set them apart as menaces of legendary proportions. While many of Theros's greatest myths arise from storied terrors\u2014like the hydra {@creature Polukranos|MOT} or the dreaded titans\u2014the monsters in this section have a feature that sets them apart: mythic traits.",
						"Mythic traits transform battles into truly legendary confrontations, well suited to the climactic battles at the ends of adventures or whole campaigns. Mythic traits are optional; they don't need to be used during combat with these monsters. If you so choose, you may simply ignore a monster's mythic trait and mythic actions. If you wish to increase a battle's stakes, though, using a monster's mythic trait results in some mid-battle twist that changes the way the monster behaves, restores its resources, or provides it with new actions to use. As a result, the battle becomes deadlier and rages on for longer than most combat encounters. Each monster features an \"As a Mythic Encounter\" section that highlights its mythic trait, notes how using it changes the difficulty of the encounter and the rewards, and includes read-aloud text you can use mid-battle to signal a terrifying shift in the conflict.",
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/190-06-32.webp"
							},
							"width": 1500,
							"height": 1102,
							"credit": "Sam Rowan"
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Arasta of the Endless Web",
							"page": 248,
							"id": "3e6",
							"entries": [
								"A victim of the gods' petty rivalries, {@creature Arasta|MOT} was once one of Nylea's most beloved dryad companions. Phenax's bitterness saw her transformed into an arachnid monstrosity and driven into the darkest depths of the Nessian Wood. Now she broods on her unjust fate and the fickleness of the gods who left her cursed with monstrous immortality.",
								"{@creature Arasta|MOT} appears as a gigantic spiderlike creature, her few humanoid features made monstrous by cruel magic and ages of hatred. Webs fill her lair deep in the Nessian Wood, sticky strands made not of silk but of her own endless hair. In her darkened realm, {@creature Arasta|MOT} broods on her hatred of the gods and their servants. She doesn't do so alone, though, as innumerable arachnids fawn over her, serving as her eyes throughout the wilderness, disposing of victims trapped within her hair, and sacrificing themselves in her defense if they must.",
								"See \"{@book Myths of Nylea|MOT|2|Myths of Nylea}\" in chapter 2 for more details on the tragedy of {@creature Arasta|MOT}.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Arasta's Lair",
									"page": 250,
									"id": "3e7",
									"entries": [
										"{@creature Arasta|MOT} lives in an enormous, gnarled olive tree called Enorasi, which was planted millennia ago by Klothys. It is said that those who eat of its fruit can see glimpses of the future. Eating the fruit brings with it a risk, though, for those who Klothys finds unworthy might be driven mad. There, within Enorasi's hollow trunk, {@creature Arasta|MOT} awaits the next would-be prophet to make her meal. Her webs stretch beyond the branches of the tree and carpet the forest floor of her realm.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Path to the Underworld",
													"entry": "Tales are told of forlorn souls who, because of grief or madness over the loss of a loved one, have sought out {@creature Arasta|MOT}'s lair, as it is rumored that some of the strands of her web are anchored near the edge of the Underworld and can enable a traveler to reach that realm's ashen shores."
												}
											]
										},
										"But those who enter her domain unbidden almost never go unnoticed, for {@creature Arasta|MOT} can sense the slightest vibration along her web hair, and her children act as spies on her behalf.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Lair Actions",
													"entry": "On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), {@creature Arasta|MOT} can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects. She can't use the same effect two rounds in a row."
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"{@creature Arasta|MOT} learns about any creature touching her webs. Each creature {@condition restrained} by a web or {@creature Arasta|MOT}'s Web of Hair must make a DC 21 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, {@creature Arasta|MOT} gains knowledge of a creature's name, race, where they consider home, and what brought them to her web.",
												"{@creature Arasta|MOT} casts the {@spell giant insect} spell (spiders only). It lasts until she uses this lair action again or until she dies."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Regional Effects",
													"entry": "The region containing {@creature Arasta|MOT}'s lair is warped by her presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:"
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"Spiders and insects within 1 mile of {@creature Arasta|MOT}'s lair serve as her eyes and ears. Birds and other flying creatures are absent from the skies and occasionally found trapped in webs.",
												"Within 1 mile of {@creature Arasta|MOT}'s lair, webs fill all 10-foot cubes of open space, so long as the webs can be anchored between two solid masses (such as walls or trees). The webs are flammable. Any webs exposed to fire burn away in 1 round. Any destroyed webs are magically repaired at the next dawn."
											]
										},
										"If {@creature Arasta|MOT} dies, the spiders and insects lose their supernatural link to her. The webs remain, but they dissolve within {@dice 1d10} days.",
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/191-06-33.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1000,
											"credit": "Raoul Vitale"
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Arasta as a Mythic Encounter",
									"page": 249,
									"id": "3e8",
									"entries": [
										"{@creature Arasta|MOT} is a formidable enemy under normal circumstances, but to give characters a truly mythic challenge, you can have her call on her Armor of Spiders. Her use of this trait signals a drastic turn in the encounter, as {@creature Arasta|MOT} summons her arachnid children to protect her. While she has temporary hit points from this trait, she can choose one of her mythic actions when she uses a legendary action.",
										"Read or paraphrase the following text when {@creature Arasta|MOT} uses her Armor of Spiders trait:",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "3e9",
											"entries": [
												"The nightmarish arachnid unleashes a shriek that sounds like a thousand spider carapaces scarring slate. In response, the ground ripples and bursts over the monster, revealing itself as a wave of countless spiders. The tiny arachnids swarm the larger horror, girding it in skittering bodies."
											]
										},
										"Fighting {@creature Arasta|MOT} as a mythic encounter is equivalent to taking on two challenge rating 21 creatures in one encounter. Award a party 66,000 XP for defeating {@creature Arasta|MOT} after she uses Armor of Spiders."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Hythonia the Cruel",
							"page": 251,
							"id": "3ea",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/192-06-34.webp"
									},
									"width": 1500,
									"height": 960,
									"credit": "Igor Kieryluk"
								},
								"Theros's reclusive medusas often delight in collecting and expanding their galleries of {@condition petrified} victims. Unlike other medusas, {@creature Hythonia|MOT} isn't merely a collector; she's an artist.",
								"When {@creature Hythonia|MOT} came to the island of Skathos, the inhabitants worshiped her as an avatar of the god Pharika. The cultists eagerly offered themselves up to the {@creature medusa|MOT}'s petrifying gaze in hopes of gaining Pharika's favor. Seeing herself surrounded by willing devotees, {@creature Hythonia|MOT} formulated a cruel plan. After encouraging them to engage in wild rituals, {@creature Hythonia|MOT} began turning her followers to stone, weaving their forms to create a grisly throne made of their {@condition petrified} bodies.",
								"While the {@creature medusa|MOT}'s victims have dwindled, tales of the {@creature medusa|MOT} queen and the divine secrets she hoards have not. {@creature Hythonia|MOT} eagerly trades the mysteries she knows but demands a constant price: a beautiful individual to become part of her throne.",
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Hythonia's Lair",
									"page": 251,
									"id": "3eb",
									"entries": [
										"{@creature Hythonia|MOT} makes her lair on Skathos, an island where a secret sect of worshipers dedicated to Pharika previously hoarded secrets and engaged in dark rituals.",
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Island of Potent Magic",
													"entry": "Although Skathos's location remains a mystery, stories tell of the island's magical plants and {@creature Hythonia|MOT}'s various treasures. {@creature Hythonia|MOT} encourages such rumors by letting lone survivors escape her realm, letting the ravings of survivors tempt more playthings into her clutches."
												},
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Lair Actions",
													"entry": "On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), {@creature Hythonia|MOT} can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects. She can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:"
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"{@creature Hythonia|MOT} briefly animates creatures that have been {@condition petrified} by her gaze. Each statue attacks one creature within 5 feet of it, with a +11 bonus to hit and dealing 10 ({@dice 3d6}) bludgeoning damage on a hit. If a Medium or smaller creature takes this damage, it is also {@condition grappled} (escape DC 15).",
												"{@creature Hythonia|MOT} causes spectral snakes to erupt from a point she can see within 150 feet of her. Each creature within 20 feet of that point must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or take 5 ({@dice 2d4}) piercing damage and become {@condition poisoned} until the end of its next turn. While {@condition poisoned} in this way, the creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and Intelligence saving throws, and it behaves as if under the effect of the {@spell confusion} spell."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"style": "list-hang-notitle",
											"items": [
												{
													"type": "item",
													"name": "Regional Effects",
													"entry": "The region containing {@creature Hythonia|MOT}'s lair is warped by her presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:"
												}
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "list",
											"items": [
												"A large population of snakes dwells in the region.",
												"Trees within 1 mile of the lair are petrified wood. Plants that stay within 500 feet of the lair for 1 day turn to stone.",
												"Small bodies of water within 1 mile of the lair become poisonous. A creature that drinks the water must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or become {@condition poisoned} for 8 hours. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each hour."
											]
										},
										{
											"type": "image",
											"href": {
												"type": "internal",
												"path": "book/MOT/193-06-35.webp"
											},
											"width": 1500,
											"height": 1077,
											"credit": "Chris Rahn"
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Hythonia as a Mythic Encounter",
									"page": 252,
									"id": "3ec",
									"entries": [
										"{@creature Hythonia|MOT} serves as a potent threat against even high-level characters, but you can increase the challenge by using the Shed Skin trait. When this happens, {@creature Hythonia|MOT} heals many of her wounds and slips away from danger, and then she can choose one of her mythic actions when she uses a legendary action.",
										"You might foreshadow {@creature Hythonia|MOT} using her mythic trait by describing her skin cracking and turning pale as she suffers wounds. Read or paraphrase the following text when {@creature Hythonia|MOT} finally uses her Shed Skin trait:",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "3ed",
											"entries": [
												"The {@creature medusa|MOT}'s skin cracks, turns a lifeless gray, and shatters! The monster crumbles to dust\u2014but what clatters to the ground isn't scale and bone, but hollow stone. The sound of rippling coils precedes the {@creature medusa|MOT} rising up anew, the last of her shed skin dropping away, revealing glistening, unscarred scales."
											]
										},
										"Fighting {@creature Hythonia|MOT} as a mythic encounter is equivalent to taking on two challenge rating 17 creatures in one encounter. Award a party 36,000 XP for defeating {@creature Hythonia|MOT} after she uses Shed Skin."
									]
								}
							]
						},
						{
							"type": "entries",
							"name": "Tromokratis",
							"page": 254,
							"id": "3ee",
							"entries": [
								{
									"type": "image",
									"href": {
										"type": "internal",
										"path": "book/MOT/194-06-36.webp"
									},
									"width": 1500,
									"height": 1121,
									"credit": "Matt Stewart"
								},
								"Most krakens roam the seas, shattering hulls and scattering fleets, but the kraken {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} notoriously vents its wrath on coastal settlements. Whether it acts at the command of the god Thassa or to sate its own hunger, {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} numbers among the most feared threats in the sea, having no fixed lair and wandering where it will. In recent memory, the massive menace rose from the waves to topple the Pyrgnos, Meletis's great repository of scholarly knowledge. Since that day, the polis keeps a watch specifically for {@creature Tromokratis|MOT}.",
								{
									"type": "list",
									"style": "list-hang-notitle",
									"items": [
										{
											"type": "item",
											"name": "Rough Waters",
											"entry": "{@creature Tromokratis|MOT} is a particularly cantankerous nadir kraken that has claimed all the sea as its territory. A tumultuous sea is often attributed to {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} battling another kraken to assert its claim. Often, before a journey, sailors blow conch-shell horns in the belief that the sound will soothe nearby krakens."
										},
										{
											"type": "item",
											"name": "The Horn of Humenades",
											"entry": "Legend speaks of a magic horn that the hero Humenades used in ancient times to summon {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} to lay waste to a cursed city lost to evil ways. The horn was so powerful that, after the city was destroyed, Humenades took it to Tizerus and buried it under a stone near the palace of Erebos."
										}
									]
								},
								{
									"type": "entries",
									"name": "Tromokratis as a Mythic Encounter",
									"page": 253,
									"id": "3ef",
									"entries": [
										"{@creature Tromokratis|MOT} numbers among the most powerful creatures a group of adventurers might face. If you wish to make an encounter with the kraken truly legendary, {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} might use its Hearts of the Kraken mythic trait. When this happens, it calls upon a reserve of strength just as it appears to be vanquished. After its hearts are exposed, {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} can choose one of its mythic actions when it uses a legendary action.",
										"Read or paraphrase the following text when {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} uses its Hearts of the Kraken trait:",
										{
											"type": "insetReadaloud",
											"id": "3f0",
											"entries": [
												"The titanic monster's carapace cracks, revealing a pulsing, red-purple heart buried amid heaps of blubber and muscle. Fissures run across the beast's ancient shell, revealing three other mighty, ichor-slick organs. The sea terror thrashes, channeling pain into fury."
											]
										},
										"Fighting {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} as a mythic encounter is equivalent to taking on two CR 26 creatures in one encounter. Award a party 180,000 XP for defeating {@creature Tromokratis|MOT} after it uses Hearts of the Kraken."
									]
								}
							]
						}
					]
				}
			]
		},
		{
			"type": "section",
			"name": "Credits",
			"entries": [
				{
					"type": "image",
					"href": {
						"type": "internal",
						"path": "book/MOT/credits.webp"
					},
					"credit": "Andrea Radeck",
					"maxWidth": 500,
					"width": 850,
					"height": 756
				},
				{
					"type": "list",
					"style": "list-hang-notitle",
					"items": [
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Lead Designers:",
							"entry": "F. Wesley Schneider, James Wyatt"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Designers:",
							"entry": "Ari Levitch, Jeremy Crawford, Kate Baker, Bill Benham, Orion D. Black, John Compton, Kelly Digges, James Introcaso, Adam Lee, Ben Petrisor, Jessica Price, Morrigan Robbins, Amber Scott, Greg A. Vaughn"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Rules Developers:",
							"entry": "Jeremy Crawford, Dan Dillon, Christopher Perkins, Ben Petrisor"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Editors:",
							"entry": "Misty Bourne, Kim Mohan, Hannah Rose, Jessica Ross"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Cultural Consultant:",
							"entry": "Demitrios Feredinos"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Lead Consultant:",
							"entry": "Jay Annelli"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Art Director:",
							"entry": "Kate Irwin"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Senior Graphic Designer:",
							"entry": "Trish Yochum"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Graphic Designer:",
							"entry": "Trystan Falcone"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Additional Art Direction:",
							"entry": "Matt Adelsperger, Jeremy Jarvis, Kelly Digges, Dawn Murin, Andrew Vallas"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Cover Illustrators:",
							"entry": "Jason Rainville, Kevin Tong"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Interior Illustrators:",
							"entry": "Steve Argyle, Volkan Baga, Ryan Barger, Steven Belledin, Noah Bradley, Christopher Burdett, Sam Burley, Jason Chan, Yongjae Choi, Daarken, Jonas De Ro, Bastien L. Deharme, Eric Deschamps, Jesper Ejsing, Emrah Elmasli, Jason Felix, Evyn Fong, Lucas Graciano, Lars Grant-West, Nils Hamm, Yeong-Hao Han, Alex Horley-Orlandelli, Ralph Horsley, Tyler Jacobson, Jaime Jones, Igor Kieryluk, Mathias Kollros, Karl Kopinski, Yigit Koroglu, Ryan Alexander Lee, Daniel Ljunggren, Chuck Lukacs, Titus Lunter, Howard Lyon, Slawomir Maniak, Dimitar Marinski, Seb McKinnon, Victor Adame Minguez, Peter Mohrbacher, Willian Murai, Terese Nielsen, James Paick, David Palumbo, Ryan Pancoast, Adam Paquette, Jung Park, Claudio Pozas, Steve Prescott, Vincent Proce, Andrea Radeck, Chris Rahn, Chris Rallis, Brad Rigney, Sam Rowan, James Ryman, Jasper Sandner, Dan Scott, Cynthia Sheppard, John Stanko, Zack Stella, Matt Stewart, Chase Stone, Raymond Swanland, Wisnu Tan, John Thacker, Cory Trego-Erdner, Brian Valeza, Cyril Van Der Haegen, Svetlin Velinov, Magali Villeneuve, Raoul Vitale, Johannes Voss, Kev Walker, Jack Wang, Kieran Yanner, Ryan Yee, Min Yum, James Zapata"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Cartographers:",
							"entry": "Jonas De Ro, Dyson Logos"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Theros World Designers:",
							"entry": "Brady Dommermuth, Doug Beyer, Kelly Digges, Ethan Fleischer, Jenna Helland, Taylor Ingvarsson, Jeremy Jarvis, Adam Lee, Alison Lührs, Dawn Murin, Cynthia Sheppard, Andrew Vallas, Richard Whitters, James Wyatt"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Senior Producer:",
							"entry": "Dan Tovar"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Producers:",
							"entry": "Bill Benham, Robert Hawkey, Lea Heleotis"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Product Engineer:",
							"entry": "Cynda Callaway"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Imaging Technicians:",
							"entry": "Sven Bolen, Carmen Cheung, Kevin Yee"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Art Administration:",
							"entry": "David Gershman"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Prepress Specialist:",
							"entry": "Jefferson Dunlap"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Franchise & Global Brand Strategy:",
							"entry": "Nathan Stewart"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Executive Producer:",
							"entry": "Ray Winninger"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Director Licensing & Publishing:",
							"entry": "Liz Schuh"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Licensing Manager:",
							"entry": "Hilary Ross"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Marketing and Communications:",
							"entry": "Bart Carroll, Pelham Greene, Chris Lindsay, Shauna Narciso, Lysa Penrose, Emi Tanji, Greg Tito, Anna Vo"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "D&D IP Development:",
							"entry": "Mike Mearls, Richard Whitters, Shawn Wood"
						},
						{
							"type": "item",
							"name": "Brand Manager:",
							"entry": "Shelly Mazzanoble"
						},
						"Many thanks to the hundreds of playtesters whose efforts made this a better book. We couldn't have created this without you!"
					]
				},
				{
					"type": "gallery",
					"images": [
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/credits2.webp"
							},
							"title": "On the Cover: The invulnerable hero, Haktos the Unscarred, leaps into battle with a Nyxborn hydra, taking part in the most recent telling of a myth repeated through the ages. Jason Rainville brings this legend to life.",
							"width": 1110,
							"height": 721
						},
						{
							"type": "image",
							"href": {
								"type": "internal",
								"path": "book/MOT/credits3.webp"
							},
							"title": "On the Alt-Cover: While the gods look on, the immortal struggle between Haktos and the hydra plays out in the stars of Nyx, a glimpse of eternity captured by Kevin Tong.",
							"width": 1110,
							"height": 721
						}
					]
				}
			],
			"id": "002"
		}
	]
}