Karametra

Description
Karametra is the goddess of the hearth, agriculture and harvest. She is a serene, wise goddess who values community, stability, and the balance of nature. She is the patron of many druids, and is associated with charity and orphans. Karametra has a tumultuous relationship with Nylea, whom she speaks of as her sister. Though she governs the realms of fertility, motherhood, and agriculture, Karametra is not a pacifist goddess. Her signature item is a scythe, signifying both the harvest and the natural laws of life and death. She is often depicted with a sable, a weasel-like creature of great ferocity.

In ancient times Karametra was worshipped with blood rituals and had a more sinister side. This aspect is still venerated by the minotaurs.

Myths
Karametra rarely engages in legendary undertakings. It is her unshakable reliability that makes her a popular deity.

The Miraculous Field
Within the Kingdom of New Khiba is a farm that produces incredible fruits and grains that can heal illnesses, increase fertility, and stave off hunger for days. The field is said to be Karametra's tribute to her beloved human priest, Thamiel, who died there. While many seek the farm, it is said that the vineyard around it is so labyrinthine that few have ever reached its center.

The Old Harvest
In rare, remote settlements, high summer ceremonies acknowledge ancient rural practices devoted to a less merciful vision of Karametra. These communities offer abundant sacrifices to the god, but also guard their ancient rituals from outsiders, as Karametra's organized clergy harshly forbids discussion of abandoned religious practices. However, occasionally. a centuries-old depiction of the goddess breaks, revealing an ancient icon inside, typically a primitive mud idol of a woman bearing a sheaf of grain in one hand and a skull in the other.

Partners in Possibility
The fall holiday known as the Blessing of the Beasts celebrates humans' partnership with domestic animals. The horses and oxen that pull plows, the cats that guard the granaries, and the roosters that wake families and call them to their work are given blessings, special treats, and a day of rest. Stories say that strays found on this day are servants of Karametra and destined for great things. Others claim that on this day domestic animals can speak, that is, if they have anything they care to say to their supposed owners.

Striving for Perfection
Although Karametra delights in nature's bounty, she ever strives to tap its greater potential. Her followers recount legends of breeders and horticulturalists who cultivated remarkable new types of plants and animals, such as the everfruit of Oakra or the storied Oraniad dragon-hens. Yet, while Karametra looks on such innovations with delight, some other gods see them as blasphemies.

The Years of Rage
The tales about Karametra don't specify what ignited the god's rage in ancient times, but they do record that for a year, she tore down her own temples and refused to let any plants grow. The mortals of the world, threatened with starvation, beseeched her to curb her wrath. In an effort led by Karametra's priests, nearly all of humanity prayed for a week, neither eating nor sleeping, praising Karametra for her serenity and generosity. After that time, she relented and produced a miraculous crop of grapes that cured illness and fed the people. Ever since then, her statues have been adorned with twining grape vines around their left wrists in commemoration of that event.