The Intermediate Goddess Mishlekh

[Orleron]

Mishlekh
Alignment: CG
Worshipers' Alignment: CG
Area of Control: Wine


Originally, it was thought that Mishlekh was a famous elven wine-maker who lived nearly 2000 years ago, and ascended to godhood through the grace of Dru'El for her service to elvenkind. However, it is now generally accepted as fact that Mishlekh was a Romini woman, whose fame grew among her own kind first, and then later spread to the elves.

Mishlekh is still highly regarded by the Romini as the goddess who perfected the secrets of wine-making, and is now charged with the task of being the guardian of vineyards and the bringer of the grape harvest. Both the Romini and Elven followers of Mishlekh have carried her worship to all surface areas of Avlis, where she is now generally thought of as the goddess of Wine and all of the aspects of wine-making.

In warmer parts of the continent, her worship is rigorous. There is a new grape crop every season, made up of different grape sub-species. Almost any vineyard or winery acts as a temple to Mishlekh, where her priests are charged with the task of producing the wine for all who would buy it. Some of these priests are travelling wine merchants, though they are often not openly introduced as holymen/women. More often than not, they do not flout their worship, and are simply happy to peddle wine to the far corners of the continent.

Generally the organization of the church follows the structure of a winery, where the newly recruited initiates are pickers and growers. Working up the loose ranks, there are managers, administrators, and on the side, merchants. The hierarchy is not strict. It is just enough to efficiently grow and distribute wine, and to spread the appreciation of it wherever they can.

The elven followers of Mishlekh often have very different fermentation techniques than their Romini counterparts, or any other later races who have taken up the manufacturing of wine under Mishlekh's guidance. These differences are celebrated, not belittled, however. Mishlekh is considered to be very tolerant of anything that is not ale.