Tyche

Tyche is the Greek goddess of fate, luck, victory and fortune. Since she governs both the good and bad things that happened in life, she is praised as well as placated by her worshipers, many of whom are more afraid of her allowing them to have misfortunes befall them than intent upon coaxing her to bless them with luck. She was seen as a fickle power, easily distracted and restless in her pursuits.

Tyche is depicted as a tall woman with a willowy build, long, lustrous, pale-blonde hair, and a proclivity for clinging gowns in luxurious fabrics. She has deep blue-green eyes flecked with gold and favored the colors purple and silver in her dress. She is said to move constantly and restlessly, but with a graceful sensuousness. She is headstrong and willful, always proclaiming her way to be the best way, and is quick to anger and to calm again. Her voice is said to be as soothing as the purr of a cat when she is pleased and as harsh as a screeching bird when she is angered; it is also said that if she wished, all within miles or only the one being she desired could hear her voice. She is usually playful, but not normally vengeful or malicious; however, she is both when she feels she has been slighted or that someone has done a great wrong.

Her gaze is said to inspire males with lust and to make anyone who meets her eyes desire to obey her every whim. Those who refuse her advances are said to be cursed with ill luck until they redeem themselves to her. Her word or gaze can bring misfortune, accidents, an inability to successfully strike enemies, manic behavior, madness, a berserk rage, or great fortune, the inability to miss one's enemies in battle, elation and strength, and great blessings. Attacks directed at her always miss or backfire upon those who attempt them, and events always conspire so as to most favor her actions.

She likes a good joke and is known to play an occasional practical joke on some of the more straight-laced deities. She enjoys merriment and festive occasions and rumors exist that she visits gaming halls, festhalls, and noble parties and festivals. She is always invited and welcomed formally in the opening speeches or ceremonies of formal functions (such as marriages and coronations), contests of sport or martial prowess, and at the naming ceremonies of children. If she is not so invited, she may take offense and wreak endless misfortune upon those involved.

Tyche's avatar manifests differently depending on whether she brings good luck or ill luck. When appearing to grant fortune, she often takes the form of a silver eagle or a silver pegasus. She also sends servant creatures to aid mortals in these shapes, as well as those of einheriar, faerie dragons, foo lions, swanmays, and unicorns.

When showing her favor for a gambler, she sometimes manifests as a silver glow that is evident only to the gambler and not those around him. When this happens, something favorable will happen in regard to the wager.

When appearing to herald misfortune, she prefers to appear as a 12-foot-tall giant female wreathed in snow-white, swirling hair, with her features twisted into a sneer of madness as she laughs maniacally and her skin a purplish hue brought on by hysteria. At other times, she is merely a grotesque shadow where no shadow should be, accompanied by faint, far-off, maniacal laughter. If she so desires, her cold laughter could have the same effect as a banshee's wail. Even seeing the head manifestation from afar brought down misfortune on all who didn't worship Tyche. Tyche can spit spell effects from her mouth when so manifested, but she prefers to work more subtly: When her manifestation is nearby, stout weapons and walls suddenly gave way, freak accidents occurred, and fell coincidences befell.

Note: Tyche originally appeared in this form in Netheril: Empire of Magic, a Forgotten Realms supplement for the AD&D game from TSR. Her use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.