Urbanus

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Urbanus
Alignment Neutral Good
Divine Rank Lesser God
Pantheon Oerth
Portfolio Cities, growth, improvement
Domains City, Good, Knowledge, Protection
Home Plane Unknown
Worshippers City Dwellers, Architects, Urban Designers, City Leaders
Favoured Weapon Heavy Mace

Urbanus is a minor deity from the 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Originating in the Races of Destiny splatbook, he is described as a newly born human-spawned deity of the city and of urban life.

One of the newest human deities is Urbanus, the god of cities. One day, in their dreams, the city planners began seeing a strange figure, a man with skin of brick and stone and wood, eyes like windows, and a helm like the roof of a building. This individual showed them designs for new buildings, new streets, a completely new city layout. When each of the planners awoke, he remembered every detail of the dream. Later, the men shared their dreams, and they were awed to learn that each dream was the same. The city was built following the new designs, and the planners dedicated it to this strange visitor. Since then, Urbanus has appeared in every large human settlement. He visits leading citizens in their dreams, encouraging them to improve and expand the city. He also watches over cities, protecting them and their inhabitants.

Urbanus appears as a male human, middle-aged and dignified. His skin is made of brick and stone and other building materials. His eyes are windows. His teeth are paving stones. His helmet (or perhaps it is his hair) is a domed spire. When he speaks, his voice sounds like wagon wheels and church bells and water pumps. Urbanus is a god recently come into existence, and has limited scope—he has no power outside cities. Within them, however, his will is supreme. Though primarily a human deity, Urbanus accepts the worship of anyone who lives in a city.

Urbanus finds his own clerics, appearing to them in their dreams. He selects people who live in cities and love them, people who want to make their city safer and cleaner and a nicer place to live. Urbanus sends these people to his priests, who teach them familiarity with every inch of the city and show them how to appreciate it fully. His followers are expert guides, and they often show visitors around.

Urbanus believes that cities need to grow, but not always by becoming larger. Sometimes they need to destroy an evil lurking within them, or to straighten crooked streets or repair old buildings. His followers often lead campaigns to restore old city sections, and they also help organize neighborhood watches.

Prayers to Urbanus center around the beauty of the city. His worshipers mention beloved locations or elements as a way to attract his attention and win his love.

Urbanus has shrines at major locations in most cities—the city hall, the main bridge, the front gates, and so forth. Small plaques are attached to these locations, letting his worshipers know that these spots are sacred to him. Nothing else is needed—the entire city is his temple.

Urbanus presides over the dedications of new buildings, the meetings to plan new city sections, and any other large, peaceful gatherings within city limits. His ceremonies are short but poetic, often featuring original poems or songs about some element of the city.

Unlike most deities, Urbanus' divine servitors are all golems rather than angels or fiends. He sends clay golems, iron golems and even Flesh Golems to his clerics who need planar allies, and his herald is a massive and uniquely powerful iron golem.