Aryeh Gidol
Greater (native): Gorethar | O'Ma | Dru'El | Toran | Mikon | Forian | Valok | Aarilax | Maleki
Greater (foreign): Clangeddin | Titania | Corellon Larethian | Tobin | Ptah | Gruumsh | Blibdoolpoolp
Intermediate: Andria | Dagath | Hurine | Ingoren | Mishlekh
Lesser: Angadar | Berryn | Dra'Nar | Dre'Ana | Fegall | Senath | Skern | Ti'si'faan | Verossa | Vorin | Wilsash | Yeraiah
Demi: Aryeh Gidol | Balgar | Cha'reth | Evrak | Harpinger | Kelvos | Keros | Lesa | Naren | Paragus | Pelar | Ra-Ghul | Seven | Stephanus | The'ton | Xenon | Zhitaril
Home Plane: The Beastlands
Symbol: A likeness of a female human with a lion's tail
Colors: Gold and Brown
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Worshipper's Alignment: Any
Area of Control: Wemics
Clerical Domains: Animal, Protection
Aryeh Gidol is the mother figure and goddess of wemics. They refer to her generally as "The Great Mother", and it is uncommon to hear her mentioned by name. Aryeh Gidol was once a mortal human woman who was taken as a lover by the god Mikon, which resulted in the birth of their son, Balgar, who created wemics. Later on, Aryeh's existence was preserved by Mikon, for he could not bear to watch her age and die, and she soon came to be equally worshiped by the wemics next to her son.
Primarily, The Great Mother watches over the family life and well-being of wemics. She is credited with providing their food and sustenance, and is the keeper of wemic lineage, which is matrilineal. Wemic groups, also known as prides, have shrines to The Great Mother, which they value as a center for their small community. About half of all prides have clerics to The Great Mother, and once per year the clerics all convene in an unknown location to catch up on religious and tribal matters.
It is highly unusual for non-wemics to worship this deity, though there have been some known cases where beings have had great affinity with wemics and have had their worship accepted by Aryeh Gidol.
In AOC 2263 as a result of the Wemiculling Ayreh Gidol was severely weakened; when she came to Negaria to try and help her race she was absorbed into an unholy relic by the Disciples of the White Rod. She was eventually freed but lost her divine power; the power within the rod formed the demigod Naren. Clerics of Ayreh Gidol still receives spells; it is thought that these are granted by her son Balgar or former lover Mikon. Ayreh is said to live among the wemics who look upon her as a mother and is still revered by them; many sages and theologians theorize that she could return to demigodhood if the wemic population returns to its pre-culling numbers.