Faunus

The God of Woods and Flocks

Domain: Woods, Flocks & Prophecy
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Element: Earth
Relics of Power: Pastoral Pipes

Speak with Faunus

The People

People

Romans

Region

Rome & the Roman Empire

Period

8th c. BC – 4th c. AD

The Romans worshipped their gods as guardians of the state, the home, and war, identifying many of them with Greek deities. The official cult was led by colleges of priests and by the emperor himself, with temples in the heart of Rome. Their religion followed the Empire's expansion across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

The December Saturnalia reversed social roles in days of feasting and gifts, and the Lupercalia purified the city in February. The Vestal Virgins guarded Vesta's sacred fire, and victorious generals paraded in triumph to the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus.

The Sacred Scrolls

God of the woods, fields, flocks, and wild fertility, Faunus is an ancient Italic deity protector of shepherds. A prophet of nature, he communicated his omens through voices in the forests and through dreams. He was also guardian of animals and of the instinctive life of the rural world. As The God of Woods and Flocks, this deity occupies a position of supreme prestige in the romanos pantheon. Their domains over Woods, Flocks & Prophecy reflect ancestral cosmic order maintained across millennia. In classical iconography, they are depicted with an aura of unshakeable majesty and sacred attributes that inspired reverence in emperors and peasants alike. Their influence extended beyond earthly boundaries, governing fates and harmony between the visible and invisible worlds. For ancient devotees, contemplating their essence was to understand the very fundamental forces of nature and human existence.

Sacred Symbols

The pipes, the horns, the goat skin and the grove

Divine Lineage

Ancient Italic deity; associated with the Greek Pan and worshipped at the Lupercalia.

The Legendary Myth

The festival of the Lupercalia, linked to Faunus in his aspect of Lupercus, was celebrated in February to purify the city and promote fertility.

Legends & Deeds

A celebrated secondary legend preserved in the oral traditions of the romanos recounts the journey when Faunus intervened directly in the lives of mortals.