The Horned Toad Of Keld

The Horned Toad of Keld is a divine anomaly amongst the ascended deities. Originally it was a familiar of an archmage from the land of Keld, infused by its master with powerful enchantments that made it much more than a mere animal. Together with its patron, it lived long and grew stronger and smarter than any mundane toad. In a sense it ascended to higher order of existence than the one born to even before its master, following many other adepts of his trade, decided to follow the ancient path and reach for the divinity. It took the archmage many more years of studies, gathering exotic ingredients, experimentation and other preparations before he deemed oneself ready.

On the eve of carefully predicted astrological conjunction the wizard sent away his apprentices and closed oneself within the tower he build years before in the anticipation of the ritual he was to perform. The knowledge of the following events is sketchy, however, for the only witness of them is the Toad itself. What is known is that the magician died while casting the final spells. His death should end the familiar's life as well, but instead, through an unexplainable quirk of magic, the bond connected to the gathering divine power. For a moment, the Toad was familiar of divinity itself. In a heartbeat, the barrier between mortal and immortal existence was breached. The Toad became the familiar of deities and the deity of familiars.

The Horned Toad Of Keld is enigmatic entity. Amphibiously inhuman and yet vaguely familiar for it lived a lifetime as a mystical extension of a human wizard. Usually indifferent towards mortals, it shows a degree of affectation towards mages and ascended deities. It has no real priests as it grants no magic of its own and has no organized temples. It is willing to enter pacts with wizards empowering their familiars with spark of divine power, however, and many familiar-owning wizards keep a small shrine to the Toad.

As other young ascendents, the Toad often manifests directly, appearing as a pony-sized, grey-skinned toad with its head adorned with a pair of antler-like horns. While it does not speak directly, it can communicate with a form of telepathy resembling the one used between familiar and its master.