Morgarion
2013-08-16, 03:12 PM
Hello everyone. I just finished writing up some info on the various pantheons and the gods that belong to them. This is for a campaign setting I'm working on right now and while the geography and cultural stuff is still a work in progress, hopefully not too much more context will be needed for it to make sense to you.
I did a lot of reading up on real world religion and mythology in this, so you'll probably see glimpses of my inspirations here and there. Please refer me to real world stuff if you think it would help.
I guess I'm just looking for general feedback about places to improve, places where the flavor and the mechanics don't line up (such as a domain choice). I am having a real hard time assigning any alignments beyond the few that have a domain listed, so any intuitions on that based on the fluff would be neat. So far, alignments seem fairly secondary or even contrary to the deities (to me), except where they are around specifically to uphold those tenets. Also, favorite weapon? When it isn't a war deity, I just don't know.
I wanted to keep things simple as far as the domains go. I tried to avoid the stuff outside of core (as far as the d20SRD is concerned), but I dipped into the 'Additional Domains' here and there.
So, here it is. The different 'systems' are in bold. So if you, say, believe in Ym, then you probably think the other stuff is strange, untrue or you just don't care.
RELIGION
Ym
Portfolio: Animal, Earth, Plant, Protection, Strength
Also known as the Soul of the World and the Green King, Ym is primarily a nature god. Stern and just, but kind and loving, Ym is widely worshipped across the north of Eun; from the mountain keeps of the dwarves in Oldenwood to the dark forests of the Asutrian empire. Ym is an old god, having been worshipped by the dwarves and the gnomes in the Oldenwood since time immemorial. When the Oldenfolk arrived on the mainland from Blakrath Island, they adopted the faith. It spread with them as some of their number sailed further east and arrived in what is now Asutria, and shortly thereafter into what is now Lusatia.
The Green King is attributed a variety of guises and manifestations, depending upon the culture and the particular tale. Sometimes, he is a being of pure elemental force who appears composed of leaves as strong as iron and as sharp as knives. Sometimes, he is a curmudgeonly hermit and sometimes a valiant young knight in brilliant gilded armor with long hair, burnished like the summer suns.
One legend popular in Asutria that may have its roots in an older god long since forgotten, casts Ym as a wizard. When Ym hears that the devil BULURU is about, stalking the countryside of Oldenwood in the night devouring virgins, Ym transforms his daughter into a lamb and disguises himself as a shepherd. The devil BULURU uses his own magics to pierce the veil of the deception and devours Ym's kinswoman in the night. Ym, in turn, hunts down BULURU and in the course of an epic battle, slays the fiend. As he dies, BULURU's body becomes a rainstorm and the rain becomes the race of men as it strikes the ground. The Asutrians believe that this is the origin of their people.
The Church of the Seven Doors to the House of Heaven
The deities that comprise the Church of the Seven Doors to the House of Heaven are worshipped widely throughout Eun. The Church constitutes a single pantheon - an adherent who believes in one deity will believe in and at least respect, if not revere, all of them. They are never considered to be antagonistic to one another, even when their domains might come into conflict. Worship of the Seven Doors propagated with the spread of the ____ Empire, but most historians are now fairly certain that the original pantheon was smaller, perhaps as few as one of these gods, and that the other deities were adopted from other cultures over time.
Different deities are worshipped more frequently and fervently among different cultures and in different countries, or based upon the particular interests and professions of individuals. While smaller shrines might be dedicated to an individual god, most temples of the Church usually include some space for each member of the pantheon.
Zos
Portfolio: Sun, Glory, War
Favorite weapon: Longsword
The martial god of the Church, Zos is a good of power and war. Worship of him is quite common anywhere the Seven Doors are known. He is usually depicted as a strong, young knight. Devotees to Zos place great emphasis on acting with honor.
Sairioch
Portfolio: Law, Protection, Community
Favorite weapon: Longbow
Often regarded as 'the city god', Sairioch is the architect of civilization and refinement. His concerns include festivals and games, the cultivation and consumption of wine, commerce and wealth, justice and the law. He is depicted as a man of noble bearing in simple, but elegant clothing. His priests are typically cheerful and active in the administration of their communities. His adherents consider sharing a virtue and preach that the best way for the individual to become strong is by investing in those around him.
Balam
Portfolio: Animal, Strength, Chaos
Favorite weapon: Battle axe
The god of the hunt and the wilds, Balam is usually depicted as a strong and unkempt man with bestial features - frequently he is shown as having the head of a wolf and the antlers of a stag, but this may vary on the region. Hunters, woodsman and shepherds pray to him for protection. His priests usually shun big city living and the conformity it entails, preferring instead to focus their efforts on helping those who live in more isolated areas.
Essaly
Portfolio: Healing, Protection, Travel
Favorite weapon:
The goddess of the family, motherhood, midwives, protectors and healers of all sorts, depictions of Essaly might show her as a fertile young woman or more motherly, even elderly. Her clerics prefer cerulean garments. It is unusual for a cleric of Essaly not to also practice midwifery and be well-versed in healing practices. She is prayed to for protection before a journey's undertaking and for thanks at its safe conclusion.
Themmaiel
Portfolio: Darkness, Death
Favorite weaopn: Scythe
Themmaiel is one of the less popular gods of the Church. She is the psychopomp and goddess of the dead, as well as of secrets, shadows, transitions, the night sky and its stars. Themmaiel is understood to be hauntingly beautiful, usually a strikingly attractive but unconventional woman for the cultural context. Sometimes, she is associated with the figure of the hag. Themmaiel's priesthood usually carries out the funerary rites for a community and roots out those who would abuse the dead.
Maelzub
Portfolio: Knowledge, Magic
Favorite weapon: Glaive
A patron of magicians, academics and experts, Maelzub treasures learning above all things. All things begin with knowledge, as his clerics say, and they busy themselves with its accumulation and proper transmission. Members of his priesthood wear rust red robes. His adherents are as likely to be adventurers driven by curiosity and wanderlust as they are to be bookish librarians. Maelzub is widely depicted with a form that approximates that of a lizardfolk, although he may be cloaked in robes or wearing the armor of a knight.
The Manufactor
Portfolio: Artifice, Creation
Favorite weapon:
Perhaps the absolute least popular of the pantheon, the Manufactor is a curious god indeed. When it is depicted, the Manufactor appears as some sort of construct, typically a rusty iron sphere that unfolds into a the shape of a hand with a magico-mechanical eye in the center of the palm. Those who practice a craft often worship it.
St. Obrias
Portfolio: Good, War, Protection
Favorite weapon: Longsword
St. Obrias was the first king of the White Isles, a prince who came from the Oldenwood and liberated the people from their bondage to the elves. While he isn't strictly worshipped, his veneration in the White Isles far and away surpasses the popularity of the other deities. The knights of the Order of the Silver Sword is dedicated to serving the Church in St. Obrias' name and carrying on his mission of the defense of the weak and the destruction of their oppressors.
Enanthionism
Portfolio: Magic, Knowledge, Healing, Protection
The practice of Enanthionism is less a religion than a philosophy of metaphysics. The elves contend that thousands upon thousands of years ago, their kind were immortal emanations of a single, absolute, unified divinity. In a fit of greed and lust for power, they forsook their immortal souls in return for knowledge of dark magics from the devil BULURU. A large part of the elves have turned their meditations on how to return to the state of wholeness to which they once were privileged.
They hold that by becoming still of heart and quiet of mind, they might return to the divine pleroma. These elves believe that with the loss of immortality, that their race now only has so much collective life to live. They are thus extremely cautious and considerate, often to the point of inaction. Elves practicing Enanthionism possess a unique acuity as regards balance in the self and in the world at large.
Many Enanthionists bare great hate toward half-elves, since they have elven souls but short lives, and thus are considered unnecessary wastes of the precious time that would be better spent achieving the pleroma. Many elves who do not engage in Enanthionism continue to practice the dark arts passed down from the pact with Buluru, either out of nihilism or spite, or the desperate attempt to discover an alternate way to restore their immortality.
Davar Tarniy
Portfolio: Strength, Sun, Travel, War
Favorite weapon: Scimitar
The chief deity of the Hauri tribes in Outer Asutria and the southern deserts is Davar Tarniy, the Harrier. Davar Tarniy is a god of the fierce sun and the blue sky, of wide open spaces and feats of strength. Davar Tarniy, whose name means 'great father', is often depicted as a warrior with the head of a lion in a suit of scale or chain armor, bearing a scimitar or lance and mounted on horseback. Ornaments and objects dedicated to Davar Tarniy are often blue or accented in azure, as it is believed that the color of the desert sky is favored by him.
One myth of creation supposes that there was a time in the world's history when there were no men and only women (perhaps a cultural memory of an early fertility cult?). But the women were weak and flooded the earth with their tears. When they cried out for help, Davar Tarniy sent them sons, who made war upon one another. The blood they shed fell upon the waters and formed the land.
Salanish Mythology
Portfolio: Gannemar - Water, Healing, Strength, Animal; Maruk - Luck, Air, Trickery
The people of Salan, and more recently the people of the Oku peninsula in Outer Asutria, have a rather simple religion. They believe that creation came about thusly: the turtle-woman-goddess Gannemar was swimming the ocean of time. The trickster-raven Maruk came to her, exhausted because he could not swim and was flying forever. He had a plan, though, and convinced Gannemar to lay an egg. This egg became the moon, which hatched the world and gave Maruk a place to land. The simple elegance of this story and its finality are heavily reflected in the culture and virtues of the Salanish people and their neighbors - their regard for simple beauty, respect for tradition and generally quiet demeanor.
BULURU
Portfolio: Death, Destruction, Evil, Fire, War
It is unknown precisely what Buluru is - an immensely powerful being from another plane or time, a fiendish office or a god in his own right. What is known is that Buluru is absolutely, undeniably evil. He appears in several pantheons and is widely feared and despised. To worship or even respect Buluru is usually taken as a sign of madness or depravity, but those who do often reap great rewards for their sacrifices.
While it is likely that Buluru has no true form, he is popularly depicted with the head of a ram, or at least a ram's horns, and his symbol is usually a ram's head or skull.
Buluru is revered by and serves as the patron of many evil creatures, such as hags, goblins, dragons, and other monsters. One common, if esoteric, theory about Buluru is that he is the sentient expression of the void that exists outside of and around reality, and that it is this origin that fills him with such rage and hate for creation, which he sees as aberrant.
Wow! Did you read all that? No way! Thanks!
I did a lot of reading up on real world religion and mythology in this, so you'll probably see glimpses of my inspirations here and there. Please refer me to real world stuff if you think it would help.
I guess I'm just looking for general feedback about places to improve, places where the flavor and the mechanics don't line up (such as a domain choice). I am having a real hard time assigning any alignments beyond the few that have a domain listed, so any intuitions on that based on the fluff would be neat. So far, alignments seem fairly secondary or even contrary to the deities (to me), except where they are around specifically to uphold those tenets. Also, favorite weapon? When it isn't a war deity, I just don't know.
I wanted to keep things simple as far as the domains go. I tried to avoid the stuff outside of core (as far as the d20SRD is concerned), but I dipped into the 'Additional Domains' here and there.
So, here it is. The different 'systems' are in bold. So if you, say, believe in Ym, then you probably think the other stuff is strange, untrue or you just don't care.
RELIGION
Ym
Portfolio: Animal, Earth, Plant, Protection, Strength
Also known as the Soul of the World and the Green King, Ym is primarily a nature god. Stern and just, but kind and loving, Ym is widely worshipped across the north of Eun; from the mountain keeps of the dwarves in Oldenwood to the dark forests of the Asutrian empire. Ym is an old god, having been worshipped by the dwarves and the gnomes in the Oldenwood since time immemorial. When the Oldenfolk arrived on the mainland from Blakrath Island, they adopted the faith. It spread with them as some of their number sailed further east and arrived in what is now Asutria, and shortly thereafter into what is now Lusatia.
The Green King is attributed a variety of guises and manifestations, depending upon the culture and the particular tale. Sometimes, he is a being of pure elemental force who appears composed of leaves as strong as iron and as sharp as knives. Sometimes, he is a curmudgeonly hermit and sometimes a valiant young knight in brilliant gilded armor with long hair, burnished like the summer suns.
One legend popular in Asutria that may have its roots in an older god long since forgotten, casts Ym as a wizard. When Ym hears that the devil BULURU is about, stalking the countryside of Oldenwood in the night devouring virgins, Ym transforms his daughter into a lamb and disguises himself as a shepherd. The devil BULURU uses his own magics to pierce the veil of the deception and devours Ym's kinswoman in the night. Ym, in turn, hunts down BULURU and in the course of an epic battle, slays the fiend. As he dies, BULURU's body becomes a rainstorm and the rain becomes the race of men as it strikes the ground. The Asutrians believe that this is the origin of their people.
The Church of the Seven Doors to the House of Heaven
The deities that comprise the Church of the Seven Doors to the House of Heaven are worshipped widely throughout Eun. The Church constitutes a single pantheon - an adherent who believes in one deity will believe in and at least respect, if not revere, all of them. They are never considered to be antagonistic to one another, even when their domains might come into conflict. Worship of the Seven Doors propagated with the spread of the ____ Empire, but most historians are now fairly certain that the original pantheon was smaller, perhaps as few as one of these gods, and that the other deities were adopted from other cultures over time.
Different deities are worshipped more frequently and fervently among different cultures and in different countries, or based upon the particular interests and professions of individuals. While smaller shrines might be dedicated to an individual god, most temples of the Church usually include some space for each member of the pantheon.
Zos
Portfolio: Sun, Glory, War
Favorite weapon: Longsword
The martial god of the Church, Zos is a good of power and war. Worship of him is quite common anywhere the Seven Doors are known. He is usually depicted as a strong, young knight. Devotees to Zos place great emphasis on acting with honor.
Sairioch
Portfolio: Law, Protection, Community
Favorite weapon: Longbow
Often regarded as 'the city god', Sairioch is the architect of civilization and refinement. His concerns include festivals and games, the cultivation and consumption of wine, commerce and wealth, justice and the law. He is depicted as a man of noble bearing in simple, but elegant clothing. His priests are typically cheerful and active in the administration of their communities. His adherents consider sharing a virtue and preach that the best way for the individual to become strong is by investing in those around him.
Balam
Portfolio: Animal, Strength, Chaos
Favorite weapon: Battle axe
The god of the hunt and the wilds, Balam is usually depicted as a strong and unkempt man with bestial features - frequently he is shown as having the head of a wolf and the antlers of a stag, but this may vary on the region. Hunters, woodsman and shepherds pray to him for protection. His priests usually shun big city living and the conformity it entails, preferring instead to focus their efforts on helping those who live in more isolated areas.
Essaly
Portfolio: Healing, Protection, Travel
Favorite weapon:
The goddess of the family, motherhood, midwives, protectors and healers of all sorts, depictions of Essaly might show her as a fertile young woman or more motherly, even elderly. Her clerics prefer cerulean garments. It is unusual for a cleric of Essaly not to also practice midwifery and be well-versed in healing practices. She is prayed to for protection before a journey's undertaking and for thanks at its safe conclusion.
Themmaiel
Portfolio: Darkness, Death
Favorite weaopn: Scythe
Themmaiel is one of the less popular gods of the Church. She is the psychopomp and goddess of the dead, as well as of secrets, shadows, transitions, the night sky and its stars. Themmaiel is understood to be hauntingly beautiful, usually a strikingly attractive but unconventional woman for the cultural context. Sometimes, she is associated with the figure of the hag. Themmaiel's priesthood usually carries out the funerary rites for a community and roots out those who would abuse the dead.
Maelzub
Portfolio: Knowledge, Magic
Favorite weapon: Glaive
A patron of magicians, academics and experts, Maelzub treasures learning above all things. All things begin with knowledge, as his clerics say, and they busy themselves with its accumulation and proper transmission. Members of his priesthood wear rust red robes. His adherents are as likely to be adventurers driven by curiosity and wanderlust as they are to be bookish librarians. Maelzub is widely depicted with a form that approximates that of a lizardfolk, although he may be cloaked in robes or wearing the armor of a knight.
The Manufactor
Portfolio: Artifice, Creation
Favorite weapon:
Perhaps the absolute least popular of the pantheon, the Manufactor is a curious god indeed. When it is depicted, the Manufactor appears as some sort of construct, typically a rusty iron sphere that unfolds into a the shape of a hand with a magico-mechanical eye in the center of the palm. Those who practice a craft often worship it.
St. Obrias
Portfolio: Good, War, Protection
Favorite weapon: Longsword
St. Obrias was the first king of the White Isles, a prince who came from the Oldenwood and liberated the people from their bondage to the elves. While he isn't strictly worshipped, his veneration in the White Isles far and away surpasses the popularity of the other deities. The knights of the Order of the Silver Sword is dedicated to serving the Church in St. Obrias' name and carrying on his mission of the defense of the weak and the destruction of their oppressors.
Enanthionism
Portfolio: Magic, Knowledge, Healing, Protection
The practice of Enanthionism is less a religion than a philosophy of metaphysics. The elves contend that thousands upon thousands of years ago, their kind were immortal emanations of a single, absolute, unified divinity. In a fit of greed and lust for power, they forsook their immortal souls in return for knowledge of dark magics from the devil BULURU. A large part of the elves have turned their meditations on how to return to the state of wholeness to which they once were privileged.
They hold that by becoming still of heart and quiet of mind, they might return to the divine pleroma. These elves believe that with the loss of immortality, that their race now only has so much collective life to live. They are thus extremely cautious and considerate, often to the point of inaction. Elves practicing Enanthionism possess a unique acuity as regards balance in the self and in the world at large.
Many Enanthionists bare great hate toward half-elves, since they have elven souls but short lives, and thus are considered unnecessary wastes of the precious time that would be better spent achieving the pleroma. Many elves who do not engage in Enanthionism continue to practice the dark arts passed down from the pact with Buluru, either out of nihilism or spite, or the desperate attempt to discover an alternate way to restore their immortality.
Davar Tarniy
Portfolio: Strength, Sun, Travel, War
Favorite weapon: Scimitar
The chief deity of the Hauri tribes in Outer Asutria and the southern deserts is Davar Tarniy, the Harrier. Davar Tarniy is a god of the fierce sun and the blue sky, of wide open spaces and feats of strength. Davar Tarniy, whose name means 'great father', is often depicted as a warrior with the head of a lion in a suit of scale or chain armor, bearing a scimitar or lance and mounted on horseback. Ornaments and objects dedicated to Davar Tarniy are often blue or accented in azure, as it is believed that the color of the desert sky is favored by him.
One myth of creation supposes that there was a time in the world's history when there were no men and only women (perhaps a cultural memory of an early fertility cult?). But the women were weak and flooded the earth with their tears. When they cried out for help, Davar Tarniy sent them sons, who made war upon one another. The blood they shed fell upon the waters and formed the land.
Salanish Mythology
Portfolio: Gannemar - Water, Healing, Strength, Animal; Maruk - Luck, Air, Trickery
The people of Salan, and more recently the people of the Oku peninsula in Outer Asutria, have a rather simple religion. They believe that creation came about thusly: the turtle-woman-goddess Gannemar was swimming the ocean of time. The trickster-raven Maruk came to her, exhausted because he could not swim and was flying forever. He had a plan, though, and convinced Gannemar to lay an egg. This egg became the moon, which hatched the world and gave Maruk a place to land. The simple elegance of this story and its finality are heavily reflected in the culture and virtues of the Salanish people and their neighbors - their regard for simple beauty, respect for tradition and generally quiet demeanor.
BULURU
Portfolio: Death, Destruction, Evil, Fire, War
It is unknown precisely what Buluru is - an immensely powerful being from another plane or time, a fiendish office or a god in his own right. What is known is that Buluru is absolutely, undeniably evil. He appears in several pantheons and is widely feared and despised. To worship or even respect Buluru is usually taken as a sign of madness or depravity, but those who do often reap great rewards for their sacrifices.
While it is likely that Buluru has no true form, he is popularly depicted with the head of a ram, or at least a ram's horns, and his symbol is usually a ram's head or skull.
Buluru is revered by and serves as the patron of many evil creatures, such as hags, goblins, dragons, and other monsters. One common, if esoteric, theory about Buluru is that he is the sentient expression of the void that exists outside of and around reality, and that it is this origin that fills him with such rage and hate for creation, which he sees as aberrant.
Wow! Did you read all that? No way! Thanks!