Western Pantheon
The Western Pantheon is the least-practiced of all of the Aran Pantheons. Practiced primarily by the clans now known as the Beò, the Western Pantheon's earlier worshipers have been all but wiped out during the Dark Age and subsequent clashes with the Empire. A twisted version of the Western Pantheon still exists in Gorgonoth, but it places the Lord of War as the central figure, equating him with Lorcan. This version of the Pantheon revels in Lorcan's savagry, hatred, and violence, often to the exclusion of the other gods. This has led some, especially those who dwell in Terre de Collines to assume that all worshipers of the Western Pantheon are violent savages, a view that is utterly false.
There is an offshoot of this belief within the Orcs and Goblinoids of Gorgonoth. While they still believe Lorcan to be their progenitor, this version of Lorcan is explicitly violent and hateful. For Orcs and Goblinoids, he advocates unity to each other and hatred toward others. His clerics fuel their belief that the other races of the world abandoned them in the distant past and that they must pay in blood for both their crime and for treating them like the enemies. Many of Gorgonoth's citizens believe the Lord of War to be Lorcan's champion or even his physical avatar.
Ascended Ancestors
Adherents of the Western Pantheon believe that all of the gods are ascended Orcish ancestors, though there are some variations on this that allow for the possibility of the gods being ancestors of other races as well. They believe that these ancestors performed great deeds in life and ascended to godhood. Whether this ascension was a gift from the existing gods or a natural byproduct of being so amazing varies throughout regional systems. Regardless of the true nature of the gods' ascension, Western doctrine teaches that anyone who performs sufficiently remarkable deeds in life may ascend to service of the gods, or even to become a new god themselves.Two Worlds
Worshippers of the Western Pantheon believe in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth. Mortal souls which die in this world are reborn into an Other World and vice versa. Depictions of this Other World vary wildly, but it is firmly agreed that one cannot travel to or interact with the Other World without being reincarnated there and, once they are, they cannot travel to or interact with this world. In order to end this cycle, a mortal must achieve greatness and glory by performing some amazing feat or living a life of great renown. War and combat are often seen as the most direct and "surefire" means to achieve this as it inherently puts one's safety at risk, but most practitioners believe there are other ways. Whether or not a mortal has achieved the required "greatness" necessary to ascend is determined at their time of death by the ancestor-gods.Members
Aiden (Aston)
In the Western Pantheon, Aiden serves much the same role as he does in the Imperial and Central Pantheon. He is believed to have been the ancestor which gave fire to the Beò forbears. Like the Central Pantheon's Arrigo, he is often prayed to to guide the lost home. Aidan is also a god of healing in the Western Pantheon, particularly to those who have not earned the right to leave the reincarnation cycle yet.Anwen
Anwen is viewed as a goddess of travel in the Western Pantheon, and it is from the Western Pantheon that she derives much of that aspect of her Imperial characterization. In particular, though she is older than Maranam, many of the local clans believe she oversees souls on their journey through the desert.Bethutal (Cicely)
In the Western Pantheon, Bethutal is a lonely figure, who guards the gates to the other world. Unlike her Imperial, Central, and Eastern Counterparts, Bethutal does not actually usher souls from the world. She is the only one of the ancestor-gods to remain linked with the two worlds rather than ascending to the heavens. Bethutal is believed to be the architect of the cycle of rebirth between worlds, allowing those who came after her an endless number of chances to perform the great deeds that will allow them to ascend as the ancestor-gods. One of Two Worlds is believed to be a dream-like world created from Bethutal's thoughts and reflections of her views of the real world, but there is significant debate regarding whether the current world or the other world is the "real" one. Many believe that it is impossible for a mortal to ever definitively know the answer to that and that one must ascend before they can truly see the two worlds for what they are.Blythe (Blithe)
In the Western Pantheon, Blythe fills a similar role, being associated with beauty, relief, revelry, and fertility. Her Western aspect reserves such gifts only for her own people, however. She is most typically prayed to before a dangerous task, especially a battle, with the promise of comfort and celebration for those who returned, gifts provided by her priestesses. Like the Central Pantheon, Blythe's Western clergy are exclusively women.Brayan (Bardolf)
In the Western Pantheon, Brayan embodies the ideals of strength and courage in both battle and hardships. While he does not explicitly represent martial skill, he is typically far more popular in times of war than other gods who may be more skilled but are weaker.Duana (Celestine)
Duana is the deity of dawn, dusk, and liminal spaces and times. While she is not specifically the goddess of the moons, the moons typically fall under her domain, especially during their transitionary phases. She is prayed to prior to or during times of change and transition such as the loss of a loved one, new parents, weddings, and during changes in leadership or location. She is also celebrated in four festivals throughout the year marking the transition between the seasons and it is believed that during these times her power is greatest.Dubnomar (Dunstan)
In the Western Pantheon, Dubnomar is the ancestor god of caves and deep places of the world. It is believed that, rather than ascend, he broke the cycle of rebirth by his soul being trapped deep within the confines of this world. Because of this he is believed to be a bitter and vengeful deity who both hates the light of the surface world and deeply envies it. His children not only include monsters underground, but often includes Goblinoids and/or Dwarves, depending on the racial tolerance of the area. He actively encourages his children to prey upon the surface dwellers whenever possible and to take what they can from them. He also seeks to ensnare the souls attempting to pass through to the Other World which he then sometimes commands to seek out other surface dwellers.Enemgorm (Tolliver)
Enemgorm is the ancestor-god of art and craftsmanship. He is especially fond of sculptors and masons. Those who worship Enemgorm seek to achieve glory through works of their hands rather than by valiant deeds or victories on the battlefield, making him very popular among some of the Beò.Fachtrígain (Ferriégine)
Fachtrígain is the ancestor-goddess of cruelty, conquest, and betrayal. She seeks to take control of the two worlds and deny mortal souls the chance to ascend by reducing them to slaves who toil beneath her lash. She tempts mortals to commit acts of base cruelty and self-service while leading them away from truly glorious acts which might allow them to ascend. She is often depicted as Dubnomar's queen, though they are also sometimes portrayed as rivals or, rarely, both.Gráinne (Sims)
Gráinne is a temptress who entices mortals to abandon the concepts of honor and glory; to fear challenge, risk, and death. She turns stout warriors' hearts frail and quivering; she leads honest folk to lie and everyone to go to any means to tarry on this world a little longer. In doing so, she lures mortals away from glory and greatness into selfishness and cowardice, denying them their chance to ascend. She is also associated with ignoble deaths and is considered a goddess of murder by dishonorable means: unfair odds, betrayal, and assassination being among the most prominent. When she can find no mortal agent to carry out her tasks, she inflicts people with disease, forcing them to suffer while rendering them unable to achieve glory.Lorcan (Brand)
In the Western Pantheon, Lorcan is believed to be the eldest of the ancestor gods and the father to the Orc race. He represents the primal origins of the Orcish race, long before the advent of language and culture. Lorcan is also far less overtly antagonistic than his other incarnations. He is a god of bestial ferocity and feral strength, especially to those in times of desperation. He is believed to be something like the divine manifestation of the "fight" half of the "fight or flight" response; a patron deity who lends ferocity to those backed into a corner. Lorcan is not, however, a god to be treated with lightly. He is cagey, irrational, quick to anger, and devastating in his wrath. He lacks nearly any coherent intelligence and is most beastial than any of the Western Gods except Ossídri.There is an offshoot of this belief within the Orcs and Goblinoids of Gorgonoth. While they still believe Lorcan to be their progenitor, this version of Lorcan is explicitly violent and hateful. For Orcs and Goblinoids, he advocates unity to each other and hatred toward others. His clerics fuel their belief that the other races of the world abandoned them in the distant past and that they must pay in blood for both their crime and for treating them like the enemies. Many of Gorgonoth's citizens believe the Lord of War to be Lorcan's champion or even his physical avatar.
Medolaith (Adhelm)
Medolaith is the ancestor-god of heroes, glory, and legends. It is he who renders the final verdict of whether or not a soul has performed a great enough deed to ascend. In mortal affairs, he serves as a judge and is often called upon in trials and similar situations where one's innocence or guilt must be determined.Níolasri (Osric)
In the Western Pantheon, Níolasri is another god-ancestor who escaped the rebirth cycle without ascending, though the way in which he did this is unknown. Níolasri, in fact, is the ancestor-god of the unknown. He is believed to be the empty space between things in the night sky. He is also the ancestor-god of paradoxes and impossibility. Because of all of this, there is very little that is known or preached about Níolasri as his very nature is self-contradictory and difficult to describe. He is believed to have complete control over everything that is unknown, which includes the future, giving him an association with time as well. Those who worship Níolasri have a more contentious relationship with him than other gods' followers. Níolasri only has power of that which is unknown or impossible, so once someone has wrested the knowledge from him, it is no longer in his purview. As such, Níolasri's followers cannot share in any of his power because to do so would render it known and thus outside of Níolasri's domain. There are some who seek to return things to Níolasri's domain by actively destroying knowledge which has not yet been widespread, but such followers are typically seen as insane fanatics.Noíbeagna (Eldred)
Noíbeagna is the ancestor-god of wisdom and memories. It is believed that he collects the memories of souls going through the rebirth. He peruses these memories, transcribing all the useful information he can glean from them, then stores them away to return to the person when they escape the rebirth cycle. Noíbeagna is considered the wisest of the ancestor-gods and shares this wisdom with those who prove themselves worthy. Noíbeagna seeks out knowledge beyond just the memories he collects. He values knowledge in all forms and welcomes those who seek knowledge for its own sake. He is bitter and resentful to those who would use knowledge for their own gain or for conquest.Ossídri (Hart)
In the Western Pantheon, Ossídri is a god of survival, beasts, and the wilderness. He is similar to Lorcan and is often believed to hunt Lorcan. He is often seen to represent mortals' triumph over their beastial natures and their triumph over nature. However, Ossídri also represents nature itself and serves as a reminder that nature can never be taken entirely for granted. Ossídri enforces a balance. He allows mortals dominion over nature and its beasts for their own survival, provided that they show proper respect and care for such gifts. Ossídri is also associated with the fey, though his exact connection varies from culture to culture. Sometimes he is portrayed as a liaison, other times as the creator of the fey (this belief often leads to the belief that the Feywild is the Other World in the reincarnation cycle). Some believe the fey themselves are the souls reincarnated in the Other World and Ossídri serves a similar role to Lorcan as the father of that race.Rigbard (Twain)
Rigbard is the ancestor-god of drama and luck. He is believed to be a sort of balancing factor between the ancestor-gods and forces who seek to elevate mortal souls and those that wish to sabotage their efforts at ascension. Rigbard does not care whether any mortal succeeds or fails on their quest, so long as it is suitably dramatic. He is attributed with creating the scenarios where truly great heroes can emerge and he seeks to ensure that their trials are challenging and dramatic, but not impossible. He is almost universally regarded with frustration if not outright hatred by the other ancestor-gods due to his tendency, but his reputation among mortals is much more varied.
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