The Gorian Pantheon

Art Credit: Jason Engle https://www.hipstersofthecoast.com/2020/02/jason-engle-rewrites-the-stars-of-theros/ "Theros Constellation", the author of this page was unable to find a direct link to a portfolio but this interview lists the creator and a full-render of the image.
Note that this image is of the pantheon of Theros. It is used artistically, not to represent Theros and its gods as the dominant divine influence of Eniea.

History

A precise history of the Gorian Pantheon would be nigh impossible to write. To begin, it includes faiths of all sizes, ranging from barely recognized elemental spirits to the most powerful cosmological entities in all of creation. Much of this can be attributed to The Impetus, where refugees from countless cultures and far-off lands arrived at the shores of the Gorian countries, Terisirae, Kentricury, and the Sister States. Prayer has always been a powerful thing in Eniea, and when the innumerable hopeless arrived at the edge of the world at what was almost the end of days, there were many words spoken to any god that would listen. Many of these faiths have changed over time and now are so alien to their original pantheons they are unrecognizable. These migratory deities are sometimes referred to as “The Pantheon of the Forgotten Realms”, but the overlap between these entities and those found within Ec’algor is significant enough that they are rarely distinguished. A dozen other pantheons have been recorded in various locations around the continent as well, each sharing significant overlap with the other faiths of the world. Because of this overlap, it is possible to find reverence for just about every deity thinkable, and historical catalogs have been filled with the different divinities that are observed in regions across Ec'algor.
The greatest of these catalogs was penned by Solaria Tephres in the year 999 Y.E. Her Continuum of Cosmologies was an undertaking unlike any other and involved her traveling to every corner of the continent to investigate deities of all sizes. By the time she finished, there were over 1,600 named unique entities, not to mention the many deities who were shared between regions but called by different names--such as Tiamat, who was feared as the Da'vaati by the mountain-dwelling creatures of The Green Line and Hukreem by the Foul-Blood's of Nightveil Canopy.

Mythology & Lore

Even the most powerful cleric is still mortal. Many have claimed they have received insight from a higher power, that they have seen a glimpse of creation and the face of It That Made, but such claims always contradict others made before and the ones sure to follow. There have been enough powerful diviners and seers to confer on a cosmological canon, an established Gorian timeline that is by no means all-encompassing but does capture enough to create a jumping-off point of sorts. This loose timeline is the combined effort of several lifetimes worth of discovery, religious search, prayer, meditation, and enlightened study. From the endless unknown truths of genesis, what we do know is the following: Many believe, and indeed there is some evidence to suggest, a single entity that existed at the beginning of time from whom all of creation burst into existence. This incomprehensible entity has been given many epithets to imply its unapproachable power, including It That Made, The Creator, or One With the Visage of Thousands. There are some that believe that this entity destroyed Itself at the beginning of time to create all that is, that each immortal deity is a reflection of some aspect of Its personality. As if the universe were a single piece of glass that had been broken into uncountable many pieces, this entity is sometimes referred to as The Shattered God.
Skip around a couple million years, the night sky is as full of stars as it is gods. Just as their influence waxes and wanes across the cosmos, certain deities selected specific areas to exert their presence more precisely. Through a mutualistic relationship of influence, godly figures would favor a certain area, the people of that area would give reverence to their patron deity and its closet orbiters, and those entities' powers would grow considerably.
Gods separate themselves into pantheons for many reasons, one of the most well-researched is the consolidation of power. There are more than a dozen gods whose portfolios include concepts like luck, trickery, storms, or nature; and there are double that many surrounding the idea of war. Significant overlap between multiple deities creates tension in their respective faiths and splits their devout into minor sects, an unsatisfactory result for everyone involved. For this reason, many pantheons are highly regional, such as the dominance of Solanil within Spirix and the complete scarcity of her influence elsewhere.

Worship

By the dictates of the Gorian Pantheon, each of the major regions in Ec'algor has an established Patron deity, a figure of immense power who favors the people of the region so long as it is respected in customary ways. Each Patron deity has a number of figures--be they smaller, more powerful, or on equal terms--who are somehow related to it, sometimes even literally in the form of Thassa and Solanil. These relative deities are sometimes called Demipowers, but the term is not common due to the highly specific nature of some deities. It's possible for the chief god of a region to be substantially weaker than those that teeter on the edge of devotion, waiting for an opportune moment to strike down their opponents.
Anbhor (formerly the Commonwealth) or "The Western Settlements": Up until very recently, Anbhor was animated entirely by pure capitalism. Because of The Assembly, every facet of life west of Spirix was concerned with goods and services, exchange rates, and the value of a gold coin. These values suited Waukeen, the lady of merchants and commerce, particularly well. The golden-haired goddess was well respected by all in Anbhor for hundreds of years, and a cadre of trade-related deities saw regular respect. Godly figures like Vergadain, a master of luck, negotiations, and wealth under certain Dwarven pantheons; and Attengon, a sometimes miserly lord of the deep who protects unknown riches but grants blessings in the from of resurfaced sunken treasure were all widely popular. Now, their claim to the region is challenged by Kelemvor and the Neo Dogma that has become the strongest power of the region. Even with a smaller population, all in the Kelic region are uniformly devout to the god of judgement, giving him enough followers to rival the mightiest chief gods of the other major regions across Ec'algor.
The Middle Settlements: The middle-country contains the largest kingdom in the remaining world, The Colum Kingdom. It also refers to the many settlements dotting the nearby Vastwood, like Durama, Conrad’s Keep, and Tarlensch. Other notable locations include Fernside Lake, a merchant town on the outskirts of the Kings Road, and Daggermire, a previously small hamlet that became the epicenter of a inter species conflict between Humans and Kobolds when it was discovered the village sat on top of ancient ruins of a lost Kobold civilization. The middle-country is where most guilds and adventurers can be found, so it is no surprise that a plethora of deities exert their influence over these settlements. It is common to see crests and symbols of greater gods like Lathander, Sylvanus, Ilmater, and Pelor. However, there is a single god who has been revered for thousands of years, since the days of the first people who settled the lands of Colum and crumbled the mountains between east and west. Because of these traditions, Torm, the True, is the chief god of this region. Other figures relating to Torm that see regular consideration or have associated holidays are Helm, Osiris, Tyr, Gorm, Heliod, and Nobanion.
The Eastern Settlements, sometimes called The River Settlements: The history of the eastern settlements is deeply interesting, but few areas of study are as captivating as its theological history. Many of these settlements began as Colum satellites, such as Harthwater, which is a vassal of Waleah, which has always depended on Colum economically and militarily. This relationship is evident in the religious history of the region, where the chief god is the platinum dragon, Bahamut. As a god of justice subservient to Torm, Bahamut extends his reach into the eastern settlements easily, and most who live in the region observe all his holidays and holy traditions. Another aspect of Bahamut's worship is his endless war with his evil sister Tiamat, an unending battle against evil that many in the region interpret as an alegory for the endless battle against the creatures that come from the tainted zone of Ob-2. Many of the lesser worshiped deities associated with the middle kingdoms are also present in the eastern settlements as well, such as Ilmater, Tyr, and Amaunator. Before the platinum dragon, and before Colum expanded its influence to the east, the title of chief god was contested between a variety of war gods. The eastern settlements have long wared against each other, only maintaining a relatively unstable peace in the last four centuries. Because of this history, there are several holdouts still devout to entities like Tempus, Hoar, and Ilneval.
Silk Mist: The Glade sits at the precipice of untamed wilderness and wild magic, constantly on the edge of encountering never before seen oddities and dangers. Its people have a long history of observing gods that fit this environment suitably, such as the lord of the wild hunt, Malar, or Mielikki, the supreme ranger. Populations near bodies of water often observed sea deities, though the nature of the Glade's waters dictated these entities be capricious or outright malicious, such as Auril or Umberlee. Without a doubt, the chief god of the region is Silvanus, the Old Oak. As an incarnation of wild nature and unexplored terrain, Silvanus was and still is often looked to for guidance, refuge, and wisdom. Because Silvanus is most concerned with the condition of the natural environment, the people who look to him for aid are often charged with protecting the wilderness around them, maintaining Silk Mist's wild temperament to this day.
Spirix: The desert sands of Spirix is an interesting case of divine succession. Once the domain of Thassa, the mantle of chief god was passed down to her daughter Solanil. Solanil is undoubtedly the most revered deity in the desert, and her alter ego in the Dust Devil, or Varamtasch, is as feared as the water-giving mother of the sands is loved. There are other deities that are observed in the area, such as Haku, the lord of wind, and Aurifar, king of the midday sun. Smaller still is a band of cultists who use death as fuel for their strange magic--it appears such creatures are endemic to all regions. These death-obsessed ritualists pay their respect to Set (sometimes called Zehir), defiler of the dead. The coiled serpent himself is beloved by evil-doing Yuan-ti who call the burning sands home, concocting psychedelics and poisons that are said to be so powerful they can allow one to speak to the gods.
The Sister States: The ancient seat of Elvish power in Ec'algor has long worshiped the Tel'Seldarine, the pantheon of elven gods. The primary deities in this regard are Aerdie Faenya, a goddess of the wind and weather; Deep Sashelas, god of the sea and the waterborne elves; and Sehanine Moonbow, goddess of the moon, dreams, and mysteries, among many other members of the elvish court. Greatest among these elvish lords and the chief god of the Sister States is Corellon Larethian, a god of magic, warfare, and music. Observed throughout Themeria and Theotia, Corellon protects the Sister States and all its people diligently from the monsters of Ob-2, whether they be on land or in the sea. Recently, and exclusively in Q'al Cune and Themeria, a growing following for Umberlee, the Wavemother has been stirred as a result of Laeyla Kirelee. Her and the followers in her church believe that the Restless Sea could be calmed by appeasing the mercurial whims of Umberlee, giving worship to a deity who has historically only been observed out of fear.
Kentricury: Kentricury is united by the Renoua, the tallest mountain chain in the known world. Traditionally Goblins, Duregar, Aarakocra, Krishari, and Aasimar made their homes within and atop this chain, dubbing them The Spires That Scrape the Sky. The base of the mountains is home to groups of Genasi, Goliaths, and Firbolg. These tough people of stone and sky maintain their ancient worship of the Ordning, the pantheon of the giants. Common gods to find in Kentricury are Stronmaus, god of the sun, sky, weather, and seas; Hiatea, goddess of agriculture, childbirth, and nature; and, of course, the chief god of Kentricury, Annam the All-Father, god of magic, learning, and philosophy. Since the Impetus and the construction of Bunkertown, dwarves have become a major portion of the population, bringing with them the influence of Moradin and his allies.

This entry is narrated by Uo Pyregrain

Type

Religious, Pantheon