Eshnahif
"Fear the god of winter, for his wrath and clemence are unpredictable. Praise the god of the mountains, for he gives us bounty and riches. Aknnowledge that these are the same god" - Dwarven prayer
Eshnahif is the god of winter and mountains of the Second Pantheon , who was born just like his peers from the second fusion of the First Pantheon and The first Higher Ones . His domain encompassing many dangers and inevitable disasters, he is feared and revered by many, mostly including the dwarves who suffer the most under his wrath and who see him as an entity to be appeased. As such, Eshnahif, along with his brother Goibhniu , is one of the prime deities of the dwarven pantheon, yet he is not beloved by many save for some frost druids and fanatics.
The dwarves and giants believe that once, Eshnahif and Goibhniu got along well, and together created not only the other dwarven and giant gods, but also the dwarves and giants themselves. It is said that while Goibhniu formed the dwarves in his image while Eshnahif formed the giants in his, but that both races used to be equally tall. Seeing however that his brother's creations had turned out better in his opinion, the winter god got angry and bashed the first dwarves down to their current height. In retaliation, the god of smiths divided the giants into the different types as they are today, and mocked him by changing their first demonic like faces to more dwarven resemblance. Thus, the two brothers having settled their quarrel, decided to invent a common scripture for the two languages, and promised that if dragons were ever to cover the sky over the Mahakam Mountains , the two races would band together to fight the common aggressor.
Most of Eshnahif's power is gained from prayers and offerings made in fear of his fickle anger. Farmers across the continent make offering to the winter god at the end of autumn to keep illness, frost and hunger at bay. Miners pray for the caverns to stay intact and merchants pray for the snow to not block the trade routes. typical offerings to Eshnahif include food, newborn cattle such as a lamb, and in the dwarves' case offerings of precious gemstones and metals. Cultists of Eshnahif might make the same offerings, but there are murmurs that the god sometimes craves humanoid sacrifices and greatly rewards those who perform them in his honour.
Eshnahif's anger however is not only manifested through natural disasters and seasons. Once a year, since the fall of the Washani Empire, on the day of the summer solstice, an avatar of Eshnahif appears in the northern Wastelands of the continent, north of the Mahakam Mountains , on what the dwarves and giants call Goibhniu's day, for, to counter the winter god's rampage, the smith god choses a group of adventurers every year as his champions. These chosen ones must then make their way through the tundra which temporarily has become Eshnahif's domain to defeat the winter god's avatar whose power varies every encounter. If the adventurers manage to defeat Eshnahif in the tundra, Goibhniu not only rewards them with divine gifts, but also flies on his sled throughout the Mahakam mountains to bring presents and joy to all dwarves, giants and gnomes. If the adventurers fail and get defeated by the winter god however, it is considered a bad omen for the winter to come, and the day of the summer solstice is as harsh and cold as the worst day of winter until Goibhniu himself goes to appease his brother. On such a day, no one receives gifts from the smith god, yet dwarves and giants alike still celebrate by giving each other gifts like normal, both to honour the tradition and to show their determination that next year will be different.
The dwarves and giants believe that once, Eshnahif and Goibhniu got along well, and together created not only the other dwarven and giant gods, but also the dwarves and giants themselves. It is said that while Goibhniu formed the dwarves in his image while Eshnahif formed the giants in his, but that both races used to be equally tall. Seeing however that his brother's creations had turned out better in his opinion, the winter god got angry and bashed the first dwarves down to their current height. In retaliation, the god of smiths divided the giants into the different types as they are today, and mocked him by changing their first demonic like faces to more dwarven resemblance. Thus, the two brothers having settled their quarrel, decided to invent a common scripture for the two languages, and promised that if dragons were ever to cover the sky over the Mahakam Mountains , the two races would band together to fight the common aggressor.
Most of Eshnahif's power is gained from prayers and offerings made in fear of his fickle anger. Farmers across the continent make offering to the winter god at the end of autumn to keep illness, frost and hunger at bay. Miners pray for the caverns to stay intact and merchants pray for the snow to not block the trade routes. typical offerings to Eshnahif include food, newborn cattle such as a lamb, and in the dwarves' case offerings of precious gemstones and metals. Cultists of Eshnahif might make the same offerings, but there are murmurs that the god sometimes craves humanoid sacrifices and greatly rewards those who perform them in his honour.
Eshnahif's anger however is not only manifested through natural disasters and seasons. Once a year, since the fall of the Washani Empire, on the day of the summer solstice, an avatar of Eshnahif appears in the northern Wastelands of the continent, north of the Mahakam Mountains , on what the dwarves and giants call Goibhniu's day, for, to counter the winter god's rampage, the smith god choses a group of adventurers every year as his champions. These chosen ones must then make their way through the tundra which temporarily has become Eshnahif's domain to defeat the winter god's avatar whose power varies every encounter. If the adventurers manage to defeat Eshnahif in the tundra, Goibhniu not only rewards them with divine gifts, but also flies on his sled throughout the Mahakam mountains to bring presents and joy to all dwarves, giants and gnomes. If the adventurers fail and get defeated by the winter god however, it is considered a bad omen for the winter to come, and the day of the summer solstice is as harsh and cold as the worst day of winter until Goibhniu himself goes to appease his brother. On such a day, no one receives gifts from the smith god, yet dwarves and giants alike still celebrate by giving each other gifts like normal, both to honour the tradition and to show their determination that next year will be different.
Divine Domains
Eshnahif represents the winter and the mountains. He makes cold wash over the continent every year, crops die, illnesses spread, only to be born anew when he goes back into his slumber in spring. However, he also makes the mountains rich, renews the soil, creates precious gemstones and metals which are some of the rare things he finds beautiful, and in a nod to his brother Goibhniu and his creation the dwarves, who shall transform these riches into even greater objects of beauty. As such, Eshnahif is not purely an evil god, despite many of his believers praying to him in fear, rather he is seen as an inevitable yet sometimes graceful force of nature that bursts chaotically and then slumbers again for a long time.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Eshnahif possesses two main sigils. First is that of the snowflake, incarnation of winter. It is the main symbol of the winter god, and it is used in charms and objects dedicated to him.
The second is the shape of a pointed mountain in the background, with an unpolished emerald in front. This symbol appears mostly on churches and altars dedicated to Eshnahif, and is supposed to symbolise not only his other domain but also his more clement side.
The second is the shape of a pointed mountain in the background, with an unpolished emerald in front. This symbol appears mostly on churches and altars dedicated to Eshnahif, and is supposed to symbolise not only his other domain but also his more clement side.
Tenets of Faith
Embracing the chaos is a large part of venerating Eshnahif, as no order or good can come without chaos and evil before it.
A respect for the land and the seasons should be of highest priority
It is always important to stock up, for when any winter comes, times will be hard.
A respect for the land and the seasons should be of highest priority
It is always important to stock up, for when any winter comes, times will be hard.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Eshnahif was born from the second fusion of the First Pantheon and The first Higher Ones . After his birth however, his chaotic nature quickly manifested, and he was almost banished by his siblings. It was only thanks to his brother Goibhniu , god of smiths and metal, standing in for him, arguing for the necessity of a frigid and dead season for Epliström's balance, that the god of winter found his place in the celestial organization of the worlds.
This acceptance of what some might consider and evil and unpredictable god in their midst however proved an asset for the entire Pantheon, as Eshnahif was eager to prove himself worthy in the beginning. During the creation phase of the Continent, an unknown entity of the Second Higher Ones had invaded the material plane. The God of winter caught wind first of this trespassing and decided to confront this fathomless presence, resulting in a clash that would last a thousand years, that was only ended by once again Goibhniu intervening to save his brother and defeat the Higher Being together. It is said that his cataclysm is what created the Mahakam Mountains , and that is why they were so dear to the smith and winter god.
Then, after creating the dwarves and giants as previously mentioned, the two brothers fell out after a series of misunderstandings and fights, further making Eshnahif scorned amongst the other gods.
However, there came a time when the gods had to band together. This was the time of the rise of the Washani Empire , a civilization venerating the Higher Ones whose technology it is said could rival even the gods. In this conflict, Eshnahif proved himself once more loyal to his kin, and together with them decimated the Empire and erased all traces of it. The god of winter's fury knew no bounds, and so he leveled the reaches north of the Mahakam Mountains, where the Washani Empire once stood, and turned it into an icy tundra. It is rumored that it is since then that the winter god's avatar appears every year in the tundra for the summer solstice, frantically checking for any remains and unleashing its wrath upon the region once more.
This acceptance of what some might consider and evil and unpredictable god in their midst however proved an asset for the entire Pantheon, as Eshnahif was eager to prove himself worthy in the beginning. During the creation phase of the Continent, an unknown entity of the Second Higher Ones had invaded the material plane. The God of winter caught wind first of this trespassing and decided to confront this fathomless presence, resulting in a clash that would last a thousand years, that was only ended by once again Goibhniu intervening to save his brother and defeat the Higher Being together. It is said that his cataclysm is what created the Mahakam Mountains , and that is why they were so dear to the smith and winter god.
Then, after creating the dwarves and giants as previously mentioned, the two brothers fell out after a series of misunderstandings and fights, further making Eshnahif scorned amongst the other gods.
However, there came a time when the gods had to band together. This was the time of the rise of the Washani Empire , a civilization venerating the Higher Ones whose technology it is said could rival even the gods. In this conflict, Eshnahif proved himself once more loyal to his kin, and together with them decimated the Empire and erased all traces of it. The god of winter's fury knew no bounds, and so he leveled the reaches north of the Mahakam Mountains, where the Washani Empire once stood, and turned it into an icy tundra. It is rumored that it is since then that the winter god's avatar appears every year in the tundra for the summer solstice, frantically checking for any remains and unleashing its wrath upon the region once more.
Morality & Philosophy
Eshnahif has no concept of morality or the like. He is a chaotic god who acts only on a whim. As such, the few followers of the winter god adopt this unpredictable and violent nature, believing that order and good can only come on its own if chaos is the norm.
Divine Classification
Greater deity of the Second Pantheon
Religions
Alignment
CE
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Lord of Winter, The Mountain God, Ender of civilizations
Circumstances of Birth
The Second fusion of First pantheon and First Higher Ones
Spouses
Siblings
Goibhniu
(brother)
Children
Presentation
typically male
Eyes
White/cold blue without pupils
Hair
Long, straight snow white hair
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale, almost blue, with no blemishes
Belief/Deity
Winter, Mountains
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