Wythian Pantheon
Love your lord, revere your emperor, but fear the gods.
The Veracious Gods do not require great feats of architecture like the Statue of the Emperor, for Telus knows he is the highest light in the sky. They do not require we mortal men worship them in the shadows like rats, for Astor steals into our very minds to learn our secrets. Nor do they require a sacrifice of the flesh, for Carkaln rides within every Wythian's heart as he charges into battle. The gods are above all that we can offer them, and yet all the same we attempt to garner their attention like a newly birthed kid to its mother. Only one in our histories gained the favor of each, and was rewarded with long life, and eternal salvation. For all those untouched by Telu's light, I shall attempt to capture the splendor of those highest above all.
Beliefs
Cosmology
The Tollrinde (Imperial Wythian: lit. "Great Tree/Bark") is the center of all domains that exist, and hold the domains together. The Wurzel (lit. "Root") tethers the Tollrinde in place, creating the strong foundation that any structure needs to stand tall. The bowel of the world is also the breeding ground for all manner of foul creatures and abominations which should never see the light. The Überdach (lit. "Canopy/Roof") houses the domains of the gods, each one branching off as their own piece of the Tollrinde. If one looks up into the darkness of the night, they can see the flickering torches that dot these domains. It is here that the labor of the Tollrinde bear fruit, and where eternal salvation with the gods can be found if one lives a virtuous life. The last piece of the Tollrinde is Heimaalin, where the idea of good must be stewarded against the machination of evil.Mythology
Origin of Man
At the Start, the Peoples of the world awoke in the Wurzel, and wandered aimlessly in the dark void of beneath. There we were little more than pests nesting under a log, fighting for survival from the monsters that lurked and hunted us. Early man erected walls of mud and soot, but they did little to keep out the creatures who stole into homes during the night, or the great flying wyrms who swallowed us whole. For some men, it was too much, and they let the darkness consume them, becoming more akin to beast than man, hence where Orcs and their lesser cousins, Goblins originate from. That may have been the fate of all mankind had Telus not found us, and took pity on our suffering. Erecting a mountainous lighthouse which took form on the seventh day of his arrival, he showed us the light from which we were to follow in. Climbing up the lighthouse, the peoples of the world finally put foot to soil in Heimaalin, free of the darkness. The light of our salvation however was not overlooked by the creatures of the Wurzel, and like a moth to fire, they too descended upon it. Bound by the restraints of his own dominion, Telus was powerless to stop the few monsters who escaped the Wurzel before dismantling the lighthouse.
Orcs & Goblins
As stated before, Orcs and Goblins once shared kinship with Man, but after timeless torment in the dark, they unlike Man, embraced it and let it shape their minds into a primal state of survival. It left no room for human enjoyment such as art, poems, and civilization. In time their bodies too changed, becoming more beast than Man, a fitting adjustment. When they emerged onto the soil of Heimaalin, Telus tried to reverse their affliction, but his light was like a flame to dry hay, and they turned from him, hiding in the darkest crevasse of the world where they would breed and worship false idols. In time, a subgroup of Orcs would evolve into Goblins, a smaller race, but even less civilized than their Orcish cousins. While it has been a topic of debate for a millennia, it should be understood that Gnomes do not share ancestry with Goblins.Dragonborn
While one may not realize it, the race of Dragonborn one may encounter in the world today are also descended from the first Man. During Mans long imprisonment in the Wurzel, many were consumed by giant winged Wyrms, ancestors of Heimaalin's Dragons, but larger and twisted. Some of the first Man managed to halt digestion by clinging to the walls of the wyrms throat, and over time, the wyrm's own essence merged with their prisoners. These unfortunate souls morphed into a scaly perverted brute that lies between a Man and Wyrm, and when the Wyrms broke free of the Wurzel following the erection of Telus's Lighthouse, they regurgitated their prisoners. Free of the throat of the Wyrms, the newly birthed Dragonbon were subjugated and enslaved by their winged masters, who served them by building monuments and grand structures in their name. The Dragonborn would eventually be freed of their shackles after the Clash of Roots and Branches, but their condition remains irreversible to this day.Dwarves
During the exodus of Man from the Wurzel, the darkness itself attempted to prevent our escape, using long thing roots to wrap around the legs of those fleeing. Many were dragged back into the darkness, but the ancestors of the Dwarves refused such a fate, preferring to sever their own legs, and limp their way to freedom. Unable to fully restore their legs, Telus, being moved by their sacrifice and stubbornness, restored feet to their stumps. Thus the race of Dwarves were born, spreading to the far reaches of the world and erecting the great civilizations of their time.Elves
The history of the Elves and Man correlate together, only branching off once Man reached Heimaalin. Rather than embrace Telus and the other gods, some people retreated into the lush forests of Heimaalin, preferring to worship the ancient entities of Tollrinde. Others migrated East, and lived in isolation as nomads, becoming the Zanzeeri. Over time their features began to shift, producing longer ears, fair skin, and stretched life.Gnomes
An amalgamation of Dwarves and Elves, the Gnomes are short in statue, with long ears, and a mind for mechanisms. The Gnomish race have made their homes on the islands of Sijmen Sur and Tuhannen Saarip Maazira.Fair Folk
While not considered one of the civilized species of Heimaalin, the Fae were originally created as guardian spirits for the ancient entities of Tollrinde, to protect the natural forces at work. Through the ages, as Man expanded and created great cities, the power of the old gods faded, as did their control over the Fae. The Fae of today serve new gods of their own, who are far less interested in protecting the natural world.Civil Deities
Telus
Chief among the gods of man is Telus, who showed mercy on Man, and brought him into his eternal light to bathe and be reborn anew. Telus represents our metamorphosis, no longer scavenging and surviving, but building, writing, and learning. To him we build our lighthouses as mere pale imitations of his own that saved us. Adorned with great sigils and art, they show all who gaze upon them our devotion. At every institution of learning in Wythe, we dedicate a statue, depicting Telus with a book in his left hand, and a hammer with chisel in the other.
