Gods of the Jagged Sea Myth in Kytheria | World Anvil
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Gods of the Jagged Sea

Though there are similarities between the pantheons of the Republic and the Jagged Sea region (the latter claim that the former stole several of theirs), the deities are distinct and have different priesthoods, despite any superficial similarities. Attempts by scholars to group deities by purview have been roundly rejected by the deities themselves.   Similar to the Republic, the Jagged Sea denizens recognize twelve deities as forming the basis of the pantheon and generally ruling over the others when stories and legends of the gods are told. Whether or not this arrangement actually exists in the home of the gods is anyone's guess, as the gods don't share these matters with mortals, but the twelve receive considerably more worship and praise. Lesser divinities still have shrines and priesthoods, but in the Jagged Sea with city-states praising a patron deity, mortal politics do more to determine a god's standing than anything else.   Theus - King of Kings, Lord of the Gods, Father of Storms   A figure renowned both for his commanding presence and also for providing life-giving rains, Theus represents kingly rulership and virility. Not all city-states pay him much heed, as those without monarchies or similar systems tend to eschew his boastful and egocentric nature in favor of more martial or idyllic gods. The swan and the lion are associated with him, and his followers (which includes more than one king in the region) tend to have a lust for life that drives them ever on through different adventures. His detractors paint the deity as a lecherous narcissist, and neither version is especially inaccurate.    Elys - King of the Dead, The Silent Watchman, The Alabaster Reaper   Theus' brother Elys governs the Otherworld, and all the halls within. Taciturn and distant, Elys speaks little to his priesthood or followers, performing his duties with grim stoicism. More by default than any interest on the god's part, Elys also governs wizardry, making no judgments on his followers for the kind of magic they use. (For obvious reasons this make him extremely popular in Kantashi.) Most in the Jagged Sea believe that when a person dies, their shade travels to the halls below the earth, where they live out lives as the dead before being selected for reincarnation. Halls vary based on how dutiful one was in life; the most twisted necromancer from Kantashi who serves her city well with civic pride will have a relative paradise to enjoy while she waits, while a humble farmer who repeatedly ignores the custom of hospitality to feed his own family would be tortured until his release into the next life. Elys favors ibis birds and jackals.   Dalai - King of the Oceans, The Endless River   Third among the three regal brothers in this pantheon, Dalai serves as the patron of the oceans as a whole, and the Jagged Sea in particular. He is viewed favorably by most inhabitants of the Jagged Sea and every city on the sea coast celebrates at least one festival for him; this striking difference in naval tradition has helped the city-states resist Republic incursion from the north and south, as the Republic is generally loathe to commit forces to naval battle out of old superstition. Dalai for his part has been known to intercede on behalf of his beloved cities, calling up storms against invading flotillas on more than one occasion. He is an easy-going god who favors horses and dolphins.   Akana - Goddess of Creation, Mask of Kytheria, The Source of All   Seen by many as an aspect of Kytheria herself, Akana is the deity responsible for creating the world and all within it. When Theus grew angry at the first trees for not answering him, he smote them with lightning, and Akana gathered the embers to fold into clay and make the first humans. While she attracts worship and offerings from all cities (except Kantashi), Akana is also the favorite of craftspeople, from weavers to smiths. She favors spiders and beavers.   Uren - Goddess of Agriculture, The Amber Waves, Soul of the Soil   Before settling into city-states, the peoples of the Jagged Sea were nomadic warriors. Once they settled behind thick walls and began forging bronze and steel, farming became an important part of their lives, and one of the most prolific witches in their history assisted this transition before ascending to godhood. Uren serves as a goddess of all things agriculture, and is called upon for bountiful harvests as often as farmers ask for healthy livestock to be born. Uren is a practical goddess, asking for offerings to come to her in the form of fish and livestock entrails buried in the fields. She favors goats and boars.   Baianai - Goddess of Hunting, The Ebon Arrow, The Laughing Shadow   One of the oldest deities, around during the time of the hunters, Baianai is the goddess of hunting and tracking but also of joy and revelry. Though she is worshipped less as cities grow more 'civilized', deference is still given to her for her history, and she's an extremely popular figure among outlying settlements and colonies. Those who hunt or work with leather for a living give her prayers, and she is often invoked before particularly festive holidays; her devoted followers drink undiluted wine in her honor. She favors deer and foxes.

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