The Seven
The Seven were the main deities of the Acadean Empire and are still believed in in many parts of Leanor. They are a pantheon of seven main deities, three male ones, three female ones and one with no apparent gender. They are in charge of a plethora of minor deities and spirits. Of the main deities, the three male and female ones form three contrasting pairs, which can be seen either as polar opposites or as two sides of the same coin. There is Ratheon, god of the sun, and Thiana, goddess of the moon, Othior, god of death, and Enia, godess of life, Theor, god of war, and Carea, goddess of love, and Zariel, deity of wisdom.
It is not recorded where or when exactly the Seven first came to be, but it is safe to assume that the belief in them is much older than the Acadean Empire. The faith first became known in Leanor when the Acadeans left their home in Vilsathia after falling victim to a terrible war and settled on the western shore of the Sea of Fire, where they founded the City of Acadea. From there, the Acadeans built an Empire that would eventually involve much of Leanor. With it, the Seven were also introduced wherever the Empire spread and effectively forced upon the people by suppression of any other belief system.
Even now, nearly seven centuries after the fall of the Acadean Empire, the Seven are a very popular pantheon in Leanor, especially in the south-east. Every one of the deities has a sacred day with its own kind of celebrations or rituals, for example the Feast of Enia on the summer solstice. While the faith is quite light on fixed rules on how to live, it is generally not advised to upset or anger any deities. To call upon them, a proper sacrifice is in order, often in the form of burnt offerings or animal blood, though the latter is not a popular option anymore and only used in case of a big sacrifce.
As places of worship, temples and shrines for the individual deities, major and minor, are found wherever the Seven are worshipped. In some places, temples for several or all seven major deities also exist. These sanctums are usually kept by priests and priestesses in service of the Seven. Sometimes, architects attempt to build something that represents the character of the deity whose temple it is. Because of this, temples can turn out very interesting and unique. Particularly the temples of Zariel are often very interesting, since the divine represents not only wisdom, but also innovation and technology.
It is not recorded where or when exactly the Seven first came to be, but it is safe to assume that the belief in them is much older than the Acadean Empire. The faith first became known in Leanor when the Acadeans left their home in Vilsathia after falling victim to a terrible war and settled on the western shore of the Sea of Fire, where they founded the City of Acadea. From there, the Acadeans built an Empire that would eventually involve much of Leanor. With it, the Seven were also introduced wherever the Empire spread and effectively forced upon the people by suppression of any other belief system.
Even now, nearly seven centuries after the fall of the Acadean Empire, the Seven are a very popular pantheon in Leanor, especially in the south-east. Every one of the deities has a sacred day with its own kind of celebrations or rituals, for example the Feast of Enia on the summer solstice. While the faith is quite light on fixed rules on how to live, it is generally not advised to upset or anger any deities. To call upon them, a proper sacrifice is in order, often in the form of burnt offerings or animal blood, though the latter is not a popular option anymore and only used in case of a big sacrifce.
As places of worship, temples and shrines for the individual deities, major and minor, are found wherever the Seven are worshipped. In some places, temples for several or all seven major deities also exist. These sanctums are usually kept by priests and priestesses in service of the Seven. Sometimes, architects attempt to build something that represents the character of the deity whose temple it is. Because of this, temples can turn out very interesting and unique. Particularly the temples of Zariel are often very interesting, since the divine represents not only wisdom, but also innovation and technology.
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