Nirian Pantheon
"My love, will you build me a garden? A beautiful garden?" Asked Edite.
"Mother, I would build a thousand gardens for you, if you would only ask of me. We are alone in this world -- we must take joy where we can." And so Aher began to build. And build, and build, and build. The garden they created was unlike any other, and Edite wept at the sight of it out of jealousy and pride at her child having outdone her once again."
An unknown book, considered heretical.
Structure
Differs by region, though Saints are a common feature in every denomination.
Mythology & Lore
Prior to the Divine War, Edite created the Primordials -- Aher, Ramos, and Caulla. Ramos then created his spouse Dydall out of clouds, and their children were the twins Ysthos and Midur, the Gods of Luck and Hope.
Edite then created the sentient races in the same manner she created Aher. From this creation came Sodnos and Inteus, the Goddess and God of Work and Beauty.
Edite's sister Vimbria was jealous of all of Edite's creations, and so she cut open her palm to create Rhulbhus, the God of Domination, from her blood.
Rhulbhus seduced both Sodnos, and their union produced Khetarr, the God of Battle. He then seduced Inteus, and their union created Dendia, the Goddess of Vengeance.
Realizing Rhulbhus's betrayal, Sodnos and Inteus crafted Quteus, who was the most beautiful and just of all the gods.
3,000 years before the setting of the story, a massive war between the Nirian Pantheon resulted in a magical, global explosion that destroyed the world as it was known and killed what gods survived the war.
After the Divine War, heroes emerged over the centuries, becoming Saints, which are now widely worshiped in place of the deceased gods.
Divine Origins
Texts and oral tradition from the Divine Age survived with the scattered remains of the sentient races on Niria, becoming the dominant religion of the planet. These oral traditions and texts were compiled into one book, The Book of Cessation, in the 7th century AS.
Cosmological Views
The Book of Cessation explains the cosmologies of the world in several paragraphs in the first chapter:
"When the world was young, and there was only the Darkness of Vimbria, the Oldest of Old Ones, the Spider Mother became lonely. Her clawed hand reached out, and tore at her own breast until a shining, glimmering light came through.
The infant Edite was born of her sister Vimbria, and the two lived in peace. But soon Edite grew large, and Vimbria grew jealous of her light, and cast her away. And Edite was lonely in the Light, and grew restless. She plucked a part of her own Light from herself, a small fruit, and that would become the seed that would become the moon. She stole a handfull of Darkness from her sister Vimbria, and another handful of her own Light, and formed them together in her hands until from this ball of gray became a being of both Light and Dark, and she called them Aher.
Aher was Edite's most beloved child, and talented in the mage arts, and so Edite asked Aher,
"My love, will you make me a garden? A beautiful garden?" And so Aher did. And so they made Niria, a lush garden, and in secret Edite planted the seed that would become the moon, and warmed it with her fire, and tended to it, for she wished to give Aher a sibling.
But Aher was also working in secret, for they also wanted a sibling. And so while Edite slept, they crept to her side and plucked from her a small ball of Light, and fled to Niria before she woke. And they used their talents and breathed this ball of Light into the garden they had made, and warmed it with their talents, and tended to it.
And soon both seeds sprouted, and from the seed that would become the moon came a beautiful fruit, which Edite hung in the air as a sign of pride, and to keep the Darkness of Vimbria at bay while Edite slept. And from the seed of Aher, came Caulla, the Earth, brown from dirt and eyes glistening with tears from the Light. Edite too, looked upon Caulla and wept, for her child Aher was so talented, and she was so proud.
From the tear that fell onto the plant from which came the moon, sprung Ramos, the Water, and Edite asked him to take charge of the moon, and to watch for Vimbria, for his eyes were sharp and his wits quick, and he and Caulla became Aher's favored playmates.
These three, born of Edite, became the Primordials. The Firsts. And Ramos created the seas, and the rivers, and the lakes. And Caulla created the trees, and the flowers, and the animals that live in both. And Aher created games for them to play, and challenges for them to pass, and lead them well as the favorite of Edite. And Edite was proud of her children, and this pride is how the world came to be."
The Book also goes on to explain the creation of the other gods and sentient races, eventually ending with the Book of Schisms, detailing the end of the pantheon and the destruction of the world. Some new copies of the Book go further, detailing the lives and exploits of various Saints, although those are far from universal as each region has its own Saints and heroes whose stories are passed down primarily through oral tradition.
Tenets of Faith
Tenets of faith differ with each god, though the basic premise is the same. Clerics and Paladins are given outlines for their chosen deities when they take their vows and are expected to study them devotedly.
Worship
Saints are widely looked to as semi-deific figures and are honored with feasts, prayers, and shrines, because they are considered the direct instruments or embodiments of the dead gods' wills. It also helps that Saints, being mortal, exist beyond the Veil of Death and their spirits may occasionally reach across to provide aid.
Priesthood
Priesthood differs from region to region and sect to sect, but clerics and paladins are present in almost every region as laypriests and guardians of the faithful.
Granted Divine Powers
Because the gods are, for all intents and purposes, dead, clerics and paladins derive their spiritual powers from their close connections to the memories of their gods. Occasionally that connection is not enough to reach across time, and their spells and powers fail. Often though, it's just enough.
Sometimes, the connection with their gods, and associated Saints, is so strong that a Saint themselves might reach across the veil and provide aid...
Political Influence & Intrigue
Because the Nirian Pantheon is the dominant religion for most of the planet, outside religions are considered heretical and backwards. Major political powers are not likely to interact with other political powers that don't follow the Nirian Pantheon in some way; this includes sects that go against the worship of Saints, and sects that attempt to go against the teachings of the Book of Cessations.
Sects
The Truthbearers are a specific sect of Nirians that claim to have original, pre-Schism texts that provide the "truth" of what the gods were really like, often painting them in a negative light and encouraging their worshipers to find their own paths. They are often snuffed out on sight and have taken to hiding, and their initiation rituals are grueling to weed out spies.
Worshipers of the dark gods exist, although it is considered less "worship" and more "business arrangements." Worship of the dark gods is explicitly discouraged in most places, and outright banned in others. Because the dark gods are still living, they can -- and do -- occasionally meddle in the affairs of mortals.
Other religions exist, such as the Triton and Tabaxi religions, although they are fairly unheard of and considered heretical.
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Alternative Names
The Gods, The Dead Ones
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Divines
Related Plots
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments