Riet Yngvir

The Gods of the Giant-Kin

Saleh'Alire » Religion ⭲ Giants

Riet Yngvir refers to the collective religious beliefs found among the Giants of Saleh'Alire, and not just to the pantheon as it often does for other species; as they are so close in relation, the mythos and figures are found across both the Goliaths and the Orcs with little modification or debate- although both ethnicities worship different figures within the pantheon, and place emphasis in different places.
An unusual feature of the pantheon, interestingly, is that- unlike other Divinities of the Material Plane- it is unknown whether or not the Giant Divine are real Divinities; there is no mythological evidence to suggest they ever ascended to the Weave, making them True Gods according to the laws of Divinity. Instead, the lack of evidence suggests they are Divine only according to Giant mythology, which treats them more akin to sainctified ancestors whom the modern Giant-kin pride themselves on being able to trace their lineage back to.
In this manner, their pantheon consists of several figures they believe to be some of the very first Giants ever created as slaves within the Soul Forges by their Phetian ancestors, well before the time of the Dragon Wars: Baaga, his half-brother Anaam, their shared consort Ineva, their adoptive "father" Bhaal, and the dark twins Yurtrus and Shagraa; these figures rose to great prominance later in history, becoming legendary figures among the Giants during their war against the Dwarves vying for their own freedom.

According to their lore, when the Giants ultimately lost the war against the Dwarves and were exiled from the Underdark afterwards, the half-brothers Anaam and Baaga fought over how the overworld should be divided between them. Baaga won the ensuing battle and exiled Anaam to the cold north, while he remained in the warmer south.
Bhaal, their father, was greatly angered to see his sons fighting, and so placed a curse on Baaga and his children in retribution- known as the Blood Curse; their consort, Ineva, agreed to share half of the year with one brother, and the other half with the other, so as not to cause further strife between them.

▼ Bhaal ▼

Epithet
The Ruiner
Gender
Male
Symbol
A Skull surrounded by ring of Blood Droplets
Colors
Black, Red, and White
Domain
Primal, Suffering, and War
Details
Bhaal was the first of the Giants created in the Soul Forge by the Phet before the Dragon Wars, and became the defacto "father" of the later Giants after their creation. When they were exiled from the Underdark, however, the curse he placed on Baaga and his children, known as the Blood Curse, initiated 130 years of violent death and bloodshed as his children were consumed by rage- indiscriminately murdering one another as a result. For this reason, Bhaal worship is greatly shunned, not only among the modern Orcs who descend from Baaga, but also among Anaam's modern descendants, the Goliaths. Because he was shunned, however, mythlogy is unclear about what happened to him after the exile; he simply fades into loric obscurity afterwards.

▼ Baaga ▼

Epithet
The Merciless
Gender
Male
Symbol
A broken Thigh Bone wrapped in Chain
Colors
Green and Red
Domains
Grace, Primal, and War
Details
Known for his brute strength in unarmed combat, and for his unwavering courage in battle (bordering, according to lore, on the verge of stupidity), Baaga was ferocious during every war fought- whether against Dragon or Dwarf, or even his own kind after the Blood Curse. The wonton destruction of his own people in particular, however, took its toll on his psyche in the end. And when the dust finally settled, he made his descendants (the Orcs) vow never to use unecessary violence ever again.

▼ Anaam ▼

Epithet
One-Eyed One
Gender
Male
Symbol
A single unblinking Eye
Colors
Brown ad White
Domain
Fate, Protection, and War
Details
During his battle against his half-brother Baaga, Anaam lost his let eye, marking him forever as the one-eyed one among the Giants. After his exile to the north, it's said that he traveled ceaslessly, never stopping to eat or sleep, until he found the perfect place to camp for his people. To this day, his Goliaths still live a highly nomadic life within the cold and desolate mountains, though many have turned away from their patron- believing that they must atone with the ancestors for his loss.

▼ Yurtrus ▼

Epithet
The White-Handed
Gender
Genderless;
Original Gender Unknown
Symbol
A white paint Handprint
Colors
White, Black, and Green
Domain
Grave, and Suffering
Details
In all technicality, Yurtrus was slain during the war with the Dwarves. Their Twin Shagraa, however, raised them as an undead, and continued the battle with them at their control. After their exile to the surface, their rotting corpse came to represent their strong fear of illness, disease, and death- especially those unknown which could befall them in new lands; to this day, among both the Orcs and the Goliaths, a white painted hand print is still used to mark places for quarantine when plagues overtake them.

▼ Ineva ▼

Epithet
Cave-Mother
Gender
Female
Symbol
A Cave Bear reared up on its hind legs
Colors
Brown and Black
Domain
Civilization, Craft, Life, and War
Details
Despite her diminuitive appearance compared to the others, Ineva was arguably the most ferocious in battle, and arguably the strongest tactitian; she protected those she considered hers with a sharp eyed and keen minded ferocity unmatched by any... It was precisely this which later made her the Divinity of the home and hearth among the Giants after their exile- and of birthing strong, skillful children capable of withstanding the various trials and tribulations of a new life on the surface, especially. This association with birthing gave her the defacto domain of life in general, while the emphasis on skillful children later associated her with the Craft domain among the Orcs in particular. She is anything but the diminuative Hearth Divinity of some other cultures, however, and still maintains many of her earlier ferociousness- especially of battle and protection.

▼ Shagraa ▼

Epithet
Night-Stalker
Gender
Genderless;
Original Gender Unknown
Symbol
An upturned white crescent moon with a skull between its "horns"
Colors
Purple and Grey
Domain
Arcane, Grave, and Shadow
Details
Shagraa was never a masterful warrior like the others. But they were skilled with the darkness- seemingly able to manipulate it around them, and capable of moving through it undetected. Yet when Shagraa saw that the Giants were loosing against the Dwarves, and that their Twin Yurtrus had already been slain, they raised their brother (and many other fallen) from the dead, sending out a wave of undeath in a final attempt. The war was still lost, however, and once on the surface they were exiled for doing the unspeakable ... Now Shagraa exists as little more than a whisp of a tale representing people's greatest fears that lurk in the shadows; a boogeyman of sorts told to scare children into behaving.

These are only the most traditional names. There were, of course, many other Giants who were created by the Phet within the Soul Forges. And occasionally these names are spoken of whenever the lore is recited. Some individual Herds and Clans, even, are dedicated to their worship, instead- choosing them over the more traditional pantheon ... Even Bhaal, as outcast and detested as he is, has his own niche of supporters in places; Giants who twist the lore and revere him as a hero. But these groups are often small, and rarely ever encountered.
For everyone else, it is not only these 6 who play their main roles, but also the Ancestors themselves; every last Giant who has ever came before them, who survived long enough to conceive of them, and whose strength has contributed to theirs.