Pantheons - The Immortal Soul and its Heirs in Saphel | World Anvil
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Pantheons - The Immortal Soul and its Heirs

Its heirs call it "The Immortal Soul."   Once, it was simply a well of energy, mindless and nameless, a single light in an endless void. Then it split itself. Broke into pieces to govern the facets of our reality. Over the many years and many divisions that came after, the divine siblings became attracted not only to ideals and phenomena, but to a particular culture's interpretation of that ideal or phenomena. Thus, cultures may either have different names for the same deity, or a deity which governs their particular interpretation of a facet of reality. These effectively form "Pantheons", some of which are listed below, along with their associated dominion.  

Midlands Folk Pantheon

  The people of the Spokes, Steppes, and Hinterlands have always been moderate and pragmatic in their worship. Only the basics for them: Creation, Destruction, and a little bit of Mischief. These entities are by no means specific to them, as similar trios can be found in cultures across the world.  

Ishuwe, the Watcher

Creation, nurturing, rivers, the Earth. Cycles.   Other Names: Itsue, Ishi, Ishiamora, The Blue Eyed Mother.   The matriarch of the Ishian court is a vast and nebulous being, an elder sibling whose strength long kept more dangerous pieces of the Immortal Soul in line. After the Scourging, she is more distant than ever, and her apathy has invited interference from a number of meddlers. There are no verifiable direct interactions with the river mother, and seemingly all of her myths involve her judgement and teaching being passed down by proxy. Perhaps she is simply the idea of the sun, the platonic ideal of the Blue-Eyed Mother. Ishue has a small pantheon of aspects held within her bosom. Some of the more notables include:   Pachamaun: A goddess, or sometimes spirit, of grain, harvests, and childbirth. Given tribute by allowing a sheaf of grain to be present during deliveries, so that Pachamaun can preside over the birth. Said to take unborn and stillborn children's souls into the wheat to play with her own children and protect the land. Sometimes takes the form of a paunchy, stern-faced woman who leads mistreated children away from their cruel parents and into the fields, never to be seen again.  
Domain: Nature, Life
Pavarti: A god (sometimes goddess, depending on the particular subculture) of trade, ambition, curses, and political power. Patron of merchants. Traditional enemy of Teovas. Often asked for blessings when setting out on quest or business venture. A marked silver coin emblazoned with her symbol (an imbalanced scale) are often her talismans. Closely associated with "selfishness", but is less concerned with right and wrong more than capability and helplessness.  
Domain: Order, Knowledge
Thrivian: God of hearths, thresholds, dance, and raucous gatherings. Often confused or conflated with the trickster Volk. An image of him as a older dancing man with a bright red nose often graces the walls and signs of taverns. Though usually jovial, is given to a nasty temper, and has lashed out in spite more than once following a slight or embarrassment.  
Domain: Twilight. Light.
Lorinth - Goddess of cities, walls, and doors. Associated with masonry, and architecture. A goddess represented by her unshakably optimistic view on human societies. Absent for many centuries following her disappearance just before the Scourging. Largely forgotten.  
Domain: Order, Knowledge.
Caocus - God of fire and shadows. Depicted as a shadow cast on a wall, cursed with the form of an ugly fire breathing giant after he, supposedly, was caught by his lover in the arms of another woman. Patron of smiths, metalworkers, potters, and all those whose work goes unseen and unappreciated. Offerings to Caosus are generally for the purpose of preventing harmful fires or seeking forgiveness for wrongdoing. Said to dwell within a massive, fire-blooded mountain called Vulcanxur.  
Domain: Twilight, Forge.

Akkadis-Ur, the Tempest

Destruction, conflict, the Sky, storms. Passion.   Other names: Yormas, Kolach, Enku, Gruumsh, Storm Oath   The first conflict was said to have brought Akkadis-Ur into being, though the exact nature of this conflict is lost. Our closest guess is that of an "unmasking", or perhaps "appeasement". Whatever this conflict was, it had such an effect on the Immortal Soul that Akkadis-Ur was brought forth to govern and embody it. One interpretation of ancient records claim that the ur-storm is his body, or perhaps his shadow.   Whereas Ishue is devoted to creation and all things permanent and solid, Akkadis-Ur embodies all things ephemeral and intangible. He himself is an ending to all things, a reminder of our impermanence. He is well known for his war-poetry, and is seen as a god of passions and impulsive action.   Akkadis has relatively few primary aspects, though those associated with him are not always as clear as with the Ishian line.   Yorwen: God of justice, scholarship, and leadership. The wise and venerated tactician, versed in every art wherein lies conflict. Patron of all those who bear the burden of leadership. Also closely associated with debate and intellectual discourse. The clash of words and ideas interests him just as much as spears and spells.  
Domain: Knowledge, Order
Teovas: Goddess of battle. The personification of competition, the exultant warrior. She is the embodiment of a warriors will, the fire to win, protect, conquer, unmake, survive. Even now, she battles extra-dimensional forces in order to protect Saphel from utter destruction. Sometimes called Tevos.  
Domain: War, Tempest
Ianith: Goddess of war's toll. A sister deity to her counterpart Lorinth in the Ishian family. She is a goddess of lust, sex, prostitution, and war. Unlike her siblings, she embodies less the fighting, the momentary violence, and more the unknowably vast weariness that war entails. She is at once the rage, the madness, that overtakes an entire nation, the tired face of an endless line of refugees, the soldier taking comfort in the company of a strange woman, and the girl who searches the faces of corpses for her lover. Often confused with a goddess of beauty or fertility. This underestimation works in favor to her and her followers. Cords are her primary symbol, bonds that tie people together, that unite and render powerless.  
Domain: Unity, trickery
Vakrin, the Evening Star and Aurin, the Morning Star: Twin brother and sister deities of the night. Vakrin is intimately connected in Akkadian tradition with death, as he is believed to be a ferryman or guardian for souls as they make their way to Ilvik Aizsaule. He is also said to be marshal to the Lady in the Tower's forces upon the material worlds. Said to be the lover of the departed Fatima, and has been neglecting his duties since her passing. Warriors often pray to Vakrin for a glorious journey into Aizsaule, and thus he has become something of a patron for lost causes and tragic love affairs.  
Domain: Grave, Twilight
Aurin is traditionally seen as a goddess of dreams and sleep. She is said to be fickle and easily bored, hence the creation of vex-some nightmares. Since the death of Fatima, she has had to act as a shepherd for departed souls whenever her brother falls into a fit of melancholia. She is also associated with artistic inspiration, and sometimes with augury and other fortune-telling. Said to act as a messenger for the gods, as she can easily slip in and out of of the Astral Sea through the dreams of mortals.  
Domain: Arcane, Unity, Light

Volk, the Wanderer

Travel, Mischief, wind, and the "Human Experience". Other names: Vellum, Veilus, Valium, That Bastard, Thavius the Fool.   Volk is a curious specimen among the divine peerage. He is endlessly curious concerning the mortal experience, going so far as to put himself at risk to walk among them. Tales of his encounters with mortals are numerous, appearing in several different cultures, and most often among humans. Most of these stories have a similar cadence to them: A mortal stands at a crossroads (sometimes literally, sometimes not), and must make a chocie that will affect their lives (though they may not know it). The Wanderer appears before them, clad in the guise of a passing traveler or talking animal (he prefers foxes and robins the most). Volk will talk with them, sometimes toy with them, and will often mislead them with an offer of riches or knowledge. The endings of these stories vary wildly, but generally result in a lesson learned at the expense of dignity and time.   Volk's followers call themselves Wayfinders, and primarily preoccupy themselves with chasing after signs of their god's appearance. They are storytellers, anthropologists, and humanitarians. They generally travel in small groups, charting their way across the world seeking out patronage from local lords. Their presence in a settlement usually marks the coming of some important event, as Volk will often leave breadcrumbs of insight enticing them somewhere their presence can do some good.      

Aertan Orthodoxy

  What's left to say about the monotheistic Orthodoxy that they haven't said about themselves? They are an immensely developed religion that is keen on spreading their faith to the world beyond. Centered within Vaelgard and, as the name suggests, especially atop Ceo Athair in the mountain city of Aertas.  

Hymael, Who Wove the Heavens

Fate, light, and the stars.   Said to be the eldest of the "second generation" of deities who arose after splitting from the first five. She has existed in some form or another across many millennia, accruing names and epithets as civilization after civilization gazed at the night sky and marveled at its beauty. It was not, however, until the fervor of the mountain tribes who would become Aertas forged her a name that rang pure that she truly came into being.   Hymael boasts four facets, or perhaps, incarnations. Each has appeared on Saphel, always centered around the mountain city itself. They form a cycle, in reference to her primary myth called the Visitation.   The Weaver: A simple young weaver girl, modest and fair, kind to all. Her actions set an example for her people.   The Saint: The pinnacle of poise and piety. Less of a person, and more of a flawless ideal to which all men and women of Aertas aspire.   The Wyrm: The vengeful beast, purifying her city of corruption and falsehood. An avatar of punishment and repentance.   The Weeper: The guilt-ridden creature revealed to be a goddess, heartbroken by the suffering her people have experienced.    

Yanic Divine Family

The Oarnish love family drama, and it shows in their religion. A mother and her troublesome children teach many lessons about how to live a fulfilling life, but none of them seem to have all the answers.  
Ai Yan, the Ascendant One
Ambition, Purpose, the perfected mortal experience. Ai Yan represents a perfect life lived fulfilling each of the Oarnish virtues. She is said to have surrendered her divinity as part of a wager with her elder sister Ishue. She then was born as a mortal woman and, through her living of an utterly perfect mortal life, achieved enlightenment and regained her divinity. Her three children each inherited a piece of her divinity, though through their imperfection they could only ever achieve partial godhood.     Lei Fon - Toil. Hard work and devotion. The eldest daughter, working tirelessly to earn her mother's attention and prove her worth as the greatest among them. While her determination is admirable, her attitude is inflexible and overly direct.   Akh Tor - Trial. Combat, inspiration, and talent. Middle son, a brooding and wild man of dizzying swings of mood. One moment he is alight with passion and joy, the next he is numb and unresponsive. His fickleness leads to many unfinished works, brimming with potential but lacking foresight.   Kel Met - Rest. Revelry, reflection, and recuperation. A calm and considerate boy, given more to contemplation than action. His distractions usually outnumber his ambitions, though he can hardly be called unhappy. Pursues balance in all things.      

The Religion of Magic

  The fields of Arcane and Divine magic seem to be at odds so much, it's easy to forget that Arcane magicians often have faiths of their own, in addition to those of whatever culture they come from.   Moiren, Author of the World-Song - Magic and music, in all their various forms. As one of the original five to emerge from the first division, Moiren is entitled to a impressive heavenly host of servants, aspects, avatars, and worshipers. For as powerful as he is, however, he seems content to remain mostly passive. He mostly spends the eons flitting about the upper planes, composing symphonies than none will ever hear.   Meja the Dragon-Sphinx - If Moiren is the World Song's composer, then Meja is the conductor. Primary lieutenant and occasional lover of Moiren, Meja exists to perform all the duties that Moiren neglects. She is a watcher on the edges of the planes, employing her considerable powers to protect the world from the Song, and protect the Song from the world. Her image is emblazoned on keystones, sigils, and book covers around the world: a symbol magic's dignity and a reminder of the laws that come with such a wondrous power.   Kithua, Deep Dweller - Known primarily as the "Avatar of Silence", the counter-balance to Moiren's passivity. Kithua is said to actively seek out the end of all arcane magics and return the world to blessed silence. A being born, perhaps, from the shadow of Moiren's actions in the Age of Making, when he more than any of his siblings cavorted among the middles planes, and in his carelessness sowed countless creatures of both good and evil. Kithua is said to live deep below the earth in order to escape from the racket of the World-Song. Patron of chthonic magics, and those who seek power beneath the earth.    

Children of the Division

The Fey and Demonic deserve their own place on this list, if not much more than that. They are peoples unto themselves, and many of their gods are likely unknown to us. We can only reliably record those who certainly possess shards of the Immortal Soul.   Puen/Fuen - Forests, the natural world, Unbridled Life and reckless entropy. Androgynous, aloof, and beloved prince of the fey. Achieved their godhood when they tricked a former nature goddess into surrendering her throne for a single, perfect piece of fruit. Or so the story goes. Other say he was the opportunistic sneak who leapt first when Liest gave her all.   Asmodeus, Void Prime, the Deceiver, Enemy of Life, the Final Name, etc. - Rule by Force, Tyranny. Oldest of the known devils, seized his shard of the immortal soul when he slew the former god of noble rule and plunged Saheim into an inter-planar war. He yearns, more than anything, for the utter erasure of existence. He despises all existence, even his own name, and in the fiends's quest to subjugate all life he sees a vision of the end of all life and, eventually, the end of all thought.   Pale Night - Though many demons would arise from the division, the only to abscond with a piece of the Immortal Soul was called, at that time, Obrythia. In the Age of Making, when the Abyss was being hacked and slashed into creation, Obyrithia split her shard of the Immortal Soul into twelve pieces, and took on the name Pale Night, Mother of Demons. This division gave rise to the most powerful of demon lords, who would rule the abyss until they were deposed by demon princes and other powerful fiends. Pale Night lingers on, somewhere in the depths of the abyss, taking the shape of a white shroud with hardly a form contained within.      

Beasts beyond Knowing

  There are some beings which can only be described as primordial forces.  
Dragon Gods:

Bahamut - Good via the destruction of Evil. Arose from beneath the seafloor to oppose his sister. Always in perfect symmetry with his equal opposite.   Tiamat - Evil via the destruction of Good. Arose from atop the world tree to oppose her brother. Always in perfect symmetry with her equal opposite.    
The khalkeus:

Gre Nun, Curse His Name - Misfortune, Disease, Jealousy and Envy. Believed to be one of the khalkeus, deific incarnations of sin created during the Age of Making. Though many beliefs name this creature as the source of all misfortune, it is more than likely that Gre Nun is simply an avatar of it, a rationalization of all ill fortune and needless suffering. To be conceived with such a purpose as the core of ones identity...such an existence would be truly terrible. Worshiped, in his own curious way, by the Orcs of the Stormlands.   Dis Xotl, Falsehood Follows Him - Lies, broken oaths, murder. Often portrayed as a screaming red ball of fire, hurtling across the sky full of fury and pain. While a patron to liars, oath-breakers, and murderers, he is also known to punish those who commit these wrongdoings. Most commonly worshiped in Hu Shura, though versions of him appear as far north as the Stormlands in the form of Orxot, a god of justice worshiped both by orcs and hobgoblins.   Arithura Likonis, Scorn Her Touch - Pride, arrogance, and apathy. The one who does not speak when she should. Primarily sees worship and attention in the Glories, as well as the Spokes. Often invoked in peasant revolts, likening their corrupt lords to Arithura, who herself was once high and mighty before being cast down.   Ornok Zzuz, Abandon All Hope - Death of Innocence. A devourer, a defiler, a desecrater. No flickering flame of faith or goodness is safe as long as Ornok Zzuz, most foul of all the Khalkeus, still dwells within the hearts of mortals. As the many are crushed for the benefit of the few, as children go hungry, as hope is eclipsed by sorrow, he grows stronger and hungrier in the dark depths of Carceti. Someday he will grow strong enough the break the chains that the Lady in the Tower placed to hold him there, and then the mortal realms will be his feast once again.      

The Court of Death

  The Lady in the Tower - Sometimes called the Empress, the Raven Queen, or a hundred other names. The Lady is the most recognizable face of death, a woman clad in black armor who resides in the dark depths of the underworld Ilvik Aizsaule.   Rymvrandt - A strange entity about which little is known. A demon, originally, though he seems to have fused with the former bearer of his piece of the Immortal Soul, forming some entirely new and baffling kind of fiend. A god of empty space and the spaces between spaces. A lieutenant to the Lady in the Tower, charged with keeping the borders of the Ilvik Aizsaule intact.   Kreios - The oldest name of death, or at leas the oldest that still lingers in the memory of mortals. Once a usurper of death's mantle, accruing mortal souls and using them to empower himself. He threatened the dominance of more elder siblings before a crafty demigod seduced him, slew him, and used his corpse as fuel for an unending, soul-consuming conflagration. As he still bears a connection to the Immortal Soul, he cannot truly perish, and his endless death and rebirth creates a great flaming bridge by which the dead can return to the world soul.   Fatima - The dearly departed daughter of death, beloved by all who were sorrowful. Slain by a mortal interloper a century after the Scourging. Her memory lingers still in the endless halls of the Temple of Selves. Her death, in large part, caused the sealing of the underworld, and contributed to the dark age that would last centuries.    

Faith of Old Gerric

  The gods of Ger Noarn are also the gods of the modern dwarves. Azon, the creature that crawled out of Ger Noarn's corpse, has found a new religion with strange new gods, but the dwarves have not forgotten the old titan and her icons.   Father Rayclast - God of the Mountain and all beneath it. King of all which is balanced. Cultural patriarch. An ever disapproving shadow, driving his children and charges on to greater heights. Devoted to maintaining balance between families, leading to a system of retributive justice prevalent in all dwarven cultures. Much of this no longer matters, of course. Rayclast is all but defunct, as his rituals are too heavy for the oft nomadic dwarves to sustain. Each generation that passes sees his name fade more and more into obscurity. His shrines are massive and empty, a corpse inhabited by less ambitious faiths.   Chemen - God of Omens. The harbinger, the peacemaker, the white eclipse. Omens are sacred in dwarven culture, and misfortune befalling you is often attributed to inattentiveness rather than something as nebulous as luck. Chemen is often depicted in the aftermath of battle, as potent omens can often be found in fresh wounds and viscera.   -Thoughts: Dwarven Animism. Dwarves build wherever they go. If they can't stay still, they build inward. They refine, they name, they improve upon whatever objects they pick up on the journey. Uncommon or old objects in particular. A strip of ivory, an oddly shaped stone. A well-worn tool. By improving them, giving them life, dwarves make gods of them, totems and spirits they can ask to interpret omens or send omens.   Perhaps each family has a small totem they improve on to defend their interests. Perhaps their carts or carriages are built up somehow, becoming taller and more elaborate. Perhaps there is one being that was shattered, and they believe each object they invest with devotion takes on a piece of this god.   Surrendering names is, of course, a sacred act in dwarven culture. Each god has (at least) two names: one for outsiders and one for the faithful. Asking the name of another family's personal deity is considered rude. Guests instead ask leading questions, hoping that their hosts will mention the name of their private deity in passing. Until they do, the guests must walk a tightrope of respect without possibly giving offense to their own guardian.  
 

Outliers

Those who do not fall under a particular banner, or are patrons of cultures without a centralized society.     The Multiplicity - A title given to the amalgam of spirits and minor deities than encompass the domain of knowledge, wisdom, and expertise in various crafts and fields. Scholars and craftsmen often find a patron for their specific focus among their number, and the more magically-minded among them may even submit new findings for their patron's consideration in a ritual called Scholosarden. If the Multiplicity accepts their research, it is forever enshrined in their infinite libraries hidden on the mechanical hive-plane called Automata. The Multiplicity are known for the intense bickering that frequently paralyzes the entire amalgam. As such, they are frequently unreliable, and should only be pursued as a source of knowledge if the nearest oracle or seer is either dead or has gone insane.   Alashtola - Freedom, choice, oceans, and the life therein. Once a highly venerated goddess, now she is hardly remembered at all. Supposedly perished during the scourging when she intervened in a battle between Teovas and Asmodeus. Her memory fades with each passing year, but sailors still pray to her, and claim on occasion to have parlayed with her in order to reach port safely. Prisoners facing death request their execution to take place on the shore at high tide, a superstition that Alashtola will intervene to free them from captivity. Those engaging in marriages not approved of by society often conduct the rituals at sea, in the hope that Alashtola will bless their union and the difficult choices made to bring it into being. Most often revered in Hu Shura.  
 

The Eldest Sibling

  There exists an entity so overarching in its reach and purpose that it defies the common classifications for divinity. It is the eldest of the celestial siblings, the first to divide from the Immortal Soul, and the largest fragment of it, composing nearly half of the will of creation. It is called   SA - Reality, time. The World Soul.

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