The Pantheon of the Wild are seven mysterious spirit guides of the wilderness that serve the realms of
Ysmar, seeking out worthy souls in the Materium for ascension. These spirits do not represent broad-minded concepts like war or nature, but instead embody complex virtues and vices, and are not worshiped in the traditional sense of the word, but rather revered.
The spirits have always been around to guide hunters, druids, shamans, and wanderers alike, and though these spirits do not always offer their aid directly, they aim to help. If their aid is not needed, then a call for help is not always answered.
The spirits are seen as companions for those wandering the wilderness; a sort of spiritual family; Leovyr, Lupern, and Eonir may often be referred to as older or younger siblings. Borr and Orok may be seen as a protective mother and a stern father figure. Rovin and Otrig may be considered wisened elders; a grandmother and grandfather respectively. While their followers refer to the spirits by name, they are most commonly referred to as the animal they embody; Borr is more commonly called 'Bear' ("He reveres Mother Bear", or "She is Bear").
The pantheon pushes those who revere them towards self-improvement; to overcome the hazards of nature and life's obstacles. The spirits may even apparate to those who do not necessarily revere them, for worship and reverence of the spirits is not required to receive their boons and respect, but rather the weight of one's deeds and actions.
Origins
The wild spirits find their origins within the
Eternal Hunting Grounds, an extra-planar realm tangentially connected to Ysmar that many battle-hardened wanderers of the wilderness can only dream of experiencing for themselves. However, vanishingly little is known about how the seven spirits came to manifest within the Eternal Hunting Grounds. The same cannot be said for the hunting grounds themselves.
The Eternal Hunting Grounds is an infinite landscape of diverse biomes and extremes of all aspects, made perfect for hunters to track their prey. Autumnal pine woods, frigid winter mountains, long-grass planes, and humid jungles dominate all aspects of this rugged, natural realm.
The Grounds' landscapes are not the only extremes. The energies from
Vigdrassil's roots mix together with the leylines of the elemental planes here, and with that comes an all manner of otherworldly foes that roam the Grounds. Creatures of particular renown are those that wander into the Grounds from the
Savage Fen, ripe for anyone brave or stupid enough to confront for the sake of glory and boasting rights.
It is common for individuals or hunting parties from Ysmar to venture into the Hunting Grounds to bring back trophies and stories all for the sake of fame, honor, and greatness.
Followers
The Pantheon is not widely revered, as they have revealed themselves to very few people. However, they share a common following in some
mountain-folk communities of Ragnarok and some
Vaskan populations in both Vaskyr and the Djoran Peaks.
Those that revere the seven spirits often depict them in wooden carvings, totems, and sacred shrines spread throughout the world's most untamed place. These shrines
are usually seen as way-points; places of reference for hunting parties to point them in the direction of safety, home, or even migration patterns. They are also used as safe places for campsites and places of worship away from the walls of civilization.
The spirits are capable of direct communication with mortals. In fact, all of the seven spirits have chosen to share profound bonds with individual mortals throughout many generations. Those who worship the Pantheon call these chosen individuals Wild Speakers. Each spirit has only ever been known to select a single Wild Speaker at any one time, but there does not seem to be a requirement for the spirits to do so.
Wild Speakers
Wild Speakers are among the most powerful shamans and soothsayers in the world, able to spirit-walk, or even cross unaided over into the Spirit Grove or the Eternal Hunting Grounds at will to tend to the needs of their respective spirit. It is said they are also able to grant others passage into these realms.
Each wild spirit has only a small select group of Wild Speakers that honors its legacy, protects its shrines, and looks after the animals which the wild spirit represents. Wild Speakers are gifted with longer life spans than other worshippers of the Pantheon and have been known to live up to three centuries.
It is not required for Wild Speakers to be shamans, soothsayers, or even casters, only that they accomplish great feats that honor the wild spirits. A great fighter can become a Wild Speaker after drawing the attention of a wild spirit by accomplishing a legendary feat that honors the spirit and gains its respect.
Lycanthropy and Shape-Shifting. In rare cases, a Wild Speaker of significant renown is granted the ability to shape-shift, adopting a humanoid form of the spirit by which they were chosen. However, many centuries ago, these gifts were misused in the past by wayward Wild Speakers seeking personal power rather than to protect the natural order. This misuse brought about the curse of lycanthropy. For this reason, renowned shamans of certain elusive bestial races such as the
Urson and
Minotaurs mentor these chosen few to better use their abilities. Those who stay the path and complete their training are capable of remaining in their shifted forms indefinitely.
The Hunt
The spirits and their followers teach the virtues of The Hunt (sometimes called the Eternal Hunt, or the Wild Hunt). The Hunt is an overarching set of principles and set of beliefs that guide all who call the wilderness their home. The teachings of The Hunt encourage recognition that all creatures hunt to survive; to protect and provide for the next generation and that the trials of the wilderness make one stronger, both in body and mind. The Hunt teaches that there must always be a degree of separation between the wild and civilization and that all who would deliberately despoil the natural world in such a way as to cause unnecessary suffering must be hunted to maintain a degree of balance between the two.
Such threats can even sometimes manifest as other beasts and monstrosities that become invasive species to an ecosystem, undead that disrupt the natural cycles of life and death, and even extra-planar threats that have found their way into the
materium. It is this idea that founded the basis for the
Hunter's Keep.
| Spirit |
Alignment |
Virtues & Provinces |
Associated Traits |
Depictions |
| Borr |
NG |
Ferocity, motherhood, power, protection, bears |
Strength |
A massive brown bear with three bear cubs |
| Eonir |
CG |
Swiftness, change, freedom, curiosity, youth, eagles |
Speed |
A soaring, golden eagle |
| Leovyr |
CN |
Solitude, stealth, tactics, opportunism, snow leopards |
Dexterity |
A white snow leopard |
| Lupern |
LG |
Leadership, brotherhood, loyalty, wolves |
Charisma |
An alpha wolf leading three other wolves |
| Orok |
N |
Fortitude, conviction, fatherhood, oxen, bulls, and bison |
Constitution, Armor Class |
A charging bull, ox, or bison |
| Otrig |
LN |
Foresight, intuition, dreams, old age, perspective, owls |
Wisdom |
A white owl perched on a branch |
| Rovin |
N |
Knowledge, secrets, trickery, the afterlife, ravens |
Intelligence |
A black raven cloaked in its own wings |
The spirits have always been around to guide hunters, druids, shamans, and wanderers alike, and though these spirits do not always offer their aid directly, they aim to help. If their aid is not needed, then a call for help is not always answered.
The spirits are seen as companions for those wandering the wilderness; a sort of spiritual family; Leovyr, Lupern, and Eonir may often be referred to as older or younger siblings. Borr and Orok may be seen as a protective mother and a stern father figure. Rovin and Otrig may be considered wisened elders; a grandmother and grandfather respectively. While their followers refer to the spirits by name, they are most commonly referred to as the animal they embody; Borr is more commonly called 'Bear' ("He reveres Mother Bear", or "She is Bear").
The pantheon pushes those who revere them towards self-improvement; to overcome the hazards of nature and life's obstacles. The spirits may even apparate to those who do not necessarily revere them, for worship and reverence of the spirits is not required to receive their boons and respect, but rather the weight of one's deeds and actions.
are usually seen as way-points; places of reference for hunting parties to point them in the direction of safety, home, or even migration patterns. They are also used as safe places for campsites and places of worship away from the walls of civilization.
The spirits are capable of direct communication with mortals. In fact, all of the seven spirits have chosen to share profound bonds with individual mortals throughout many generations. Those who worship the Pantheon call these chosen individuals Wild Speakers. Each spirit has only ever been known to select a single Wild Speaker at any one time, but there does not seem to be a requirement for the spirits to do so.
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