The Pantheon of Ratha

'And the world was good, for the gods walked with their children, and all could feel their love and power, wherever their were.' - The Words of the Faith, Adventus 1:1

For longer than anyone can remember, almost all the Realms of Ratha have worshipped the same pantheon of gods. The most common form of the pantheon, that followed in the Mortal Kingdoms, the Ales Empire, and Pyandonaea, consists of 7 major gods and countless minor, although other areas and realms may add additional major gods to this count. The chief defining factor of these gods is that they are inherently tied to one of Ratha's races - they are shown as a member of that race, and embody a trait those people consider important. It is not necessary for a member of that race to worship their god, or even acknowledge that they exist, but the divine relationship is inescapable on a deep, universal level.

Mythology & Lore

The Gods came into being one by one, at the same time as the races to which they were tied. Whether a god created their race, or was created by their race, is a matter that varies from race to race, but the gods are inherently tied to their race. As each god came into being, they changed Ratha in some way - Aimsir created time, while before the world simply had no order to events. Domhan carved the world's landscape to be more conducive to the life of the mortals now emerging in the land. Laputa allowed selflessness and generosity to emerge among the young races. The gods were physically active in the world until the forming of the Concordat of the Pantheon, led by Rego. All of the gods who agreed to this - which is a majority of them - have vowed to only intervene in the events of Ratha indirectly (through their orders of paladins and visions to the faithful, typically), except in times of great crisis. Since the creation of the Concordat, there has never been an event severe enough for the gods to manifest in Ratha in physical form.

Divine Origins

The gods had been in existence for many ages, worshiped by their child races and any who found their domains relevant, before their worship was formalized, in the year 0A, but a few months after the appearance of the Elves in Pyandonaea. It was then that the six (becoming seven following the appearance of Cion and the Half-Elves) 'major' gods were defined, the others being relegated to 'minor' gods. Some cultures have different major gods, some with more or less, but these seven are standard across the Mortal Kingdoms, the Ales Empire, the Jeweled Archipelago, and Pyandonaea.

Cosmological Views

At first, the world was a simple ball of water, populated by strange, submerged plants and animals, coming and going in the blink of an eye, for there was no time. Above the unending oceans flew the dragons, and their god Rego, kings of all that they oversaw. Then Aimsir came into being, and she carved time from the madness, giving an order to further events. Next there was Domhan, who pulled the earth up from below the oceans, creating the continents, and refining them over the course of many millennia to be suitable for her children, the Dwarves, living in their Deep Empire. In the easternmost land, the mountains and hills uprooted themselves, becoming the Giants. They and their god Squall didn't want the world to be refined for these small races, and came to the Domhanar mountains to stop the Dwarf goddess. The Dwarves came up from their Deep Empire to defend their mother goddess, and the Domhanar Mountains became the barrier between the Land of Giants and the other parts of Ratha. After the world was made suitable for the Dwarves, the other races could appear, one by one. The gnomes and their goddess emerged from the thick, Fae-touched Eldenwood, bringing their ideas of academia and knowledge. The Halflings sprung from the plants of the land, and they and their goddess brought the idea of goodness to the formerly chaotic, wild world, slowly taming the wilderness. The Humans migrated from the Old Kingdom in the southwest, they and their god showing the other races the ideas of courage, of fighting even in the most desperate times. The first Dragonborn came from a clutch laid by the dragons, making them realise the potential in these 'lesser' races, and prompting their involvement in further events, to act as wise lords and guides for them as they grew. Countless other races and their gods sprung up in this time, until the Arrival, when the largely-barren land of Pyandonaea was suddenly the seat of a mighty civilization, of the Elves and their goddess. This was the day of the Concordant of the Pantheon, when all the gods agreed to leave Ratha for the mortals, and created the Divine Realms for them to exist within. This time, often marked as 0A, or the Year of Arrival, marks the beginning of history as we understand it, and we have since measured our time by years following the Arrival. Most of the gods have remained confined to their Divine Realms, but we know that, should a crisis come when they are truly needed, they will return to Ratha and save their child races. Until then, they watch over us from on high, speaking through their churches and visions, and raining blessings upon the good and faithful.

Tenets of Faith

To honour the virtues of the major gods:

To wisely rule those below you, and respect the wise rulers above you

To accept that life is finite, and enjoy the time you have

To be courageous in all things

To respect and protect the earth

To learn for the sake of learning and its enjoyment

To show good will to the innocent, and to protect them from the evil

To love openly and freely

Priesthood

Each god has their own dedicated church, which runs the priesthood and paladinhood in entirely different ways, based on their own doctrines and the beliefs of their gods. They may be selected based on wisdom, martial prowess, or simple devotion.

Permeated Organizations

Deities

Divines

The Pantheon of Ratha

Mythology & Lore

Divine Origins

Cosmological Views

Tenets of Faith

Priesthood

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