Scorched Lands Pantheon
Far less ancient than the Dragon Empire's mysteries, hundreds of gods are known by name in the Scorched Lands, most of little consequence. But a few of the greater gods have expanded their followings deep beyond the Southern desert, or north into the wet, dark woods. The gods of the Scorched Lands are not creatures of draconic enigma or bloody reaving and wenching. Instead, they are creatures of finely honed knowledge, of perfect ritual, of the true and proper understanding of this life and the next.
The Scorched gods are deep and wise and treacherous, and never to be underestimated. They have risen above the fray of a hundred petty city gods. At the same time, the peculiar Scorched gods have animal heads and walk among their worshippers, pleased to sleep in their temples and terrify their priesthoods on occasion. The Scorched gods are happy to meddle and happy to remain wildly inhuman, both cruel and kind.
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Domains: Death, Grave, Law
Prime Deity: Oros
Symbol: The golden ankh
Favored Weapon: Flail or scythe
Comparable To: Jamboor of the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Nergal of the Atlantean Pantheon.
Among the golden sands of the Scorched Lands deserts, Anubis guards the tombs of royalty and stands against the scourges of age, madness, and the evil undead. Deep underground, his worship as Akma-Apophis takes a darker turn, combined with the rites of a devil he conquered long ago. There he is venerated as the greatest patron of the Ghoul Imperium and Lord of the Underworld. Everywhere except in the Greater Duchy of Morgau, Anubis promotes purity and preserves order, watching over the timely and dignified death of all. His priests anoint those of royal blood to rise again as mummies or liches, and gnoll mortuary guards and guides protect the vast ossuaries and cemeteries from desecration. His ghoulish followers, meanwhile, await each burial as a new source of flesh for feasting, while Anubis preserves the souls of those unfortunate corpses. When portrayed by humans and desert folk, Anubis is a tall and muscular jackal-headed man whose flesh seems made of the starry night sky. His eyes are golden, and he wears the garb of Scorched Lands royalty. Beneath the dunes, his images portray a faceless darkness beneath heavy robes and mummy wrappings. He holds his arms wide, welcoming all into his cold domain. Anubis is worshipped by the humans of the Scorched Lands royal dynasties—especially the elderly and ill, hoping for an easy journey to the afterlife in the hands of holy gnoll guides. The gnolls of the desert, and the ghouls and darakhul under the earth, also follow Akma-Apophis faithfully. Anubis’s symbols are a golden ankh and a golden scythe. In some cases, the scythe blade is curved inward, and the handles are placed so that the scythe resembles an ankh. Other symbols include the vulture, three human skulls, or a human skull with golden ankhs painted around its eye sockets. His most famous holy text is The Preservation of Bodies and Migration of Souls. The funerary wrappings of Anubis’s high priests include the complete text. In the Scorched Lands, Anubis’s temples are warm, small, and comfortable for the elderly and infirm. Divinations tell his followers when death approaches, and they are encouraged to move into a temple, eating and growing strong for their journey into the underworld. These temples are adjacent to massive pyramids and guarded against the unclean ghouls that whisper lies and horrors to the faithful. Small shrines, often just a few well-guarded rooms or caverns, are common in the caves that desert gnoll tribes use to access the underworld. Those tribes give thanks and prepare to delve deeper or trade with denizens of the underworld. No undead may pass to the surface through these caverns. Massive temples in the Ghoul Imperium honor their god as the great deities are honored on the surface. The greatest of these lies in the Necropolis of the White City and is built entirely of the bones of the faithful. The current high priest in the Scorched Lands is the God-King Sut-Akhaman. The high priestess in the subterranean lands is Lucretia Tideblood (LE human darakhul cleric). Anubis pretends to be a servant, but those who know him see a king. When his priests meet those of other faiths, they know the truth of things and conduct themselves accordingly. In the end, even the priests of other gods rest in the tombs and cemeteries that Anubis watches. Anubis's teachings state to respect the ghosts and spirits of the ancestors, and their resting places. Rob no tomb. You are the purifier of life and a custodian of death, so prepare those around you for their inevitable journey and destination. Remind even the youngest that time is short. Be strict and efficient in your work; laziness serves no one, least of all yourself. Destroy anyone who blasphemes against the paradise of the Underworld.
Alignment: Lawful good
Domains: Forge, Light, War
Prime Deity: Fatima
Symbol: A golden disc
Favored Weapon: Mace
Comparable To: Mitra in the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Mithra in the Atlantean Pantheon; Khors in the Endhavian Pantheon; Valeresh in the Elven Pantheon.
Aten is a rarity among the gods of Torar: a jealous god who forbids the worship of all others by his followers. Priests of Aten may never be pantheistic priests, and his followers are known for their unyielding devotion to their faith, including the expulsion of “unbelievers” from villages devoted to Aten. Aten appears as a bronzed giant with a braided beard, piercing black eyes, and powerful chest. Worshipped among both humans and dwarves, statues of the monotheistic sun god are often somewhat similar to dwarves in his proportions, bald and bearded. He is the shining light that defines the day, the protector of the weak and the elderly, a friend to heroes and the foe of dark gods. His radiant face is difficult to look upon, for his divinity and glory outshine all mortal understanding, and his solar magnificence likewise outshines all other gods. So sure are the Aten-worshippers of this that claim all other gods are mere “reflections” or “pale shadows” of true godhood. The only gods whose divinity they debate much at all are those of Lada and Khors, Aten’s semi-divine offspring. These the Atenites treat as saints, prophets, or powerful priests rather than as faiths of their own, and small shrines to Lada and Khors are common. The truly golden light of faith and reason, though, is clearly that of the Sun God himself. Aten is followed by humans, dwarves, and gnolls in Nuria Natal and elsewhere in the South. His most devoted worshippers are those of Per-Xor and Saph-Saph, where a temple school of Aten teaches new generations of his priests and paladins. The favored weapons of Aten are the mace and the staff, symbols of rule and divine authority. These are sometimes combined with sacred texts to create ceremonial items, but under their gilding is a core of iron. The sacred texts of Aten are the Word of the Invincible Sun and the Prophecies of Ra-Amon-Ra, a holy man. Aten’s greatest shrine is the Tomb of the Prophet in the city of Per-Xor, though the healing waters of the Siwal temple are also famous. His priests are many and take new names with their ordination. The greatest of them now is Ikhnaton of Siwal, a “simple preacher” who wanders Nuria Natal and the Mharoti Empire preaching to crowds of Aten’s love and the value of his scriptures. Most of Aten’s priests practice polygamy; the custom is not uncommon in the Scorched Lands. The most powerful rulers among them are the high priest and high priestess of Per-Xor. Aten’s military orders are numerous as well, forming a sizable portion of the officer corps of Nuria Natal. The largest include the Order of the Phoenix, Brotherhood of the Temple, Sisterhood of the Solar Law, and Order of Radiant Justice. There are no other true faiths. Priests and paladins of other gods are to be ignored or slaughtered as unbelievers, as circumstances dictate. Temples of other gods should be plundered for their vile heresy and falsehood. Followers of Khors and Lada are in error, but must be shown the way: Khors and Lada are not true gods but Aten’s children, worthy of respect but not worship. Aten’s faithful reserve the greatest wrath for followers of the heretical “True Aten.” Discovered members are invariably singled out for torture and inquisition, to destroy and root out this most unclean abomination and discourage others from adopting it. Aten wants worship and sacrifice. Two hours must be spent in prayer daily; the sunrise, noon, and sunset hours are ideal for this reflection, and worshippers who fail to gaze upon the light-giving sun daily do so in peril of their souls and afterlife. Aten wants gold, gems, incense, and chanted prayers throughout the hours of the day, and candles, mirrors, and magical light to glorify his temples by night. All worshippers of Aten must attempt to convert infidels before slaughtering them, though this is sometimes a perfunctory effort at best.
Alignment: Lawful neutral
Domains: Life, Nature, Seasons, Tempest
Prime Deity: Gaia
Symbol: The Eye of Horus
Favored Weapon: Khopesh sword (longsword)
Comparable To: Thyr in the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Lothian in the Alexandrian Pantheon; Hotei in the Emerald Empire.
For long eons, as long as the sun and moon traversed the heavens, Horus was lord of the sky and the righteous god-emperor of the Scorched Lands. In time he grew tired and old, and the upstart Aten seized the mantle of power and cast Horus down. The people mourned, and briefly turned their eyes to the blinding glory of the sun. Aten was soon absorbed by his vanities, and dark beings stirred in that time of neglect. Dragons rose in the east, a weakened Horus wandered the desert, the realm of his old rival Set, now defeated by the demon serpent Apophis. Horus rescued Set’s corpse from defilement and performed the proper funerary rites. As reward, he gained dominion over Set’s kingdom. Engulfed by the fiery desert, Horus arose rejuvenated from his ashes. Reborn as a young warrior chieftain, hawk-headed or with the face of a handsome prince, Horus strives to reestablish the order of the world. Demons must be slain, and usurpers put in their place. Through bold deeds will Horus reclaim his rightful place and reunite Nuria Natal’s fractured cities, and cast the dragon gods back south from whence they came. The Nurians, their Sarklah cousins, and the Tamasheq Crescent nomads all follow Horus. People of action, they steer their tribes through the hardships of desert life and all threats to the people. Among his older following in the Nurian delta cities, Horus’s popularity has diminished little, though other gods inspire louder, more public gatherings. Horus’s most fanatical believers are the heruti, an enigmatic avian folk. They are wandering desert mystics, sword masters, and dispensers of Horus’s fury and justice. Falcons are Horus’s sacred animals and his representatives and emissaries. The Crown of Nuria Natal is also a symbol of Horus, but his greatest icon is the Eye of Horus, a potent ward against evil in the hands of the righteous. Transcribed by King Hawk in the elder Nurian script, the Code of Horus details the falcon god’s laws and precepts. Millennia old before lesser kingdoms were dreams, Nuria Natal was founded on the Code of Horus, and this divine text still governs the River Kingdom. The Chronicles of Kings and Wanderers contains popular tales of legendary figures favored by Horus. His priesthood uses the stories to instruct children and converts. Aside from numerous ancient temples in the delta cities, the Traveling Temples are the best known and most accessible of his shrines. These mobile shrines accompany caravans of traders, pilgrims, or performers and their priests serve as guards, healers, and guides. They protect and reaffirm Horus’s faithful wherever they journey. The Soaring Shrines rest atop high mountain peaks, desert rock outcroppings, and grand pyramids, sacred sites that demarcate the realm of old Nuria Natal. Horus’s temples are large and airy, utilizing tall columns and huge open spaces and built into cliffs or atop mountains beneath the open sky. The most famous temple, Khepri Khnum, stands on a mountaintop in the Chelamite range. It houses Horus’s army of 10,000 birds and its priests are beautiful harpies with tremendous plumage. In the Scorched Lands, the priest and famed storyteller Old Khenses travels from town to town entertaining listeners with the Chronicles of Kings and Wanderers. The Wingless One is the grandmaster of the Talons of Heru, holy slayers of the falcon god’s foes. Horus is the benevolent chief of the Scorched Lands pantheon and has deep, strong connections to each of the gods. Aten the False is another matter. Their intense rivalry stokes open hostility among their faithful. Try as he might, Aten cannot subsume Horus in the cities and chasing his wanderers into the desert is suicide. As king, Horus welcomes foreign gods to his court if they come in peace. Such visitors have included Charun, Ceres, and Rava. If strange gods come to invade, they are met with holy steel and the divine eye of Horus. Horus has many enemies, but most significantly the demon Apophis and his followers are abominations to be destroyed. The demon-dragon Baal, would-be conqueror of Nuria Natal, also draws Horus’s kingly wrath. The Code of Horus separates noble nomad from uncouth barbarian; obey it always. Battle and slay ancient abominations and their cults. Carry yourself in an upright manner, whether great king or lowly peasant. Treat others with hospitality and honor. Kill enemies who threaten your homeland and enslave their kin. Be princes among men and Horus will watch over you.
Alignment: Neutral
Domains: Arcana, Knowledge, Travel, Trickery
Prime Deity: Alizaxis
Symbol: A quill or stylus
Favored Weapon: Dagger
Comparable To: Yenomesh in the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Wotan in the Northlands Pantheon; Fukurokujin in the Emerald Empire.
The face of Thoth-Hermes is a strange one, represented as an ibis, a stork, or sometimes a winged human head. His body is thin and sometimes stooped, sometimes a lithe youth, and he is frequently shown with either a cloak of feathers or winged sandals. Far more important than his statues are his libraries and his market shrines, for Thoth‑Hermes is the patron of both the retiring scholars and the worldly, engaged merchants who carry goods throughout Torar in search of profit. Thoth-Hermes is worshipped by scholars, scribes, merchants, thieves, messengers, travelers, and wizards throughout the Scorched Lands. They come from all sorts of backgrounds, but they are collectively curious, learned, and interested in knowledge both licit and illicit. Most prominently, Thoth-Hermes is the patron of the Magocracy of Allain, and the being that wizards of that strange state turn to when their arcane workings confound them and their magic fails. The favored weapons of priests of Thoth-Hermes are the staff and the dagger, symbols of magic and thievery and humble scholars. The penknife of Thoth is also honored, and a few diehards believe in carrying only a quill or stylus as his symbol and sign. All books are sacred to Thoth-Hermes, and destroying a book is an abomination. The most famous sacred texts of Thoth-Hermes include the Book of Passage to Heaven, the Book of Magic, the 150 Sacred Rituals, the Book of Starry Wisdom, and the Book of the World, an encyclopedia of priestly knowledge. A secretive Emerald Order of priests and scholars jealously guards a volume referred to as the Emerald Tablet The greatest shrines of Thoth-Hermes are libraries, such as the Great Library of Friula in the Seven Cities, the library of Sendrellar, and the library-temple of Siwal. Just as important and far more numerous are the small shrines in every market where Thoth-Hermes is worshipped: each contains a set of scales and a locked box for offerings. The scales are true and well balanced, and theft from the god’s offerings is met with swift death at the hands of Thoth-Hermes’s more fanatical followers. Thoth-Hermes has no major military orders, but his followers fill the legions of spies, diplomats, and couriers that armies rely on, not to mention the wand-wielding elite companies of spellcasters. The most famous of these is the Blue Wands company of Bemmea mercenaries that occasionally serves in the Seven Cities. The followers of Thoth are either indifferent to the world beyond the scriptorium door or deeply engaged with it as messengers and explorers. The priests retain a special hatred for the cults of Totivillus, the patron demon of scribes, and likewise for Mammon, god of greed (a corruption of honest trade). They are rivals to Sarastra, goddess of night and magic. They are friendly with most other faiths, especially those of Lada the Golden and Horus. The temples of Aten are boisterous targets for Thoth-Hermes’s more earthy and thieving followers. All worshippers of Thoth-Hermes must be literate and numerate; ideally, most have valuable knowledge or skills useful in the creation of further knowledge, trade, or wisdom. All followers of Thoth-Hermes must produce a collection of new lore, maps, arcane mysteries, or personal experiences once in their lifetime, creating a “life book” of value to savants and future generations. Destroying books is forbidden, but their theft is a sign of skill and divine favor.
Anubis (Akma-Apophis)
God of the Underworld; Judge of the Dead and Guardian of Tombs; Guide of the People of Khem; Purifier of Souls; Preserver of the Worthy; King of Jackals; Patron of the Gnolls and Ghouls
Status: Lesser GodAlignment: Lawful neutral
Domains: Death, Grave, Law
Prime Deity: Oros
Symbol: The golden ankh
Favored Weapon: Flail or scythe
Comparable To: Jamboor of the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Nergal of the Atlantean Pantheon.
Among the golden sands of the Scorched Lands deserts, Anubis guards the tombs of royalty and stands against the scourges of age, madness, and the evil undead. Deep underground, his worship as Akma-Apophis takes a darker turn, combined with the rites of a devil he conquered long ago. There he is venerated as the greatest patron of the Ghoul Imperium and Lord of the Underworld. Everywhere except in the Greater Duchy of Morgau, Anubis promotes purity and preserves order, watching over the timely and dignified death of all. His priests anoint those of royal blood to rise again as mummies or liches, and gnoll mortuary guards and guides protect the vast ossuaries and cemeteries from desecration. His ghoulish followers, meanwhile, await each burial as a new source of flesh for feasting, while Anubis preserves the souls of those unfortunate corpses. When portrayed by humans and desert folk, Anubis is a tall and muscular jackal-headed man whose flesh seems made of the starry night sky. His eyes are golden, and he wears the garb of Scorched Lands royalty. Beneath the dunes, his images portray a faceless darkness beneath heavy robes and mummy wrappings. He holds his arms wide, welcoming all into his cold domain. Anubis is worshipped by the humans of the Scorched Lands royal dynasties—especially the elderly and ill, hoping for an easy journey to the afterlife in the hands of holy gnoll guides. The gnolls of the desert, and the ghouls and darakhul under the earth, also follow Akma-Apophis faithfully. Anubis’s symbols are a golden ankh and a golden scythe. In some cases, the scythe blade is curved inward, and the handles are placed so that the scythe resembles an ankh. Other symbols include the vulture, three human skulls, or a human skull with golden ankhs painted around its eye sockets. His most famous holy text is The Preservation of Bodies and Migration of Souls. The funerary wrappings of Anubis’s high priests include the complete text. In the Scorched Lands, Anubis’s temples are warm, small, and comfortable for the elderly and infirm. Divinations tell his followers when death approaches, and they are encouraged to move into a temple, eating and growing strong for their journey into the underworld. These temples are adjacent to massive pyramids and guarded against the unclean ghouls that whisper lies and horrors to the faithful. Small shrines, often just a few well-guarded rooms or caverns, are common in the caves that desert gnoll tribes use to access the underworld. Those tribes give thanks and prepare to delve deeper or trade with denizens of the underworld. No undead may pass to the surface through these caverns. Massive temples in the Ghoul Imperium honor their god as the great deities are honored on the surface. The greatest of these lies in the Necropolis of the White City and is built entirely of the bones of the faithful. The current high priest in the Scorched Lands is the God-King Sut-Akhaman. The high priestess in the subterranean lands is Lucretia Tideblood (LE human darakhul cleric). Anubis pretends to be a servant, but those who know him see a king. When his priests meet those of other faiths, they know the truth of things and conduct themselves accordingly. In the end, even the priests of other gods rest in the tombs and cemeteries that Anubis watches. Anubis's teachings state to respect the ghosts and spirits of the ancestors, and their resting places. Rob no tomb. You are the purifier of life and a custodian of death, so prepare those around you for their inevitable journey and destination. Remind even the youngest that time is short. Be strict and efficient in your work; laziness serves no one, least of all yourself. Destroy anyone who blasphemes against the paradise of the Underworld.
Aten
Sun God; Jealous Lord of Light and Good; Father of Khors and Lord of the Horizons; Patron of the Khemti
Status: Lesser GodAlignment: Lawful good
Domains: Forge, Light, War
Prime Deity: Fatima
Symbol: A golden disc
Favored Weapon: Mace
Comparable To: Mitra in the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Mithra in the Atlantean Pantheon; Khors in the Endhavian Pantheon; Valeresh in the Elven Pantheon.
Aten is a rarity among the gods of Torar: a jealous god who forbids the worship of all others by his followers. Priests of Aten may never be pantheistic priests, and his followers are known for their unyielding devotion to their faith, including the expulsion of “unbelievers” from villages devoted to Aten. Aten appears as a bronzed giant with a braided beard, piercing black eyes, and powerful chest. Worshipped among both humans and dwarves, statues of the monotheistic sun god are often somewhat similar to dwarves in his proportions, bald and bearded. He is the shining light that defines the day, the protector of the weak and the elderly, a friend to heroes and the foe of dark gods. His radiant face is difficult to look upon, for his divinity and glory outshine all mortal understanding, and his solar magnificence likewise outshines all other gods. So sure are the Aten-worshippers of this that claim all other gods are mere “reflections” or “pale shadows” of true godhood. The only gods whose divinity they debate much at all are those of Lada and Khors, Aten’s semi-divine offspring. These the Atenites treat as saints, prophets, or powerful priests rather than as faiths of their own, and small shrines to Lada and Khors are common. The truly golden light of faith and reason, though, is clearly that of the Sun God himself. Aten is followed by humans, dwarves, and gnolls in Nuria Natal and elsewhere in the South. His most devoted worshippers are those of Per-Xor and Saph-Saph, where a temple school of Aten teaches new generations of his priests and paladins. The favored weapons of Aten are the mace and the staff, symbols of rule and divine authority. These are sometimes combined with sacred texts to create ceremonial items, but under their gilding is a core of iron. The sacred texts of Aten are the Word of the Invincible Sun and the Prophecies of Ra-Amon-Ra, a holy man. Aten’s greatest shrine is the Tomb of the Prophet in the city of Per-Xor, though the healing waters of the Siwal temple are also famous. His priests are many and take new names with their ordination. The greatest of them now is Ikhnaton of Siwal, a “simple preacher” who wanders Nuria Natal and the Mharoti Empire preaching to crowds of Aten’s love and the value of his scriptures. Most of Aten’s priests practice polygamy; the custom is not uncommon in the Scorched Lands. The most powerful rulers among them are the high priest and high priestess of Per-Xor. Aten’s military orders are numerous as well, forming a sizable portion of the officer corps of Nuria Natal. The largest include the Order of the Phoenix, Brotherhood of the Temple, Sisterhood of the Solar Law, and Order of Radiant Justice. There are no other true faiths. Priests and paladins of other gods are to be ignored or slaughtered as unbelievers, as circumstances dictate. Temples of other gods should be plundered for their vile heresy and falsehood. Followers of Khors and Lada are in error, but must be shown the way: Khors and Lada are not true gods but Aten’s children, worthy of respect but not worship. Aten’s faithful reserve the greatest wrath for followers of the heretical “True Aten.” Discovered members are invariably singled out for torture and inquisition, to destroy and root out this most unclean abomination and discourage others from adopting it. Aten wants worship and sacrifice. Two hours must be spent in prayer daily; the sunrise, noon, and sunset hours are ideal for this reflection, and worshippers who fail to gaze upon the light-giving sun daily do so in peril of their souls and afterlife. Aten wants gold, gems, incense, and chanted prayers throughout the hours of the day, and candles, mirrors, and magical light to glorify his temples by night. All worshippers of Aten must attempt to convert infidels before slaughtering them, though this is sometimes a perfunctory effort at best.
Horus
Sky Lord; Master of the Sun, the Moon, and the Heavens; the Desert Falcon; Prince of Princes; the Majestic One; the Chieftain; the Vigilant; the True King; Patron of Nuria Natal
Status: Lesser GodAlignment: Lawful neutral
Domains: Life, Nature, Seasons, Tempest
Prime Deity: Gaia
Symbol: The Eye of Horus
Favored Weapon: Khopesh sword (longsword)
Comparable To: Thyr in the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Lothian in the Alexandrian Pantheon; Hotei in the Emerald Empire.
For long eons, as long as the sun and moon traversed the heavens, Horus was lord of the sky and the righteous god-emperor of the Scorched Lands. In time he grew tired and old, and the upstart Aten seized the mantle of power and cast Horus down. The people mourned, and briefly turned their eyes to the blinding glory of the sun. Aten was soon absorbed by his vanities, and dark beings stirred in that time of neglect. Dragons rose in the east, a weakened Horus wandered the desert, the realm of his old rival Set, now defeated by the demon serpent Apophis. Horus rescued Set’s corpse from defilement and performed the proper funerary rites. As reward, he gained dominion over Set’s kingdom. Engulfed by the fiery desert, Horus arose rejuvenated from his ashes. Reborn as a young warrior chieftain, hawk-headed or with the face of a handsome prince, Horus strives to reestablish the order of the world. Demons must be slain, and usurpers put in their place. Through bold deeds will Horus reclaim his rightful place and reunite Nuria Natal’s fractured cities, and cast the dragon gods back south from whence they came. The Nurians, their Sarklah cousins, and the Tamasheq Crescent nomads all follow Horus. People of action, they steer their tribes through the hardships of desert life and all threats to the people. Among his older following in the Nurian delta cities, Horus’s popularity has diminished little, though other gods inspire louder, more public gatherings. Horus’s most fanatical believers are the heruti, an enigmatic avian folk. They are wandering desert mystics, sword masters, and dispensers of Horus’s fury and justice. Falcons are Horus’s sacred animals and his representatives and emissaries. The Crown of Nuria Natal is also a symbol of Horus, but his greatest icon is the Eye of Horus, a potent ward against evil in the hands of the righteous. Transcribed by King Hawk in the elder Nurian script, the Code of Horus details the falcon god’s laws and precepts. Millennia old before lesser kingdoms were dreams, Nuria Natal was founded on the Code of Horus, and this divine text still governs the River Kingdom. The Chronicles of Kings and Wanderers contains popular tales of legendary figures favored by Horus. His priesthood uses the stories to instruct children and converts. Aside from numerous ancient temples in the delta cities, the Traveling Temples are the best known and most accessible of his shrines. These mobile shrines accompany caravans of traders, pilgrims, or performers and their priests serve as guards, healers, and guides. They protect and reaffirm Horus’s faithful wherever they journey. The Soaring Shrines rest atop high mountain peaks, desert rock outcroppings, and grand pyramids, sacred sites that demarcate the realm of old Nuria Natal. Horus’s temples are large and airy, utilizing tall columns and huge open spaces and built into cliffs or atop mountains beneath the open sky. The most famous temple, Khepri Khnum, stands on a mountaintop in the Chelamite range. It houses Horus’s army of 10,000 birds and its priests are beautiful harpies with tremendous plumage. In the Scorched Lands, the priest and famed storyteller Old Khenses travels from town to town entertaining listeners with the Chronicles of Kings and Wanderers. The Wingless One is the grandmaster of the Talons of Heru, holy slayers of the falcon god’s foes. Horus is the benevolent chief of the Scorched Lands pantheon and has deep, strong connections to each of the gods. Aten the False is another matter. Their intense rivalry stokes open hostility among their faithful. Try as he might, Aten cannot subsume Horus in the cities and chasing his wanderers into the desert is suicide. As king, Horus welcomes foreign gods to his court if they come in peace. Such visitors have included Charun, Ceres, and Rava. If strange gods come to invade, they are met with holy steel and the divine eye of Horus. Horus has many enemies, but most significantly the demon Apophis and his followers are abominations to be destroyed. The demon-dragon Baal, would-be conqueror of Nuria Natal, also draws Horus’s kingly wrath. The Code of Horus separates noble nomad from uncouth barbarian; obey it always. Battle and slay ancient abominations and their cults. Carry yourself in an upright manner, whether great king or lowly peasant. Treat others with hospitality and honor. Kill enemies who threaten your homeland and enslave their kin. Be princes among men and Horus will watch over you.
Thoth-Hermes
God of Knowledge and Learning; The Wise; Creator of Language; Lord of Merchants; Patron of Scholars and Thieves; Master of the Arcane Realms; Patron of the Magocracy of Allain
Status: Lesser GodAlignment: Neutral
Domains: Arcana, Knowledge, Travel, Trickery
Prime Deity: Alizaxis
Symbol: A quill or stylus
Favored Weapon: Dagger
Comparable To: Yenomesh in the Foerdewaith Pantheon; Wotan in the Northlands Pantheon; Fukurokujin in the Emerald Empire.
The face of Thoth-Hermes is a strange one, represented as an ibis, a stork, or sometimes a winged human head. His body is thin and sometimes stooped, sometimes a lithe youth, and he is frequently shown with either a cloak of feathers or winged sandals. Far more important than his statues are his libraries and his market shrines, for Thoth‑Hermes is the patron of both the retiring scholars and the worldly, engaged merchants who carry goods throughout Torar in search of profit. Thoth-Hermes is worshipped by scholars, scribes, merchants, thieves, messengers, travelers, and wizards throughout the Scorched Lands. They come from all sorts of backgrounds, but they are collectively curious, learned, and interested in knowledge both licit and illicit. Most prominently, Thoth-Hermes is the patron of the Magocracy of Allain, and the being that wizards of that strange state turn to when their arcane workings confound them and their magic fails. The favored weapons of priests of Thoth-Hermes are the staff and the dagger, symbols of magic and thievery and humble scholars. The penknife of Thoth is also honored, and a few diehards believe in carrying only a quill or stylus as his symbol and sign. All books are sacred to Thoth-Hermes, and destroying a book is an abomination. The most famous sacred texts of Thoth-Hermes include the Book of Passage to Heaven, the Book of Magic, the 150 Sacred Rituals, the Book of Starry Wisdom, and the Book of the World, an encyclopedia of priestly knowledge. A secretive Emerald Order of priests and scholars jealously guards a volume referred to as the Emerald Tablet The greatest shrines of Thoth-Hermes are libraries, such as the Great Library of Friula in the Seven Cities, the library of Sendrellar, and the library-temple of Siwal. Just as important and far more numerous are the small shrines in every market where Thoth-Hermes is worshipped: each contains a set of scales and a locked box for offerings. The scales are true and well balanced, and theft from the god’s offerings is met with swift death at the hands of Thoth-Hermes’s more fanatical followers. Thoth-Hermes has no major military orders, but his followers fill the legions of spies, diplomats, and couriers that armies rely on, not to mention the wand-wielding elite companies of spellcasters. The most famous of these is the Blue Wands company of Bemmea mercenaries that occasionally serves in the Seven Cities. The followers of Thoth are either indifferent to the world beyond the scriptorium door or deeply engaged with it as messengers and explorers. The priests retain a special hatred for the cults of Totivillus, the patron demon of scribes, and likewise for Mammon, god of greed (a corruption of honest trade). They are rivals to Sarastra, goddess of night and magic. They are friendly with most other faiths, especially those of Lada the Golden and Horus. The temples of Aten are boisterous targets for Thoth-Hermes’s more earthy and thieving followers. All worshippers of Thoth-Hermes must be literate and numerate; ideally, most have valuable knowledge or skills useful in the creation of further knowledge, trade, or wisdom. All followers of Thoth-Hermes must produce a collection of new lore, maps, arcane mysteries, or personal experiences once in their lifetime, creating a “life book” of value to savants and future generations. Destroying books is forbidden, but their theft is a sign of skill and divine favor.
Structure
While Aten may wish he ruled the pantheon, in truth Horus is still the king of the Scorched Lands gods.
Founding Date
22995 A.E.
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Deities
Location
Comments