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Select Pantheons of Interest

There are a great many pantheons of gods in Astlan.  Far too many to list on this site.

For reference sake, we list the major deities of the two largest active pantheons among humans:  The Etonians and The Narveson which began on Eton and Norelon respectively.  We also provide the principle deities of the hybrid races along with a great number of Sidhe, simply known as the Gods of the Grove.

We also list a few known deities from (mostly) forgotten pantheons.  The ‘Old Ones’ which have a few cult members hidden around and the Nyjyr Ennead a pantheon driven from Astlan by the Etonians.

Very brief mention of an Alvaran pantheon the El’adasir is also listed simply because their principle deity is mentioned by Alvar; however very little is known about the religion outside Alvaran realms.

 

 

The Etonians (a.k.a. The Five Siblings)

  • The Etonians originated primarily in Eton, while missionaries expanded their circle outside of Eton for years, it was not until the Cult of Tiernon in AC -1288 began expanding into Norelon that they attained a sizable presence outside of Eton.  This incursion earned them and their followers the wrath of the Narveson who had held sway upon Norelon.  
  • The Etonians, and the Rod of Tiernon, in particular played a critical role in the overthrow of the Anilords.  As a result of this, the Etonians gained a substantial foot hold in Norelon as the Narveson were displaced with the Anilords. 
  • The Five Major Gods are all siblings, brothers and sisters.  Their mother is commonly believed to have been the Goddess Danu of the The El’adasir pantheon.  Their father name Aetherus All Father is considered to have been the original creator of the Multiverse.  However, he seems to have vanished and is rarely mentioned in any of the Etonian religious texts.
  • The Lesser Gods tend to be the children of the Major Gods and typically represent different aspects under their parent.

 

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Hendel is the Etonian god of health and healing.  He is particularly popular with thaumaturges, alchemists, chemists. Hendel’s Supreme Temple is in Hendel’s Hearth on the west coast of Eton.

Krinna is the Etonian goddess of the Sky, Wind and Air.  She is the goddess of Enchantment, Seduction, Bewitchment and Flight.  Krinna’s Supreme Temple is in Krinna’s Reach on the west coast of Eton.

Namora the Etonian Goddess of the Sea is worshiped by all sailors, particularly adventurers and merchants, fishermen and naturally, sorcerers.  Namora’s largest temple, and the center of her worship is on the island of Namora off the west coast of Eton.  The entire island is dedicated to her service.

Tiernon is the best known of the Etonians Gods outside of Eton and is widely worshiped by warriors and nobility.  He is the God of Justice, War and is dedicated to the elimination of Evil (with a capital E).  Justicia is the seat of Tiernon’s power in Astlan, it is located in western Eton.

Torean is the second most popular Etonian outside of Eton.  He is the god of adventurers, exploration, combat and glory.  Torean’s Fast is the seat of Torean’s supreme temple and the starting point for all great adventures and exploration.

The Narveson

  • The Narveson are the old gods of Norelon, in particular they were the gods of the Anilords.  With the overthrow of the Anilords, the Narveson have lost a sizeable number of followers in favor of the Etonians, who were instrumental in overthrowing the Anilords.
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Droft Kmon and his cult had a very awkward relationship during the age of the Anilords.  He was officially a patron of the Anilord regime, yet often seen as in opposition to the corruption found within the ranks of the Anilords.  He is still popular with traditionalists.  Neither he nor his adherents get along well with Zbibik and his worshipers.

Illania was extremely popular with the Anilords and their adherents, however her cult managed to survive relatively well by embracing wizardry quickly after the fall of the Anilords.  She is also a strong patron of craft and professional women.

Maera is still quite popular with peasants, farmers and thaumaturges.

Soth Ammon is the Narveson God of Birth, Life and Death.  In more recent years he has been more associated with death and the underworld, primarily due to the pantheon’s affiliation with the Anilords.  

Wife of Soth Ammon.  It is said that it is Teth who instructs her husband on who lives and who dies based on thread lines within her giant loom.

Zbibik was very popular during the war against the Anilords (he was opposed to the Anilords) and is still popular among any rebel groups.  He is also very popular among a number of non-human races, Orcs and Jotun in particular.

The El’adasir

  • The El’adasir are the gods of the Los Alvar.  Very little is known about these gods outside of Alvaran realms, as the Los Alvar keep their religious beliefs quite private.  The best known deity is Danu, the Mother Goddess of Nature.
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Mother Astlan, Earth Mother, the principle oneness of nature and life.

Nét is the El’adasir god of war.  

The Gods of the Grove

  • The Gods of the Grove are the primary protectors of the Grove.  Outside of the Grove are not currently widely worshiped by urban humans, nor farmers.  However they are very popular among woodsmen, hunters, rangers and scouts as well as shepherds throughout Astlan.  They are extremely popular with many of the hybrid races as well as a sizable number of Sidhe.
  • The pantheon also has a relatively ribald nature and is frowned upon among knowledgeable elites who consider the practices of their followers to be very animalistic, primitive and too overtly sexual.
  • Nearly all the gods are intimately associated with nature, the seasons, life, death, rebirth and fecundity.  The major deities all have deep affiliations with fertility, sexuality, passion, and uninhibited behavior.

 

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Artemis is the female counterpart to Cernunnos, they are joint consorts and represent male and female sexuality as well as the circle of life, death and rebirth.  She is generally portrayed as a woman ranger with a large bow and quiver of arrows.

Cernunos is typically portrayed as a horned humanoid with at a minimum the horns of a stag, and often the head of a stag; and occasionally the hooves of a stag.  He is known to be the consort of Artemis Agrotera

Dionysius is the god of celebration, the successful harvest, wine, feasting, joy and drunken madness.

Also known simply as Dis.  A god of death and the underworld, but not a particularly dark god.  Rather a god that represents a return to the source of life, the richness of the soil and for later rebirth and renewal.

Pæles, is the goddess of wisdom, strategy and adventure.  She is the patron of heroic endeavors and a champion of justice and the rule of law.

Pan is the nearly exclusive god of the Satyrs and Fauns, he is also worshiped by Nymphs and many of the forest and pasture dwelling Sidhe.  He is portrayed as a large satyr and is known for playing multiple pipe instruments.  He is the patron of shepherds and their flocks, all grazing animals.

The Nyjyr Ennead

  • The Nyjyr Ennead are a now nearly forgotten pantheon on Astlan. However, unlike, the ‘Old Ones’ the demise of the Nyjyr Ennead happend much more recently, within the last twelve hundred years. 
  • They Nyjyr Ennead had held great sway on the continents of Natoor and Najaar.  When the Etonian’s began expanding under the commands of Torean and Tiernon, the Nyjyr Ennead put up a much more directed and bitter fight than the Narveson.  In particular, the Nyjyr Ennead had no connections to the Anilords and had much greater popularity among the residents of the two continents.
  • As a consequence, they and their followers were able to strongly resist the Etonians which led to widespread conflict across the two continents, with the Etonian’s eventually emerging victorious and then proceeding to convert (or eradicate) worshipers of the Nyjyr Ennead.  Thus within a few hundred years the worship of this pantheon was effectively eliminated and the pantheon forced off of Astlan.
  • The proscription against worshiping the Nyjyr Ennead has been very effective as has the destruction of holy documents and articles, and very little is still known the pantheon or its rites.  What did prove much harder to eradicate were the rather incredible feats of engineering their worshipers created.  Large pyramid shaped temples and tombs can still be found throughout the two continents.
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Anup was the Lord of the Underworld, Master of the Dead.

Astet is the goddess of magic and the patron of mothers, birth and childcare.   She is also the Queen of the Air and a great enchantress.

God of Light, Fire and the warmth of Fierd, often assumed to be the leader of the pantheon.

Bastet was the goddess of house and home, of the people.  She was often portrayed as being a hybrid human and cat.  Typically with the head of a cat and a body covered in deep black fur.

Nefer-Tum is a beautiful young lad of typically human form.  He is known for his incredible beauty, his kind nature; his love of the sea and sea faring as well as his powers of Seeing.  He is the son of Tah and Sakhmekt and completes the Ennead Triad (with his parents).

Orûs is the son of Usiris and Astet.  He is typically depicted as having the head of a falcon and is known for his keen eyesight and hunting abilities. He is a god of war and more often hunting.

Also known as  Hephaestus to the dwarves and Vulcan to the Djinn.  His the god of jewelers, artists, craftsmen and is, (or was) one the favored gods of the Modgriensofarthgonosefren.  Rumor has it that worship of Tah under the aspect of Hephaestus continues to this day amoug the Modgriensofarthgonosefren.  Husband of Sakhmekt, father of Nefer-Tum

Sekhmekt is typically portrait as a woman with the head of a lioness with a head of golden fur, and paws for feet.  Wife of pêTah, mother of Nefer-Tum. 

A powerful god representing the apex of the Circle of Life.

The Old Ones

  • “The Old Ones” is not the actual name of this pantheon, rather it is the vernacular term for these ancient gods of both Eton and Norelon.  The last temple to these gods was built outside of Gizzor Del and is known as the Cathedral of Pynrex.  Most of what is know about them comes from long ago excavations.  
  • There are some sages and bards who know the tales of the last high priests Arand, Estenthor and Galgoren, who built the cathedral, but even so, these last priests were but a revival of a long lost religion.  
  • The two best known gods are Sezenon and Mendenon.  Mendenon was “Mother Earth” and Sezenon was “Father Sky.”   Because of these references, particular to the term “earth” one of the elements and also the ground/soil it is believed the old ones were a purely elemental pantheon representing the five elements.
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Also known as Hierelegon.

One of the Old Ones, element of Earth.

The ruler of the ‘pantheon’ of these gods.

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