Editing The Gods of Polesia (section)

==The Worldly Gods==

These being largely the gods of humanity that either replaced or simply changed the gods of older non-human civilizations. There are few places in the civilized world that do not hold shrines or temples venerating them separately or in groups.


===In Antanides===


''Ashtra''
This religion focuses mainly on Ashtra and her nemesis Akmanu. While the other gods are acknowledged they are not held in as high regard as these two. Of course in the Ashtran faith, Akmanu isn't worshiped at all, but he is so prevalent in their scripture that it would be an oversight to exclude him from this section. 

'''[[Ashtra|Ashtra]], Ishtara, Manadhnethryn (Fate Weaver), Spirit Mother, The Reaper, The Midwife, The Judge (N):''' One of the oldest of the modern gods still held in esteem by most of civilization. Everyone who worships the gods has said at least one prayer to her during their lives, as she is recognized as the chief goddess of fate. Domains are Death, Healing, Knowledge, Luck, Repose, and Rune.


'''Akmanu, The Great Jackal, Carrion Lord, Dark Light After Death (N):''' One of the few gods who was said to be mortal at one time. Akmanu was worshiped highly in Shahar-khet when the sorcerer-kings began seeking lichdom as substitute for true immortality. In later years his legend was incorporated into the Ashtran faith that was growing popular in Eshtorah. Seen as the first necromancer and a perversion of the Great Cycle, he was cast as Ashtra's greatest nemesis. So corrupted that there was no way for her to destroy him and return him to the Cycle, Ashtra was said to have sealed him in a hellish prison from which only his dark whispers could escape from time to time to tempt mortals. In Shahar-khet he was seen as a great pale jackal with a human face, but in modern times he is depicted as an impossibly old man often accompanied by a jackal. Domains are Evil, Death, Knowledge, Magic, and Protection.



''Other Thesian Deities''
These are the traditional gods, spread through the rise of the Thesian Empire and later with the Lataneran Empire. These gods are worshiped by almost everyone in the southwestern, central, and northeastern sections of Antanides. While they may very in importance, legality, and in minor features and abilities, these are approximate summaries.  

'''Apithia, Maiden’s Sigh, Lady of Shadows, Secret Desire (N):''' A scandalous goddess of love, pain, and delirium, her cult has more or less displaced Shub-Niggurath’s Magna Mater cult in Lattanis. Her worshipers are of all races and genders, any who appreciate the power of unrestrained and open minded love. This has however engendered the ascension of a new sect in recent years, a secret society that venerates her as the Lady of Shadows. Known as the Lady’s Shadows, these typically rich and powerful cultists see Apithia as a force of dominion and power, using love, pain, and sometimes madness (while the Lady’s Shadows are never CE, some of their followers, or rather victims, are) to gain control as well as darker pleasures. Domains are Air, Charm, Madness, Trickery, and Water.

'''Atalos, The Warlord, General of the Red Star (N):''' A god of soldiers, mercenaries and the generals that drive them into often dishonorable combat. Aside from the officers that might prefer to pray to Erabis, almost no soldier goes into battle without saying at least some small prayer to Atalos. Said to be the son of Epka, Atalos is often invoked along with her during harvest festivals, and part of his traditional coloration aside from scarlet, is deep brown. Holy symbol is a falling red star on a brown or gold backdrop. Destruction, Glory, Trickery, Strength, War

'''Ekosis, Our Lord of Morning, Standard of the Gods, Father of Light (NG):''' Possibly a derivative of the Shahar-Khet deity Ekebesh, he is the god of the sun and glory, and is worshiped in concert with Epka by farmers and many others. Said to be the father of many of the gods, though he is very disappointed in many of them.  Domains are Good, Glory, Healing, Weather, and Sun.

'''Epka, Lady of Harvest, Grain Mother, The Shifting Season (CG):''' One of the most popular goddesses to the common people, especially farmers who venerate her every autumn with a great feast. She is held to be the mother of many of the other gods and is sometimes held as an intercessor. Domains are Animal, Earth, Good, Healing, and Plant.


'''Hazera, The Moon Maiden, Night Dancer, Celestial Lady (CN):''' A goddess of the Marabish people and their kin that dwell in the Desolation of Shahar-Khet, Hezera is revered as a keeper of seasons and a source of light even in the darkness, and though she often is overcome by the darkness she always returns in full glory to beat it back during her zenith.

'''Kalaedes, Master of Roads, Trader King, Messenger of the Gods (N):''' A beloved god of many bards, rogues, rangers, messengers and merchants who live their lives on the road, no real clergy per se, though there are numerous shrines to him at crossroads and in inns dedicated to him and he is often called upon before important trades or business negotiations. Domains are Charm, Knowledge, Luck, Protection, and Travel.

 
'''Nikandros, The Muse, Faeglîr (Song of the Soul), Light of the World (N):''' Nikandros is the humanized version of the elven deity Faeglîr, a deity of art and music. When the Lattanerans incorperated him into their pantheon he was also portrayed as a god of victory and glory. While thought of as one of the more mercurial gods, Nikandros supports disciplined art (such as architecture and poetry) as well as the more free spirited art. He is also considered the inspiration of great invention and new ideas, which in some cases is starting to put him in contention with the Triumvirate as the patron of human civilization. While his worshipers are generally looked upon as being upstanding and a boon to their people, strictly speaking Nikandros also supports the darker side of human innovation and art as well. Some mystery cults actually venerate this side of him (Musaskio) as the consort of Apithia’s Lady of Shadows. Domains are Artifice, Charm, Glory, Knowledge, and Trickery.

'''Ramna, Vengeance’s Double-edged Sword, the Adversary, Inescapable Retribution (CN):''' Like Kaleros, Ramnos is against injustice but she is not interested with personal freedoms of her worshipers as much as the destruction of those who wronged them. Her worship is not an acceptable one in mainstream society, but many at one point in time or another have made sacrifices that her visage might fall on their enemies. Death, Destruction, Magic, Strength, Trickery

'''Typhera, Lady of Storms, Cycle of the Sea (N):''' A goddess of the high seas who is worshiped by sailors and merchants, she’s also venerated alongside Kalaedes as the goddess of trade. Domains are Animal, Luck, Travel, Water, and Weather

''The Triumvirate''

Like the religion of Ashtra, the Triumvirate does not exclude the other gods. However, it does reassign them, and venerates the Triumvirate above the rest. For example, Ashtra is taken from her traditional role of being above the other gods and is instead said to be part of Erabis's Celestial Court, a judge that scrutinizes a mortal's life and then gives them appropriate reward or punishment. The people of who worship the Triumvirate, do not believe in predestiny but manifest destiny.

'''Erabis, The Father of Heaven, Lord of Civilization, King of Courts, The Most Honorable Lawgiver (LN):''' Without question Erabis is the prime god of northern, human civilization, venerated by judicial personnel rulers and law enforcement as well as those that depend on them, one of the Triumvirates. Community, Glory, Law, Nobility, War


'''Hessa, Queen of the Gods, The Stern Mistress, The First Enchantress, Keeper of the Great Mystery (N):''' Seen as the heart of communal civilization, she is worshiped primarily by women but is often venerated by poets and bards of both genders, one of the Triumvarates. Domains are Community, Magic, Knowledge, Protection, Trickery


'''Kaleros, Lord of Rogues, The Red Revolutionist, Freedom’s Call (CN):''' A newer god of conspiracy and dedicated to the downfall of tyrants who ironically has a temple next to and is said to be the son of Erabis, one of the Triumvarates. He is a sort of check on the ruling powers while at the same time conveniently allowing them to see who views their rule with dissatisfaction. Domains are Chaos, Community, Liberation, Luck, and Trickery.

===In the Sengari Sea===


'''Vishanna, The World Soul, The Highest Reality (LN):''' Like Ashtra, Vishanna is said to be the keeper of souls as they migrate through the Great Cycle. However, adherents of her faith regard her not as the greatest of all the deities, but rather the only true deity worthy of worship. All other gods are at best mere facets of her greater whole or are illusions, or worse deceptions. While numerous divine beings are acknowledged and even revered, they are not gods but merely servants of Vishanna's divine and terrible majesty. She is considered to be simultaneously the Creator and Destroyer, beginnning and ending worlds as easily as she ushers souls in and out of them. Vishanna's faith is turbulent and complex, with many different sects and traditions that depict her in various and often contradictory terms, but in general most of them agree on a few key concepts. First they believe in karma, that the soul's migration through the Great Cycle is steered the actions that one takes throughout their multiple lives; second they believe that all intelligent beings possess a spark of Vishanna's divine fire, a concept very similar to that of a soul, and that this spark is both part of and distinct from Vishanna and returns to her after every revolutions of the Great Cycle; and third, Vishanna is all, there are no other gods, only mortals, divine beings that while powerful are not themselves true gods, and fiendish spirits that seek to rebel against the Great Cycle, either leading mortals astray or devouring them. Her domains associated with her Creator Aspect are Air, Earth, Healing, Knowledge, Law, Luck, Magic, Protection, Sun, and Travel. Her domains associated with her Destroyer Aspect are Chaos, Death, Destruction, Fire, Law, Madness, Strength, Trickery, War, and Water.



'''The Celestial Wisdom (LG):''' The teachings of the White Sage, Senga. While not traditionally seen as a deity, Senga nonetheless is revered by countless people in the Sengari Sea (named in his honor). He was a holy man who reinterpreted the concept of Vishanna, describing her more as a force of nature than an actual person. Vishanna could not be relied on to provide true guidance nor could she be blamed for a person's failings, she simply Was. Instead, Senga called upon people to look within themselves and to hold themselves accountable for their own moral and spiritual well being. Through the Celestial Wisdom, he further taught that people, through the moderate denial of self and the attempt to do good to others, could reject the suffering and distractions of the mortal world and ascend beyond it. Like the adherents of Vishanna's faith, Senga's followers also believe in karma, but unlike them they have a less critical view of those they consider lower life, looking on them as developing children rather than failures. The domains of this belief are Community, Good, Healing, and Knowledge