Editing Exploring the Halls of Arden Vul: Deities

=The Archontean Pantheons=
There were twelve original gods of Archontos, with the earliest written reference to one of them dating to 1218 SP (sine pacti, ‘without the compact’, before the Compact of Ennius). Certainly, all of the Twelve were acknowledged by c.500 SP, and thus they were the gods whom the Archonteans brought with them in the period of imperial expansion. 

During this period, the Twelve each boasted broad portfolios of ‘expertise’. This made syncretism not only possible but common during the Archontean expansion: it was easy enough for the Archonteans to see in some foreign god a particular ‘aspect’ of one of the Twelve. For instance, Sekhmet came to be understood as an aspect of Wadjet, with special influence on fire and warfare. Of course, whether or not such foreign gods were distinct entities or merely aspects of the Twelve was, of course, a hotly debated theological point. Some modern theologians blame this flexible and accepting approach for the gradual decline of the Twelve; these critics suggest that by claiming to encompass all things, the Twelve lost their uniqueness and thus their appeal to the broader populace. 

For whatever reason, worship of the Twelve had become ossified and ritualized by the time of the War of Sortians and Theosophs. By 1855 AEP (nearly 1200 years ago), the imperial government decided to officially link itself to a new slate of deities, ones whose divine support promised to revive the empire. The new pantheon centered around ten very powerful deities (“the Ten”) who were served by seventeen (or more) lesser gods. Theological cynics could and did note that many of these ‘new’ gods resembled the most popular of the ‘aspects’ of the old pantheon, but the official position is that the Ten are distinct from the Twelve. In the present, worship of the old gods is rare; some of the Twelve are forgotten, and at least one (Horus) is presumed ‘dead’. The Ten and the Seventeen have clearly replaced them. For the past 500 years, the emperor has also been the subject of a cult; the theology of this is a bit fuzzy, and ‘worship’ of the emperor is primarily understood as a measure of loyalty more than anything else. 

Note: the Archonteans remain accepting of foreign gods; it is not at all uncommon to find temples or shrines to the Wiskin and Thorcin pantheons existing alongside those of their Archontean rivals within the communities of the Empire. The same, however, is not true beyond the borders of the empire; shrines and temples to the Ten are unwelcome outside the imperial boundaries.

==The Ten==

{|
|+Greater Gods
|-
!God
!Alignment
!Areas of Influence
!Symbol(s) and Weapon(s)
|-
| '''Ardenia Tessaeron''' (F)
| Lawful, Good
| Wisdom, battle tactics, invention, justice
| Owl; spear
|- 
| '''Crestion''' (M)
| Chaotic, Good
| Poetry, music, the arts, creative impulses, selfishness
| Lyre, cluster of wild berries; bow
|-
| '''Debellaton''' (M)
| Lawful, Evil
| Death, might, order through might, sacrifice
| Skull, scythe, black disk; flail
|-
| '''Demma''' (F)
| Good
| Fertility, crops, households, childbirth, magic
| A seed; flail
|-
| '''Heschius Ban''' (M)
| Evil, Lawful
| Triumph, water, inevitability, power, magic
| Shackles, a green oval; flail
|-
| '''Lucreon''' (M)
| Lawful
| Profit, amassing wealth, negotiation, merchants, impartiality
| A gold coin; hammer
|-
| '''Lysseon''' (M)
| Chaotic
| Wine, indulgence, madness, rage, creativity
| A bunch of grapes; flail, sickle
|-
| '''Mitra''' (M)
| Lawful, Good
| Justice, contracts, omniscience, defender, oaths, humanitarian impulses
| Scales of justice, lions, flames; long sword
|-
| '''Thelis''' (F)
| Good, Chaotic
| Love, desire, aspiration, planning
| Diamond; sword
|-
| '''Tychias''' (F)
| Neutral, Chaotic
| Luck, fate, wealth, ‘the Lady of Thieves’
| Crimson coin; dagger, staff
|}

==The Seventeen==
{|
|+Lesser Gods
|-
!God
!Alignment
!Areas of Influence
!Symbol(s) and Weapon(s)
|-
| '''Aranyania''' (F)
| Neutral
| Woodlands, nature, growing things, time, balance
| Oak leaf; longbow
|- 
| '''Atashak ''' (M)
| Lawful, Evil
| Fire, the sun, inevitable destruction, battle, sacrifice
| Burning torch; battle axe
|-
| '''Banion''' (M)
| Chaotic
| Decision-making, trickery, deceit (the twin of Yanion)
| An idealized face, half white and half black, with red eyes; dagger
|-
| '''Basileus''' (M)
| Lawful
| The Emperor
| Laurel wreath; mace
|-
| '''Bisor''' (M)
| Lawful, Good
| The household, security, lineage
| Blue key; staff
|-
| '''Chibalba''' (M)
| Neutral
| The underworld, slow death, savage beauty, Lord of Caves
| Barred gate; scythe
|-
| '''Diktynna''' (F)
| Chaotic
| Hunting, the chase in all forms, the moon
| A horn, a brown satchel; bows, hunting spears
|-
| '''Ellion''' (F)
| Chaotic
| The night, the moon, uncertainty, financial ventures
| Blindfolds, stilts; dagger, crossbow
|-
| '''Envalios''' (M)
| Chaotic
| Battle, mercenaries, fire as pitiless destruction
| Crow; battle axe
|-
| '''Kaerion''' (M/F)
| Lawful
| The (genderless) Lord of Time, endlessness, prophecy, creation
| Hourglass; staff
|-
| '''Lyncion''' (M)
| Evil
| Secrets, magic, demons, hidden knowledge, power
| A blue eye; dagger
|-
| '''Melkarton''' (M)
| Good
| The sea, travel, merchants, fair dealing
| Manta ray; long sword
|-
| '''Nicetoreon''' (F)
| Neutral
| Judgment, the afterlife, passage of souls, earning merit
| A lead weight, a small figurine representing the soul; mace
|-
| '''Qandisi''' (F)
| Chaotic, Evil
| The Sloe-Eyed Lady of Lust, the Dancing Maiden of Chaos, lust, control, sex
| Human image with breasts and phallus; whip
|-
| '''Rudiana ''' (F)
| Chaotic, Evil
| Battle, berserkers, unrestrained violence
| Red teardrop; axe
|-
| '''Treshub''' (M)
| Chaotic, Evil
| Storms, the sky, lightning, fertility
| Lightning bolt; spear
|-
| '''Yanion''' (F)
| Lawful
| Medicine, thresholds, decisions (twin to Banion)
| A half-empty vial; club
|}

==The Twelve==

Old Gods
*Anubis (M)
*Besa (F)
*Horus (M)
*Isis (F)
*Jael (F)
*Osiris (M)
*Ptah (M)
*Seker (M)
*Set (M)
*Thoth (M)
*Tiamat (F)
*Wadjet (F)


=Imperial Goblins=
The goblins of the Archontean Empire have a fairly limited pantheon of traditional goblin deities and are often found worshipping human ones.

{|
|+Lesser Gods
|-
!God
!Alignment
!Areas of Influence
!Symbol(s) and Weapon(s)
|-
| '''Dapp Sapfinder''' (M)
| Neutral
| Mountain forests, growth, fertility, animals
| Raccoon; spear
|- 
| '''Glum Gaping-Maw''' (M)
| Evil, Chaotic
| Consumption, avarice, destruction
| Fanged, gaping mouth; mace
|-
| '''Grindledor''' (M)
| Lawful, Evil
| Creation, might, judging. The Creator
| Three concentric circles, a clenched fist; whip
|-
| '''Jacko the Frowner''' (M)
| Evil
| Entropy, revenge, sorrow. Twin to Jeska
| Black anvil split in two; war hammer
|-
| '''Jeska Pouchlifter''' (F)
| Chaotic, Good
| Luck, trickery, crafting. Twin to Jacko
| Gold coin; hand axe
|}