Difference between revisions of "Exploring the Halls of Arden Vul: Deities"

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=Imperial Goblins=
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=Imperial Goblin Deities=
 
The goblins of the Archontean Empire have a fairly limited pantheon of traditional goblin deities and are often found worshipping human ones.
 
The goblins of the Archontean Empire have a fairly limited pantheon of traditional goblin deities and are often found worshipping human ones.
  
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| Luck, trickery, crafting. Twin to Jacko
 
| Luck, trickery, crafting. Twin to Jacko
 
| Gold coin; hand axe
 
| Gold coin; hand axe
 +
|}
 +
 +
=Halfling Deities=
 +
The small folk have a fairly limited pantheon of deities, and often worship human ones.
 +
 +
{|
 +
|+Lesser Gods
 +
|-
 +
!God
 +
!Alignment
 +
!Areas of Influence
 +
!Symbol(s) and Weapon(s)
 +
|-
 +
| '''Alder Lightfingers''' (F)
 +
| Chaotic
 +
| Stealth, thievery, wanderlust, adventure
 +
| Footprint; sling
 +
|-
 +
| '''Griffo the Roarer''' (M)
 +
| Chaotic, Good
 +
| Feasting, drinking, oratory, parties, prosperity
 +
| Foaming mug; sword
 +
|-
 +
| '''Hamson Greenfinger''' (M)
 +
| Lawful, Good
 +
| Fields, fertility, security, harvest
 +
| Pipe-weed leaf; pole-arms
 +
|-
 +
| '''Rowan Fairbrow''' (F)
 +
| Good
 +
| Security, protection, love
 +
| A red apple; spear
 
|}
 
|}

Revision as of 15:48, 13 July 2021

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 Goblin Deities

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

Halfling Deities

The small folk have a fairly limited pantheon of deities, and often worship human ones.

Lesser Gods
God Alignment Areas of Influence Symbol(s) and Weapon(s)
Alder Lightfingers (F) Chaotic Stealth, thievery, wanderlust, adventure Footprint; sling
Griffo the Roarer (M) Chaotic, Good Feasting, drinking, oratory, parties, prosperity Foaming mug; sword
Hamson Greenfinger (M) Lawful, Good Fields, fertility, security, harvest Pipe-weed leaf; pole-arms
Rowan Fairbrow (F) Good Security, protection, love A red apple; spear