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The World of Teréth End |
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"...[name] stood in the [name2] Hall, a hundred peers watching from the galleys above. She called her Provider's name, and all could feel the power she commanded. [name3] summoned his wards, but all that watched knew his efforts were in vain. The next name she offered was his, and the misery of [name3] was legend." translated from Dekàlan fragment found in ruins of Ilduùn  |
Book of Religions Dekàlan Pantheon The Dekàlan pantheon is a collection of deities collected in antiquity from conquered city-states. Though no record remains of their true origins, much can be gathered from the rites and worship that surround each god. Though individual worship of the gods was mostly abandoned over the span of the Empire, many particulars of worship remain. This is an outline of the gods as they are revered today, and a look at how they were worshipped at the Empire's end. The following story of creation is basic learning for most that have studied the Dekàlan faiths. "In the last forever, before the Wars of Men, the worlds circled in emptiness. This we know to be true. In that timeless span Life arose. Whether she came from another place, or formed from the emptiness, we cannot know. That she came, is irrefutable. This we know to be true. When Life arrived she planted many seeds across the worlds, and each seed grew into a beautiful tree, and each tree blossomed and produced wondrous fruits. She gave each of the eternal trees a name, and told them to drop their fruits and bid their children live. This we have been told. One tree dropped one hundred fruit. Each sank a root into the soil and grew into a god. This is where time began. We assume there was a time before, but it had no meaning. "The gods grew and circled the world, finding all that was hidden, seeing all that could be found. In time, they learned all that they could know, so they sat on the world and they stared into the emptiness; and although a hundred sat there, each was lonely. This we have been told by Those That Remember. Each child of the Eternal Tree was different, together they embodied all variations of nature and what we define as the unnatural. In time, discontent grew among those sitting on the world, and an unnamed god walked across to another and killed him. The Eternal Tree moaned and all knew something grave had occured, but none knew what had happened. The unnamed god came to another and slayed him, and found the discovery of this new sensation, this new experience, an insatiable addiction. Gods fell unknowing, unsuspecting beneath him, and the Tree moaned despairingly each time her children fell. This too we have been told. "The first named god was Tarras, who asked the Tree what had made her sad. She told him that one among them was killing the others, and that the unnamed child must be stopped. This was the end of the Time of Waiting, and beginning of the First War. Tarras returned to the others and explained why the Tree was despairing. Some agreed that action must be taken. Others didn't care. Others could not decide. In the time that followed the gods clashed at every corner of the world, letting the blood of their sisters and brothers fall to the ground. Where the blood fell, people arose, and hid among the stones to escape the notice of the giants as they fought. This we know to be true. Many gods fell during this time, others disappeared. The unnamed god was found and destroyed along with his sympathizers, and the First War was ended." Some stories relate that Kandlan arose from death following the First War. Other gods asked how she had done this and she pointed to the people of the world, and their farms and fields. She showed them how the people gathered and prayed for her aid, and how their crops had withered away in her absence. "They did this for me," she explained. The gods were joyous to see the Lady returned to them but their happiness was not without shadow; for they looked at the battlefields of the war and the graves of the monsters they had buried and knew no death was eternal. The fate of the Eternal Tree is a matter of theological debate. Some believe that it no longer exists, while others believe it is a part of all trees, plants, and animals. Others believe that the tree produced more fruit in a second season, which in turn created animals. Further believe that during the First War, the tree grew very ill, and produced malformed fruit, from which sprung many of the monsters. There are numerous theories as to what may have happened, but very little evidence. The story of the Eternal Tree(s) is not mentioned in most cult scriptures following the creation of the gods. It serves as an instrument rather than an active figure in the legends. Small Gods of Jadth Perhaps inspired by the carved stone face of the Old City, the Small Gods of Jadth are many and mysterious. There are no compilations detailing the Small Gods for they do not belong to established pantheons. In some cases, faces have been associated with more than one Small God, which inevitably leads to conflict between followers. A short list of the Small Gods might include; Yuldur (god of the navel), Zeyir (god of the under-dwellers), Bratham (cow god), Ultus (the appearing god), Sholl (the silent god), Ash (god of everything), Nulopu (god of secrets), Kalidar (god of thieves), Ndere (god of dark places), Amezel (goddess of the fourth moon), Taros (the gorgyn god), Sharan (the elder god), Kadarra (goddess of the fog), Duath (god of the Faer), Soleun (god of answers), Theora (goddess of ritual magic), Çarid (god of herbs), Eldha (goddess of good), Kurs (god of murder), Alm (god of farmers), Fraad (god of weather), Addiç (god of idiocy), Kedwin (god of journeyers), Olra (the eternal goddess), Moroç (god of desperate measures), Myar (god of wealth), U'çan (the hunting god), Feltan (god of trees and roots), etc. Acentran Pantheon The people of Acentra have seen the worship of many gods on their lands in recent history. This has not harmed their faith in gods but rather modified their faith in the purpose and activities of the divine. A recent development (since the fall of the Dekàlan empire) has been the idea of "collapse-theism". The idea revolves around the theory that all worshipped gods desire to be the most powerful and influential among mortal worshippers. For this reason all gods, good and evil, by their divine nature, seek to destroy all others and become the final, all-powerful deit(ies). This process of elimination occurs by proxy, with the clashing of mortal nations and followers and the razing of earthly temples. Slowly gods and their temples crumble and pantheons collapse, leaving successive divine survivors to fight for prominence. Furthermore, many Acentrans believe that the destruction of gods is never complete, with the victors assuming the roles and responsibilities of the losing powers. The result of this is the worship of a finite number of god-templates (over-gods), each of which is granted a name and form. The names given are not meant to identify an individual god or goddess, but rather an idea that other gods may join as part. In the end when all gods have become a part of this system, they will struggle between themselves until there is only one remaining, or perhaps two (good and evil) in bi-theistic fashion. Example: Shartur is the over-god of ocean, seas and ships. Should the followers of Shartur and another sea god have a definitive battle, where the temples the Shartur or the other are destroyed and all followers converted, then the new god joins the template of Shartur. This only works so long as Shartur's followers are victorious. The idea that the over-gods will emerge is understood to be a process that could take millennia. It is believed however that the process is inevitable, and that it will be inevitably bloody. The idea that all divinity is so strictly predestined was introduced in 4/2874 ER by a Paldan theologian named Erdorin, who upon publishing his doctrine dubbed "The Great Collapse" was dragged through the city streets, de-limbed, and burned in pitch. The ideas he set forward were studied and debated by priests and theologians of the region for another two hundred years before re-written and adopted in revised form at the Gathering of Rallaun in 4/3101 ER. The Doctrine of Rallaun was in turn signed by the kings of many kingdoms, who had been convinced that the joining of the region in this matter might stave off future war between the kingdoms, and strengthen the common temples. This adoption of a new religious fundamentals was not as difficult a task as first imagined, since very little changed on a local level, where support was most important. Only in the great Acentran cities were the new names of the divine adopted; this practice would eventually trickle down into the hamlets and towns of the countryside, though pockets of Old Faiths still stubbornly survive. Dirimoran Pantheon The faith of the Dirimorans has been forged from the fires of other religions, whose armies have marched across its lands. The only recognized faith of Dirimor is that of the united god, a hybrid faith of Dekàlan polytheism and Acentran "collapse-theism". The united god Ash is a singular entity that is comprised of many facets while maintaining oneness. For this and other reasons, the many different factions of the Dirimoran religion are more abiding of one another than found in other factious cults. All of the deities of Dirimor are one god, so no matter what facet you worship you pay homage to the same god. A side effect of this has been the revering and "creation" of other deities as members of the "conglomerate god". For this reason, the Dirimoran pantheon is one of the swiftest growing in the world. Although uncommon, it is not unheard of for two Dirimoran priests (of different deities) to meet, and have never heard of the deity of the other. All Dirimoran deities follow the "laws of the deliverer", and maintain "relationships" with the other deities. Deity relationships are ways in which one deity is related to another. A deity of battle might be related to an avenging deity, etc. The deities of Dirimor do not however arise from the nothing, or the addled minds of mad priests. Most new deities are "created" from martyred and distinguished faithful, who upon their death are elected into immortality. For this reason, Dirimoran deities could be viewed as saints, but they are saints who each form an equal part of the greater god. Though believed to be an equal part of god, each generation that a deity is removed from the first deities is considered less powerful than the former. This power degradation has been challenged by some cults who claim multiple "relationships" for their deity, thus ranking them higher than their generation deserves. This has fomented debate among the cults.
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Dekàlan Gods There are ten major gods traditionally worshipped by Dekàlans. Amra (beauty, love) Other gods have emerged in the same lands since the fall of Dekàlas. While some are new, some ancient deities have experienced a resurgence of faith. Eiron (law, duty) In addition to these, but with far smaller followings are the Small Gods of Jadth. Small Gods Addiç
(idiocy, madness) Dark Gods There are some gods that remain unmentioned in polite company, but whose presence can be felt in many lands. Agārkrauk
(ortor, tasserus) Dream Gods These are some of the many gods worshipped in the Dream. Sudul (creation,
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Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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