The Askaran Pantheon
The Askaran Pantheon can be called a "tight pantheon" if we're using
Deities and Demigods terminology. Unlike the basic (Greyhawk) "loose pantheon," these Gods and Goddesses are all related in some way, though not necessarily in terms of an Olympian family. I'm only going to name and outline the seven major deities in the Askaran Pantheon, but there's a multitude of them and I might list their descriptive names afterwards... (As a note on the naming conventions, they're fairly simple. I think they invoke some degree of cohesion, but it's pretty subjective on my part -- I hope they don't seem at all silly since they're not intended that way.)
Chrona, The Goddess of Time, Knowledge and Fate [NN]
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Domains: Knowledge, Luck, and Magic
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Symbols: Six Pointed Star; Stars; Rivers; an Owl
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Alternate Name: The Lady of Fate
According to myth, Chrona created existence by simply waking up out of nothingness. The natural embodiment of time, knowledge and fate, Chrona is revered as the most powerful being in the Pantheon, though she is generally detached from most of what she's created. Her temples are solemn and dignified places devoted to the recovery and maintainence of history and knowledge. Her Priests are wise and learned in the ways of the past. They are archivists, preservers of the past and the present, and storytellers. Most temples devoted to Chrona are built in one of two places: beside a river, the symbol of time; or atop a hill, mountain, or plateau, the closest we've yet been to the Heavens.
Verda, The Goddess of Life, Nature, Fertility, and Agriculture [NN]
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Domains: Animal, Good, Healing, and Plant
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Symbols: The Moon; An Apple Tree; A Squirell
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Alternate Name: The Green Lady
Growing ever lonely, Chrona created Verda out of a need for company. It was Verda who was attributed with the creation of the first forms of life in the world: plants, insects, and animals. Verda did not create the intelligent races, however, to do that, she would need the help of Chrona herself. Verdant Temples are open air locations devoted to the natural world as well as the creation and preservation of life. Her Priests and Priestesses are people who serve their matron by "helping life find a way" -- even if that means running against the edicts of civilized life.
Soros, The God of Death and Reincarnation [LN]
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Domains: Death, Law, Travel
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Symbols: Skull; Spade; A Circle
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Alternate Name: The Porter of Souls
In creating life, Verda began a chain of events that led to the creation of Soros by the all-knowing Lady of Fate. Seeing that a beginning without an end would be meaningless, Chrona created not only Soros but the concept of the eternally traveling essence of a conscious being. To the Askarans, birth and death are mere interruptions on a never-ending journey of one's soul in search of knowledge and understanding. Simply put, it is Soros' job to help transitional souls from one life to another. Though some have called them fatalistic, the clergy of Soros teach that any single life pales in comparison to the sum of all knowledge that your soul has accumulated over the eons. They teach that even if life is difficult, and painful, and even torturous, it's all right. There's always another life, and who know... the next one may be that much better.
Valos, The God of Light and the Sun [NG]
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Domains: Good, Protection, Sun
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Symbols: The Sun; A Candle; A Torch; A Lantern
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Alternative Name: The High Illuminator
The God of Light and the Sun was originally intended by Chrona as just that, a deity of light. With the creation of the intelligent races, however, it soon became evident that Valos came to be a symbol of what Askarans saw as virtuous qualities such as benevolence, tolerance, valor and most importantly
reason in the face of temptation. His Priests and Priestesses devote themselves to the pursuit and advocacy of living virtuously. There are two types of temples devoted to Valos, the first are the simple temples with large windows of stained glass; the second are grand cathedrals with glorious domes of gold like that of the Sun itself.
Xaros, The God of Darkness [NE]
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Domains: Evil, Magic, and Trickery
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Symbols: An Eclipse; An "X"; A Bat
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Alternate Name: The Vile One
Xaros, like his twin brother Valos, was originally intended to be the embodiment of darkness and the absence of light. The creation of the intelligent races changed Xaros' role in such a way that he now embodied the detrimental things in Askaran society: malevolence, intolerance, cowardice and -- most of all -- temptation. His finest achievements, or so the stories go, are the ones in which he successfully tempts mortals into using magic, the tool of the Lady of Fate herself. In Askaran society, the use of magic is strictly controlled as it is seen as a fundamentally corrupting force -- something not meant for mortals. Xaros doesn't believe this at all; in fact, he believes that mortals should do what they can to further themselves. Of all the people, Askarans believe that the elves are the most easily tempted due to the great number of corrupted magicians in their history.
Talos, The God of War and Discipline [LN]
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Domains: Destruction, Law, Strength and War
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Symbols: Comets; A Spear; A Horse
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Alternate Name: The Lord of War
To the Imperial Askaran, warfare is a fundamental part of life. To live a virtuous life, one's enemies need to be defeated. These enemies need not even exist in any tangible sense: the inner war against temptation; the war against illness; the war against crime... the list can go on. Talos has taken on a very central role in the life of the Imperial Askaran because the Imperial society is one of a myriad of conflicts that need to be fought and won. Askaran society is quite authoritarian by most standards, and deviation from the norm is strictly punished. Many Askarans believe that apart from themselves and the elves, the rest of the world is inhabited by uncivilized barbarians. Through Talos, the Empire will spread law to the rest of the world, by force if necessary. Temples to The Lord of War are grand places devoted to the pursuit of order, enforced by warfare. Its Priests and Priestesses have little in the way of patience for discourse and conversation. They know what's right and will enforce the law.
Era, The Goddess of Love and Passion [CG]
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Domains: Chaos, Good, Healing, and Trickery
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Symbols: A Rose; A Dove; A Glass of Red Wine
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Alternate Name: The Red Maiden
Era has a significant following with the youth of the Vanarian Empire. Having grown up in a world of stability, the followers of Era believe that love can go a long way in quelling much of the discontent in the world. Some believe this notion is silly at best, and naive at worst. Generally speaking, the followers of Era tend to be a member of one of two sects: benevolent philanthropists, or mischievous hedonists. Distinguishing the two temples and clergy is rather simple, but the general principle tends to remain: love will conquer all.
There are other deities in the Askaran Pantheon, but these are the major ones. If you need any more information, don't hesitate to ask!
- Rep.
