Design a God for PE.

[JFSOCC]

Talèbianca
 
The Acrobat
Goddess of lost causes, unlikely occurrences, chance and chaos.
Patron of gamblers, adventurers (focusing on Dexterity)
"Scientists have calculated that the chances of something so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one.
But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten."- Terry Pratchett.
Sign: A black swan.please get the reference
 
Talèbianca was a hero who was known for her acrobatic prowess, her incredible luck, getting out of scrapes unharmed that no-one should be able to survive.
She would encounter a merchant and quickly pick up something was out of the ordinary, before long, the merchant would be implicated in a plot to overthrow the king, and Talèbianca would have found herself in the nest of scum and villainy which was the enemy camp. eventually it was bound to happen that she was discovered. With much acrobatic skill and daring do she would extricate herself from the situation, only to arrive at the king's ball just in time to foil the plot.
 
Yes, it's fair to say Talèbianca was worshipped as a god before she became one. Not too bad on the eyes, friendly, intimidatingly impressive in everything she did, and unaccountably lucky.
She counted many a watering hole her home, and it wasn't long before bets were placed not on her chances, but on HOW she would solve the next issue.
Well known, easily recognised, no-one know what happened to her. One day she just didn't show up.
 
Probably dead.
But, as happens when someone is loved too much by the world, people refused to believe her demise. The bars, and inns she frequented would ask anyone if they'd seen her, even years after she would likely have died of old age. The patrons would tell stories of her, embellish the ones they knew, or invent new ones.
The betting never stopped. it changed into "when she will return"
Because she will return, of that they were certain.
 
Call it denial, call it love. From this deep faith that Talèbianca simply couldn't be defeated arose her worship. And when someone is worshipped so deeply, faith becomes real.
And thus, Talèbianca ascended.
 
When you are surrounded by enemies, wounded and out of breath, call her name
When you've put all your money on the table, and this is going to be your last chance to win it all back, invoke her name.
When nothing in your plans can go wrong, when all avenues are covered and things can't fail, yet do, curse her name.
When the most unlikely of events leads to the most unexpected of consequences, call her name.
 
One day she will return. She'll put things right in the land. But only if we do her proud and dare to risk it all.

Edited February 12, 2013 by JFSOCC

[JFSOCC]

Masteef

The goddess of poetry and prose

has many foes

because as hysterical satyr

her lyrical fire

comes with satirical ire

 

She sings of strings on puppet kings

and it stings

when they're cut

 

A historical liar

She tells the truth when it hurts

and salves the pain with perfection

in pitch and inflection

reflecting the soul

 

She has no goal

but is the agent of change

in soft summer rains

and sweet perfumed dew

wherever she reigns

 

Seeking her praise

in a myriad ways

are poets and composers

musicians and writers

and other seekers of truth

 

If you cross her path

better do your best to impress

with meritorious deeds

and you need to please

or fear incurring her wrath

 

A keenness of spirit

is all you need for her love

Worship no more

than you wish to achieve

 

Like a passing fancy

she has no permanent marks

no signs or portends

no symbols nor priests

You know her when she smiles

altogether too brief

Edited February 13, 2013 by JFSOCC

[JFSOCC]

So there was this whole topic I had forgotten all about :S

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/62532-update-33-paypal-ends-soon-current-developments/

 

So that kind of makes this thread moot, I suppose.

[JFSOCC]

Well, one more for the road.

 

Ladamo

 

God of education, games, challenge, competition and sportsmanship.

 

Ladamo is the inventor of the ancient game of Oware, also known as the first game.

Captured with the rest of his tribe by an invading army, in order to pass the time, hone his tribe's tactical ability Ladamo set out the bare bones of the stones game. It didn't take long for the guards to develop an interest in what his tribe seemed to be doing all day. Ladamo, along with his tribe was slated for human sacrifice to the bloodthirsty gods of his captors and was kept alive only for that reason.

When the guards got involved in the game, something strange happened, for the first time, they started speaking, over time, friendship was built

The man in charge of the guards, Mastan was a close friend and first advisor to the God-king, and struggled with his conscience as he got to know Ladamo and his tribe.

And when time came for Ladamo to be sacrificed, his guards rebelled and organised an escape.

 

Ladamo was the only survivor of the chase, along with Mastan.

Eventually recaptured, Mastan pleaded that Ladamo could demonstrate his game to the God-king demanding his sacrifice.

Arrogant, the God-king believed himself invincible and superior. And agreed to show this little barbarian man mercy if he were beaten.

It was agreed that the king was allowed five practise games after learning the rules.

then it was agreed he was allowed twenty more practise games.

Increasingly angry the god king took a spear and speared Ladamo.

Or tried to, but Mastan had stepped in and took the spear through his gut.

"You have lost, now fulfil your due"

Shocked by this sacrifice, humbled by the words of his now dead best friend, the God-king agreed to send Ladamo into exile.

 

Ladamo loves playing games, he loves all manner of games, from Chess, to Mah-Jong, to tag, to hide and seek, to drinking games to sports.

As long as they are challenging and fair. Ladamo hates puzzles, not riddles, not mysteries, but puzzles irk him as stale and boring.

A good challenge is dynamic!

Ladamo loves learning new games and picks them up with great speed, yet is on a continuous quest to learn of new games.

 

Eventually he built a great hall and arena, where he displayed many games for both spectators and participants, asking a small fee for participation and rewarding the victors.

Around this place arose the clergy of Ladamo, and it still serves as the first temple to him.

 

While Ladamo's views on gambling are unknown, games have a tendency attract the practise and eventually the clergy decided that if it was to happen fairly, as is important by their doctrine, they should be the ones running the practise.

Corruption is not unheard of in the clergy, and from time to time, scandals do occur.

 

The Clergy of Ladamo searches for new games to bring to the temples, adjudicates disputes and referees events. They also dominate the gambling business, a practise they manage to maintain by offering more honest odds than organised crime would.

Temples of Ladamo all have a wide variety of board games, an arena to practise sporting games in and each take part in friendly challenges.

Rank is determined by mastery of games or sports with Oware being (unofficially) considered the most valued.

Followers of Ladamo are required to seek challenge and to teach to those who desire learning.

 

Many towns welcome the priesthood and offer spaces for them to establish a temple. Most people enjoy a good game on their off day. Also children often love games, so the priesthood has found in these places they quickly come into contact with children, and have taken up teaching children through play.

This makes their presence even more desired in a mostly illiterate society, and their religion, while small, is the fastest growing in the world.

 

Unlike many gods who are hard to track down, and might never be encountered, Ladamo doesn't concern himself with normal expected divine behaviour. From time to time Ladamo himself is seen returning to the first temple. He comes unannounced, always brings a new game, stays to teach it, plays a few opponents and then vanishes again. Without exception the game is fun, challenging, and teaches some valuable strategic or tactical insight or skill. Naturally these games quickly spread.

Those who are lucky enough to play Ladamo find themselves with new insights and skill, regardless of how they fared against Ladamo.

 

Ladamo himself is a cordial man, believes in fairness, believes a good game is "easy to learn, hard to master" and enjoys losing a good game more than winning a bad one.

He caught someone cheating against him once. Rather than punish the man with some exotic torture, he forced the man to play different games with him for weeks on end, with a crowd of onlookers asked after each game to analyse the moves of either player. Asking what could have been changed, and encouraged them to play these moves and see what would have happened.

 

The Cheater became Ladamo's greatest follower. He shed his old name and took on the name "The Cheater".

It is said that The Cheater goes around exposing cheats and conmen, and is very good at it. Sometimes he just exposes them, other times he beats them at their own game.

[maggotheart]

Well, one more for the road.

 

I hope its not the last one JFSOCC I quite enjoyed reading your God posts

[JFSOCC]

Alright then.

 

Afochion, God of Decay, death and renewal

The Cleansing Fire, Bringer of Flood, The Scourge of Time, Rot.

 

All things perish. it might take a long time, but ultimately nothing but our souls are eternal.

Savannahs dry out and become deserts, Mountains are worn down by wind and water, swamps dry out and become forests.

Everything changes

Empires rise and fall.

Everything changes

Great buildings are constructed, temples complexes, food for future archaeologists.

 

And in the middle of this stands Afochion. the Scourge of Time.

Afochion has been a god before we named him. And he is mostly hated by mankind, because he spells the end of everything.

Though those with wisdom realise he's also a god of renewal, of new opportunities, of change.

 

Temples of Afochion are rare, they're found in the most changeable places, the sand dunes of a desert, the delta of a great river, the marches.

There's even a great temple complex of tied together boats creating an every changing modular island on sea. Sometimes a storm destroys part of the temple complex, and it gets rebuilt in a new shape, with new boats.

 

Afochion is the god of decay, stories of vampirism are told of his clergy, but these are patently false. Vampires would be anathema to the clergy of Afochion, for they attempt to defeat the forces of change and decay. Followers of Afochion are required to destroy any undead wherever they find them. The High priest of Afochion can decree at any time that the time has come for an organisation, and empire or a place to fall. This means holy war until the place is in ashes.

It has occurred only five times during the two thousand years of worship of Afochion. And only when empires where at their most corrupt, most stale. when growth seemed impossible. When innovation was stifled.

Often right at the apex of their power.

Of late, the Church of Afochion has been fairly quiet. It is a time of great change, of great boom, and their services are rarely desired or required.

 

The Church follows a fairly esoteric belief, which means they are mostly found on the fringes of society, or in the cesspools of decay.

The association with these dead or dying places, the fairly poor state of these temples (at first sight) have made the church of Afochion a reviled and marginalised religion.

 

But everything decays, and everything dies. And the church is unconcerned.

What the church teaches is that sometimes, something needs to perish for growth to be possible. The festival of Achion involves burning fallow lands, sowing ash, and killing diseased sacrificial animals.

And anyone wise enough to pay attention, would notice the great boost to land productivity, the great improvement of health of the remaining herd, and the great influx of new ideas, which comes from this death and renewal ceremony,

Unfortunately, of late, few are wise enough.

The Church doctrine has no requirement for teaching others, no form of evangelising and so the church seems to be in a state of decay itself.

 

But once in a while, a monk will be found setting fire to the slums, killing a politically conservative official, or otherwise hastening the demise of people or places.

Someone paying attention would find that this only happens to things and people most resistant to change one way or the other.

But most people don't pay attention, and so the negative reputation of Afochion increases.

 

He doesn't care. all things decay, all things die. only souls are eternal.

 

People pray to Afochion when they are desperate and the only way out of some mess seems to be the restorative power of a cleansing fire. When faced with a corrupt unending tyranny. Or wishing others generally ill, though those prayers are mostly unanswered.

 

For outsiders the most obvious symbol of the church is a broken pillar, followers use growing grass, burned grass, ash and dead grass as symbols as well, with each a separate meaning. Growing grass in front of a home of a follower says "This place is growing, and needs our attention not" ash says "This place has seen recent change, worry not" dead grass says "this place is decaying naturally, worry not" and burned grass says "This place needs our attention, neither growth nor decay is found here, this place resists change"

beware of burned grass. because the followers of Afochion usually act here.

 

Afochion himself rarely walks the land. When he does, things around him start dying quickly everything ages, rots, rusts, and fades.

Andif you pay attention, you'd see that after that, the location blooms with new life, ideas, and construction. But again, most people don't see anything which requires them to look longer than an instant. Mankind is quick to judge, and Afochion is mostly dismissed as a force for evil.

Edited February 16, 2013 by JFSOCC

[Tauron]

I would not like this. It kills some mistery for me. I would acually like for us to know servants names or what we percive as gods, but not real thing that trancsends all demensions. Nah, let it be like ultimate mistery that  slightly guide or misguide us. Or those pantheons we percive as gods just might be highly developed multidemensional beings that pretend sort of or we simply give them worship attention they never really imposed on us, but maybe some like the attention, as we humans like to react to supernatural in different ways sometimes.

[JFSOCC]

Fastir

 

Goddess of enterprise, hard work and muscle

Patron of athletes, butchers, and anyone who has a labour intensive job.

 

Anything worthwhile costs effort to attain, so Fastir teaches.

And ain't that the truth?

 

A popular (though maybe less so amongst children) folk goddess, hers is a tale of someone who attained ascension through hard and dutiful work.

A conservative goddess, she hates gamblers with a passion, has no time for the lazy, and wants nothing to do with luck.

That there are those who make their living without physical labour doesn't bother her, hard work can be mentally demanding as much as physically.

 

Anyone who works hard without reward has her pity, and she protects those who give their all even when society does not appreciate or reward them.

 

Her modest clergy is dedicated to hard work, and they are all required to practise a craft or a trade, and accept no donations but only what they earn through their work.

They're farmers and butchers and ranchers and gardeners, they're cobblers and smiths and builders. They're not allowed to rest each night unless there is sweat dripping from their brows, and no arrangements are made for the elderly. It's do or die.

A follower of Fastir rises at dawn and rests when they're done.

On the festival of Fastir, no work required and the clergy is allowed to rest and spend the day however they wish.

 

It's said that all muscle is a gift from Fastir to help your work, and all work is a gift from you to Fastir.

 

Fastir doesn't walk the earth, but her Clergy finds tough jobs to do, which no-one wants or can do, and then finds someone to do it. This is the most likely way your party will interact with the clerics of Fastir, other than finding them hard at work.

 

her Symbols are a muscular arm on a plane, A woman with a bowed back hauling something heavy, and a bundle of wood.

[JFSOCC]

Aegheer, God of stone

 

Symbol: a mountain.

Patron of jewellers, bricklayers, cobblers, mountaineers, stone sculptors.

All stone is Aegheer. Every brick, every pebble, every fossil, every gem, every mountain.

And all stone tools.

They're all Aegheer.

 

Once you respect that you're set. Disrespect the stone and a mountaineer will encounter rock-slide avalanches. Disrespect Aegheer and you'll slip on the smooth river stones while crossing the river, Disrespect the rock and your stone will break during the sculpting.

 

Respect the rock, and you may find treasure in it.

 

Followers of Aegheer keep a lucky stone near their body, usually as a pendant on a necklace.

 

Some mountainside places have an open air rock garden, but that's as far as the organised worship of Aegheer goes. He's not a terrible meddler, and doesn't need pleasing, only respect.

 

In Ancient times some temples to him did exist, carved into the mountainside. But these are now found in ruins, overgrown with moss, an old not unkindly male face looking up from a rounded unworked stone, covered in lichen might be found by the wayside, here or there. I'm sure there's an interesting history paired with the fall of the church of Aegheer, but it is lost to me.

Aegheer doesn't care. He was, is and will be all stone, that is enough.

Edited February 20, 2013 by JFSOCC

[mcmanusaur]

I'm in the process of designing an entire pantheon for an RP setting, but I'm not convinced I should share it.

[JFSOCC]

I'm in the process of designing an entire pantheon for an RP setting, but I'm not convinced I should share it.

Please do, I want to know if you've used us forumites as inspiration for the vitriolic slothful mindkiller gods you've invented, or the self insert gods of awesomeness.

 

But mostly, I wish more people would contribute to this thread to fuel the creativity.

 

I won't judge, promise!

[Failion]

Hmmm okay I'll try this.

 

Satan.

 

Everything dark and edgy, twisted, self expression. He is generally known to be EVIL. 

 

Satan is a god that enjoys all the dark and wrong things in existence. Rape, murder, gore and unprotected sex. He is a ancient god eternally imprisoned long ago for reasons unknown. During this imprisonment he forgot himself. Being incredibly pissed at the rest of the gods for not being locked up for thousands of years and not reveling in the darkness as himself did and still does, he has many enemies. Satan hates everything in the mortal realm that the majority like because he is dark and edgy. He encourages his followers to self mutilate and bring torment and anguish into the world. Sacrifice living things and cover his temples and the world with rotting corpses and bones of the deceased. He doesn't care about his follower or anyone however other then the rape, murder gore and unprotected sex. His end goal is to corrupt every soul in the game world and eventually bring his personal domain in the mortal realm. 

[IndiraLightfoot]

Here goes

 

Dráàn, God of household waste, gutters and sewers

Putrid Waters, The Underminer of Cities, The Rat King.

 

Throw something out the window and it feeds this insatiable beast god. Citizens of any city, down and village fear Dráàn and his subterranean realm of sewage tunnels and gullies. The rats down there are bigger and fiercer, the diseases ozzing around are deadlier than normal.

 

No known temples in honour of Dráàn exist, but there are worshippers and even societies devoted to him. Those male-gender-only societies are the undertakers, which in many cities double as sewage cleaners as well. Being the ones who bury the dead and deal with the worst imaginable kinds of waste, they are shunned by society. They cannot marry, but legend has it that they take humanoid rat wives, which in turn spawn giant rats of high intelligence. One gift Dráán grant her followers is immunity to disease.

[maggotheart]

They cannot marry, but legend has it that they take humanoid rat wives, which in turn spawn giant rats of high intelligence.

 

This is so hideous and awesome, well done!

[JFSOCC]

What maggotheart said.

[DimuthuK]

 The heart that loved.

 

 Anahar was the god of love and the heart. He blessed all beings with the love of the universe. He was radiant and magnificent. Those who saw him saw a picture of the perfect male. This of course was different for each race who viewed him. In seeing him they never felt jealousy or lust, only admiration and love. The gods were harder to convince. His wife, O' Liara, the goddess of roots, permeability and transition, loved him very much. However, her sister, goddess of entropy, Erentis, was insanely jealous of their bond. One night, in a fit of jealous rage, she confronted her sister. O' Liara had expected her and told her that she could not destroy her to reach Anahar. Erentis knew she did not have the power to kill her sister but she didn't have to. She grabbed Zig, her vibrating dagger which was shaped like a lightning bolt, and plunged it into her sister's side. O' Liara exploded into fragments smaller than the human eye could see. Erentis, knowing it would not be long for her sister to reform, removed a piece of her own being to keep O'Liara in a constant fractured state. This became the shattering crow, whos beak was the dagger Zig. It would chase O'Liaras essence and make sure that it could never reform. However, it was prone to distraction and also enjoyed shattering other things for fun such as the golden pin of Heisigger that held together the planes of reality but that is another story.

 

 When Anahar realised O' Liara was gone and convinced she was dead, his heart broke. Utterly distraught, he became enraged and vengeful. His appearance changed into that of wildness and fury. A beast. The gods had never been so afraid. He was after blood and he found it. He found Erentis and condemned her for what she had done. Erentis denied everything and using Anahars chaotic energy against him, convinced him that his father had permanently placed her in the earth as part of the natural fabric and never to be a goddess again. Reaching his fathers' abode in the skies he roared to bring his presence out. His father, Vostaff, the god of skies and expanse, came down from behind the constellation of the horse. Worried by his sons unfathomable rage, he tried to console him. It seems to no avail. Anahat violently tore into his father's chest and ripped out his essence. Never had this happened to a god before. A death that would never be forgotten. He ate his essence and became Anihilinth, the servant of rage. With little control of his own thoughts, Erentis quickly took control of his energies and made him her companion. Many of the other gods and goddesses abhorred their actions but none could face the strength of Anihilinth. Erentis had a great victory that day. The object of her desire was hers and she continued to feed his rage with her own powers. The time would come, however, when bonds are shattered and others remade. 

[JFSOCC]

Raeesht god of folly and dentists.

 

They say god protects fools and drunks.

 

This god does.

He is the god of hare-brained schemes, of "what could go wrong?" and "it seemed like a good idea at the time" Of adventures involving more luck than skill, of getting away with it.

He's the god of walking on the highway drunk, naked and shouting "I GOT A LOT OF MONEY" and waking up alive the next morning, maybe minus money.

 

Protector of idiots, children, drunks, he's the one you pray to when you realise, that maybe, maybe what you did wasn't such a good idea after all.

 

Society looks at Raeesht with mixed feelings. On the one hand, maybe his meddling keeps those alive who really shouldn't be.

On the other hand, people make mistakes, it happens, especially children. If every time people make a mistake they'd had to suffer the worst that could happen, well... that'd be nasty.

 

Parents thank Raeesht when their child fell from a tree they had no business climbing and ends up with only a broken arm and a bruised ego.

Some might curse Raeesht when that ne'er-do-well STILL gets away with his drunk pissing on the porch after getting caught for the umpteenth time.

 

There are a few small temples to Raeesht, set up by some who survived their adolescent idiocies.

Raeesht takes drink and drugs as offerings, as well as slips of paper with lessons learned, and stories of adventures which are more fun in the telling than they were in the experiencing. Drunk revellers may toast to Raeest after a night of telling of their dumber (but well ending) exploits.

 

On the festival of Raeesht, people might get drunk and offer each other stupid bets ("I bet you can't jump from the roof of the inn to the roof of the stables") Play some of the wilder games. (strip poker, play tag the angry guardsman.) And ask for forgiveness of past grievances which were the result of stupid decisions. It's customary to offer the maligned party the choice of what penance must be done. And it's accepted tradition that the penance is a playful challenge or prank. (IE: Streak through the town all night shouting "I love to drink barbecue sauce!"; Wear a sign saying "kick me"; Kiss anyone saying "thank you" whenever they say it for a week.)

 

Players might encounter Raeesht as someone who offers them challenges they would be foolish to accept. He rewards them with wisdom, and, sometimes, fun.

 

Raeesht is depicted as a young man with a crooked big smile a black eye and some teeth missing.

Symbols associated with Raeesht include teeth, dice and a bare foot above a jagged line

Edited February 24, 2013 by JFSOCC

[JFSOCC]

Mixarna, goddess of ingenuity and betrayal

 

Patron of politicians, plotters, engineers and inventors.

 

Mixarna was a Lady of a noble household. Her husband had fallen to political intrigue for some years, and Lady Mixarna was forgotten in the last keep her family still controlled. Ignored as a powerless noble fallen from grace, her political opponents failed to see her as a threat to their power.

Mixarna was left to her own devices and leveraged all her resources into an ingenious endeavour, hiring workers from all over the known world, to construct an automated workforce, her lands grew prosperous under her administration, and the wealth that she garnered she used for political favours, slowly, but steadily increasing her influence.

Refusing to marshal her wealth to bring new lands under her dominion, instead she sold the secret of the construction of her workforce in order to gain political favour.

The Nobles were eager to buy and create their own automated workforce, the production of their lands increased, and for a while, the automatons were all the rage, until every noble household had a few. It was too subtle for these nobles to notice, but the more automatons they bought, the less their lands returned over time. and less, and less. Until eventually they produced less than before the automatons were working.

 

Mixarna by then had lost most of her political favours, but she had saved. Alone in her small keep, she cashed in on her last political favour. She begged an audience with the ruling families.

 

She got the audience.

And she told them. You have one chance now, Bow down to me as your Goddess and I will spare you.

And they laughed

And she spoke her coded words, long prepared and in the design of every golem, since they were all based of her design.

And all the golems killed their masters, destroyed their equipment. Mixarna's terrible revenge for the murder of her husband decades earlier. Some fought and died, some fled and of those some even survived in exile.

Some begged, these she spared in return for their fealty. Of those who fought, she destroyed not just their families, but also their castles, the lands themselves. The golems had been poisoning the soil dedicatedly for years.

 

It was a master-stroke of revenge, but it ruined the land, most of it was poisoned by the golems, what golems had killed their masters stopped functioning when their masters died. Statues without purpose, those who aren't toppled or destroyed stand in the same position they did when their masters died.

Eventually the land recovered, but the kingdom, bereft of nearly it's entire elite, it's organisers, and most of the food supply, had dwindled into oblivion, with farmstead communities surviving without real society, they told their children the story of Mixarna.

It is a lesson, no good will come of revenge, some say. Others say the lesson is that you must utterly destroy your enemies because you never know if they will keep posing a threat. Others still say the lesson is that with guile and ingenuity you can achieve great things. Yet that care must be taken, because it's possible to destroy everything in the blind pursuit of ones goals.

 

It must be no mystery then why Mixarna's worship is paired with fear, as ruthless and powerful as she can be, it pays to take caution and be respectful.

Mixarna did instruct those who served her stead to build places of worship for her. Some were built around the golems, not statues exactly, but for all intents and purposes.

But the religion of Mixarna has lost popularity with new and more exciting gods coming in from new peoples who call this land new, and theirs old. And Mixarna's following has found themselves thrown out of their temples, if not worse.

 

These new peoples were not interested in hearing of her.

 

And so the cult of Mixarna is slowly moving underground. Shrines can be found in ateliers of inventors and some powerful men have allowed worshippers to come into their home shrines in the cities. They're not exactly hidden, as much as placed out of sight. If someone who doesn't know about Mixarna asks about the shrine, they may get a non-committal answer, evasive, or a simple 'none of your business', as followers of Mixarna have become wary of outsiders. That doesn't mean that it is impossible to enter the temple, however, or to learn of Mixarna's tale and wisdom, it's just slightly harder.

It's not exactly secret, it is just not shared (easily) with outsiders.

But the clergy of Mixarna remembers that Mixarna bid her time for revenge, and got it.

So will they. The new gods, along with the peoples that brought them, they will find themselves betrayed when the time comes. Unless they swear fealty to her.

 

when the time comes.

 

Mixarna is depicted on the shoulders of the Golem she rode in old age. Most of the gods new to this land (where our story takes place) are unwelcome and at odds with Mixarna, but not all. Particularly Hezeng is unwelcome, as early colonists came with the fleet of his religion.

Edited February 28, 2013 by JFSOCC

[Potz]

Hi everyone, first post here. This topic has been great to read so far, so I bring my contribution :

 

 

Dorsahna, Goddess of catastrophes, misfortune  and bad decisions (Lawful Neutral). 'The Loveless'.

 

Symbol : Scales with a bleeding heart on one side and burning pieces of gold on the other.

Patroness of travelers, explorers.

Ennemies in pantheon : all gods who use humans for their advantage.

Manifestation : A vulnerable person which could be helped or preyed on.

Trivia : Prones self achievement, humility and respect. She is believed to keep an eye on innocents and vulnerable persons, and bring misfortune on thieves or brigands harming the helpless. She is more feared and respected than loved because she doesn't grant any favors, just punish those who offend her. People give her offerings to protect from hazards their relatives who are travelling (a mother for her sons who go to war, a wife for her husband who goes to the sea). 

People who firmly respect her don't help nor rob the wounded on the side of the road because in the first case they could be helping someone that already offended the goddess and in the second case that would be taking advantage of someone.

[JFSOCC]

hey potz, welcome to the forums! I hope to see more from you

[Greydragon]

The Shattered One: A god for mad men and compulsive gamblers.

A divinity which in the ancient past was driven insane. It will present choices which cannot be answered rationally. It shows multiple sides to it's personality at all times; to the point of incoherence. It may bless or curse based entirely upon the dominant personality trait present. It is a mirror that influences the reflected; every side has a different flaw, not one is normal. 

Symbol: A gem with an irregular crack.

Enemies: Anything lawful or structured, anything rigidly cruel or kind. Particularly likes to interfere with illusionists and con artists, making their lies truth.  

Manifestation: A conundrum involving illusion. Occasionally it deliberately becomes a mirror and makes a false image true or vice versa. Dangerous at costume parties.

 

Like any mad man it is not in control of its own actions and thus can actually work in direct opposition to itself. Occasionally it has been known to lift curses it placed on people to begin with and alternately kill those it had previously blessed.

[JFSOCC]

Padamal, Goddess of loneliness and trust.

The Silent Friend. The Listening Ear. The Living Ghost.

 

Patron of druids, rangers, thieves, lonely people, close friendship and scouts.

Patron of all solitary animals.

 

Padamal came from the wilderness into urban society on a mission of mercy, to tell the people of the city that they were using too much resources and that soon their society would collapse, unless something was done.

And like society is, she got ignored, she would shout and people would move on and pay no attention to the nutcase who was speaking of doom and damnation.

Jaded, those city dwellers.

 

Padamal felt invisible, no-one would hear her out, no-one listened, and she withdrew into herself.

Wandering through the city, she found she could take what she wanted from the stalls, no-one saw her.

She could shout and no-one listened.

No-one but one. A blackbird listened. And offered advice.

"Don't speak, listen", the blackbird told her.

"It is your gift to go unseen and listen, I've flown across the city and found the place where decisions are made, it is not the marketplace"

 

First Padamal went into town and listened, listened to all the problems of all the people. She heard of their petty squabbles and their hatred for taxes, she couldn't bare the mundaneness, and so, she asked the blackbird, Lister, to find her a way into the palace council.

Padamal went unseen into the council and listened. They were speaking of war and harvests, of intrigue and loyalty. None saw her as she observed them for weeks, right in their midst.

And when she heard enough, she revealed herself and told the council. "Listen now! a harsh drought is coming and if you march to war your resources will be gone before your armies ever see your enemies! Your people will starve and your lands will blow away! The animals will die, you will all die!"

Shocked by her sudden entrance, the council still found it hard to see her. They were impressed, but proud.

They did not listen.

Well, some did. a few council members prepared for drought, and withdrew their support for war.

But the worst did happen.

 

In the almost deserted city, those who listened survived, barely, they apologized and told her that nevermore would they fail to listen to the words of a stranger, to trust that there are those unknown worth listening to.

 

Grim, Padamal nodded and told them "You will remind the world what happens if you don't". She set off back into the wilderness she came from, though Lister went with her. Her scout and loyal friend.

 

Those who remained built her temples and tell her story, a story of stealing to survive, of listening before speaking, of patience, of kindness to strangers, even those who seem strange and foreign.

 

It is a minor cult following, in places you might find a small courtyard or walled garden with trees and blackbirds being fed there. The priests of Padamal are divided into groups, some keep the place liveable, welcome strangers for respite, and keep extra resources and watch the environment. These are the Environmentalists. Others go out into the world to find the lonely and listen to them. They are the listeners, and they report to the head of their church about what lives in society. It is rumoured that a third group exists, the thieves, or infiltrators. If they exist, they spend their time watching all manner of organisations, and influencing them when they threaten the environment, when they fail to heed nature's call, or when they are unjust in dealing with the defenceless solitary souls. They steal for the survival of the world, or so it is believed.

 

Padamal is a minor Deity who still walks the earth. She's found where fools are about to do something truly damaging to the environment, showing up out of no-where.

She also has the secret of walking around unseen, something she has shared on rare occasion to those who helped serve her.

 

Padamal is depicted with Lister on her shoulder, or flying overhead. Sometimes her outlines are barely observable, but Lister is always clearly visible.

[JFSOCC]

I'll do two more, but that's it. Then the number would be 20, which is pretty large.

 

Shtolaz

God of Ancestors, names and dreams.

"Butler of the dead"

Associated with Ancestor worship, thought to determine which physical and character traits you inherit from your parents. Said to mark your soul for its rebirth after you've died. And knows the true name of all beings.

 

He is always depicted with the litany of deeds and a pile of skulls. The litany of deeds is supposed to be the transcribed knowledge and wisdom each person has the chance to share with Shtolaz after death, before the soul moves on.

This knowledge Shtolaz is then charged with keeping for or from your descendants for perpetuity. Because he takes this service seriously, some consider him servile and fail to pay respect.

 

Shtolaz occasionally grants children of the dead with a last message from their parents before the soul is reborn. Those who pray to him may learn some of what they parents failed to pass on, also during dreams, and may feel their parents guidance as dictated on the litany of deeds.

 

The Clergy of Shtolaz prepare the dead and cremate them, and sweep the ashes into their urns. They also write and keep the last will and testament, and are legal scholars when it comes to inheritance. The Wandering priests of Shtolaz find lost dead and give them proper rites. These priests have the special ability to divine the name of the deceased. They take up the duty to find the next of kin and inform them of the fate of their family.

All the Clergy of Shtolaz dream vivid dreams, and all of them eventually go insane. Though they all crack in different ways.

It is because of this that the clergy has to resort to becoming a family themselves, since very few outsiders are willing to sign up for such a fate. The Clergy of Shtolaz has become a caste in a casteless society. (unless PE has castes)

 

Since the clergy of Shtolaz has begun the practise of intermarriage between priests, their dreams have become more powerful, and many are plagued by entire memories of souls unwilling to move on and be reborn. There are other organisations which too help these souls, but the Clergy of Shtolaz uniquely has members capable of divining the nature of the death of those souls, and their last living memories.

 

In recent days, the Clergy of Shtolaz has asked for the help of the Church of Goh, since insanity is becoming an ever increasing problem.

[JFSOCC]

Ip, the deceiver.

 

God of truth and deception.

 

Patron of spindoctors, politicians, and lawyers.

Patron of those who think on their feet.

 

"One truth told with bad intent is worse than all the lies one can invent"

Ip is known to lie by telling the truth, by taking the facts and misrepresenting them.

For example: "20% less people applied for unemployment" might be absolutely true, but only because after a certain time period people can no longer apply for unemployment benefits. The amount of people not working is still growing.

Or "Contains vitamin C" might be true, but there is only so much your body will accept.

"Has anti-oxidants" yes, all vegetables do, big deal.

"I was beaten up by a man about 20 years old!"(yes, 20 years ago)

 

This is how Ip spread his lies; by telling the absolute truth. It is how he tricked his way into divinity in a bargain he made with Fastir without doing any hard work, insinuating credit for a task he had not done, but not stating it outright. It is assumed they are at odds because of this, although it is never stated outright.

 

Those who are fooled by excellent bluff curse Ip, those who managed to bluff their way past the bouncer of a club praise him for their ability to think on their feet, provided no lies were used.

 

Ip promotes people to look at the truth, but also the context, to find out more than just the truth, but it's relevancy, the story which belongs with it. No bare fact should ever convince anyone and if it does you have yourself to blame.

 

The strangest thing has happened to the clergy of Ip.

While they worship his genius spindoctoring skills, they feel unworthy of it, and that his use has been a lesson to all humanoidkind to avoid such devious ambiguity or suffer the consequences.

They train to speak only truth, and to be as unambiguous as possible.

Conversation with the clergy of Ip is incredibly ponderous, and unnerving at times.

They will not use idiomatic language, they will state their intent clearly, and they will not use colourful language. They will not speak of morals for these are the subject of opinion, not fact.

 

While this behaviour may seem to be very strange and self-defeating at times, it has led to the use of the clergy as arbiters in disputes, judges with inquisitorial privileges. The strict training and the abhorrence of ambiguity allows them, like Columbo, to worry at the details and facts until it is absolutely clear what has happened.

This is a slow process, but their involvement is considered to be one of the most accurate ways to ascertain the truth.

 

There is one exception. Servants of Ip are allowed by their doctrine to lie by telling the truth in order to save lives. This is not done on a whim however, and not every servant is equally good at it, having trained most of their life to do just the opposite.

 

The symbol of Ip is a straight vertical line on a plane. The Clergy of Ip brands liars with a crooked or curved line on the back of their dominant hand.

 

----

And that, my friends, is 20. More than enough for a pantheon. I don't intend to write more gods. (which is not the same as saying I absolutely won't. Just don't expect it)

Edited March 21, 2013 by JFSOCC

[TrashMan]

Helios, God of eternity, fire and hope

 

Alias: Eternal Flame, Phoenix, The Eternal

 

Symbol: Phoenix or a circle

 

 

"He that is always and forever.

He for whom death has no meaning

He for whom life is a thousand journies

He that is destruction

He that is creation

He who's spark burns in the soul of every living being

He to whom we pray."

 

Was never confirmed to appear in the mortal realm, altough some belive that a phoenix is his avatar.

Considered by some to be a force of the cosmos pre-dating and greater than mere gods.