A:Gods

Mother Church of Coryan

During the crusade to repel the demonic forces an Illiirite high priest, Vesiti val’Assante’ began reconstructing the rites and rituals of the Orthodox Pantheon. After the founding of the Coryani Empire, the Emperor appointed Vesiti the first Patriarch of the Mother Church and tasked him with reestablishing the ancient religion as it was during the Imperium.

Worship of Althares

Althares is the said to be the most enlightened and intellectual of all the gods of the Pantheon. Patron of Sages, Wisemen, and those who seek lost secrets and knowledge, Althares favors those using their minds rather than just their brawn. This is not to say that warriors do not pray to Him for wisdom or guidance. Generals and other tacticians regularly sacrifice to Him for wisdom and clarity of mind before launching critical military campaigns or battles.

Worship of Anshar

Anshar is the well known throughout Arcanis; Her most popular aspects being that of the Far Traveler, the Suffering Martyr, the Weeping Goddess, and the Guardian of Outcasts. Anshar looks after the destitute, the oppressed and the outcast, regardless of the reason why the person finds themselves in such a situation. Because of this, a large number of Dark Kin and Gnomes find themselves worshipping

Her.

Worship of Beltine

Warden of the Afterlife, Keeper of the Gates to Paradise, Mistress of the Cauldron of the Underworld, Nurturer of the Spirit, and Forger of Souls; the Goddess Beltine holds all these titles and distinctions with pride. The Shrouded Goddess’ realm is that of the Underworld, a place where the spirits of the dead travel to await their final judgment.

Worship of Cadic

Cadic holds the title as the Dark Hand of Illiir, performing those tasks that which are necessary but distasteful to the Lord of the Gods. He also acts as the patron to thieves, spies and assassins as well as to musicians, bards and artisans. Many outsiders view this as incongruous as these domains have little to do with one another, yet Cadic’s adherents see them as merely two sides of the same coin. In a world of darkness and brutal, cold efficiency, the soul must be nurtured and given respite or else madness will surely take them over the edge of the abyss.

Worship of Hurrian

Considered the most honorable and caring of the Pantheon deities, Hurrian is the Defender of Man, the Champion of Honor, the General of the Gods and is also known as the grim Storm Lord. Hurrian is called the Reluctant Warrior, for though He is a god of combat and is the patron of warriors everywhere, He and His followers do not revel in battle as the adherents of Nier do. Hurrian lifts His sword only when there is no other choice and then, only for the most honorable and just of reasons. His warriors do not shed blood for the glory of battle, nor do they find joy in the misery of the conquered. Yet when marauding bands of villainy appear on the horizon, seeking to burn, rape and pillage one’s home and family, ever will the Blades of Hurrian rise up and defend all that they holds dear.

Worship of Illiir

Illiir holds the position of head of the Pantheon and serves as patron of Emperors, Kings, Lords and others that enjoy positions of power. Due to His station most worshippers of the Pantheon give Him praise and offer sacrifices on His holy days. According to dogma, Illiir led the rest of the Pantheon against the Usurper and Its befouled progeny and corrupted minions during the God War. Though He did not participate in the destruction of the Elorii Elemental Lords, He did order it done. At the end of the God’s War, it was Illiir that declared that all the lands of the Elorii were now the domain of humanity and proclaimed the creation of the First Imperium of Man.

Worship of Larissa

The Oracle of the Gods, Lady Luck, Mistress of Forbidden Pleasures, Temptress of the Pure, Divine Harlot of the Sixty-Seven Acts of Debauchery. Larissa has been called all these things and more. Originally depicted as a demure, young virgin, Larissa used Her ability to see in the future during the God War with deadly accuracy. Her powers were crucial in the defeat of the Other and in foretelling the eventual triumph of Man over the Elorii. Afterwards, She became obsessed in the protection of Her children and searched further and further into the future, cataloguing every pitfall, catastrophe, or pitfall that could or would befall humanity. At one point however, She parted the furthest veil and saw what was not meant to be seen, even by a god. Driven mad by the vision, Larissa dove headlong into an orgy of hedonistic pleasures, each indulgence greater than the last, anything to burn the image of what was to come from Her mind and soul.

Worship of Nier

Offerings of blood, death and the wailings of the defeated are what pleases mighty Nier, the Lord of Flaming Devastation, the Master of Burning Ruin, the Reveler in Violence, the Ultimate Warrior and the Judgment of the Gods. Portrayed as a raving warrior, blood drenched and covered in gore with the bodies of His enemies piled high before Him; Nier is the embodiment of war. He is the relentless storm of chaos which wipes what was before clean, allowing for something new and different to take its place.

Worship of Neroth

Most feared of all the Gods due to His duties which reach all inevitably, Neroth, known also as Black Neroth, rules below the loamy earth, in the worm infested recesses of the catacombs and barrows that riddle the Known Lands of Arcanis. Neroth Death-forger also has dominion over disease and the body and mind of the dead.

Worship of Saluwe’

Saluwe’ is venerated as the patron of women, in all their phases of life, as well as that of the Green Mother, Goddess of all things that grow upon or below the earth. As the wife of Illiir, Saluwe’ receives accolades as the Empress of the Heavens and libations to Illiir are also offered to Her.

Worship of Sarish

Binder of demons and devils, the Oath Maker, Master of the Arcane, He Who Strides the Planes, the Blood God: these titles and more have been ascribed to Sarish, one of the more complex and intriguing deity of the Pantheon. Most look at Him with trepidation, for tales abound of His priests summoning Infernal creatures to do their dark biddings, but, when these same fiends appear, Sarishan priests are the first to be called upon to deal with the matter.

Worship of Yarris

Ancient is Yarris, some say older than the other gods of the Pantheon itself, though this be the talk of heretics and madmen. Some say that Yarris rules the oceans, while others site Holy Scripture that alludes to Yarris being the ocean itself, with every drop, every fish, every frothing white cap but an extension of His being.

The Church of the Dark Triumvirate

The Church of the Dark Triumvirate, the unquestioned authority of the Dark Apostate, and the rightness of their teachings form the spine of Cancerese culture. The Church penetrates the lives of its entire people, so much so, that the government and the church are indistinguishable. As a theocracy, the edicts from the church are law. There is no debate, no question, and no argument. The church’s proclamations define reality for all Cancerese.

Neroth, Nier, and Sarish, listed above.

Belisarda and the Four Elemental Lords

The worship of Belisarda and the four Elemental Lords is one of the most ancient religions on Arcanis, preceded only by hoary cults of Ssethregore. Worshipped as their creators, the Four Elemental Lords and Belisarda, the Life Giver, enjoyed a special bond with their children although why the Ssethregoran were allowed to enslave them is a question the Elorii have never been able to answer to their satisfaction.

After the overthrow of their oppressors’ empire, the Elorii controlled vast tracts of the Onaran continent and enjoyed millennia of peace and prosperity until the coming of the human and the Pantheon of Man. Within a generation the Elorii went from being the rulers of an empire to refugees taking shelter in the vast forests of the land. To make matters worse, four of their Elemental Lords, Keleos, Beroe, Marok and Osalian were destroyed; absorbed by four of the gods of man.

Worship of Belisarda

Last of the Elemental Lords of the Elorii, Belisarda is known as the Life Mother to Her children. Elorii do not write their history down on flimsy scrolls or tomes. Instead the Marokene Crystalmancers created pure orbs of crystal that can retain hours of information. Light and airy like the soap bubbles they resemble, the orbs are able to verbally recount tales, myths, or even simple instructions as well as display images within its surface. In the most ancient of these relics Telas, one of the most revered and elder Elorii, recounts the tale of how each of the four Elemental Lords gave of their own essence to create four of the Elorii sub-races. It is Belisarda alone, however, who breathes life into all five. It is interesting to note that with the sole exception of Kassregore, the primordial Ssethregoran deity, only Belisarda is ever credited with creating life from nothing.

The Matriarchy of the Fire Dragon

A relatively new organization in the scheme of things upon Arcanis, the Church of the Fire Dragon, also known as the Matriarchy, had its auspicious beginnings less than four hundred years ago. In those dark times, the faithless and despondent Black Talon society of Ssethregore was teetering on the edge of collapse. The Black Talons had begun to question the morality of their actions and rebelled against the corrupt and decadent government of Ssethregore. Looking for guidance, the Black Talons turned to an aged matriarch who spouted prophecies of a new god and better life for them outside the bounds of evil Ssethregore. Rallying to her visions, the Black Talons fled from Ssethregore and established themselves in the Sulphur Marsh far to the north. Under the strict but gentle guidance of the priestesses of the Fire Dragon, the society prospered and the Matriarchy was born.

Worship of the Fire Dragon

The Fire Dragon, The Blazing Wyrm, The Fiery One, Lord of the Inferno, in all these aspects and more does the Fire Dragon exist, a guardian to his chosen peoples; a deadly adversary to his foes. To his chosen, the Fire Dragon is considered a kind, yet unwavering god. He watches over his people, but rarely intervenes, preferring that his children learn their lessons the hard way and thereby grow stronger in the aftermath. Followers of the Fire Dragon consider life a series of trials, where success in your endeavors leads to betterment of yourself and prosperity for the entire clutch. The Fire Dragon is revered by the Black Talons; they consider him everything Kassegore is not. To them the Fire Dragon represents loyalty, honor, bravery, and compassion, sentiments absent from the majority of Ssethregoran Society. Through the teachings of their Lord, the Black Talons seek to better themselves, both physically and spiritually, determined to never again sink into the mire of hate and destruction that was their way under the Ssethric Empires. Those who follow the Fire Dragon hold the community over all else and consider protection of the hatching fires a sacred duty borne by all Black Talons.