The Pantheon According to the Priests of The Empire

[Jehannum]

The names in parenthesis are the names of the gods that were used in days past before the coming of the empire to the east. Some still use those names, but it is sorely frowned upon and they are officially unrecognized as by the Empire.

Lochwar (Druaga) - "Lord of the Gods, Master of Plots, Tyranny and Retribution"
Greater Deity
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Holy Symbol: An Iron Fist/Gauntlet
Favorite Colors: Red
Favorite Weapon: Red Heavy Mace
Animal: Basilisk
One of the first born and brother to Anu, Druga is the Lord of the Gods. All executions are carried out in the temple of Druaga.



Etoth (Anu) - "Lord of Law and Order, The Marshal, The Judge.”
Greater Deity
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Holy symbol: Scales weighing the balance
Favorite Colors: Black and White
Favorite Weapon: War Hammer
Animal: Ram
Anu was the one of the first born and is responsible for bringing law and order to the chaos that was the Void. Sometime he is referred, by non-followers, as the Cold One. His priests/priestesses seek to bring absolute law and order to all. Evil and Good have no meaning to them. And there are a sect of priests/priestess who act as enforcers. This special sect is filled with the supremely devout. (Your Judge Dread types)


Coloth (Anshar/Alinkahar) - "Lord of Darkness, Evil Magics and Nightmares, The Plague of Sleep"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Favorite Weapon: Envenomed Dagger
Holy Symbol: A Black Sphere
Favorite Colors: Deep Black
Favorite Weapon: Envenomed Dagger
Animal: Scorpion
Anshar/Alinkahar was one of the gods that had sided with Tiamat. He escaped at the death of Tiamat, but has since made a deal with Druaga to spare his life. What that deal was only Druga and the nightmare lord knows. He is often at odds with Nuarari.


Farallis (Ea) - "Master of Knowledge and Magics. The Father of Foresight. The Librarian."
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: True Neutral
Holy Symbol: A Book
Favorite Colors: Red
Favortie Weapon: Staff
Animal: Tortoise
Sometimes refered as the Silent One, Ea prefers to think out all possible outcomes before acting or taking a stance. He is primarily revered by librarians, mages, and scholars.


Ineania (Enki) - "Mistress of Sweet Water and Good Magics, Protector of the Farm"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: Neutral Good
Holy Symbol: A vial of pure water
Favorite Colors: White
Favorite Weapon: Light Flail
Animal: Horse
A goddess of plain beauty, Enki is worshiped by mages, farmers, and by some brewers.


Peralia (Ereshkigal) - "Mistress of the Underworld, Protector of the Final Rest"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: True Neutral
Holy Symbol: Ruby
Favorite Colors: Deep Red
Favorite Weapon: Scythe
Animal: Crow
Ereshkigal is the guardian of the realm of souls and wife to Nergal. Though their love is eternal they often come into confrontation with one another.


Teshalia (Ishtar) - "Mistress of Love, Rogues, and Lady Luck. Ladylove of Music, Magical Song and Wine"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Holy Symbol: A luck stone
Favorite Colors: Green and Gold
Favorite Weapon: Whip or Rapier
Animal: Panther
She is loved and worshiped by artists, bards, rogues, and those always seeking and giving pleasure.


Iaosia (Ki) - "Mother of Nature and Beasts, Mistress of Balance"
Greater Deity
Alignment: True Neutral
Holy Symbol: A mask created from leaves of various trees
Favorite Colors: Forest Green
Favorite Weapon: Shillelagh
Animal: Tiger
All that is nature is Ki. She is the goddess of rangers, druids and those loving nature and animals. She often assists Enki during the time of harvest. Her temples are found mainly in the forest.


Tharon (Marduk) - "Father of Battle, God of Honor, Valor, and Duty"
Greater Deity
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Holy Symbol: Silvery Net
Favorite Colors: Gold
Favorite Weapon: Bow
Animal: Falcon
Sometimes called the Arch-Warrior, Marduk is epitome of great soldier. None is more great in the workings battle than he.


Nuarari (Nanna-Sin) - "Mistress of the Moon, Dreams, and Illusions, The Lady of Lullabies, The Dreamweaver"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Holy Symbol: Moonstone
Favorite Colors: Silver and Periwinkle
Favorite Weapon: Blue Crystal Staff
Animal: Owl
Nuarari is the Lady of the Lighted Night. She often finds herself at odds with Coloth. Her clerics, some known at Moonsingers, are often sought after to bring peace to troubled sleep and sometimes to give answers to cryptic dreams. Some bards are known to worship her.


Brintha (Nin-Hursag) - " Mistress of the Deep Earth and Stone, Matron of Craft and Mining"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: True Neutral
Holy Symbol: Blue-White Diamond
Favorite Colors: Earthy Browns
Favorite Weapon: Pickaxe
Animal: Badger
Loved by miners and those with the gift to craft, Nin-Hursag is the goddess of all that is below the ground.


Culnul (Nergal) - "Master of the Undead, The Eternal Torment, The Betrayer of Life, Lord of Decay, The Grub Lord"
Lesser Deity
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Holy Symbol: A Black Sword and Shield
Favorite Colors: Black and Purple
Favorite Weapon: Scythe
Animal: Lion
The husband of Ereshkigal, though some would say it is an odd pairing. But their love for one another is enternal, though they are sometimes at odds with one another. Worship of Culnul is not prohibited, but mainly due to their secretive nature, and the fear from the general populace, Culnul's temples are not built out in the open.


Rhauth (Ramman) - "Master of the Great Seas and Oceans, and Tempests"
Intermediate Deity
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Holy Symbol: Trident
Favorite Colors: Sea Green
Favorite Weapon: Trident
Animal: All creatures of the sea
For those who live upon the sea, or make a living from it, Ramman is always kept in high respect. Quick to anger and unpredictable, Ramman is not one any seafairing mortal would want to be on the bad side of.


Tyrak - "Lord of the Burning Lands"
(Girru - "Lord of the Purifying Flame, The Merciful Fire")
(Outlawed)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Holy Symbol: Fire-enwrapped Axe
Favorite Colors: Scarlet
Favorite Weapon: Battle Axe
Animal: Pheonix
Let it be known that it has been delcared that anyone found paying divine homage to false gods or godesses is a punishable act, set by the articles of the Emperor of Varana and all lands under the rule of Varana.


Ch'taia (Tiamat) - "The Great Hydra, The Destroyer, The Chromatic Dragon, Nemesis of the Gods"
(Outlawed)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Holy Symbol: Salt Stone or The Sigil of Tiamat
Favorite Colors: All Chromatic Colors
Favorite Weapon:
Animal: Chromatic Dragons
Let it be known that it has been delcared that anyone found paying divine homage to false gods or godesses is a punishable act, set by the articles of the Emperor of Varana and all lands under the rule of Varana.


Rel - "Lord of the Blinding Light"
(Utu/Shamesh - "Lord of the Guiding Light, The Eternal Beacon, The Healing Dawn")
(Outlawed)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Holy Symbol: Rising Sun
Favorite Colors: White, Silver, and Gold
Favorite Weapon: Broad Sword
Animal: Falcon
Let it be known that it has been delcared that anyone found paying divine homage to false gods or godesses is a punishable act, set by the articles of the Emperor of Varana and all lands under the rule of Varana.


~~Thanks to Kell for the artwork. It is a true dasarian treasure.
~~Thanks to Domina for the vector reformat.

[Wired]

The state religion in Varana, Varanite Polytheism (though they obviously don't call it that), involves the worship of a polytheistic pantheon in which various cults of adulation exist around individual deities to which are attributed governance of certain aspects of the divine.

There is a hierarchy of deities, with Lochwar at the top and exercising a loose measure of control over the others. However each deity generally has dominion over a certain aspect of the world, for instance, Rhuath over the sea, or Nuarari, dreams. Specialist priests for each God know all the mythology and ritual associated with worship of these individual divinities and see after the needs of the other followers of these gods. These Clerics serve the god to which they've devoted themselves, the gods do not serve them.

While the gods are immortal, they are not all powerful. They squabble amongst themselves, act with human motive and emotion, suffer human vices, and are constantly moving their little pawns against each others' will. The will of some gods is occasionally opposed by upstart PCs as well. The Gods do not generally take human form, nor make direct appearances in-game, tending to act indirectly, though stranger things have happened.

While a character will tend to favor an individual god due to their particular nature (Rogues may favor Teshalia, Druids Iaosia) and players will select but one on their character sheet, the entire Pantheon is worshiped simultaneously. For instance, a devotee of Lochwar probably says a prayer to Ineania before sitting down to a meal and to Tharon before rushing into battle.

While the Gods of the Dasarian and Varanite Pantheons are unique to Dasaria, they spring from the Babylonian Mythos. However, Ancient Greek Polytheism is probably a little more accessible and familiar to most readers in terms of understanding the gist of polytheism without getting into the details of who does what in whose pantheon.

Lochwar was the favored deity of Canas, the founder of the Varanite Empire, as well as its current Emperor, Marcus IV, and the worship of Lochwar plays a special role in Varanite culture. Lochwar is the chief god, a god of tyranny, deceit, and retribution, and you ought to see this reflected in the flavor of Varanite society imposed on that of Dasaria. The Dasarian view of the pantheon differed from the Varanite, not only in that included certain good-aligned gods banned in the Varanite version (Tyrak, Rel), but viewed Tharon, a god of valor and battle, as the chief god, values again that were reflected in their own society prior to their defeat by the Varanites.

When the Varanites annexed Dasaria they imposed their own laws, values, and view of the pantheon on the Dasarians. While the common man has been more or less absorbed into the Empire,vestiges of the old ways persist among the class of men and women that includes PCs, though they have been driven underground. You may still select a 'banned' or heretical god for your character, should you wish, however it would not be safe to openly preach in the streets of an Imperial City, worship would be exclusively underground.

There is only a weak analogy to be drawn between the religion of Dasaria and its interrelationship with secular power and that of Medieval Europe, which was centered around the idea of Christianity, power flowing a God to a Pope to a King, etc. In Varana, the Emperor is at the center of society and there are various cults of worship, all of whose members are answerable to the Emperor irrespective of their place in the hierarchy of a particular church.

Outside the Dasarian and Varanite pantheons, there may be also be various heretical (Ch'taia, Bahram) or foreign religions (such as the form Cuhannan of worship) originating in lands outside the immediately accessible gameworld. These religions cannot be legally practiced within Varana without a special dispensation from the Emperor.

Also of note is that there is a quasi-Imperial Cult, in which Canas is worshiped as a god by some. Of course, his posthumous impact on this world is somewhat more tangible than the deified Emperors of ancient Rome!