User:Paleomancer/Emerald Sun (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Pantheon

Deities, Demigods, and Heroes

Emerald Sun has a system of faith and religion more similar to WOTC's Rokugan setting or the anime [Slayers], in which the "gods" of the setting are powerful spirit creatures. Moreover, the chief pantheon, the Great Old Ones, would be elder evils in most other campaign settings. Note that while most people pay tribute to multiple patrons, Priests must select a single Great Old One for their patron, and Heretics must select and serve patron spirits that each grant only one or two domains.

Religion

Generally, most people have a rather middling approach to religion. They may pay homage to certain entities because of family or cultural tradition, or because of certain yearly or lifelong events, but they rarely think much about it beyond that point. Given that most their gods are personifications of nightmare and insanity, this is often a very good strategy, since most people will never be important enough for a Great Old One to take a personal interest in them, which rarely ends well for anybody.

Pantheons

Great Old Ones

The chief pantheon of Tellur is that of the Great Old Ones, the oldest and most powerful union of the Fremd. These nightmarish entities possess considerable domains in the Dreamlands, but the focus point of their worship is the island state of R'laeh, their sanctum for many millions of years. The Great Old Ones have learned to balance their insatiable appetites for the sanity of mortal life with a recognition that mindless ravening rarely results in stable sources of nourishment, and most have learned to cultivate a decent amount of respect and terror from their subjects as a renewable substitute. Many have even grown perversely attached to their mortal livestock; the most extreme example is Cthonn, the crawling eye and overlord of magic and vision, who split himself into fragments and instilled them within mortal lines, in the aim of finally understanding mortal struggles. Obviously, all the Great Old Ones believe the mortal races are best served by subjugation under their rule, so the Great Old Ones seek to solidify their control over all of Tellur, and from there, the multiverse.

Shadowstar Mysteries

Not all the Fremd are happy with the world-spanning dominance of the Great Old Ones. Many of the younger or newer Fremd seek to enhance their power, and have established minor cults in their name through Tellur. The Great Old Ones and the renegade Fremd use their servitors as proxies in the war of control, but few of the lesser Fremd manage to repel the superior might of their older kindred. The Sacred Mysteries of the Shadowstar arose as a desperate alliance some two hundred years ago between several lesser Fremd, who combined their forces in an attempt to repel an invasion by the Great Old Ones; to the amazement of both sides, the alliance managed to annihilate the R'leahen force. Realizing the value of their combined strength, the original Fremd members concocted a shared religious mystery that facilitated the union of their worshipers, and actively sought out suitable lesser Fremd allies to strengthen their alliance. In the past fifty years, the Fremd have even begun recruiting non-Fremd spirits as members, and a number of elemental, fey, undead, and outsider spirits have joined the Shadowstar pantheon. The citystate of Eleusa has become the main gathering point for followers of the Shadowstar Mysteries and has risen as a challenge even to the might of R'leah.

Individual Deities

Great Old Ones

Cthonn

A mysterious, terrible Fremd entity, who appears to its worshippers as a massive eye with tentacles, and teeth lining his pupil. It is said that Cthonn can see throughout time and space, perceiving every word, deed, and action. He was the eldest of the Great Old Ones, and is the patron of judgement and knowledge. His servants include magicians, fortunetellers, judges, and writers.

Forbidden Lore: Cthonn is perhaps the most sympathetic of the Great Old Ones, with an honest, if misplaced, admiration and affection for mortal races. He originated as the loremaster of the Fremd, particularly with regards to the Prophesies of Succession, and maintains a strong alliance with Sukhet and Ubboth. He entrusted the entity Uggoth with the Obsidian Tablets, and was the engineer of the Fremd Barrier and the Offering of Thought ritual.

• Rank: Greater.
• Symbol: A stylized eye with two symmetric tentacles on each end.
• Alignment: LN.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Non-evil.
• Portfolio: Destiny, justice, knowledge, law.
• Domains: Contract, Insanity, Knowledge, Law, Protection, Time.

Ithxotlu

Ruler of the Great Old Ones, Ithxotlu is a cruel and vindictive entity obsessed with increasing his power, and to some degree, his allies. He is the patron of power, tyranny, and warfare. He usually takes the form of an octopus-headed humanoid with bat wings. His worshipers are amongst the most vocal in pushing forth the realm of R'leah

Forbidden Lore:

• Rank: Greater.
• Symbol: Humanoid skull with tentacles.
• Alignment: LE.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any nongood.
• Portfolio: Power, sacrifice, war.
• Domains: Blood, Conquest, Evil, Insanity, Law, Strength, Tyranny, War.

Shubaggoruth

The Great Old One patron of family and kinship, who bears a thousand young.

Forbidden Lore: This entity is responsible for s

• Rank: Greater.
• Symbol: Black goat head with three eyes.
• Alignment: N.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any.
• Portfolio: Kinship, family.
• Domains: Blood, Family, Solidarity, 4 more.

Sukhet

The nine-headed serpent god of the Ophidians and affiliate of the R'leahan Pantheon, Sukhet appears as a normal ophidian of unnatural size, but with nine heads, the central head of which is largest and bears the hood of a cobra. Aside from his concerns with the survival of the ophidian people, Sukhet is also a patron of arcane magic and technology.

Forbidden Lore: Sukhet was once one of the greatest adversaries of the Great Old Ones, and the alliance between the two is fraught with treachery and suspicion. He does have an more-or-less honest alliance with Cthonn, C'talpa, and Uggoth (where plotting against one another is acknowledged and relatively civil), as well as emissaries of the Coleopterans. Sukhet earned his place among the Great Old Ones for his role in defeating the Lady of Ice and for aiding the creation of the Fremd Barrier. He welcomes non-ophidian followers, especially those who use arcane magic.

• Rank: Intermediate.
• Symbol: A snake biting its own tail.
• Alignment: LG.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any non-chaotic.
• Portfolio: Arcane magic, manipulation, ophidians, reptiles.
• Domains: Contract, Dragon, Good, Knowledge, Law, Magic, Trickery

Ubboth

Ubboth is not technically a member of the Great Old Ones, but her alliance with Cthonn means that she is worshiped as a lesser deity by his followers. Ubboth is sometimes called the progenitor of life, and she is associated with healing, protection, and metamorphosis.

Forbidden Lore: Ubboth is the guardian of the Obsidian Tablets, and dwells in the deepest abyss of Tellur. The doppelgangers are her adopted children.

• Rank: Lesser.
• Symbol: Amoeba with two black tablets.
• Alignment: N.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Non-evil.
• Portfolio: Evolution, organisms, protection.
• Domains: Acid, Chance, Healing, Plant, Protection, Slime, Vermin.

Unaligned Deities

C'talpa

An elemental of magma and stone, patron of the Talpa and of mining. Those who work underground seek her favor, and those who live next to volcanoes make frequent sacrifices to keep her happy.

Forbidden Lore: C'talpa has little interest in creatures not of the Talpa people, unless of course they oppress the Talpa, in which case, she seeks to bring about their extermination; her "alliance" with the Great Old Ones is geared towards revenging her offspring's enslavement on them. She does have a soft spot for the helpless and vulnerable, and as such counts many ghouls and laborers as followers. She has tolerable relations with Cthonn, and gets along well with Sukhet, whose priesthood aids her followers in disrupting slavers.

• Rank: Lesser.
• Symbol: Talpan fist enveloped in flame.
• Alignment: CN.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any nonlawful.
• Portfolio: Talpa, underground, volcanos.
• Domains: Earth, Hatred, Hellfire, Metal, Sorrow, Vengeance.

The Lady of Ice

Ruler of the frozen lands, a powerful Great Old One and the patron of the Jotun. She most commonly takes the form of human or trollish female made of ice, and seeks to spread winter's chill across the planet.

Forbidden Lore: Once a powerful member of Great Old Ones, her attempts at independent power has marked her as a traitor, and her followers face considerable antagonism from almost every other faction and people on Tellur, but especially Sukhet and his followers, and the trolls, who blame her for leading their kin astray.

• Rank: Greater.
• Symbol: Snowflake with six dagger-like blades.
• Alignment: CE.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any nongood.
• Portfolio: Entropy, winter.
• Domains: Air, Anarchy, Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Hatred, Hellrime, Pain, Shadow

Lord of the Abyss

A Great Old One patron of the hunt with little interest in the mortal realm, focusing instead on his realms in the Dreamlands. His most common worshipers are nightghaunts, and he rarely chooses to involve himself in mortal affairs, save in warfare, which his priesthood depicts as the ultimate hunting experience.

Forbidden Lore: At least once a century, the Lord of the Abyss seeks out a talented mortal and offers him or her a bargain (three wish spells) if that individual manages to elude the Lord of the Abyss in a hunt. He is vaguely affiliated with the Lady of Ice, but has never affirmed the alliance enough for the other Great Old Ones to drive him out; this may ultimately turn out to be a mistake.

• Rank: Lesser.
• Symbol: A rectangular mask with an oak leaf on the forehead and two glowing yellow eyes only as facial features.
• Alignment: CN.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any nongood.
• Portfolio: Hunting, competition, war.
• Domains: Blood, Chance, Conquest, Strength, War.

Shadowstar Spirits and Independents

Renegade Fremd

The Fremd who seek to carve their own domain on Tellur and eventually surpass the Great Old Ones. Grant a maximum of three domains.

Forbidden Lore:

• Rank: Minor.
• Symbol: Varies, though most of the shadow star use the obsidian star emblem.
• Alignment: Any nongood.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any nongood.
• Portfolio: Varies, though madness is common.
• Domains: Any, except for Family, Good, Healing, Solidarity, and Time.

Elemental Patron

These are spirits of the elements, a remnant of the elementalism once practiced by the Bathyians. Humans, Talpa, Ghouls, and Bathyians are the most common worshipers of these spirits. These spirits can grant a maximum of two domains to their worshippers.

Forbidden Lore:

• Rank: Minor.
• Symbol: A stone or crystal for earth, melted glass or metal for fire, a bell or chime for air, and a vial of water for water.
• Alignment: Usually N.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any.
• Portfolio: Natural balance, survival.
• Domains: Varies by elemental kind. Air elementals grant Air and Hellrime; earth elementals grant Earth and Metal; fire elementals grant Fire and Sun; water elementals grant Acid and Water.

Ancestor Patron

These are spirits of mortal ancestors, undead beings that remain on Tellur in the hope of facilitating cultural goals, aiding their descendants, or raising themselves to godhood. Many mortal cultures practice ancestor worship, although ghouls and Bathyians have a stronger tendency to do so. Select one-two domains from the list below for a particular spirit (although exceptions do exist).

Forbidden Lore:

• Rank: Minor.
• Symbol: Depends on culture. Examples include a sword for a warrior spirit, a book for a spirit of learning, and the like.
• Alignment: Any.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any.
• Portfolio: Mortal endeavor.
• Domains: Warrior (Blood, Conquest, Hatred, Solidarity, Strength), Craftsman (Contract, Greed, Metal), Ancestor (Family, Healing, Protection, Solidarity).

Infernal Patron

Spirits interested in corruption and destruction, may or may not be of fiendish origin.

Forbidden Lore: Infernal Patrons are a combination of fallen undead spirits and actual fiendish spirits seeking to enter into this world. They rarely keep followers for long.

• Rank: Minor.
• Symbol: Varies, usually grim or bloody.
• Alignment: Any evil.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Nongood.
• Portfolio: Entropy, sin, destruction.
• Domains (Select two or three of the following): Anarchy (nonlawful only), Blood, Chaos, Corrupt (nonlawful spirits only), Destruction, Diabolic (nonchaotic spirits only), Evil, Gluttony, Greed, Hatred, Hellfire, Hellrime, Insanity, Pain, Seduction, Shadow, Sorrow, Strength, Trickery, Tyranny, Undeath, Vengeance, War.