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

Emerald Sun has a system of faith and religion similar to WOTC's Rokugan setting, the Cthluhu Mythos, or the anime Slayers, in which the "gods" of the setting are powerful alien or spirit creatures that are seen as gods and receive tribute, but may not be divine in the sense of distinctness from the natures of mortals and lesser spirits. Depending on how they sustain themselves, such beings may or may not require belief to maintain their power. Spirit beings generally require belief for more than a basic level of power, while the Fremd indirectly feed on mortal thought, emotion, and sensation (The Fremd defeated many spirit deities by denying them their worship). Note that the chief pantheon, the Grand Old Ones, would in other campaigns be the nigh unstoppable Elder Evils, and as such are more free to directly enforce their will upon the mortal realm than powerful spirit and ascended beings.

Religion

Generally, most people have a rather middling approach to religion (just like in real life). They may pay homage to certain entities because of family or cultural traditions, but they rarely think much about theology to any significant extent. For followers of the Grand Old Ones, this is actually a very good survival strategy, since anyone who becomes an object of interest for the Elder Fremd tends to live in "interesting times" (mid or high-level characters can automatically assume they are in this category). Spirit creatures can be even more touchy about mortal curiosity and inflict disproportionate retribution for no apparent reason, while most Fremd, ironically, are more careless than malevolent in dealing with inquisitive mortals (though there are exceptions).

Pantheons and Independent Deities

Outer Gods

More powerful than the greatest overdeity in any typical D&D campaign, the Outer Gods are beings of nightmarish power, with an unapproachably alien mindset, even by the standards of the Fremd. The Outer Gods represent the three primal forces of the universe: Balance, Chaos, and Order. They do not merely personify these forces, but truly embody them, maintaining the continued existence of reality itself. When they deign to manifest to lesser beings (which is practically everyone else in the multiverse), they do so as a trio of figures (As witches, brothers, dragons, etc.), although each usually has the same age and behavior regardless of form. They require no worship, but will grant powers to mortals who amuse or intrigue them.

Alkazoth (The Eldest, Lord of Chaos, The Nucleus of Creation, The Dreamer in the Void)

Alkazoth is the most powerful of the Outer Gods, a mysterious entity associated with Chaos and Creation. It lies at the Multiversal Core, a location outside time and space which is the birthplace of all realities. Followers of this potent entity are usually associated with creativity and transformation, especially music, and many seek to spread this philosophy to all beings. Its attendants are strange Fremd who continually play a cacophony of random notes and chords, guarding Alkazoth in its slumber. When the Eldest manifests, it is usually as the figure of greatest age, such as the Crone or the Eldest Brother, and is always asleep, although when addressed, it answers with perfect awareness.

Forbidden Lore: Alkazoth is the personification of uncontrolled creation, and the origin of existence itself. Even in its slumber, it unconsciously generates multiverse spanning changes and transformations. When conscious, Alkazoth instigates constant universal creation, a rapid succession of multiple Big Bangs that simultaneously create and annihilate new universes from nothing. As a result, its awakening would be nothing less than cataclysmic and even the Fremd have no intention of awakening this progenitor entity. Its "attendants" are employed by the Grand Old Ones to keep it from awakening, and even its holy symbol is little more than a containment glyph used to seal most of its power away. The only reason the Grand Old Ones even tolerate the presence of Alkazoth's cultists is that their creative acts channel a portion of their patron's creative urges in a localized form, keeping its power from building up to unstoppable levels.

• Rank: Overdeity (Unknown).
• Symbol: A fang entwined with a tentacle.
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
• Typical Priest Alignment: Any.
• Portfolio: Art, chaos, creation, medicine, music, transformation.
• Domains: TBA.

Yob-Zatoth (The Middleman, The Key and Gate, The Gaze Beyond, the Lurking Eye, The Galactic Memory)

The intermediate in all things, the Middleman embodies the forces of Order and Preservation. Analytical to a fault, and equally protective of all life, the Middleman is a mysterious and terrible Fremd entity whose business on life is literally to know where everything is, and where it is going. It is said that The Middleman can see throughout time and space, simultaneously perceiving every possible word, deed, and action. When it manifests with the other Outer Gods, the Middleman usually appears as the second oldest figure, usually engaged in a game with the Youngster (which the Middleman is always winning). Alone, it manifests as eye-like bubbly spheres, fading in and out of existence.

Forbidden Lore: If Alkazoth is the source of Chaos in the universe, Yob-Zatoth is the force of order and structure, and it is in essence a personifcation of the material plane itself, embodying ever possible point in time and space throughout the universe simultaneously. In spite of its power and completely alien nature, Yob-Zatoth is perhaps the most sympathetic of the Great Old Ones, with an honest, if misplaced, admiration and affection for mortal races. Notably, it will appear in forms chosen to avoid shredding the sanity of mortals, whom he affectionately refers to as "My little beasts."

• Rank: Overdeity (Rank 25).
• Symbol: A stylized human eye with a key-like prong.
• Alignment: Lawful Neutral.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Non-evil.
• Portfolio: Destiny, knowledge, wandering.
• Domains: Contract, Insanity, Knowledge, Law, Protection, Time.

Nyghlarotek (The Youngster, The Trickster, the Creeping Anarchy, the Master of Shapes)

Perhaps the most sinister being in creation, Nyghlarotek is the force of balanace and destruction, personification of the void's hatred for substance. Every end is the work of the Youngster, and it seeks to corrupt and destroy everything in existence. The Trickster does possess a small coterie of cultists who have proven their worth, but no one is irreplaceable to the the Creeping Anarchy, a fact of which its followers are all too aware.

When seen with its siblings, the Youngster is seen dueling its older sibling, the Middleman, in some kind of game. Inevitably, the Youngster is on the verge of losing and smashes the game board. Alone, it takes the form of void shape or of its watcher's worst nightmares.

• Rank: Lesser.
• Symbol: One-eyed black circle with eight tentacles.
• Alignment: NE.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any nongood.
• Portfolio: Tactics, trickery, war, anarchy, destruction, insanity.
• Domains: Insanity, War, 5 more.

Grand Old Ones

The chief pantheon of Tellur is that of the Grand 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 Grand Old Ones have learned to balance their insatiable appetites for mortal sanity with the recognition that mindless ravening destroys even the most stable power base. Most Grand Old Ones cultivate a decent amount of sustenance from the collective mindscapes of their followers as a renewable substitute. Many have even grown bizarrely attached to their mortal livestock; the most extreme example is Yob-Zatoth, the crawling eye and overlord of magic and probability, who has frequently imbued mortal lines with fragments of its being to better understand their struggles and add to its knowledge. Obviously, all the Grand Old Ones believe the mortal races are best served by subjugation under their rule, so they seek to solidify their control over all of Tellur, and from there, the multiverse.

Jathasteur (The One Whose Name Must Never Be Spoken, the Unspeakable King)

Jathasteur is a mysterious entity who reacts with extreme hostility to its name being spoken, usually killing the profaner instantly. Jathasteur is associated with consumption and the destruction of decadence, which, when combined with its omnicidal tendencies, leaves it very few cultists.

Forbidden Lore: TBA.

• Rank: Overdeity (Unknown).
• Symbol: The Jaundiced Icon (Inspires Insanity as the spell if seen).
• Alignment: True Neutral.
• Typical Priest Alignment: Any.
• Portfolio: TBA.
• Domains: TBA.

Q’thulhu (The Dreadful One)

Commonly seen as the ruler of the Great Old Ones and the personal patron of R'leah, Q’thulhu is a cruel and vindictive entity obsessed with increasing its power, and to some degree, that of its vassals. It is the patron of power, tyranny, and warfare. It usually takes the form of an octopus-headed humanoid with bat wings. Its worshipers are among the most vocal in expanding the realm of R'leah over all Tellur, and eventually, the galaxy, although its propensity to consume its own followers does hinder their efforts.

Forbidden Lore: Q’thulhu's is a figurehead, widely feared, but in actuality manipulated by other entities, such as Aphorjomon, who greatly exceed Q’thulhu in power and in intelligence. This says little, since could argue that even puny humans are on average smarter than Q’thulhu.

• 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.

Shub-Aggoruth (The Star-Ewe with a Million Lambs)

The Great Old One counterpart to Gaia, as well as family and community. As a nearly unstoppable Elder Fremd, it is a force of vengeance and conformity largely responsible for indoctrinating mortals into the worship of (or at least obedience to) itself and its allies.

Forbidden Lore: If you want to use the sheeple, Shub-Aggoruth is their patron. It has spawned numerous lesser Fremd and Great Old Ones, and oscillates between relative amiability and vicious plotting against its rivals.

• Rank: Greater.
• Symbol: Black sheep head with three eyes.
• Alignment: N.
• Typical Priest Alignments: Any.
• Portfolio: Kinship, family, brainwashing, conformatity.
• Domains: Blood, Family, Solidarity, Insanity, 3 more.

Sukhet (Father Hydra)

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, and as such counts many non-ophidians as followers.

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 Yob-Zatoth (if only because machinations against a foe who can predict every possible move you can make before you make it tend to end badly), as well as emissaries of the Coleopterans. Sukhet was manipulated by Yob-Zatoth into joining the Grand Old Ones as a means to counter the more destructive Fremd, such as Q’thulhu.

• Rank: Intermediate.
• Symbol: A snake twisted into an infinity symbol while 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 (The Primal Slime)

Ubboth is not technically a member of the Great Old Ones, but her alliance with Yob-Zatoth 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. Her priests preach the need for life to seek out its full potential, even in the face of unimaginable adversity, and while she acknowledges the need for living things to prey upon or compete with one another, she has little patience for needless destruction.

Forbidden Lore: Ubboth is the guardian of the Obsidian Tablets, and dwells in the deepest abyss of Tellur. The doppelgangers are her adopted children. She has little interest in most of the other Grand Old Ones, save for Yob-Zatoth, who shares her interest in mortal struggles and successes.

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

Unaligned Deities

C'talpa (Fire Mother/Burning One)

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 Grand 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 Yob-Zatoth, and gets along well with Sukhet, whose priesthood aids her followers in disrupting slavers.

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

Kryogenia (The Lady of Ice/The Frost Traitor)

Ruler of the frozen lands, a powerful Fremd who is 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 Grand 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

Oryann (Lord of the Hunt)

A Fremd 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 Hunt 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 Hunt in a hunt. He is vaguely affiliated with the Lady of Ice, but has never affirmed the alliance enough for the other Grand Old Ones to seek his downfall.

• 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 Mysteries and Independents

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.

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.