Canon:Zakharan pantheon
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The Zakharan pantheon greatly influences the culture on the continent of Zakhara, which is shaped by a set of common values like honor, hospitality and the importance of one's family that date back to the teachings of a person called the Loregiver.[1] Altogether this is called Enlightenment.
Accordingly the commonly worshiped deities of Zakhara are seen as enlightened and differ from other deities in the Forgotten Realms because they do not have a precise portfolio. Instead, each exemplifies a single characteristic or trait important to Enlightenment. They stand above the classifications of alignment, as these traits may be found in good and evil folk alike.
Other gods are seen as either savage (opposed to Enlightenment) or ajami (coming from outside) - or perhaps both.
The enlightened deities are grouped into major or Great Gods, worshiped throughout Zakhara, and local or common gods, worshiped only in a certain region, sometimes just a single town.
Their level of power is not known, but it can be speculated by the number of worshipers that the Great Gods are also greater powers, while the others may be lesser or demipowers.
Great Gods
The eight Great Gods are:
Local gods
- Jauhar: Goddess of wealth. She is an important local goddess, viewed as a Great Goddess in the Cities of the Pantheon, where Jisan is not generally worshiped.
Other more prominent deities among the multitude of local gods are:
One common faith in Zakhara is the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, which is honoring every deity that has ever existed or will exist in the future rather than worshiping any one specific deity. Another oddity in the Land of Fate are the kahins or idol priests, who believe in the divinity in all things and worship a certain item, place or even common god in order to understand the universe and tap into its power.
Savage gods
Savage gods worshiped in the wilder or more decadent parts of Zakhara are:
- Kiga, the Predator
- Lotha, the Zakharan name for Lolth
- Migal, a god of teaching but also of assassins
- Ragarra: Goddess of the jungle and its violent denizens, passion, chaos and revenge
- Shajar: God of the Nogaro River
- The Beast, a bloodthirsty god of the Hill Tribes south of the Free Cities
- The Drummer, Kar'r'rga and Pag, gods worshiped on the islands of the Crowded Sea in the far South
- The Faceless God: God of the evil yak-men in the World Pillar Mountains north-east of Zakhara
- The Lost One, an elephant-headed god that was driven out from the land of Afyal by the church of Selan
The cold gods of the elements
The elemental lords Akadi, Grumbar, Istishia and Kossuth are called the cold gods of the elements in the Land of Fate and seen as uncaring for mortals and opposed to the culture of Enlightenment. Still some people worship them to gain part of their vast power.
Fate
Besides the deities almost all Zakharans believe in the power of Fate. It is not seen as a god and not worshiped, but it is believed to influence mortals and deities alike. Because of this, Fate is often payed homage to and sometimes called on in great danger. The whole of Zakhara is called the Land of Fate to signify its importance.
Genie rulers
Another group of power-like beings are the rulers of the genie races. They are no deities but have power akin to them. As genies play an important role in the Land of Fate, these sovereigns sometimes take a hand in Zakharan affairs.[1] They are:[2]
- Kabril Ali al-Sara al-Zalazil, Grand Khan of the Dao
- Husam al-Badil ben Nafhat al-Yugayyim, Great Caliph of the Djinn
- Marrake al-Sidan al-Hariq ben Lazan, Most Respected Sultan of the Efreeti
- Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari, Imperial Padishah of the Marids
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jeff Grubb (1992). Land of Fate. (2e) TSR. ISBN 1560763299. Adventurer's Guide to Zakhara. Pp. 114-116.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur (1993). Secrets of the Lamp. (2e) TSR. ISBN 1-56076-647-6. Genie Lore Pp. 4-8.
- Jeff Grubb, Andria Hayday (1992). Arabian Adventures. (2e) TSR. ISBN 1-56076-358-2. Pp. 18, 82-84.
- Jeff Grubb (1992). Land of Fate. (2e) TSR. ISBN 1560763299. Adventurer's Guide to Zakhara. Pp. 45-57.
External links
There is an article about the Zakharan pantheon at Forgotten Realms Wiki.
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