Pantheons

When a complex of deities are worshipped together, this is referred to as a pantheon. A number of pantheons enjoy broad worship across Vala, though there are also numerous minor cults known only in small regions or isolated communities. Below are the most prominent pantheons. 
=== The Elven Pantheon ===
The elves revere seven major deities, as well as deified ancestor spirits such as the martyred Yekkat the Beautiful or the tragic and doomed Akhei-Bel, last of the Azlan sovereigns. Central to most elven beliefs is the slow decay of Creation, ending in a final eschaton where the maedi are redeemed and all that is tainted with Chaos is confined to the Void. Maedi myth often valorises the suffering, the fallen and those who stand firm against Chaos and decay, even though such struggle is often futile. As the maedi consider Creation transient and ultimately illusory, to cling too tightly to it, and to expect Creation to improve or provide ultimate happiness, is foolish and a trick of Beraz. The Great Gods revered by many maedi follow: 
Asur is the Dead Sun, the tragic king who dies for the sake of his realm. He is patron of rulers, who seek to emulate Asur and rekindle his divine fire. 
Bhelor is the Sun of Sacrifice, symbol of devotion and suffering for the sake of a higher cause. She is patroness of priests, martyrs and zealots, those who believe that the New Sun requires blood for fuel. 
Siris, Lady of Stars, began the flow of time. She weaves the Tapestry of Fate with the silk of her blue moths. She is patroness of mystics and mages, those who look to stars for inspiration and guidance. Moths are her messengers and agents, guiding the fated towards their destined ends. 
Vasht, red-handed guardian of Paradise, is the greatest and most loyal of warriors, willing to die for the sake of his lord Asur, and taking the most drastic actions to ensure that Chaos and darkness are defeated. He is the patron of warriors and all those who would fight and die for the New Sun and the maedi people. 
Beraz is the Beast, the God of Chaos, the Fallen Lord. Brother and twin to Asur, he is the darkness of death that the maedi must overcome on their descent into the underworld. A maedi who clings to the starlight of the voru will drive back the Beast and ascend once more to the world above, renewed and cleansed. Those who fail to embody the voru will be consumed by the Beast and join his host of ravan. 
Mehreb, the Scribe of Eternity, impassively records all that has occurred since time began. She writes upon the Iron Tablets, and does nothing that might impede the natural unfolding of fate. She remains in Paradise, still recording all that occurs within Creation. She is patroness of scholars, scribes and courtly officials. 
Embu, the Slave of Paradise, the divine groundskeeper who maintains order within Anratha, and untiringly serves Asur, even in his death. He is patron of all those who ‘serve the great,’ and is the god of the lower orders, who are not expected to need any more divine guidance besides that offered by Embu and the ancestors. He remains in Anratha, under the Sun of Sacrifice, still tending the gardens of eternity and awaiting the New Sun. 
The Other, also called the Unborn God, is not so much worshiped as hoped for. The Other is the mysterious fusion of Beraz and Asur, the redemption of them both in a new, more perfect form. Mystics claim that the birth of the Other will create the New Sun and bring balance and harmony to Creation, quelling Chaos and restoring all the world-shards to Anratha, where the maedi will dwell forever. 
Along with these ‘Elder’ deities, many elves acknowledge a host of ancestor spirits and culture-heroes such as Kadesh, Ashem and Mithrades. Most maedi revere some configuration of this pantheon, save for the Fiarra, who largely honor the Old Ones, and the sea elves, who largely worship the Drowned King. The Sho have a particularly opaque belief system that includes the Baishi (Grey Master), the Empty Throne, the Iloun Source and the Four Transformations of Mind, Form, Motion and Void.  
=== Draconic Pantheon ===
The Draconic Pantheon encompasses the Old Gods who first crystalized Vala and made it suitable for mortal life. The Old Ones are elemental spirits, and have dominion over the many dryads, trolls and undines that constitute the world. These sylphs are often worshipped as minor gods and attendants of the Old Ones. The Draconic Pantheon is mainly revered by ‘barbarian’ peoples as well as those who descend from the dragons, such as the kulroq. 
=== Celestial Pantheon ===
The Celestial Pantheon, also called the Outer Pantheon, is the collection of deities who arrived in Vala from outside Creation, hence the name. The Outsiders raised the Needle of Heaven to regulate the Skein, and work to maintain balance between mortals and immortals. The Outsiders are most popular among ‘civilized’ peoples, though interpretations of these deities can vary widely. 
=== Chaos Pantheon ===
The Chaos Pantheon includes not just the Beast, but all those forces that seek to subvert or transgress Creation, such as the Scions. Though the Scions are often just as hostile towards the Beast as the average mortal, the Scions, by their nature, are beings of Chaos, and so oppose the ordered principles embodied by the Old Ones and the Outsiders. They do not so much seek to destroy the Beast as usurp its authority, and thus they place themselves in alignment with the Void rather than Heaven. 
=== Other Pantheons ===
These four pantheons are broadly present in many cultures, however, there are several other belief systems that either synthesize or compete with these. The Jome tribes for example consider the Old Ones too vast to be worshiped, and instead honor a variety of ancestor and elemental spirits. These shamanic and druidic practices are present across the world. The Muqanids have a complex belief that centers on the Pancreator and the prophetic figures that he inspires, the latest being Muqanna, the Hidden One. The dwarves honor the Outsiders, who are all presented as dwarves, yet also believe in the Song, which transcends the gods, the gods in fact being crystallizations of the First Music, and mere representations of the transcendent. The Great Endeavor of the dwarves is to manifest the Song by shaping the world according to its harmonies, and thus eliminating divisions between the sacred and profane. 
Orcs have a variety of beliefs, with Orestian plains orcs largely following the Outsiders, island orcs often involving themselves in sea cults, and wind orcs practicing a disorganized shamanism. The snow orcs are technically adherents of Chaos, and the High Orcs of distant Devana have a belief system entirely of their own, focussing on the Gashedu (‘racial spirit’) that becomes manifested in revered paragons, who must be emulated to achieve excellence for both the self and empire of Pad Nerog.   
Category:Gods
Category:Religion