Imanean Pantheon

[Brief description of the imanean pantheon]

## History

### Atreus

Atreus, the Father, is the dragon god of fire, war, leadership, the frontlines of all battles, of purpose and perseverance, of irrational passion, of arrogance, of violence, and of anger. He is one of the four sons of the Great Dragon, who delivered Eredia from the demons.

He takes the form of a middle-aged man, tall, strong, with bright yellow eyes. It is not uncommon to see him portrayed with incandescent glyphs on the skin, especially on the face. Statues of Atreus usually depict him holding a spear in his left hand and a buckler on his right arm. He is the patron of all dragons.

However, Atreus is most commonly represented in the form of its animal aspect, which is a wyrm, usually a varlandese-incendiary.

Although one of the deities considered to be the oldest and most powerful, Atreus does not usually have many devotees or temples devoted to his worship. Some extremist cults use the figure of the god and his precepts to preach the Liber Veritatis, but there is a great discussion of the officiality of these cults in the higher clerical echelons.

Along with Auros, his son and Aelin, his grandson, Atreus watches the summer and the month of devotion to him is the month that has the highest temperatures. He is also considered the Patron of the Setting Sun.

Atreus is married to his sister Cemeria and together they have three children, Galianessa, Gaeve and Auros.

### Giathenes

Goddess of the ways, the journeys, the curiosity, the punishment to the carelessness, and patroness of the stubborn, Giathenes (Anc. Arc., *Giathenaes*) is considered as one of the most practical goddesses of the imanean daily life and, therefore, one of the most worshipped and closest the population. Giathenes is also one of the four children of the Great Dragon. Giathenes conceived Ceriseia through the forced extramarital relationship of her brother Atreus.

Giathenes is depicted as a thin, slender, middle-aged, dark-skinned, gray-haired lady, always dressed in a tattered brown robe. She carries many bags and sometimes brings along a yak, which is also her animal aspect, along with the ox and the mule. She is represented holding a wooden cane in one hand and a lantern in the other.

It is not uncommon for travellers to light candles along the way for her to intercede in their favour. In fact, it is quite common for merchants and nobles to travel accompanied by a priest of Giathenes, believing that she always looks after those who worship her.

It is believed that Giathenes is always aware of the fate of each individual and that she assists those who are lost by lighting lanterns at night to guide them – a phenomenon that the kaipo call *hattal*, and associate with the spirit of the serpent with Voittaa.

### Thalmos

Thalmos is the firstborn god, the eldest son of the Great Dragon. He is seen as the god of air and breath, of time, wisdom, order, neutrality and justice. Reclusive, Thalmos is considered the Historian of Worlds, bound to record all events of the present, past and future. His usual place of study,the Subtle Library, a domain outside the boundaries of time and space, is infinite and has recorded all the knowledge of the universe, but it is locked even for the other gods by a cryptic code that only he knows. Thalmos also has a special relationship with Aelin, being both aspects, respectively, of the end and the beginning. Talmos, the eldest of the gods and Aelin the youngest represent the balance of time and the cycle of life.

After the disagreement between his brethren which culminated in the birth of Cerisea, Thalmos decreed the three Edicts of Thalmos, which would serve to guide the divine and later mortal interactions.

1. Power without charge is sinful.
2. Equity is superior to equality.
3. All extremism is destructive.

Physically, he has the form of a tall and thin, straight white-haired man wearing a large white featureless mask and a long white beard. He carries a pendulum or a feather. Its animal aspect is an owl, and there are stories that it was Thalmos, in his owl form, who taught the Primal Dragons the language of the gods.

Most devotees of Thalmos try to emulate their god, devoting themselves almost exclusively to the copying of sacred texts, translations of writings from other cultures, analysis of ancient artifacts, and other intellectual activities. They also tend to be equally reclusive and are usually segregated from society, especially large cities, building monasteries in remote locations or tall, ominous city-temples.

### Cemeria

Also called the Mother, Cemeria (Anc. Arc., *Caemeria*) is the goddess of mercy, adaptation, fertility, nature, family, emotions, small communities, traditions, superstition and the collective unconscious, and self-indulgence.

This goddess takes the form of a short, plump, old lady. She has blonde-silver hair and fair skin. She is represented holding a fern branch. Her animal aspect is the rabbit.

Cemeria is the wife of Atreus, her brother, though she had been, at first, in love with Thalmos. He did love her, but he loved his own solitude more. Irate by this situation, Atreus lay down with Giathenes against her will and had Cerisea. With Atreus, Cemeria had three children: Gaeve, Galianessa and Auros.

Cemeria is one of the most important and loved goddesses to the imaneans. Every act of mercy, be it natural or supernatural, is attributed to her. Often even events that would normally be attributed to other gods (such as a rain after a dry time) are attributed to her.

She is often sought for health, especially for newborns. The Rite of the Runtre, which signifies the baby's presentation to Cemeria in search of health and wealth, consists of bathing the baby in the sacred water of a Springweir.

### Gaeve

Gaeve is the first daughter of Atreus and Cemeria, goddess of the earth, of labour, of metal and precious stones, of enterprises, of commerce, of money, of material goods, of logic, of avarice and individualism.

She takes on the form of a tall, strong woman with curly red hair and leather armor, and holds in one hand a scale and in the other a scourge. Her animal aspects are the bee, the ant, and the beaver. Gaeve is worshipped at the autumn equinox when the temperature begins to cool and the winter preparation effort needs to begin. It is also the season that the preparation for the last harvest of the year begins and, normally, the Gaevy is a month where all work is doubled. It is also the month in which Assous is celebrated.

Unlike other gods, it is not common to see a temple or specific place for the worship of this goddess. Her believers believe that she is everywhere where there is work and effort, and blesses and rewards such industry.

### Auros

Auros is the Patron of the Midday Sun, god of pride, heroism, beauty and vanity, egocentrism, pleasure, dance and music. Auros is also seen as the god of leadership, as is his father, but in a more political and less military way. He is the middle son of Atreus and Cemeria. He is known to have been one of the most important heroes of Elysia, responsible for lighting the sacred braziers with fire from the sun itself.

Auros is depicted as a strong young man with long blond hair and golden skin, who wears leather armour and carries a large mirrored plate. Scholars theorize that the dish is mirrored on both sides both to represent Auros' own narcissistic personality and to accuse narcissism of society and to make its devotees reflect on their priorities.

There are stories of a magical artifact called the Mirror of Auros that supposedly would have the power to reflect people's souls, rather than the body.

The animal aspect of Auros is the lion, and in many artistic representations, the Aurean Lion appears with great white wings and a halo over the mane.

### Galianessa

Galinessa is the goddess of strategies, minutiae, specialities and natural talents, of causality, of pain, of pleasure, of answers and perfection. She is also associated with disaffection and manias and obsessions. She is the youngest daughter of Atreus and Cemeria.

This goddess takes on the form of a thin young lady with a stout face, brown hair, pale skin and orange eyes. She is a spinner and wears a dress with many hanging fabrics. She carries two needles and a string of threads that never ends, and whose threads intertwine to her outfit, so that she is always weaving her own dress. Her animal aspect, of course, is a spider, but it is also common to see her associated with silkworms and octopuses (the latter especially in coastal towns and small marine communities).

Galianessa is a relatively reclusive goddess, but she has very faithful devotees and therefore is famous for having a close relationship with them. She is also an amoral goddess, known both for providing and for destroying and torturing. The idea is that she is constantly trying to unravel the mechanisms by which everything works, including the minds and souls of mortals.

### Cerisea

Cerisea (Anc. Arc., *Cerisaea*) is the goddess of water, tears, forebodings and mysteries, whispers, losses, artistic inspiration, irrationality and introspection. It is strongly associated with dementia. She is the illegitimate daughter of Atreus, the fruit of Giathenes' rape. It is said that this is why she is considered the goddess of tears and that she is in solidarity with the sadness and injustice of the individual.

In spite of this, Cerisea is known as the only goddess who shares her power directly with the mortals, giving some select devotees the power to interact with the Eina. She is, therefore, the goddess of magic as well.

Cerisea takes on the form of a young, white woman with long, black-green hair, wafting as if she were always underwater. Her upper body is depicted nude and glitters, as if made of bright scales or painted with sparkling paint. She has her eyes always closed and wears a crown of spikes. Her skirt is full, white and wafting as if she were in the water. Her animal aspect is a jellyfish, but mountainous communities tend to represent her as a serpent or a wyrm (specifically an iridescent riverwyrm).

### Casther

Casther is the goddess of cold, of pity, of revenge, of dualisms (light and shadow, good and evil, life and death). She is also associated with the supernatural and magic, same as Cerisea. Casther is considered to be the daughter of the Great Dragon, but she was conceived in an accidental manner. When the Great Dragon learned what had happened between Atreus and Giathtenes, he was so sad that he dropped a tear from which Caster appeared. The tear dragged with itself some of the light of the Dragon's bright eyes, which has become the Moon (as opposed to his other eye, which is the Sun). Being a direct product of his father – not a planned and measured creation – she is one of the most powerful deities of the Imanean Pantheon.

Casther is known to apply penance to the spirits of the people who were bad in life, causing them to wander in the Dosolon (a kind of limbo) until their sins have been expiated. In addition, she is held responsible for the creation of the people of Sansith, also known as the Dead People. They have thus reneged the other gods and have Casther as their sole goddess.

Scholars believe that Casther, like Aelin, has a special relationship with Thalmos. They theorize that Thalmos is the only god whose power is able to cope with that of Casther, and believe that during Siadarin, the final war of the gods, she will play the role of Arbiter of Souls.

Casther is depicted as a thin young lady who with black hair, soft straight like a veil, very white skin, icy blue eyes and a vague but deep, and slightly sad look. She carries an amphora and can be represented with smoky black wings that come from the middle of her back. Her animal aspects are the swan (sometimes white, sometimes black) and the crow (sometimes white and sometimes black).

### Themes

Themes (Anc. Arc., *Thaemes*) is the god of dynamics, constant movement, the ephemeral cycles of nature, friendship, communication, fraternal relations (both between siblings or friends), but also superficial or untruthful relationships.

He is the son of Giathenes with a magical spirit deer called Sotom who inhabited the forests of Eredia during the Years of Creation, when the land was new (although he was born at the same time as Tesser).

This god takes on the form of a young man with fair skin and honey-coloured hair whose bottom half is a stag. He wears a tunic that covers his chest. He carries a banner and is followed by a flock of birds of various species. He is often depicted with a stag's horns.

His animal aspect is, of course, a deer or stag, but he is also represented by all small birds, and even sometimes fast critters, such as squirrels and hares.

Themes is considered the patron of emissary-whelps.

### Tesser

Tesser is the god of sleep, dreams, novelty, plans and future goals. He is associated with the ideas, the technology, the patron of the inventors and the avant-garde. He is the son of Auros with his cousin Cerisea. He inherits the haughtiness and impetus of his father and the gift of creation, which in itself is magical, from his mother.

This god takes on the form of a young lad with short, blond, wafting hair and cerulean eyes. He is depicted nude, cross-legged, but the bottom half of his body is not visible as it is wrapped in a white cloud. He carries an hourglass with him.

Tesser and Themes are often seen together in prayers, especially those of pathfinders and conquerors, and are believed to be either close friends or a couple. It is common to see a yellow candle and a blue candle lit on the waystones, one for each god, as well as the orange candle of Giathenes. His animal aspect is usually a white seabird, but really white birds of any size, such as herons and doves (but never small ones).

### Aelin

Aelin is considered the god of childhood, luck, chaos, performance, emotional expression, unbound freedom, games, challenges and competitions, trickery and mischief. He is related to the primordial sparks and beginnings. It is said that the creation of Aelin happened when Auros was manifested in its animal aspect. He became the alpha of a pride of lions and became fond of a particular lioness called Iadis. Aelin is the fruit of that relationship.

This god takes the form of a reddish tan boy with long, straight, brown hair, green eyes and a mischievous expression. He is depicted without a shirt, with feathers tied to his upper arms and feet painted red up to the ankle. The most common representations depict him nude, while others wear a knee-long skirt with geometric patterning. He carries a lyre in one hand and a dagger in the other or attached to the waist.

Scholars believe that there is strong kaipo influence in the current representation of Aelin, who in ancient texts was only described as "the child-god", naked and fair skinned. Aelin bears a considerable resemblance to some kaipo spirits, especially Kuruppi, who is believed to always take the form of a boy, with the notorious difference that Kurupi is portrayed with red or even flaming hair, while Aelin is always portrayed with brown hair.

At the time of the Kaipo Insurrection, the shrines of Aelin were the fullest because of this analogous feature. There, the kaipo felt free to commune with their spirits under the pretext of worshipping that god.

 The animal aspects that represent Aelin are the cat and the lynx.

## Spirits

### Sotom

Sotom is a magical stag that roamed Eredia during and after the Years of Creation. He is depicted as completely covered in leaves, with wooden horns full of hanging vines. He represents nature's organicity and irrationality, its expansion and appropriation of everything.

Shortly after the Years of Creation, he mated with Giathenes in her animal aspect form and she bore fruit to Themes.

### Iadis

Iadis was a lioness that inhabited Eredia during the Years of Creation. She was known as the leader of her pride's hunting party. She is the mother of Aelin by Auros when he was in his animal aspect form.

## Trivia

* All art pieces in this page are from Brazilian illustrator Clara Pernambuco (you can find more of her work here).