The Pantheon Of Nine

The Pantheon of Nine, the Gods of Ezharim

## Composition

The Pantheon of Nine consists of, as the name suggests, nine great dieties.  It is organized into five groups, four Antipodes and Lord Aeon, the ruler of the council. Each antipode is composed of two dieties with opposing portfolios and agendas, and each Antipode is given a council vote, as is Lord Aeon himself. Because of the organization of the council, the gods in Ezharim are mostly inactive save in the direst affairs, as each member of an Antipode balances out the other, and Lord Aeon himself has no agenda, as it is his hand that rules all.

The members are as follow:

### Lord Aeon, the God of Time, Lord of the Council

Lord Aeon is the undisputed king of the gods.  His portfolio encompasses time and death, as well as rebirth. Lord Aeon is easily the most powerful member of the council, and it is his hand that organized the council as it is.  Being the custodian of the flow of time on Ezharim and the arbiter of death itself, even for the gods, Aeon is unchallengable by any known force.

However, unlike his associates, Aeon is not interventionist at heart.  He acts so slowly and carefully that mortals have taken to calling him The One Who Watches, and he has not had a physical presence outside his temples in over three hundred years.  Aeons non-interventionist stance has led to a measure of stability in the mortal realms, keeping his fellow councilors in check,and leading their outbursts to be more in each others company than in that of mortals.

Followers of Aeon tend to follow their Lord's lead. They are quiet, taciturn, and wait for opportunities to achieve their goals before making their presence known or expending their energy.  The holy symbol of the faith of Aeon is the Hourglass.

### Iqthultu, King of Shadows, Master of Chaos

Iqthultu is strange amongst the gods.  No being, mortal or dietey has ever seen his face, not even Aeon. He is forever shrouded in formless, shapeless shadows.  He speaks in riddles and metaphor, and a simple answer is never to be had from him.  His portfolio is vast, encompassing shadow, ignorance, and entropy. His behavior is unpredictable - his faith has no tenets, for he is nothing if not chaos incarnate.  His followers seek to emulate this. His holy symbol is an eight sided die, with the symbol of each of the other gods engraved upon it.

### Rae, Queen of the Glare, Maid of Honor

Rae is light, honor, and rightious fury.  She takes the form of a woman, clad in gleaming plate, and bearing a lance, a blindingly gleaming shield, and a bow.  She is a patron to scholars, rulers, and those bound by oath, and her domain is truth, light, artistry and order. Her holy symbol is the nine pointed star, the nonagram.

### Gale, Lady of the Winds, Queen of Change

Gale takes the form of a small pixie with wings of every shade in the rainbow, constantly surrounded by a dust devil, and never ceasing her own movement.  This is as it should be, as along with her motion, her speach never ceases. Her fickleness is legendary, and when stoked, she strikes with the wrath of a massive storm, with power belieing her small size.  Her portfolio includes wind, travel, cleverness, and trade, and she is patron to the trader, the swindler, the transient and the vagrant. Her holy symbol is a coin emblazioned with a feather on each side.

### Atlas, Master of the Cavern, Earthshaker

Atlas most frequently takes the form of a giant wyrm coiled about a crystal. Most believe the Wyrm is Atlas, but in fact he is merely the mouthpiece of the Diety, Metatron.  Atlas himself is the crystal, and is mute.  His portfolio includes solitude, the hearth, and civilization.  While other gods may be more popular in one place or another, Atlas is worshipped everywhere, as he is the god of home - always silent, but always accepting. His holy symbol is a simple stone from one's home

Anuket, Lady of the Waves, Lord of the Deeps

Anuket often appears as a mermaid.  She is deep, wise and devious, and her portfolio includes healing, vengeance, and secrets.  She is the patron of spies, healers and those who travel with intent.  Her holy symbol is an Ankh with a blue stone set in the center.

### Vulcan, Lord of the Blaze, King of Flame

Vulcan appears as a great red dragon, large as a mountain, with eyes aglow in a hue of blue. His rage and fury are legendary, as is his temper.  His portfolio includes destruction and wrath, but also rebirth and community, and he shares dominion over the hearth with Atlas. He is the patron of those wronged, the passionate, and warriors.  His holy symbol is a torch.

### Bian, Lord of Metal, the Dual God

Bian is the Mechanical God, possessed of no true life.  He takes the form of a massive mechanical golem with a skull for a head, and flames leaping from each eye. Those who have interacted with Bian have no doubt that he feels nothing - no joy, no sorrow, no compunction, no pity, only the drive to achieve ever greater levels of precision and efficiency in the order of things. His domain encompasses order, craft, servitude, and undeath.  The Dwarves worship Bian over all others save Aeon, as their prophet Mura-Din predicted his eventual victory over all other gods and rise to equal Aeon himself.  Bian is the patron of scholars and artificers of all kinds. His holy symbol is a cuboid hammer engraved with a skull.

### Gaia, Lady of Life, the Huntress.

Gaia is the huntress of the gods. Her portfolio includes tracking and investigation, combat, and life.  She appears as a she-werewolf bearing a bow, and she is patron of hunters, warriors and the strong. Her holy symbol is a bow adorned with green leaves.