Faiths and Pantheons

## Introduction

 File:Two deities.jpg
During character creation, every character about to enter the Neverwitcher gameworld must select a deity as their primary divine guideance figure - or they can decide to not believe at all.

The Witcher World offers various forms of religious views. Polytheism is normal in most parts of the world, though some monotheistic religions have appeared in the world as well.

To symbolize a character believing in more than just one deity at a time we added "Pantheons"; a group of deities assembled into a single entry, the character offering each of them respect (or at least some of them when circumstances demand it).

## Faiths & Pantheons

Full explanations of each deity can be read ingame, this short list exist to inform those planning to create characters of what they can expect.

### Pantheons

Pantheons are a gathering of deities rather than a single one.

#### The Dwarven Pantheon

* **Alias**: The honored ones
* **Holy Symbol**: A dwarf
* **Spheres of Influence**: Family, Ancestry, Order, Mining, Mountains, Craftsmen, Dwarves

The dwarven pantheon encompases the faith in the primary ancestors and entities proclaimed divine: Bloemenmagde (Dana Maedbh), Hár, Rhundurin and Fullangr.

#### Zangvebar Shamanism

* **Alias**: The Spirits, The great gods
* **Holy Symbol**: A line, symbolizing a hill with the sky above it
* **Spheres of Influence**: The Sky, The Earth, the great beyond

While religion is not as predominant in the eyes of visitors as is in other lands, many of the Zangvebar people follow the ancient tradition called Shamanism. Their history is only given orally, no religious texts exists, thus knowledge about them is vague and often specuative at best.

Their belief is based on the creator god called Zanahary, who gave humans life and a soul, the latter which will return to him upon death. According to their faith the world has been divided into Heaven and Earth due to Zanahary having a fight with his son, Andrianerinerina, a rebellious hero, or in some versions against Ratovantany, who made humans from clay.

Variants of the faith exist, like the belief in the Fragrant Lords, the revered ancestors. Ancestors are generally viewed as a benevolent force in the life of the living, but among some Zangvebari it is believed that the spirits of ancestors may become angatra (ghosts of the dead) if they are ignored or abused.

An important part of the faith are the taboos, which shape everyday life in Zangvebar. Lemurs are often revered and protected, hunting or hurting them a taboo. Since most inhabitants of Zangvebar are polytheists, this faith encompasses all variants.

#### The Eastern Pantheon

* **Alias**: The Spirits, the Ancestors, the local gods
* **Holy Symbol**: A wheel
* **Spheres of Influence**: The past, the living world, the future

The Haak believe in various versions of spirits, also known as local gods, that share the living world with them. These spirits are, as the the term implies, localized: a spirit, or god, of a great river, a spirit of the hills, the spirit of the sky, of thunder, so on. Many of them have no official names. Some of the spirits resemble humans, some are beasts, others are combinations of them or even monsters.

Khans that were very heroic are said to become spirits after their death, protecting the new generations.

A variant of this belief instead focuses on the heavenly deities that govern over the world. They consist of 99 spirits, 55 of them benevolent (or white) and 44 terrifying (or black). The Khans and local spirits are seen as Guardian-Spirits in this version of the eastern faith. The world itself is seen as part of a trifecta, with the heavenly world above and the underworld where spirits go below.

Female priests are called Mudang, male prests are called Baksu.

#### The Dragon Cults

* **Alias**: The cult of Divine Dragons
* **Holy Symbol**: A dragon
* **Spheres of Influence**: Fire, Dragons, Protection, Order

The cult of Divine Dragons is only officially recognized state religon in Zerrikania. It comprises a "pantheon" of various ancient wyrms as well as veneration of real, living specimens hosted in temples.

#### The Skellige Pantheon

* **Alias**: The gods of Skellige, the great ones
* **Holy Symbol**: (Unofficially) A longboat
* **Spheres of Influence**: Skellige

Skellige believe in a vast pantheon of numerous gods, goddesses, mystical powers and local forces, as well as human Prophets and Saints. Their religion is not as organized as the Imperial Cult of the Great Sun – it lacks of one head above the whole cult, instead being centered around regional hierarchs, archpriests of given deities and charismatic leaders such as Grand Masters of knightly orders and self-proclaimed Prophets.

The Skellige Pantheon contains:

* Freya
* Grymmdjarr
* Modolf
* Broddr
* Otkell
* Sove
* Tyr
* Loki
* Hemdall
* Melusine
* Ouroborous
* Svablod

#### The Nordling Pantheon

* **Alias**: -
* **Holy Symbol** :-
* **Spheres of Influence**: The North

Nordlings believe in a vast pantheon of numerous gods, goddesses, mystical powers and local forces, as well as human Prophets and Saints. Their religion is not as organized as the Imperial Cult of the Great Sun – it lacks of one head above the whole cult, instead being centered around regional hierarchs, archpriests of given deities and charismatic leaders such as Grand Masters of knightly orders and self-proclaimed Prophets.

Deities part of the northern pantheon are:

* Aesculapius
* Coram Agh Tera
* Dana Maedbh
* Epona
* Huldra
* Kreve
* Livani
* Melitele
* Morrigan
* Nehaleni
* Pereplut
* Sedna
* Telawel
* Uroboros
* Veyopatis
* Verna

#### The Gnomish Pantheon

* **Alias**: The guiding lights, the old ones, the divine host
* **Holy Symbol** :Three half circles, surrounded by a full circle
* **Spheres of Influence**: Fertility, Growth, Pacificsm, Crafting, Nihilism, Enlightenment, Knowledge, Destiny

The Gnomisch pantheon encompases the Matron, the Wonderbringer, the Endless, and the Enlightened.

## Trivia

* The name "Faiths and Pantheons" is taken from a D&D sourcebook, which deals with the exact same topic.
* The idea of "Pantheons" (from ancient greek: all-together god) was adapted from the Eberron D&D setting, allowing characters to select one faith that represents many deities instead of just one.