Imperial Pantheon

The Imperial Pantheon, commonly referred to simply as the pantheon, is the main religious denomination of Ridgevale and surrounding areas that descend from the Silvertine Empire. The members of the pantheon are as follows: Memnos, Zephine, Keros, Anima, Cumulus, Videnya and Asherah.

### Beliefs

The central belief of those that follow the pantheon is that there are seven deities who, united, created humanity and are the overseers of civilisation. Each of the seven deities preside over a different circle of the natural world and through their collective work are able to guide and protect mortals.

It is believed that the seven gods live collectively in Mount Celestia, which is also the eternal resting place of the souls of their worshippers. It is also believed that those who flout the teachings of the gods and live a life of cruelty and sin will not be allowed to set foot in Mount Celestia and will instead be banished to the Nine Hells. Alongside nurturing the mortal realm, the gods also stand as its stalwart defenders against incursions from the demons of the Abyss.

It is believed that the gods previously walked the earth as mortals do, but that in order to prevent malevolent forces such as the demon princes from entering and destroying the world the gods sealed the prime material plane from any higher being's entry. Instead, the gods act through signs given to their believers, through the work of their priests and dedicated holy orders, and through celestial emissaries such as angels.

### Gods

The seven gods of the Imperial Pantheon and their divine domains are as follows.

##### Memnos the Artisan

God of Lore, Trades and the Arts, Memnos is one of the most widely worshipped deities due to the flexibility of their worship. Memnos represents all forms of knowledge, from histories and forgotten tales, to skills and professions, to the obscure and the forbidden.

When depicted as Memnos the Poet, they represent beauty, knowledge, history and lore. As Memnos the Journeyman, they represent the trades of farming, carpentry, fishing, smithing, and forging. As Memnos the Jester, they represent entertainment, comedy and song. As Memnos the Scribe, they represent language and the study of the arcane. And as Memnos the Conspirator, they represent poisoners, demon courters and assassins.

##### Zephine the Matron

Goddess of Health, Childbirth, and the Preservation of Life, Zephine is a deity who presides over war wounded, the terminally ill, those in labour, and those who suffer. Dedicated to the sanctity of life, she is a vehement opponent of undead and necromancy in all its forms. Witnessing mortals at their time of crises, Zephine suffers no fools or frivolity and cares not for matters more mundane than life or death.

The Matron is worshipped by healers, vanquishers of the undead, veterans, and the infirm. She is a goddess who disapproves of vanity and hedonism, but will always be there for her followers when they reach their darkest hour.

##### Keros, Flame of Truth

God of Light, Passion, Truth and Justice, Keros is the lord of courts and families. He is most concerned with the inherent virtue in truth, and is an enemy to all schemers and deceivers, shining light on mystery and revealing the true nature of beings. The Flame of Truth believes that honesty is the highest value to hold, including emotional honesty and being true to oneself - and so embracing one's inner nature is seen as virtuous as well.

Keros is worshipped by law makers and the nobility, by those who value trust and loyalty, and by those whose inner nature does not fit society's expectations. Anyone who holds to truth can expect Keros' guidance and protection.

##### Anima the Wargbride

Goddess of nature untamed, Anima represents the true heart of the wilderness; beautiful, unforgiving, without malice. She favours the beasts of the field and the rodents underfoot, the birds in the trees and the insects in the air. Anima is a goddess of delicate moments, of nurturing, of peace and serenity, but Anima is also the goddess that brings the wolves that mauls this peace to a bloody death.

Anima is worshipped by farmers and those that lead a life in tune with nature, as well as those who shun civilisation and seek to see its undoing. For those who accept their position in the circle of life, she is a just deity who gives them what they need and closes the curtain on life when it is their proper time.

##### Cumulus the Skyshepherd

God of storms, raging seas and clear skies, Cumulus is the deity of Civilisation, Agriculture, Commerce and Good Fortune. He parts the clouds to feed the crops, he brings the storms to end the drought, and he quells the seas to allow safe passage for mariners. He is the protector of civilisation, the nurturer of mortal-kind. If mortals grow too avaricious, too stagnant, too evil, Cumulus wipes the slate clean so that civilisation can start anew.

Cumulus is the most widely worshipped deity, believed to be the god most interested in the affairs of mortals. Those that believe in the value of civilisation, traders and builders, and those who live in regions where the seasons bring powerful shifts in the weather find themselves praying to Cumulus for clemency.

##### Videnya, Lady Gloomveil

Goddess of Night, Hedonism, Contradiction and Revolution, Videnya revels in the inherent hypocrisies that mortals hold to and loves to expose them to the world. She excels in challenging power and showing that the self-proclaimed virtuous all have skeletons in their closet.  She is a protector of those who exist outside the circle of acceptable society, and a powerful ally to those wishing to challenge the powers that be.

Lady Gloomveil is worshipped mostly by thieves, forbidden lovers, outcasts and rebels. Her followers are idealists who believe a better world is possible and show this belief through expoitation of the systems in place. Videnya appreciates above all a scam which disadvantages the powerful in favour of the poor.

##### Asherah the Peacekeeper

The Goddess of Peace and War, Asherah is the herald of virtuous battle, the purger of villains, the protector of those who are assailed on all sides and the champion of peacetime. She believes in the virtue of necessary war, of war for the sake of liberation and protection and to end a greater violence. The Peacekeeper aims to use shows of force to prevent strife from occurring, and looks favourably on diplomats and pacifists as well as generals and soldiers.

Asherah is worshipped commonly by knights and soldiers, as well as generals and diplomats and generally those considered the powerful. She is also held dearly by those most adverse to fighting, as it is believed she will always keep the innocent from being victims of violence.