Gods of Vandhya

## The Gods of the Vandhya Pantheon

**Regions of worship:** Vendhya, Iranistan (Asura)

Lotus is both a plant and a god to the Vendhyans. It is made into a drink enjoyed by the gods in great quantities and is the substance that made the gods into gods. Mortals may partake of lotus drinks and briefly access the powers of the gods. The pounding of the lotus stalks with stones to make the elixir of the gods is said to send those thusly employed into shamanic ecstasies. The lotus is mixed with milk and honey to make the holy elixir known as soma.

## **Pantheon**

* Asura is the chief god of the Vendhyans, much as Mitra is the primary god of the Hyborians, but, unlike Mitra, Asura does not rule the heavens alone. He leads an entire pantheon of mysterious gods. As there are a million gods in the Vendhyan pantheon, only a select few are discussed here.

* Agni is the god of fire. Fire is a sacred element among the Vendhyans and is never defiled. Many Vendhyan temples feature ever-burning flames. Agni is a messenger to Asura.

* Hanuman is also worshipped in Vendhya. His image often adorns the doors and windows of Vendhyan temples as a guardian demon. He symbolizes strength, cunning, longevity and passion.

* Katar is the vile goddess who leads the Katari, Vendhya’s dreaded assassins.

* Soma is the god of lotus and the holy drink of Soma. The lotus god Soma is usually depicted as a bull or a bird.

* Yama is the king of devils. He has ten upper limbs and a beast’s head. He is heavily worshiped in Meru, where the priests teach that if the people ever revolt, Yama will destroy the civilization.

## **Rituals and Beliefs**

Vendhya reveres the mystical religion of Asura, a revealed religion born of enormously complex rituals derived from four great books, the compilations of centuries of religious thought and practice. Worship consists primarily of sacrifices and chanting.

The people believe in a cosmic order, cause and effect that extend beyond the physical realm. Even as the Vendhyan civilisation was taking shape, the priests taught that if these mysterious and shadowed rituals were performed incorrectly, the cosmic order would be disturbed and catastrophe would follow, for Asura kept a keen eye on how smoothly the world ran. Of course, the priests are the only ones able to perform these clamorous rituals properly, allowing them to rise above even the Kshatriyan rulers, at least in spiritual matters. As a result of this sense of cosmic order and justice, Vendhyans believe in a heaven, a hell and the judgment of souls.

Vendhyan temples are massive edifices. The principal shrine always faces the rising sun and the primary entrance faces east. The temples are designed to emulate the idea that a person is moving from the temporal world into an eternal one by walking through the temple chambers.

People may not wear any kind of footwear indoors and feet must never point toward the gods or their emblems. When sitting, feet are to be folded. If sitting, one must never sit so that his back faces the inner sanctum. Women cannot enter the temple during the first four days of their menstrual cycle. It is also not permissible to enter the shrine or touch a deity’s statue without permission from a priest.

The Himelian tribesmen initially had shamanistic beliefs, and worshiped spirits of the earth and wind. The cult of Hanuman was widely present as well. Now Hillmen also have picked up Vendhyan beliefs, worshiping Asura and the Vendhyan pantheon.

## **The Priesthood**

Higher in spiritual power than the Kshatriyas, but lower in secular strength are the priests, and to them belong the responsibility for religious observances and education. Education is provided by Ashramas (hostels) located deep in the forests of Vendhya. For the Vendhyan priests, sorcery and religious ritual amount to nearly the same thing. These priests understand sorcery and the best ways in which to fight and foil the activities of sorcerers.

There are several kinds of ordained Vendhyan priests. A Vendhyan priest must be fully ordained before permission to perform rituals is given:

* **Hotar** -The Hotar is the head priest and is charged with presiding over sacrifices. He is also in charge of the Hymns of Asura.

* **Udgatar**  -The Udgatar priest intones the hymns for the Hotar priest. The Udgatar priests are in charge of the Chants of Asura, which are only chanted at ceremonies using the lotus plant.

* **Adhvaryu**  -The Adhvaryu priest carries out the actual sacrifice and is in charge of the Liturgy of Asura.

* **Atharvan**  -The Atharvan priest performs lotus rituals, fire rituals and sorcery. They are often associated with demonology. The Atharvans technically rank above the Hotar priests but rarely participate in public rituals. Atharvans who advance in power usually leave the temples to wander in the Himelians to hear the gods first hand. They are allowed to ‘author’ new chants, rituals and liturgies because they are so close to the gods. They are known as Rishi. They undergo a ceremony freeing them from all mortal allegiances and they leave the temples for the mountains. Some take their followers with them, others renounce their cohorts and followers. Many fall prey to the barbarians, others never return and yet others turn Rakshasa, becoming black masters of sorcerous covens.

* **Rakhsha** -These Vendhyan scholars are ascetics and mystics who are not part of established temples. They have the acolyte background instead of the lay priest background. They usually combine this expertise with at least some knowledge of martial arts, to complement such spells as warrior trance. They are also skilled hypnotists, capable of defeating most foes without so much as lifting a finger or breaking a sweat. Finally, most learn at least a measure of countermagic, recognizing that another sorcerer is a far greater threat than most ordinary humans could ever be. Most Rakhshas wear plain robes and appear unarmed, though they often have concealed weaponry or sorcerous objects under their robes. Rakhshas are usually acolytes of far more powerful groups.