Pantheon

The pantheon of Kaelmoria is a simple and small group of gods that cover a variety of different aspects of life. This smaller pantheon is used to show how various aspects of the world interact and affect each other, aspects like the moon representing change as it shifts through its cycle every month. In the beginning, there were six gods and this expanded as the world of Kaelmoria developed and gods were born to fill the gaps created by society. In the end, there are thirteen gods, each representing a different pillar of the world or humanity.

## Aedis, God of Justice and Truth

One of the most common gods, Aedis is used as a symbol for the stability of kingdoms and the core value of justice and truth. Often depicted as a strong warrior with a spear, a dark wood handle with a white head, in his right hand and a lantern, gold with bright white flames, in his left. The spear represents the power used to enact justice, while the lantern represents seeking truth. Aedis is the brother of Egneas and Estin, all of whom were born from Ozaedia and Tot. The three brothers together represent the strength to fight, whether it be for justice, protection, or just war, and are thusly often portrayed together. The most common offering to Aedis is something from those who have faced justice. These offerings show how he continues to serve and assist the people of Kaelmoria.

## Cymos and Nomos, Goddesses of Good and Ill Fortune

The twin gods, Cymos and Nomos are representations of fate and fortune. These twins are the children of Ozaedia and Kalipto symbolizing wisdom and change of the outcome. Cymos, the goddess of good fortune, is represented by an hourglass just starting as a symbol of the time left and the good possibilities. On the other hand, Nomos is represented by an hourglass that has just finished representing running out of luck or time and that its time to face consequences. Physically the twins are represented as younger women with long hair, white for Cymos and black for Nomos. Most shrines to these twins are connected and share an hourglass between them. Often during offerings, people will flip the hourglass to show that fate and fortune continue and so will Cymos and Nomos.

## Egneas, God of War and Battle

Brother of both Aedis and Estin, son of Ozaedia and Tot, Egneas represents the fight and drive to win. Often portrayed as a strong warrior with two handaxes, one battered and worn showing dedication, and the other sharp and master-crafted representing the strength and power of war. Egneas isn't shown much individually as many people associate him with the grief and loss of war, thus he is primarily represented as the third brother when all are present. His axes are often on various armor when going into battle. There are few times where an offering is made to Egneas, the only occurrence for this is before a battle. The forces will often have a feast and set aside a portion for Egneas so he will be well-fed and strong for the coming battle.

## Estin, God of Freedom, Innocence, and Peace

The third son of Ozaedia and Tot, Estin represents the things worth protecting and fighting for. Similar to his brothers, Estin is depicted as a warrior with a tower shield and a bird. The tower shield is meant to represent the unwavering will to protect those held close and the bird represents the peace and freedom sought after. Similar to Aedis, Estin is commonly represented within various kingdoms as the desire for protection and freedom is held universally. Similar to Egneas, Estin's bird is often on the shields of warriors as a symbol of the freedom they are fighting to protect. Common offerings to Estin are flowers, these are meant to represent the innocence Estin strives to protect in Kaelmoria.

## Kalipto, Goddess of the Moon

Often seen as a symbol of change, Kalipto is the goddess of the moon and mother to Cymos and Nomos, Omera, and sister to Vanthos. Few shrines exist to Kalipto as most worship Vanthos between the siblings. She is often depicted as an elegant woman with blueish silver hair flowing just past the shoulders wearing a silver gown that glitters in the moonlight, she is often regarded as the most beautiful goddess. The disparity in worship between her and Vanthos leads to fights on several occasions, people of Kaelmoria see this in the form of eclipses. Because of the rivalry between her and Vanthos, offerings to Kalipto often involve some flower or living thing that grows from her light and not that of her brother.

## Modes, God of Professions and Trade

Prized god of Torgarde, Modes acts as a good luck charm and provides a sense of accomplishment to veteran tradesperson. Modes is rarely depicted as more than a pair of arms grasping their tools. The core idea is that a tradesperson should be seen through his accomplishments and judged thusly. Generally, Modes is represented as a pair of arms crossed upwards holding two tools of a trade, these can be from any trade but the most common are a hammer, chisel, tongs, and sewing needles. Although Modes is supported by tradespeople across Kaelmoria, the only shrines are built in Torgarde. Most offerings made to Modes are raw materials in hopes that he will use them to make a masterpiece, fit only for the gods.

## Nyr, Goddess of the Sea

Whether the freedom of the open sea or the terror of the unknown, Nyr is viewed as a powerful goddess regardless of stance. Often seen as a mermaid surrounded by conch shells and a multitude of fish, the representation of Nyr changes from region to region. Each adaptation of Nyr remains the same but depicts her with varying fish, often local to the region. Sister of the sky, the sea often resembles the older sibling. Nyr and Omera are a distant pair but still share a remarkable resemblance. Nyr was the daughter of Vanthos and Tot, while Omera was the daughter of Tot and Kalipto. Nyr was gifted the sunset by her father, Vanthos, as a token of his love. Many claim this to be the beautiful bond between the gods. Although not a physical offering, when visiting a shrine to Nyr, most wash and clean the shrine with seawater.

## Omera, Goddess of the Sky and Stars

The older sister to Nyr, the goddess of the sky and stars tries to distance herself from Nyr. The conflict between their parents greatly affected their relationship and pushed the two apart. Despite this, Nyr still tries to be like Omera, even by mirroring Kalipto's gift to Omera, the stars. Similar to her resentment towards Vanthos and Nyr, Omera lacks a fondness for her father, who she views as having left to be with Vanthos. In an effort to get closer to her mother, Omera is often shown with a stark resemblance to Kalipto. Omera is seen as a woman, slightly younger than Kalipto, with long, star-like silver hair, flowing down a black dress accented with white diamonds. She is often represented by these diamonds in the form of four-pointed stars. Common offerings to Omera include any form of gift that would be perceived as related to Kalipto, she longs for a stronger connection with her mother.

## Ozaedia, Goddess of Wisdom

Seen as the strongest and oldest god, Ozaedia has shaped history with her insight. It was Ozaedia who gave sentience to many creatures on Kaelmoria and allowed them to live and grow as they do today. As a fitting image for the goddess of wisdom, Ozaedia is depicted as a woman surrounded by books as she continues to write down all of history. Most of the time in shrines the backdrop to Ozaedia is Culldor, her infinite library, as a representation of her infinite wisdom. Similarly, she is represented by a half-filled book with an ink and quill. This is meant to represent her current knowledge but that it continues to grow as the world progresses. Most offerings to Ozaedia are scribe's tools, but sometimes a rare book or piece of parchment is used instead.

## Ryme, God of Trickery and Chaos

The most unique of the gods, Ryme is well known for his behavior. Although he doesn't have many recorded interactions with either gods or Kaelmoria, he often fills his boredom with finding things to go awry. The only shrines that exist to Ryme are small and cheap in nature, often put up to fill the space in a thieves guild. Due to his elusive nature, he is rarely depicted as human. Most depictions show him as a raven with one eye and a split tail. The few stories surrounding Ryme focus on these traits. It's said that he lost a feather in his tail for every trick he pulled on Ozaedia until he had two separate tails. It is also said that Ozaedia took his eye so she could see into Kaelmoria and further her knowledge. Due to the lack of shrines, the only offerings Ryme receives are items such as weighted dice or marked cards from various thieves.

## Tot, God of the Land and Creatures

Often viewed as just Kaelmoria itself, Tot has a little appearance similar to Rhyme. Tot was the world and has since created all of the creatures that inhabit it, at least natively. Often depicted as a map of the world or a tree thats roots spread across it. When he created the first creatures Ryme wanted to play with them. Ryme changed how they viewed the land and convinced them of how to perceive it. In doing this, Ryme created the trolls, hags, and other creatures of folktales. When Tot learned of this he cast out his children to the other Planes of Existence and tried again, this process continued until Ryme grew bored and let Tot have his fun. At last, the races that would grow to make kingdoms had been born. To represent this in offerings, most people offer some new object that represents where the people he made are and how far they have come.

## Vanthos, God of the Sun

Brother of Kalipto, Vanthos represents the sun and light that makes living in Kaelmoria possible. Because he believes he is infinitely more important than his sister, he is often seen as vain and shallow despite his worth to the world. It is said that during winter months when everyone shelters indoors and lights fires, he feels worthless and replaced by the fire so he comes less often, thus leading to shorter days and longer nights. In order to keep Vanthos in high spirits and feel the most important, so he will rise again the next day, most offerings to Vanthos are reflective. They can be as simple as a bowl of water so he can see himself in his daughter or an intricate mirror.