The Gods of Elhar

The Gods of Elhar is the ancient religion of the Elves. In the heyday of the Elven era, there were thousands of deities, separated into individual pantheons, however these days far fewer survive.

## Beliefs

Elves worship one Body God based on their family or house beliefs, and one Branch God who is dedicated to their local area- for example, an island elf may worship a Branch God who rules their island, as well as the Body God of the sea in general.

The Elves believe that you should dedicate yourself to the god of the place you were born to, known as your "Loco-Oshi", and form close bonds with those who are allied to your god within their Pantheon.

Unlike others, the Elves believe that you cannot change your Loco-Oshi that you are born to for any reason, and because of this those who claim to have switched their devotion are shunned, seen as interlopers, invaders, or inherently untrustworthy.

### Pantheon

A Pantheon is a group of gods who are associated with each other, and rule over a particular region. These are often divided by sub-races, for example there is a Wood Elf panhtheon, a High Elf pantheon, and an Island Elf pantheon.

## Practices

Elves worship their Body God when they are proven evident, and by making their force more evident. A follower of Dalai-Mar may worship their god when a bountiful fishing haul comes in, or when a storm hits their village, to soothe and thank them.

They worship their Loco-Oshi by trying to live true to their spirit, for example if their Loco-Oshi is of a weapon, they will worship them by mastering and using that weapon, as well as caring for it.

### Social

When an Elf introduces themselves in a religious context, they list first their Body God and then their Loco-Oshi. For example, an Elven Cleric may call themselves "Thanruial, Devout of Dalai-Mar and Tyssan".

### Other Religions

Elhar preaches that all other religions are born of pantheons of their own gods who refuse to obey the Titans, or Body Gods. They see this as misguided and dangerous, as angering the Titans may cause them to awaken and bring death upon the planet.

## Body Gods, "Titans"

The Body Gods, known as the Titans, find worship in many different places. They are the general gods of things such as the Sea, Sun, Ground, and War. Major concepts are a part of your Body-God. Most Body Gods are believed to have living avatars that remain on the planet, causing some debate as to whether these creatures started as gods, or became them through generations of worship and fear.

### Dalai-Mar

God of the Sea. Taking the form of a huge slumbering turtle-like creature, it is said that it sleeps for centuries, and that it's movements while tossing and turning in it's sleep cause tsunamis.

### Dain-Cogadh

Goddess of war, Dain-Cogadh takes the form of a six-armed woman, each arm holding an ancient weapon of war. She is said to be colossal in size, approaching thirty feet tall, and will appear on battlefields that soak in the blood of her followers for a full month.

### Salki-Gaoth

God of the wind. He is said to take the form of a huge many-winged blue and white bird, that is almost invisible against the sky. Like all other Titans, he is said to be huge, but flies so high that he cannot be seen. Sometimes, those who fly the sky say that they have seen him, but they are dismissed as oxygen-starved ramblings.

### Gazar-Tir

God of the land. Gazar-Tir is said to take the form of a huge elven man made of stone and rock who stands underneath mountain ranges. When awoken, he will throw mountains to destroy all around him until soothed by ancient songs. It is fear of Gazar-Tir that causes many Elves to despise mining.

### Nar-Ghrian

Goddess of the sun. Said to bring light and warmth to those who earn her favour. However, she is known to also burn crops until they wither and die. Usually followed by farmers or those who seek to fight creatures of the night.

## Branch Gods, "Loco-Oshi"

Branch Gods are worshipped in smaller places, ranging from counties to islands to just a single city. These Local-Gods usually have one or two specific elements they embody based on the place they come from. Sometimes these can be shared with other local gods, causing either harmony or friction between two societies. Elements are thing such as emotions, weapons, animals, or concepts not covered by the major gods.

There can be several branch-gods within the same Pantheon who are dedicated to the same thing- for example, there are many Gods of the Hunt that are worshipped in different locations.

Branch Gods comprise particular Pantheons, who are united groups that shun others. Once, each culture had a Pantheon, but now those days have passed.

*Players and DMs are encouraged to make up a Branch God for their Elhar characters if they come from an unmapped region. Come up with what power or element they represent beyond the Titans. There can be several branch gods of the same element, so don't worry about doubling up.*

## Wood Elf Pantheon

The Wood Elf pantheon are branch gods who are worshipped by Wood Elves. These gods tend to be quite primitive due to the Wood Elves shunning technology to a greater extent, and instead focus on hunting, gathering, and simple weapons. Many of the gods from the days of the Augur elves have been abandoned, becoming Forsaken Pantheon.

### Tyssan of the Hunt

Tyssan is a god of hunting and sport, worshipped by wood elves in the Bright Tree Village.

## Forsaken Pantheon

The branch gods of Forsaken pantheon are few- they tend to be survivors of pantheons or cultures that were completely destroyed at some point- through war or famine- but were taken to other places or managed to keep a few followers around. There are also some who were intentionally removed from a major pantheon, due to the culture or times changing. They are solitary and lonely existences, and regarded as lesser by the others who have a pantheon. Many crave being admitted to a Pantheon once more, but few will succeed.

### Mirthra

Mirthra is a goddess specializing in Merriment and Laughter, worshipped in the Isla de Solletico. Although the island she calls her home is now part of Galletia, she has managed to maintain a small group of worshippers from it's time under Elven rule. It is not known what Pantheon she was once a part of.