Southern Pantheon

The Southern Pantheon is the largest and most widely worshiped religion in Marin. It is responsible for the majority of cultural practices in the kingdoms of Terresol, Araedia, South Feyshore, Ibethiel, and the North Shore, not to mention metropolitan centers like Irongate and Vallen.

For more information about the leadership of the Southern Pantheon, please visit this page.

**Disclaimer**

*This page provides an overview of the common deities supported and under the umbrella of the Southern Pantheon, but to put together a comprehensive list of all gods and goddesses would be impossible. Every individual person may have their own gods they worship privately, though they may be reflections of the deities below.*

### **Saris**

*First God of the Southern Pantheon and the Patron God of Sol*

Saris represents the duality and never-ending cycle of life, often depicted as a pure white circle in different artistic mediums. The continuous cycle of life also feeds into the popular belief of reincarnation held by followers of the SP. Every life has a purpose to fulfill within their caste and a lesson - predetermined by Saris - to learn during their stay on the Earth. Upon learning said lesson, one should continue to fulfill their purpose according to their Blood Caste and use what they've learned to assist friends and families in their own spiritual journey. After death, the soul is lead to the Neither, a place of rest between reincarnations. However, the Neither twists and contorts the soul the longer it remains, a time described as one's "Mourning". Upon living a good life, a soul will be reincarnated as a higher Blood Caste or in a better position than their previous life. Upon completion of the final cycle of reincarnation, they will reach enlightenment and join Saris in the Ether - a mysterious realm of blended consciousness where you become one with the universe.

### **The Major Pantheon (The Six)**

All gods are a representation of Saris, one facet of the whole focusing on specific parts. This allows a stronger connection between people and Saris by presenting different faces that may speak more strongly to individuals in particular professions. The major gods are the primary facets of Saris.

* **Mafalda, the Red Maiden** is associated with battle, strength, fire, bravery, and weaponry. As you may imagine, she is commonly worshipped by soldiers, travellers, bandits, and blacksmiths.
	+ Sect: ***The Order of the Red Maiden*** is a group that lives among the outermost regions of Ibethiel and is composed of current and retired Ibethiel knights, among others who wish to obtain military training. The Order can be further broken down into the ***Red Guard*** (alternatively known as the Scar Guard) and the ***White Guard***. The Red Guard is the faith militant of the Southern Pantheon   stationed across the realm and maintains religious order. The White Guard is an elite sect known for its brutal tactics in maintaining order. They practice asceticism, denying themselves even the most basic of comforts until pain becomes just another meaningless stimulus. Their most notable practice is ritual scarring to show their status and disfigure and scare anyone that might come upon them. They are living, breathing killing machines. Members of the White Guard serve until they die or kill themselves before they grow old, rather than reach senility.
* **Auryn, the Mother of Whores** is associated with sex, pleasure, love, compassion, and marriage. She is commonly worshipped by *Passionates* (prostitutes), the betrothed, husbands and wives, bastards, refugees, orphans, and slaves.
	+ Occupation: Passionates are, most famously, whores. For a heavy fee, select Passionates will sell their body to discerning customers. For Shitbloods and commonfolk, it is impossible, and they are let nowhere near the whore houses. Passionates of the SP undergo a rite of sterilization, which makes them a popular choice among royalty and nobility.
	+ Occupation: Passionates commonly serve as midwives under the guidance of Auryn. They can be identified by a pale pink uniform stained with blood from previous births. The degree of staining indicates their status in the midwife community.
	+ Tradition: Marriage ceremonies contain vows referencing Auryn and how both partners must be faithful to one another under her watchful eye. Passionates who are steadfast followers of Auryn, fair, lawful, and levelheaded will speak the oaths for those of Cantilesblood and below in the Blood Caste. A Wisdom will perform the ceremony for Lordsblood or higher status. Breaking of a vow taken under Auryn results in an extended Mourning in the Neither.
	+ Orphanages can be found in nearly every major city and are often horrifically overrun as bastard or unwanted children are left are their doors. Outlying towns also have orphanages, but they are often better kept and have a manageable child to caretaker ratio. Passionates unable to have children of their own often serve in these orphanages.

* **Emin, the Moon Daughter** is associated with wisdom, enlightenment, inspiration, the (high) arts, astrology, and astronomical phenomena. She is worshipped by artists, scholars, *Seekers* (astrologists), *Physics* (doctors, dentists, surgeons), and travelers.
	+ Sect: ***The Sea Scribes*** live on the Oysters, a group of mossy islands made up of sand bed, stones, and moss. Very little is known about this particular sect, but what is known is mixed with old sailors' tales. Some say they sacrifice children. Others claim they are half fish, with gaping mouths and dead eyes. What is known, however, is that the islands come and go with the mist. Anyone who has attempted to study or get in contact with them goes missing or never returns.
	+ Occupation: Physics often wear masks shaped like a full moon and white draping silk when they treat their patients. Though they focus primarily on healing, some commonfolk consider a visit by a Physic a bad omen.
	+ Occupation: Seekers are the astrologist experts of the SP, focusing much of their time on understanding the universe and the overarching message Saris has for humanity. They are known for their inventions related to time as they try and decipher the true meaning of the cosmos.
* **Camira, the Dryadic** is associated with plants, earth, animals, the wilderness, freedom, and summer. She is worshipped by witches, nomads, travelers, gardeners, and farmers.
* **Xolile, the Phoenix** is the last of her kind in the world and said to control the fate of all in Araedia, if not the world. Commonly associated with volcanoes, fire, energy, and order, Xolile is worshipped among alchemists, scholars, judges, and nobility of Araedia.
	+ Sect: ***The Circle of Xolile*** is the largest religion in Araedia, and its members tend to both the physical bird and the rules of Araedian customs for the fate of Araedia rests on the phoenix pleasure. The Circle's important role in tending to Xolile is what allows them to assert their dominance over the usually stringent and all-powerful Araedian aristocracy. Every highborn Araedian girl must go to the capital of Erillia to submit themselves to the Trials of Xolile. The Trials include many things: ritual scarring, hot coals, and drug-induced hallucinations to inspire connection to Xolile. Many die in the process, but the most "apt" (i.e. those that show the least pain, have the most vivid hallucinations, etc.) are taken to the northern mountain ranges of Araedia to be initiated into the Circle and dedicate their lives to Xolile. All highborn Araedian women who survive the trials are covered in intricate white scarring, like lace. No one talks about any aspects of their training afterwards, and no one ever mentions the names of those taken; it is taboo to say them out loud. The De Lancrets were chosen to rule around 300 years ago by the Circle of Xolile for the supposed "purity" of their blood and have ruled ever since.

### **The Minor Pantheon**

Just as all major gods are a facet of Saris, all minor gods are a facet of a major god. Each is considered a companion to a major god.

* **Syntherion, God of Sun and Strategy** (companion of Saris) was popular during the reign of Vronti Kelwynd, previous King of Terresol and self-proclaimed Syntherion priest and prophet. After his death, the Cult of Syntherion gradually died and is now found only in his most devout followers.
* **Reuben, the Leisure Lord** (companion of Camira and Auryn) is associated with leisure, festivals, fools, the (low) arts, joy, alcohol, happiness, and luck. Thus, he is commonly worshipped by jesters, bards, artists, travelers, brewers, and the overworked who yearn for respite.
	+ Tradition: Wyrte is a fall festival in celebration of Reuben during the autumn harvest. It is a time of jolly festivities, heavy drinking, and the companionship of women to warm the beds of men hard at work.

* **Lockaster, the Faceless One** (companion of Emin) is associated with painless death, decay, cold, ice, burial processes, graveyards, mourning, and spirits. It should come of no surprise then that he is worshipped by the mourning, elderly, morticians, gravediggers, and the sick. He is also considered to be the gatekeeper of the Neither and final judge of the time of Mourning.
	+ Occupation: Asters are devout followers of Lockaster that look after bodies to make sure they are properly prepared and buried. Their funeral services are available to all who ask. However, the black cloaks and stark white horned masks they adorn makes many uncomfortable and may indicate death is near to the superstitious.

* **Tatico, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings** (companion of Emin) is associated with strategy, politics, speeches, economy, gold, mining, and wealth. He is commonly worshipped by politicians, laborers, kings, miners, metal workers, and merchants.
	+ Occupation: Most members of the Council of Commerce are followers of Tatico and seek his guidance prior to finalizing financial decisions.

* **Hema, the Youthful** (companion to Camira) is associated with rebirth, fertility, the spring, life, and playful trickery. She is commonly worshipped by parents and children. Some people believe the fair folk also fall under her domain.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**1. What's the afterlife meant to be like?**

To answer this, it is first important to understand that the Southern Pantheon believes in the idea of reincarnation. Upon death, an individual is taken to the Neither, which acts as a place of rest, reflection, and limbo for most. The amount of time spent is entirely dependent on the actions and life of the individual, which encourages its followers to live a good life not only to decrease their Mourning, but also increase their chance to be reincarnated to a higher caste. The journey and time spent by someone in the Neither is commonly referred to as their "Mourning". At the beginning, the Neither acts as a place of rest and reflects a “heavenly” environment. However, over time the Neither grows increasingly painful, incomprehensible, and all-consuming.

* There is a rumor that if one spends too long in the Neither their soul may be permanently damaged and unfit to join Saris in the Ether, thus undergoing a continuous cycle of reincarnation, typically in the lower levels of the Blood Caste.

The other realm is the Ether, which is less of a place and more of a blend of consciousness in which you live forever and become “one” with Saris and the universe. If someone lives a good life, they are able to rise in the Blood Caste during their next reincarnation. Once a person has reached their final cycle and lived a holy life, they will reach enlightenment and join Saris in the Ether.

**2. How does it view humanity?**

The lesson Saris provides for each life and individual is unique and something only they can learn. Failure to learn during one's life will lead to an increase in their Mourning as they cannot move onto the next life to make the world better without learning the lesson from the previous one.

3**. Were people created for a purpose? Do non-humans have a place?**

Everything exists for a reason to assist in the journey as humans learn, teach, and care for each other and the world. Plants, animals, minerals, and the elements are all aspects of Saris and reflect them in some way. To destroy, mistreat, or take them for granted is an affront to Saris and the SP as a whole. Non-human individuals are rare, and if Saris has willed them to be born into that form, it is to serve mankind. They are not considered of equal status and, to some, are an unwanted burden.

In terms of societal purpose, the Blood Caste is what determines this. Each caste has a specific role in the world and disrupting that disrupts the balance and goes against the will of the gods. A common Wisdom saying to the public is that there are hills and valleys within the wheel of reincarnation. If they are in the midst of a valley, Saris has put them there to learn a lesson, perhaps being to lean upon the gods in their struggle. Similarly, if one is a Lordsblood or Kingsblood they have a responsibility to guide those under them according to the gods' will.

**4. What are the main virtues and sins?**

Every god is different and values different things, so there is no defined list of virtues or sins. The rule of thumb is that if doing something hinders one's ability to fulfill their caste requirement and learn the lesson Saris has in store for them, they have broken the main tenet and will incur the consequences of that in their Mourning and likely the physical world as well.

For instance, murder is considered to be forbidden because it is the worst way one could interfere with Saris’s will. By taking the life of another, they have prevented them from reaching enlightenment. The remaining years of their victims' life will be added to their Mourning after death and a Wisdom would find them guilty in a court for it.

**5. Names and representations of the Gods/Goddesses?**

You can find this information above!

6. **Are they abstract, or do they have a 'physical' form?**

The gods and goddesses are abstract. They are not physical beings, and they cannot (and do not) have sexual relations with human beings or other mammalian forms. This misconception roots in the many instances where the gods have shown themselves to their followers in a physical form. Saris, however, is fate, does not have a physical form, and is often depicted as the perfect circle, having no start, and no end, encompassing all things no matter their connotation.

* The one exception would be in the case of ancestor-like gods, such as Mafalda or other household Gods like in Araedia and Terresol.  For example, Mafalda is alleged to be the direct ancestor of House Falke, giving them the divine right to rule and manage the Falke and Order of the Red Maiden.

**7. What is the faith's official view on Yaggm?**

Yaggm is a mythical story kept alive by the tradition of Hogcock. The Southern Pantheon, while not supporting the tale, respects the tradition and allows it to occur.