Religion in Peshwamanar

The pantheon of Peshwamanar is not as fixed as that found in the Centrelands and majority of the known world. The deities represented in Peshwamanar vary from region to region and are generally a combination of ancient Peshi and Manari theological and mythological beings.

Peshi Deities

The Major Deities of modern Peshwamanar are a combination of Peshi deities and the gods of the Classical Centrelands Pantheon. However, rather than the six gods (red, green, blue, yellow, purple and black), there are two gods of each colour, who are viewed as romantic and or sexual partners. Lesser gods are then seen as the progeny of these partners. The exception to this are the black and purple gods, who are seen as former partners and as the progenitors to all other gods.

Long ago, Shandar and Hindari begat sixteen children. But Shandar tired of their existence and begun to wander the mortal plane and leapt through time and space, leaving Hindari and his children behind. Hindari longed for her husband and wept for his return. After countless aeons without him, and long since thier children became fully fledged gods, Hindari lost the will to exist in her current state. She shattered herself and transformed unto Asha.

### Shandar- God of time and space

Master of doors, keeper of sands, watcher from afar. Shandar is the Peshwamanari god of time and space. Shandar is said to be the Great Watcher, who is present yet distant in all space and time. He is said to hold together the fundamental fabric of the universe through his very existence, ensuring the balance of that which allows us to exist.

*"Shandar watches over all the peoples of the mortal and immortal realms, across time and space forever from across the blank primordial slate at the end and the beginning, and all states inbetween."*

The temple to Shandar, the Hall of a Thousand Doors, is located in the center of Bangaradaah. It is said that Shandar once presented himself through the First Door, and to this end the hall was constructed with a multitude of doors to allow him ample access to the mortal plane and to the temple.

Shandar is often depicted with silvery hair, or a silver crown.

### Asha - Goddess of end times, vengeance and despair

*"A broken, fallen godddess, Asha seeks to lash out at the world for the wrongs she has suffered. Yet she is a longing, timid woman, she is a truly fragile being. If she were ever to be reunited with Hindari's love, Shandar, then she would never relinquish him and the planes would fall to the primordial."*

Asha is the fallen form of Hindari, the partner of Shandar. Formed from the broken shards of a despairing and hearhtbroken Hindari, Asha is the god of both despair and vengeance, in reaction to the heartbreak of Shandar leaving Hindari. She is also the god of the "end times", as it is believed that time and space would fall apart should she and Shandar be reunited.

Manari Deities

Manari deities are far more regional and the eldest of incarnations are exclusively local in origin, comparative to the more foreign influence found in many Peshi gods. Whilst no definitive list of Manari deities exists, many of the better known ones are listed in the Sarash Divakti (Compendium [of] Divine Peoples)

Peshi religious tradition teaches that it is not necessary to worship the gods, it is only important for an individual to acknowledge and respect their power. However, as a society it is necessary to build monuments to the gods as befits their status. Therefore, society (rather than the individual) is responsible for the bestowing the appropriate reverence upon the divine.

Individual prayer is a personal matter and you are expected, though not required, to pray to the gods who would most benefit you. The Peshi have accepted individual selfishness and thus transferred the responsibility of worship from the individual to society as a whole.

An example of this is how individuals do not pray at temples, for those are monuments created by society in reverence and respect and these temple's existence and upkeep is the act of worship.

The Peshi have a rigid structure of gods and their inherent levels of divine power that is unaffected by an abundance, or lack, of prayer. Peshi religious tradition teaches that it is not necessary to worship a good because they are powerful; it is only important for an individual to acknowledge and respect their power. However, as a society it is neccessary to build monuments to these gods befitting of their status; society, rather than the individual, is responsible for the appropriate reverance. Individual prayer is a personal matter, you are expected to pray to the gods who would most benefit you; the Peshi have accepted individual selfishness and thus transferred the responsibility of worship from the individual to society as a whole.

Individuals do not pray at temples, for those are monuments created by society in reverance and respect, their existence and upkeep is the act of societal worship.

The House of a Thousand Doors is a temple located in the center of Bangaradaah. It contains a series of doors on its internal walls. These "thousand doors" serve as gateways to Partii, the god of Space-time, the he may use to travel across demesnes, leagues and across time itself.