As I've mentioned vaguely here and there, my Fantasy religion is a polytheistic religion with pantheistic roots, based off of Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology most of all, with minor inspiration from various other faiths and myths. Since I lost most of my material I'll sort of just be shooting off until I get a coherent group of concepts. Let me see what I remember...
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The Originators:
Abyss the Unknowable - Amorphic divinity, ethereal embodiment of Impermanence {Comparable somewhat to Greek Chaos}
Aidenn the Architect - Elder God of Order and Power, the male embodiment of Force
Ciberys the Rebellious - Elder Goddess of Chaos and Creation, the female embodiment of Change
The One; Pan-En - Life's Radiant, androgynous embodiment of Being
The Major Gods:
Aarkhan the Judge; God of Harmony and Judgement - Avatar of Will; Seed of Humanity
Denarii the Silvertongue; The Gentleman/Charmer; God of Spirits and Entertainment - Avatar of Carnal Plight
Alekhthaeos the Dream-Weaver; The Great Deceiver; God of Ambition, Illusions and Dreams - Avatar of Deceit; Corrupter of Souls
Aya the Illuminate; Goddess of Compassion, Healing, and Love - Avatar of Passion; Mother of Elvenkind
Hadrean the Redeemer; Harbinger/Godsbane; God of Destruction, Strife, - Avatar of Annihilation
Alura the All-Seer; The Matriarch/Elder Crone;Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge - Avatar of Eternity; Broodmother of Dragonkin
Lentias the Whisperer; The Seamstress/Gypsy Muse; Goddess of Music, Creativity, and Art - Avatar of Innocence; Queen of the Ghot
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Kha'mael the Forsaken; The Craftsman; God of Industry, Loyalty, and Humility - Avatar of Perseverence; Shyk'rar of Ebon
Nocturne - Goddess of the Night, darkness given form; she is daughter of Abyss, who is formless and genderless, and Ciberys, created accidentally as the primordial darkness which resided within the universe before the Aether flooded it with light. "As the universe became saturated with life-bringing Aether, Nocturne soon became more than formless void... So much more."
Pan-en: {Divine Togetherness} ~ All-Spirit, divine name of The One (Taken from Panentheism, belief that deity, god, the divine, etc., is both a part of everything existent, and in some ways possibly capable of taking physical form, whereas Pantheism is the belief that the divine is a part of us all and everything around us, living and nonliving, that we are made of divine material, and/or that we ourselves are divine by nature, as the universe itself is the divine)
Vigdas - Three sisters, goddesses of the Wilds, born from three drops of immortal blood spilled from the All-Seer upon being clawed across the left-cheek by a bear-like creature - the god Alekhthaeos in disguise {The only being, mortal or immortal, ever to draw blood from the All-Seer... This served as a sort of warning, showing the gods that mortal creatures were dangerous... And, as Alekh tricked them into doing, the gods stripped mortal creatures of their strength, who until that point were practically demi-gods.)
There's plenty more, but I can't remember. I'm trying to remember the damn name of the Goddess of the Dead, a very important player in my mythos, but I'll be damned if I can even remember a letter.
Anyway, I found an old short-story I started about Kha'mael to explain his origins... I remember my computer froze while writing it and all I managed to save was the intro. Bah. It was a good 3 pages long, and absolutely beautiful. Oh well.
As a test of man's willingness to trust and their capability to feel compassion, an aged blacksmith once traveled from village to village begging materials with which to craft. In return for their kindness, he would create three trinkets – one of which a patron would claim. If they were kind of heart, the trinket would bless them. If they were selfish, the trinket brought a curse down upon them under the guise of a false blessing.
On one of his many travels, the wandering blacksmith happened upon an oasis as he crossed the great sprawling desert of the Khym'ra to bring his goods to a fortress of the nation beyond. Exhausted from his lengthy journey across the rolling dunes after facing a raging sandstorm, the wandering blacksmith stopped at the oasis to feed his steed and rest for a moment. As he hitched his horse to a palm tree and dismounted, he heard distant footsteps coming from beyond the line wall of palm trees. Perplexed, the blacksmith cautiously approached the source of the sound taking care not to been seen; perhaps he has gone mad from exhaustion and dehydration, but he could swear he heard a woman's laughter!
In the small stone-lined oasis surrounded by shrubbery and palm trees is a small lake fed by an underground river. When he crossed the treeline and came to face the shore, he caught a glimpse of three beautiful women bathing nude in the heavenly waters of the oasis. One was as white as polished ivory, her golden locks bouncing in the wind as her gentle laughter echoed through his heart and brought him joy. The second was the color of the earth, the exotic song of her voice carried upon the winds to his welcoming ears. The third was as dark as night, the trail of her lengthy raven hair flowing like an ocean of darkness. Her voice was deep and mysterious, the accent betraying no land he had ever visited though he traveled far and wide. Her sight made something stir deep within him, surfacing emotions he had never before felt. The joy of innocent laughter, the melody of song, and the essence of beauty brought tears to his eyes. Returning to his steed, he fetched three trinkets and placed them in a leather sack. He quickly etched a message on a piece of vellum and placed it within the sack, walking calmly towards the three maidens. As he approached the oasis once more, trinkets in hand, the three maidens turned to face him; each with a different emotion upon their faces. The ivory maiden smiled so brightly that his heart swelled with happiness at her sight. The lady of the earth danced her way through the water while singing, making his body sway in rhythm. The raven goddess parted the water and strode forth, her eyes betraying her immense wisdom and power. "I come bearing gifts for the three lovely maidens who's presence has graced me upon this day" he said, retrieving three trinkets from his leather sack. To the innocent ivory maiden he gave an diadem of ornate silver, placing it atop her head in recognition of her wonder. To the lady of the earth he gave a necklace of pearls, as precious and rare as her magnificent voice. Finally, to the raven goddess he gave a ring of cut and polished onyx, a sure sign of her wisdom and authority. In thanks, they each embraced him with kindness, gifting him with a boon of their own creation. The ivory maiden placed a kiss upon his cheek and lit a spark within his heart; an eternal flame to guide him on his endless journey. The lady of the earth whispered a gentle song and with it, he began to hear sounds he never before could fathom. The gentle flow of the wind, the sounds of the unseen insects, the slithering of a nearby serpent, they all sang to him just as she did. Finally, the raven goddess took his hands in hers and imparted him with an invaluable gift of wisdom; a prophecy that would shape his existence forevermore. "When the raven flies, the dragon shall speak; and all light shall depart your world. A trinity lost, a crone betrayed; a flame is sparked, your crime now paid. As son and brother you shall be embraced - light sacrificed in exchange for eternal flame. In our name, the forge is lit. You are the anvil, the vessel, touched by the chaos of creation herself. Go forth you shall, and the world shall be richer for it."
