Galthurian Pantheon (3.5e Pantheon)

The Galthurian Pantheon consists of all the gods that govern the world of Galthuria.

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Mythos

The Beginning

In the beginning, the only intelligent being in existence was the eternal Iluvitaad. He created the universe, and in the blackness He breathed out stars to light it. The Great Creator decided to infuse some of his power into a small crystal, known as the Progenitor. This crystal contained the power of creation. With it, He created multiple worlds, blessing all with wondrous and unique fauna and flora. He then made celestial beings called angels to constantly sing to Him. To finish, He created time.

At the beginning of time, only He and His ever-singing, ever-praising angels lived in the universe. After many millenia, he grew lonely, and elected to give free will to a select group of 5,000,000 angels. Half of these beings remained loyal and faithful to their wondrous and wise Creator. They were known as the Valia. Half of them, however, disdained the servitude to which they were obligated. Their dissent was peaceful at first; they would refuse to participate in worship unless certain freedoms were granted to them. Iluvitaad was not used to this kind of, as He saw it, disrespect, and He began to punish this group by stripping them of many rights. One of their leaders, Dameon, was executed for a public speech about the failure of Iluvitaad's system. With this, they took of the name Demons, out of respect for Dameon.

This provided the perfect oppurtunity for an ambitious demon to execute his plan to usurp the throne of the universe. From the moment he had been given free will, Thanatius' heart festered with greed and hatred. The idea that he was to serve a god that had, in his eyes, never done anything for him was unforgivable and foolish. Thanatius took up a facade of Dameon's cause. He cited the fact that a sentient being made to do the same thing over and over will tire of it and revolt or go insane. The demons agreed with Thanatius, and they chose the first option: revolt.

The Rebellion

“	The Great Deceiver tells us that we should be grateful! I ask, grateful for what? He gave us the power to choose, yet punishes us for using our power! No more! We shall destroy this establishment. We shall destroy Iluvitaad!	”
—Thanatius' speech The Great Deceiver

With his extreme charisma, it was incredibly easy for Thanatius to convince the demons that peaceful dissention could never achieve what they wanted. They must rise up and kill Iluvitaad himself. He began to give rousing speeches on many worlds, making his base of operations the planet Rec Verbanna. The first step in Thanatius plan was to eliminate the unintelligent angels, as part of their instinct was to protect Iluvitaad at all times. He organized a faux Worship Festival on Djur'iela. By the time the Valia discovered what had happened, the angels had already travelled to Djur'iela and Thanatius and his demons had already slain most of them. Eager to avenge those who died and save those left, Iluvitaad transported a Valia war band to the planet, and they fought the army of demons. Thanatius' army killed every one of them. The Valia considered the entire event an act of hostility, and the Great Cosmic War began.

The Great Cosmic War

For thousands of years, Thanatius waged a bloody war on Iluvitaad and the Valia. The first turning point occurred the Demons captured a Valia military outpost world called Urr. Here they found documents detailing a powerful weapon, the Sword of All Worlds, that could slay even Iluvitaad himself. He followed the instructions to create the weapon, but he could not include one crucial element: The Progenitor. Still, the spells that were inscribed on the blade made it an incredibly powerful sword, and Thanatius cut down more Valia than ever before.

Thanatius knew that he would not be able to usurp Iluvitaad's throne without the Progenitor. He devised a new plan, which involved destroying all flora and fauna on the many planets in the universe, except for Rec Verbanna. He planned to make Rec Verbanna the domain of his own throne, and by destroying the other planets, Thanatius would ensure that no dissenters would be around to rise against him. He and his demons would live on Rec Verbanna, ruling the universe until the end of time. The demons soon got to work destroying planets with powerful and unknowable celestial magic. Eventually, the only one left was Rec Verbanna.

Soon after, Iluvitaad realized that the conflict was weakening Him. In eternity past, He had thrived on the prayers of his angels and the Valia. With the angels dead for thousands of years and the Valia beginning to lose faith after millenia of fighting, He started to feel the effects. He made a choice that would impact the universe until the end of time. He chose to use his power to divide the universe into three planes of existence.

Such an exertion would not be easy, even for the creator of the universe. Iluvitaad understood that after He performed this deed, He would need to rest for millions of years, and all three planes of existence would have to fend for themselves. In order to solve this problem, Iluvitaad imparted some of his power into six of his best Valia. They would be the Gods of the new age. They would have supernatural power over natural forces. But first, they would need to rid the multiverse of Thanatius and his demons.

The Fall Before the Gods

“	Forever bound thou wilt remain in Thurga, and all who follow thee. Thy existence is a taint upon the multiverse. He that remembereth thy existence shalt remember thy fall before the Gods.	”
—Protheos, The Tome of Cosmic Entities

As Thanatius won victory after victory, the demons' faith in him grew tremendously. His hatred, greed, and pride had begun to give way to insanity. His obsession with the throne of the universe was absolute, and over time he transformed into a twisted analogy of Iluvitaad himself. The demons were worshiping him, praising him, and he fed on their faith. He could also feed on the fear and death of those Valia that stood against him: every death made him stronger.

The insane and evil power that Thanatius was creating was felt by each of the Gods. As Iluvitaad began his slumber, the Gods knew that they needed to act quickly. They decided that Thurga, the damned and barren wasteland plane, burning with fires hotter than all of the stars in the heavens, would be the best place to imprison Thanatius, as they knew he could not be killed with his current power. Each of the Gods forged a weapon imparted with a part of their power.

Protheos created Belnaius, a sword that shone with the light of goodness. So pure was its holiness that no common demon could touch it, or they would die.

Faotim forged Mjandr, an axe engulfed in a searing flame. The fires were believed to have come from Thurga itself.

Aler strung Ilieth, a bow with the spirit of forests and arcane magic. The limbs had been carved from the wood of the World Tree of Djur'iela.

Ladara smelted Hurkhua, a dagger that cloaked its owner in shadows. The exact specifics of the dagger are unknown, and stories of how she created it are conflicting.

Clankencog manufactured Scrilblat, a multi-use hooked hammer infused with the knowledge gained by thousands of years of studying the universe.

Vritrahi gave birth to Amayashta, a morningstar with the power of all dragon breath attacks. Its head was that of a multiheaded dragon.

Using the geographic knowledge of Scrilblat, Clankencog pinpointed the location of Thanatius' military compound based on information from interrogated prisoners. Ladara cloaked the other Gods and allowed them to reach the throne room without incident. From here, the six of them blindsided Thanatius. The six Gods were able to open a portal to Thurga with their combined divine power and banished him and all of his demons to it. The portal was then sealed with the intention that the demons would never escape.

The Birth of Mortals

Before He began His slumber, one of Iluvitaad's commissions for the Gods was to create mortal life so that such a catastrophe would never happen again. The mortals would be the chance to undo His mistake of giving the angels free will and no freedom. It would also ensure that the Gods would always have someone to love and by whom they could be loved. Using the power of the progenitor, the Gods created mortal life on what was once Rec Verbanna, and renamed it Terrania.

Deities

Greater Gods

The following gods were imbued by Iluvitaad with godly powers. They were originally Valia angels who served in the highest position during the Great Cosmos War.

Protheos

The god of valor, Protheos (PROTHE-ee-ose), is lawful good. His titles are Lord of Light, the Great Defender, and Demonbane. Protheos was the one who fought with Thanatius at the final battle of the Great Cosmos War and cast him into Thurga. He protects all that is good and tries to advance it in the world as much as he can. His large temples and monasteries can be found in most civilized cities and he has wayshrines and priories along certain trade-routes. He teaches that valor and goodness are the highest virtues, and that all evildoers must be exterminated. Paladins, good clerics, and Drakon are Protheos’s main worshippers, and his favored weapon is the Longsword. The domains he is associated with are Good, Law, Sun, Healing, and Strength. He is represented as a muscular human wearing full plate armor carrying a longsword in his right hand and a helmet under his left arm.

Aler

The god of elves, Aler (A-lurr), is chaotic good. His titles are Treeking, Lord of the Forest, and the High Elf. He is creator of all elves and protects each of his offspring, with the exception of the vile Drow, who chose to abandon his love. He is considered the governor of magic, music, arts, crafts, poetry, nature, and warfare, the things held in highest esteem among the elves. His temples are found mostly in elven settlements, along with many forest shrines. He has no structured monastic order, only a few druids that tend his temples. Elves, half-Elves, bards, rangers, and some druids worship him. He is associated with the domains of Healing, Good, Protection, Animal, and Plant. His favored weapon is the Longbow. Aler is represented as an Elf with long, wavy blond hair wearing studded leather armor and carrying a longbow and longsword.

Clankencog

The god of knowledge, Clankencog (KLAYNK-in-kog), is lawful neutral. His title is All-Wise. Clankencog is credited as the god who first created gnomes from the mechanical workings of the earth and imparted them with intelligence and a desire to learn. He governs learning and technology, denying the concepts of “good and evil” as anything more than frivolous notions that disrupt the universe’s natural order. Gnomes, metalworkers, sages, inventors, and some wizards worship this god. Most academies and other schools of higher learning have a temple of Clankencog. He governs the domains of Knowledge, Artifice, and Law, and his favored weapon is the Hooked Hammer. His avatar is a gnome wearing a long robe and technological eyewear.

Ladara

The goddess of trickery, Ladara (luh-DAHR-uh), is chaotic neutral. Her titles are Trickster and Mistress of Shadows. She delights in wine and song. She is a vagabond, a prankster, and a master of disguise. Her temples are few, but many people are willing to raise a glass in her honor. She is the creator of the halflings. They, rogues, and bards are her most frequent worshippers. The domains she is associated with are Chaos, Shadow, Luck, and Trickery. The Dagger is her favored weapon. She appears to mortals as a female halfling wearing a dualistic dress. On one side it is dark and stealthy, while the other side is frivolous and expensive.

Faotim

The god of dwarves, Faotim (FOW-teem) is lawful good. His titles include the Forge, Dwarffather, and the Anvil. Faotim forged the first dwarves out of metal and gems and breathed life into them. He governs the arts and sciences of the dwarves: smithing, metalworking, and war. Any dwarven delve has a large temple dedicated solely to Faotim. Dwarves and some paladins worship him. The domains he is associated with are Earth, Good, Law, Artifice, and Protection. His favored weapon is the Dwarven Waraxe. He appears as a dwarf wearing full plate, carrying a large steel shield emblazoned with an anvil and Mjandr, his flaming axe.

Vitrahi

The god of dragons, Vitrahi (vee-TRAH-hee), is dualistic. It has one head, Ahuramazda, which is male and represents all metallic dragons. The other head, Angrimanyu, is female, and is the patron of chromatic dragons.

Ahuramazda (ah-hoo-rah-MAHZ-da, neutral good) is stern and very disapproving of evil. He brooks no excuses for evil acts. In spite of this, he is among the most compassionate beings in the multiverse. He has limitless empathy for the downtrodden, the dispossessed, and the helpless. He urges his followers to promote the cause of good, but prefers to let beings fight their own battles when they can. To Ahuramazda, it is better to offer information, healing, or a (temporary) safe refuge rather than to take other’s burdens upon oneself. His temples are very few, and his few clerics and paladins are mostly Firebreed Drakon. He accepts only good clerics. His domains are Air, Good, Luck, Dragon, and Protection. He is represented by the head of a great gold wyrm.

Angramainyu (ahn-gra-MINE-yoo, lawful evil) concerns herself with spreading evil, defeating good, and propagating evil dragons. She enjoys razing the occasional village, city, or country, but only as a diversion from her subtle, worldspanning plots. She is the villain who lurks in the shadows. Her presence is felt but seldom seen. Angramainyu constantly seeks to extend the power and dominion of evil dragons over the land, particularly when her subjects find themselves embroiled in territorial disputes with good dragons. Angramainyu also unfailingly demands reverence, homage, and tribute from her subjects. Like Ahuramazda, her temples and clerics are very few. Her worshippers are mostly evil dragons, evil sorcerers, and evil Drakon. She accepts only evil clerics. Her domains are Destruction, Law, Evil, Dragon, and Trickery. She is represented by the head of a great black wyrm.

Both of their favored weapons are the Claw.

Thanatius

The lord of demons and master of Thurga, Thanatius (thuh-NAY-shuss) is chaotic evil. He is known as Demonlord, Dark Master, King of Hell, Destroyer of Worlds, and the Lord of Darkness. His only agenda in the world is to destroy all infidels (i.e., anyone that doesn’t worship him) and dethrone the gods who condemned him to Thurga. Only the most vile evil creatures worship him, and most do so in secret. Wizards, sorcerers, necromancers, fighters, and barbarians worship him in order to gain power. He is the only known god to be followed by Blackguards, the essential opposite of Paladins. Thanatius is unique in that his evil does not stem from an evil nature: in fact, as with all Valia, he was originally of a good heart. However, he grew tired of the repetitive nature of his existence and chose to join the Demons. When their leader, Dameon, died, Thanatius was next in line for his position. At this point, jealousy began to take root as he wished he had the same power as Iluvitaad. This jealousy became his obsession, and Thanatius’ sanity began to decay. By the time the Great Cosmos War ended, Thanatius was utterly insane. Feeding off of the worship of Demons, Thanatius became a twisted analogy of Iluvitaad, attaining the status of god without it being granted to him.

Although he is not considered a true god by the Six, he has more power than any single one of them. As seen at the end of the Great Cosmos War, it would take all six gods’ combined efforts to defeat him. During the Invasion of Galthuria, the time he escaped from Thurga and nearly destroyed Galthuria and the gods, he had become more powerful than all of the Six, and they were forced to elevate fourteen more Valia to godhood in order to destroy him. The domains he is associated with are Death, Destruction, Chaos, Evil, Fire, War, Trickery, and Strength. His favored weapon is the Heavy Flail. He appears as an old man with white hair, white skin, and glowing orange eyes. In many depictions he has massive black, twisted horns. He wears black armor decorated with screaming faces and skulls. His flail has multiple spiked skulls for heads.

Lesser Gods

These gods include the eleven lesser gods elevated to godhood by the Six and the three evil gods created by Thanatius.

Haphestion

The god of fire, Haphestion (huh-FESS-tee-on), is chaotic good. His title is the Great Flame. He teaches that destruction is the best way to create. A burning forest gives way to new plants and cleans the floor of filth. That is not to say Haphestion wishes to destroy the world: the destruction he extols is of things that have been tainted by evil. Most of his temples are located in the land of Dragoneye, and most of his worshipers are Firebreed Drakon. His domains are Chaos, Destruction, Good, and Fire. He is represented as a large Fire Drakon with fire tattoos. The Warhammer is his favored weapon.

Anposeia

The goddess of the seas, Anposeia (ahn-poe-SIGH-uh), is neutral. Her title is Lady of the Sea. Her few clerics preach her dogma of neutrality. According to Anposeia, the best path is one of moderation. In order to keep the world in order, people must follow a middle path. Her temples can be found on Draketail Isle, and nearly every island in the sea has a shrine to her. She only accepts clerics if they are Waterbreed Drakon, as they are her sacred children. Her domains are Water . She is depicted as a female Water Drakon wearing a blue robe and carrying her favored weapon, the Trident.

Imir

The god of earth, Imir (EE-meer), is lawful good. His title is the Stalwart. Imir is the son of Faotim, and often the two have friendly competitions over worshippers. Unlike most other gods, Imir does not have a specific dogma. He only teaches his followers to defend their beliefs with every fiber of their being. Because of this, he shares his temples with many other gods. His domains are Earth, Protection, and Strength. He is depicted as a dwarf with gray skin and black hair, baring his chiseled torso. He carries the Warhammer, his favored weapon.

Taphoro

The god of wind, Taphoro (tah-FOR-oh), is chaotic neutral. His title is the Drifter. Taphoro embodies the wind’s freedom of spirit and is the guardian of travelers and vagabonds. He has no temples; instead, all trade routes, along with most roads and highways, have a shrine to him. His priests are constantly on the move, never staying in one place for more than three days. Most of Taphoro’s followers are halflings and certain nomadic human tribes, and many adventurers and other travelers pay homage to him before their journey. His domains are Travel, Luck, and Air. His favored weapon is the Rapier. In most representations, Taphoro is an old man with a long white beard riding on a cloud.

Rok

The god of war, Rok (ROCK), is chaotic good. His title is the Warrior. Physical challenges and battle are Rok’s favorite pastimes. He teaches that strength and bravery are the highest virtues and that the strong have a responsibility to lead the weak. Most followers of Rok are fighters, barbarians, wrestlers, and other people whose lives revolve around martial combat and athleticism. Clerics of Rok don bright red and serve as military chaplains and directors of war to kings. His domains are War, Strength, and Good. He is represented as a large man with long red hair carrying his favored weapon, the Greatsword.

Magora

The goddess of magic, Magora (mah-GORE-ah), is neutral. Her title is the Arcane Lady. She pursues no special agenda in the world; she simply wishes to study magic and grant its power to those who search for it earnestly. Finding a temple of Magora is no easy task, as she considers arcane libraries and wizards’ studies her places of worship. Her domains are Magic, Trickery, and Knowledge. She is represented as a young woman with brown hair tied in a knot wearing elegant blue and green robes. Her favored weapon is the Quarterstaff.

Morphon

The god of dreams, Morphon (MORE-fon), is chaotic good. Very little is known about this deity by common people. Clerics of Morphon enter extremely long sleeps to learn more about him, but all they receive is cryptic phrases and riddles to be solved. He has revealed that through dreams, he hopes people will learn more about themselves and how they should interact with the world. He has no temples and has never appeared on the material plane, fighting a mental battle against Thanatius’ army during the Invasion of Galthuria. He governs the domains of Dream, Madness, Shadow, and Darkness. Morphon is represented as a black, formless cloud. His favored weapon is the Whip.

Urun-Kae

The goddess of weather, Urun-Kae (OO-roon-KAY), is lawful good. Her title is the Typhoon. She is known to be benevolent but quick to anger, and she teaches that evil is to be addressed with swift and powerful retribution. She has temples in most large cities as well as village shrines. While few people are devoted to Urun-Kae, many farmers and sailors pay her homage so that she will grant them favorable weather. Her domains are Weather, Storm, Sun, and Air. Her most common depictions are a dark skinned woman with a Shuriken, her favored weapon.

Jundr

The god of time, Jundr (JUN-durr), is neutral good. His title is the Lord of Ages. In his most basic aspects, he represents the effect of time on material things. In more advanced theology, Jundr is seen as the force behind a cycle of death and rebirth. Some believe Jundr to be a reincarnation of the primal force that birthed Iluvitaad, and they have formed their own separate religion. In the Iluvitaadian pantheon, he teaches that tomorrow is never sure, so people should do the most good they can today. His domains are Time, Destruction, and Creation. He is seen as a man both old and young holding an hourglass. His favored weapon is the Longsword.

Eroe

The goddess of love and fertility, Eroe (AIR-oh-ay), is chaotic good. Her title is the Fair Lady. Eroe is the patron of lovers, wives, and pregnant women, and she teaches love and compassion. Her followers emulate her fiery passions and are usually hedonists indulging in whatever pleasure they can before moving on to the next one. Her clerics are matchmakers and helpers of the lovelorn. Weddings are often held in her temples, which can be located in almost every major city. Eroe is associated with the domains of Healing, Charm, and Good. She is seen often as an attractive nude woman with an infant in each arm. Her favored weapon is the Dagger.

Khalreshaar

The god of half-breeds, Khalreshaar (call-REH-shay-are) is neutral good. He was fathered by Aler and a female human, Nia Sundara, after Aler became stricken by her and adopted a temporary mortal form. Nia declined Aler’s offer to become a god, and so Khalreshaar was born half-human, half-god. He teaches love and acceptance to those of mixed heritage, offering his temples as a shelter when no one else will give them one. Temples of Khalreshaar are found in many cities, but there are not as many as he would like. Half-breeds are generally his only worshippers. Clerics of this deity are instructed to seek out and defeat all forms of racism and intolerance toward half-breeds. He is associated with the domains of Good, Protection, and Healing. Images of Khalreshaar depict him as a person with two races, such as half elf half dragon, half human half dwarf, etc. His favored weapon is the Double-Bladed Sword.

The Filth

The goddess of lies, the Filth is chaotic evil. Daughter of Thanatius and Ladara, the Filth spreads discord and deceit among all creatures, mortal and god alike. It is believed that she has existed since before the Great Cosmos War, and that she was the one who sowed the original dissent among the demons. Her worshippers include evil rogues, bards, spies, etc. Drow are also known to worship her. She is associated with the domains of Chaos, Darkness, Trickery, and Shadow. Her favored weapon is the Dagger. She is represented as a woman enveloped in a black cloak, brandishing a dagger. A hood covers her face, leaving only glowing yellow eyes to be seen.

The Murder

The god of death, the Murder is lawful evil. All forms of death, such as disease, killing, suicide, lawful execution, and any other form of mortification, bring a morbid joy to the Murder’s long dead heart. All are equal in the Murder’s cold realm. Every living thing is an affront to him, and each death delights him greatly. Any prayers to him to appease him simply attract his attention and bring the mortal’s swift doom. The Murder’s clerics commit murders as offerings to their deity. If their actions are discovered, they move on to new hunting grounds. Some take up the wandering life and put on innocent faces as they move from town to town, murdering a few people and then moving on. He is associated with the domains Death, Destruction, Evil, and Trickery. His favored weapon is a Scythe, and he appears as a lich carrying a giant glowing red scythe.

The Carnage

The god of chaos, the Carnage is chaotic evil. It is a stretch to even call this unthinking force of pure destruction a god. The Carnage lives only to maim, kill, and destroy every form of Iluvitaad’s creation. This god is believed to have been born of Thanatius’ insanity and hatred for Iluvitaad. It takes a person even more evil than a cleric of Thanatius to worship the Carnage. The only form of prayer it recognizes is destruction, and it smiles on those that destroy simply out of a desire to destroy. The idea of building temples is contrary to the Carnage’s very nature. Its domains are Chaos, Destruction, Evil, and War. It is depicted as a hulking humanoid with broken chains hanging from its wrists and ankles, carrying a Greatclub, its favored weapon.

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