Aldarc
Legend
I will be running a campaign for a new group of players set in the Nentir Vale of Nerath, which is a setting that I mostly enjoy due to its mythical character and PoL sandbox style design that is reminiscent of old Greyhawk. The one major adjustment that I am making to the setting is with its pantheon: the Dawn War Pantheon, as it is commonly called. So I wanted to share that on the forum.
General Design Thoughts: First, the basic idea of the Dawn War remains. Gods and primordials fight, with casualties on both side, which eventually leads to a truce that becomes the new status quo.
I wanted to remove the deities who ascended from mortality (e.g., Nerull, Raven Queen,* Vecna), partially to further distance this project from Mike Mearls's version of the Nentir Vale where the gods are ascended mortals. (That campaign, btw, went off the rails.) I also wanted the gods to represent family units with complex relations because this is commonly how people think about and structure pantheons (see Scarred Lands, Book of the Righteous, the Sovereign Host of Eberron, etc.). So a lot of this represents how mortals, particularly those of the (faded) Nerath Empire view the gods.
As such, I reassembled the gods into new family relations with new origins and stories, adding new gods to fill in the gaps. This means that some deities no longer have the familial relations they once did (e.g., Bane and Kord as brothers). Also while certain species may favor certain deities over others due to their various cultures, there is less of an emphasis on racial gods. I also dislike how most evil gods are presented, because I believe that when players see "evil" in the deity's alignment, a lot of the potential moral complexity shuts off. Also, I believe that even evil gods should have a reason why good people may follow them. So why do people venerate Bane openly? Because he leads the armies of the gods, he is the brother of Erathis and Moradin, the brother-in-law of Pelor, and he gets results while serving the greater goals of furthering civilization.
* Perhaps the biggest change was the decision to combine Lloth with the Raven Queen. I preferred the idea that speaking the actual name of the Raven Queen is a cultural taboo rather than the idea that she erased her name from existence. I also liked the idea that if Corellon is associated with the Feywild then Lloth would be their dark fey counterpart in the Shadowfell. These are two key factors that led to the merger of Lloth with the Raven Queen, though I'm sure this decision rankles the nerves of grognards everywhere.
So without further ado...
Asmodeus: god of tyranny, sin, schemes, ambition, and corruption. Mostly unchanged. Killed Pholtus ("He Who Was").
Astara (new): goddess of the stars, dreams, mourning, mercy, and widows. She is the Queen of the Heavens and Pholtus was her husband before being betrayed by Asmodeus. Fearing the eruption of war between the gods spurred by the death of Pholtus, she remarried Bahamut, who became the new Sovereign of the Heavens. She is the mother of Zehir, Pelor, and Sehanine with Pholtus.
Avandra: goddess of luck, trade, travel, and freedom. She is the daughter of Melora and Moradin, sister to Kord, and half-sister to Gruumsh. She inherited her wanderlust from her mother, though her penchant for trade stems from her father. In many tales she is a loyal adventuring companion to her brother Kord, often helping him overcome foes through wit and charm rather than brute force. Avandra opposes the tyranny of Asmodeus.
Bahamut: god of the Astral Sea, nobility, rulership, and justice. Bahamut is the Sovereign of the High Heavens, the Guardian of the Astral Sea, and Liege of the Gods. Bahamut is believed to represent the ideals of Io. Bahamut is the father of Melora with Tiamat. After the death of Pholtus, Bahamut was given many of his responsibilities as a result of his marriage to Astara.
Bane: god of conquest, war, strategy, and victory. He leads the armies of heaven in battle against their various foes. Bane is single-minded in his desire to bring the triumph of order, civilization, and law over a chaotic universe. Bane is convinced that no one is more suitable for his role in this task than himself. When the future of the cosmos is at stake, the ends justify the means. Bane is the son of Haramathur, making him the brother of Erathis and Moradin.
Corellon: god of arcane magic, beauty, the arts, and summer. When Io died in the cosmogenesis that gave birth to the gods and primordials, Corellon was the god born from the tremendous arcane energies that Io’s death released. Corellon is the muse of the arts and magic. The mercurial Corellon is the master of many forms, variously depicted as male and female. They are the spouse of Sehanine, with whom they sired Kerun the Spring Prince and Garl the Merry Fool.
Erathis: goddess of civilization, cities, law, and invention. She is the sister of Bane and Moradin. She and her husband Pelor are regarded as the Queen and King of Light. (Mostly unchanged.)
Garl: The Merry Fool is the god of revelry, humor, wine, gates, and doorways. Though a god of mirth and festivity, Garl is also responsible for guarding doors and portals to other planes. People make dedications to him in the doors of their homes and the city gates. Garl is the son of Corellon and Sehanine, which makes him the brother of Kerun.
Gruumsh: god of slaughter, destruction, fury, and bloodshed. According to myth, when Bane saw that his brother Moradin and Melora produced the mighty Kord, he felt confident that any child he sired with Melora would surpass Kord in grandeur. Bane seduced Melora, who gave birth to Gruumsh. To the frustration of Bane, however, Gruumsh inherited the wild, untamed savagery of his mother. Bane rejected Gruumsh, but his son is said to follow in his wake everywhere Bane goes. He has a rivalry with his half-brother Kord.
Ioun: goddess of knowledge, skill, education, and divination. She is the patron of those who study all forms of magic. Ioun is daughter of Lendor and the sister of Tharizdun. His descent into madness is a somber reminder for Ioun of the risks that knowledge brings. She is a close ally, some even say lover, to both Pelor and Erathis, with whom she resides.
Kerun (new): The beautiful Spring Prince is the god of spring, fertility, vegetation, and rebirth when he resides in the Feywild; however, when he resides in the Shadowfell as the Horned King, he is the god of hunting, animals, and guiding dead souls to the Shadowfell. He is the dearest son of Corellon and Sehanine. Kerun was abducted by the Raven Queen and tricked into marriage, forcing Kerun to reside partially each year in the Shadowfell as the King of the Unseelie. Kerun, the Horned King, is tasked with Wild Hunts each year in search of rogue spirits of undeath that have escaped their fates.
Kord: god of strength, storms, athleticism, and battle. Kord is a jovial deity who embraces challenge, competition, and adventure. As the mightiest and bravest warrior of the High Heavens, people commonly regard Kord as the champion of the gods. Kord is the son of Moradin and Melora, brother to Avandra, and half-brother to Gruumsh.
Lloth, the Raven Queen: goddess of death, fate, rebirth, and winter. It is said that when Io died, death was introduced into the world, and Lloth was brought forth into being. She is the spinner of fate and the custodian of souls in the Shadowfell. People considered it an invitation to death to say her name, so surface-dwellers refer to her as ‘the Raven Queen’ while Underdark denizens prefer the name ‘the Spider Queen.’ She has a longstanding feud with Corellon, which began when she abducted and married his favorite son Kerun, the Prince Spring. In common folklore, the seasons represent the struggle between the Seelie Court of Corellon and the Unseelie Court of the Raven Queen. Torog and Zehir have both courted her favor to little avail.
Melora: goddess of the earth and sea, wilderness, and nature. Melora is the daughter of Bahamut and Tiamat. When their natures became too distinct from each other, it is said that the twin deities placed Melora between them, with both claiming that only they could only tolerate their beloved daughter’s presence beside them. She is the mother of Kord and Avandra by Moradin and the mother of Gruumsh by Bane. Earthquakes are said to be the birth pangs of Melora. Though Melora is said to love Moradin, she resists his desire for marriage. As a token for their love, however, Melora gifted Moradin with a glowing ember of her heart, which he safeguards as the hearth of the community.
Moradin: god of creation, artifice, masonry, metalworking, labor, and fatherhood. Moradin delights in crafting, the fruits of labor, and kinship. He is the main lover of Melora in stories, siring both Kord and Avandra with her, though she resists becoming his wife. Moradin is the brother of Bane and Erathis. He is responsible for crafting the arms of the gods and erecting the defenses of cities.
Pelor: god of the sun, agriculture, renewal, and healing/vitality. Pelor is the child of Pholtus and Astara, as well as the sibling of both Zehir and Sehanine. He is the spouse of Erathis, with whom mortals refer to as the “King and Queen of Light.” He is also a close ally of Ioun.
Sehanine: goddess of the moon, love, trickery, illusions, and autumn. As a lunar deity, her gentle light watches over mortals from Zehir’s darkness while Pelor rests from his watch. Sehanine is the daughter of Pholtus, and the sister of Pelor and Zehir. Corellon is her spouse, with whom she mothered Kerun, the Spring Prince and Horned King.
Tiamat: goddess of elemental chaos, natural disasters, and the mother of monsters. Many regard Tiamat as the "mother of monsters," many of whom were once unleashed with impunity by the Celestial forces against the giants, titans, and primordials during the Dawn War. Natural disasters are thought to be Tiamat’s attempts to exert her chaotic influence over Melora. Tiamat was once the lover of Bahamut, the Lord of Heaven, with whom she birthed Melora.
Torog: The Crawling King is the god of the Underdark, which is said to have been formed from Torog trying to escape his own imprisonment. He is the brother of Haramathur. The other gods cursed Torog for his perceived cowardice in fleeing to the Underdark amidst the Dawn War. Denizens of the Underdark, however, believe that Torog has been unjustly punished, recounting the story that Torog was tasked by his brother Haramathur to protect the peoples beneath the surface. Since Haramathur died, Torog’s side of the story cannot be verified. Nevertheless, Torog’s punishment has filled him with bitterness about the gods of the surface.
Yondalla: The Hearth Maiden is the goddess of the hearth, home, and family. She is the daughter of Pelor and Erathis. As a token of marriage, Pelor bequeathed to Erathis a portion of his flames to warm the homes of her cities. When Yondalla was born, she became the custodian and guardian of the sacred hearth that is maintained in every home and city. Her clergy usually serve within the temples of Erathis.
Zehir: god of darkness, fear, nightmares, and poison. Son of Pholtus and Astara, brother of Pelor and Sehanine. The three children of the sky agreed to divide up their father's domains after his death. As the eldest child, Zehir picked the darkness of night, believing that having mortals fear his might would bring many followers. However, much to his own resentment and anger, mortal worshipers instead flocked in far greater numbers to Pelor and Sehanine, who, respectively, chose governance over the sun and moon. Zehir opposes his brother Pelor, seeking the undisputed control over the skies.
General Design Thoughts: First, the basic idea of the Dawn War remains. Gods and primordials fight, with casualties on both side, which eventually leads to a truce that becomes the new status quo.
I wanted to remove the deities who ascended from mortality (e.g., Nerull, Raven Queen,* Vecna), partially to further distance this project from Mike Mearls's version of the Nentir Vale where the gods are ascended mortals. (That campaign, btw, went off the rails.) I also wanted the gods to represent family units with complex relations because this is commonly how people think about and structure pantheons (see Scarred Lands, Book of the Righteous, the Sovereign Host of Eberron, etc.). So a lot of this represents how mortals, particularly those of the (faded) Nerath Empire view the gods.
As such, I reassembled the gods into new family relations with new origins and stories, adding new gods to fill in the gaps. This means that some deities no longer have the familial relations they once did (e.g., Bane and Kord as brothers). Also while certain species may favor certain deities over others due to their various cultures, there is less of an emphasis on racial gods. I also dislike how most evil gods are presented, because I believe that when players see "evil" in the deity's alignment, a lot of the potential moral complexity shuts off. Also, I believe that even evil gods should have a reason why good people may follow them. So why do people venerate Bane openly? Because he leads the armies of the gods, he is the brother of Erathis and Moradin, the brother-in-law of Pelor, and he gets results while serving the greater goals of furthering civilization.
* Perhaps the biggest change was the decision to combine Lloth with the Raven Queen. I preferred the idea that speaking the actual name of the Raven Queen is a cultural taboo rather than the idea that she erased her name from existence. I also liked the idea that if Corellon is associated with the Feywild then Lloth would be their dark fey counterpart in the Shadowfell. These are two key factors that led to the merger of Lloth with the Raven Queen, though I'm sure this decision rankles the nerves of grognards everywhere.
So without further ado...
Asmodeus: god of tyranny, sin, schemes, ambition, and corruption. Mostly unchanged. Killed Pholtus ("He Who Was").
Astara (new): goddess of the stars, dreams, mourning, mercy, and widows. She is the Queen of the Heavens and Pholtus was her husband before being betrayed by Asmodeus. Fearing the eruption of war between the gods spurred by the death of Pholtus, she remarried Bahamut, who became the new Sovereign of the Heavens. She is the mother of Zehir, Pelor, and Sehanine with Pholtus.
Avandra: goddess of luck, trade, travel, and freedom. She is the daughter of Melora and Moradin, sister to Kord, and half-sister to Gruumsh. She inherited her wanderlust from her mother, though her penchant for trade stems from her father. In many tales she is a loyal adventuring companion to her brother Kord, often helping him overcome foes through wit and charm rather than brute force. Avandra opposes the tyranny of Asmodeus.
Bahamut: god of the Astral Sea, nobility, rulership, and justice. Bahamut is the Sovereign of the High Heavens, the Guardian of the Astral Sea, and Liege of the Gods. Bahamut is believed to represent the ideals of Io. Bahamut is the father of Melora with Tiamat. After the death of Pholtus, Bahamut was given many of his responsibilities as a result of his marriage to Astara.
Bane: god of conquest, war, strategy, and victory. He leads the armies of heaven in battle against their various foes. Bane is single-minded in his desire to bring the triumph of order, civilization, and law over a chaotic universe. Bane is convinced that no one is more suitable for his role in this task than himself. When the future of the cosmos is at stake, the ends justify the means. Bane is the son of Haramathur, making him the brother of Erathis and Moradin.
Corellon: god of arcane magic, beauty, the arts, and summer. When Io died in the cosmogenesis that gave birth to the gods and primordials, Corellon was the god born from the tremendous arcane energies that Io’s death released. Corellon is the muse of the arts and magic. The mercurial Corellon is the master of many forms, variously depicted as male and female. They are the spouse of Sehanine, with whom they sired Kerun the Spring Prince and Garl the Merry Fool.
Erathis: goddess of civilization, cities, law, and invention. She is the sister of Bane and Moradin. She and her husband Pelor are regarded as the Queen and King of Light. (Mostly unchanged.)
Garl: The Merry Fool is the god of revelry, humor, wine, gates, and doorways. Though a god of mirth and festivity, Garl is also responsible for guarding doors and portals to other planes. People make dedications to him in the doors of their homes and the city gates. Garl is the son of Corellon and Sehanine, which makes him the brother of Kerun.
Gruumsh: god of slaughter, destruction, fury, and bloodshed. According to myth, when Bane saw that his brother Moradin and Melora produced the mighty Kord, he felt confident that any child he sired with Melora would surpass Kord in grandeur. Bane seduced Melora, who gave birth to Gruumsh. To the frustration of Bane, however, Gruumsh inherited the wild, untamed savagery of his mother. Bane rejected Gruumsh, but his son is said to follow in his wake everywhere Bane goes. He has a rivalry with his half-brother Kord.
Ioun: goddess of knowledge, skill, education, and divination. She is the patron of those who study all forms of magic. Ioun is daughter of Lendor and the sister of Tharizdun. His descent into madness is a somber reminder for Ioun of the risks that knowledge brings. She is a close ally, some even say lover, to both Pelor and Erathis, with whom she resides.
Kerun (new): The beautiful Spring Prince is the god of spring, fertility, vegetation, and rebirth when he resides in the Feywild; however, when he resides in the Shadowfell as the Horned King, he is the god of hunting, animals, and guiding dead souls to the Shadowfell. He is the dearest son of Corellon and Sehanine. Kerun was abducted by the Raven Queen and tricked into marriage, forcing Kerun to reside partially each year in the Shadowfell as the King of the Unseelie. Kerun, the Horned King, is tasked with Wild Hunts each year in search of rogue spirits of undeath that have escaped their fates.
Kord: god of strength, storms, athleticism, and battle. Kord is a jovial deity who embraces challenge, competition, and adventure. As the mightiest and bravest warrior of the High Heavens, people commonly regard Kord as the champion of the gods. Kord is the son of Moradin and Melora, brother to Avandra, and half-brother to Gruumsh.
Lloth, the Raven Queen: goddess of death, fate, rebirth, and winter. It is said that when Io died, death was introduced into the world, and Lloth was brought forth into being. She is the spinner of fate and the custodian of souls in the Shadowfell. People considered it an invitation to death to say her name, so surface-dwellers refer to her as ‘the Raven Queen’ while Underdark denizens prefer the name ‘the Spider Queen.’ She has a longstanding feud with Corellon, which began when she abducted and married his favorite son Kerun, the Prince Spring. In common folklore, the seasons represent the struggle between the Seelie Court of Corellon and the Unseelie Court of the Raven Queen. Torog and Zehir have both courted her favor to little avail.
Melora: goddess of the earth and sea, wilderness, and nature. Melora is the daughter of Bahamut and Tiamat. When their natures became too distinct from each other, it is said that the twin deities placed Melora between them, with both claiming that only they could only tolerate their beloved daughter’s presence beside them. She is the mother of Kord and Avandra by Moradin and the mother of Gruumsh by Bane. Earthquakes are said to be the birth pangs of Melora. Though Melora is said to love Moradin, she resists his desire for marriage. As a token for their love, however, Melora gifted Moradin with a glowing ember of her heart, which he safeguards as the hearth of the community.
Moradin: god of creation, artifice, masonry, metalworking, labor, and fatherhood. Moradin delights in crafting, the fruits of labor, and kinship. He is the main lover of Melora in stories, siring both Kord and Avandra with her, though she resists becoming his wife. Moradin is the brother of Bane and Erathis. He is responsible for crafting the arms of the gods and erecting the defenses of cities.
Pelor: god of the sun, agriculture, renewal, and healing/vitality. Pelor is the child of Pholtus and Astara, as well as the sibling of both Zehir and Sehanine. He is the spouse of Erathis, with whom mortals refer to as the “King and Queen of Light.” He is also a close ally of Ioun.
Sehanine: goddess of the moon, love, trickery, illusions, and autumn. As a lunar deity, her gentle light watches over mortals from Zehir’s darkness while Pelor rests from his watch. Sehanine is the daughter of Pholtus, and the sister of Pelor and Zehir. Corellon is her spouse, with whom she mothered Kerun, the Spring Prince and Horned King.
Tiamat: goddess of elemental chaos, natural disasters, and the mother of monsters. Many regard Tiamat as the "mother of monsters," many of whom were once unleashed with impunity by the Celestial forces against the giants, titans, and primordials during the Dawn War. Natural disasters are thought to be Tiamat’s attempts to exert her chaotic influence over Melora. Tiamat was once the lover of Bahamut, the Lord of Heaven, with whom she birthed Melora.
Torog: The Crawling King is the god of the Underdark, which is said to have been formed from Torog trying to escape his own imprisonment. He is the brother of Haramathur. The other gods cursed Torog for his perceived cowardice in fleeing to the Underdark amidst the Dawn War. Denizens of the Underdark, however, believe that Torog has been unjustly punished, recounting the story that Torog was tasked by his brother Haramathur to protect the peoples beneath the surface. Since Haramathur died, Torog’s side of the story cannot be verified. Nevertheless, Torog’s punishment has filled him with bitterness about the gods of the surface.
Yondalla: The Hearth Maiden is the goddess of the hearth, home, and family. She is the daughter of Pelor and Erathis. As a token of marriage, Pelor bequeathed to Erathis a portion of his flames to warm the homes of her cities. When Yondalla was born, she became the custodian and guardian of the sacred hearth that is maintained in every home and city. Her clergy usually serve within the temples of Erathis.
Zehir: god of darkness, fear, nightmares, and poison. Son of Pholtus and Astara, brother of Pelor and Sehanine. The three children of the sky agreed to divide up their father's domains after his death. As the eldest child, Zehir picked the darkness of night, believing that having mortals fear his might would bring many followers. However, much to his own resentment and anger, mortal worshipers instead flocked in far greater numbers to Pelor and Sehanine, who, respectively, chose governance over the sun and moon. Zehir opposes his brother Pelor, seeking the undisputed control over the skies.
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