A religious system or pantheon for a setting

[Gilladian]

I'm reading and thinking and plotting. This whole discussion is terrific! I'll post a first draft over the weekend.

 

[Gilladian]

Here's what I've written so far:
Six Bestial Gods
Dragon - Soul - Charisma - Life/Greed/Fate Lawful
Phoenix - Fire - Intelligence - Birth, Creation Chaotic
Sphinx - Earth - Wisdom - Cunning/ Neutral
Kraken - Water - Constitution - Death/afterlife Chaotic
Gorgon - Metal - Strength - Construction Neutral
Djinni- Air - Dexterity Oaths/Curses Lawful


Dragon (Idros)
Element: Soul
Statistic: Charisma
Domains: Life, Fate, Greed, Wealth and Prosperity
Alignment: Lawful

Idros is worshipped by those who wish to avoid an evil fate, who desire wealth and power, or who believe that they can win his blessing on their mercantile activities. He is also given gifts for the good of the souls of relatives who may be experiencing difficult times.

Phoenix (Dyphion)
Element: Fire
Statistic: Intelligence
Domains: birth or rebirth, happiness, creation and art; also frenzy and madness
Alignment: chaotic
Dyphion is worshipped by women desiring fertility, and artists in the throes of creativity, and is propitiated by those who fear madness, hysteria and imbalances of the body or mind.

Sphinx (Kyses)
Element: Earth
Statistic: Wisdom
Domains: crops and growing things, grapes and wine, cleverness that is both good but also the sharpness which harms, also language and speech, riddles and games.
Alignment: Neutral
Kyses is worshipped by those who love pleasure as the god of wine and revelry, and by those who love cleverness as the god of riddles and games. Those who dislike the effects of strong drink, licentious behavior, and trickery may try to propitiate him.

Kraken (Xammos)
Element: Water
Statistic: Constitution
Domains: Storms, Death and the Afterlife, Darkness
Alignment: Chaotic
Xammos is worshipped mostly by those who wish to propitiate him, to avoid death, to calm the seas and to sustain life through the night. However, some also offer him sacrifices and gifts for the dead, hoping to improve the lives of their deceased kin.


Gorgon (Hirdion)
Element: Metal
Statistic: Strength
Domains: Craftsmanship and Construction, Artistry, Harshness, Brute strength and Force
Alignmnent: Neutral
Hirdion is the metal bull, worshipped by craftspeople and miners, also by soldiers and fighters of all sorts. He is propitiated by those who seek to avoid brutality and desire peace.

Djinni (Gyarith)
Element: Air
Statistic: Dexterity
Domains: oaths and promises, curses; emotion and energy
Alignment: Lawful
Gyarith is worshipped by those who feel strongly about almost anything; he represents great joy and deep hatred. He is offered propitiation to sooth emotions that are best avoided, and given gifts by those who are in the throes of great passion or joy. When a great oath or treaty is signed, he is invoked, and when a promise is broken, he must be calmed.


These six gods are not seen as beings with human temperaments and relationships, but far more like fates or forces of nature. No human believes that any god will directly and purposefully grant them a desire or wish, but they know that the energies the gods generate affect their lives, and that by offering to the gods, they can focus or blunt the effects of those forces on their lives.

Between these gods and the peoples of the earth there are many layers of beings; they are the celestial bureaucracy, and are far more “interested” in the mundane world than the gods themselves. These Servitors, both good and evil in their personal natures, are what we might call “demons”, “devils”, “angels” or “spirits”. While they rarely walk the earth in physical form, it is possible for them to do so. It is also possible to pray directly to them, to summon them, or to petition them for redress. Some of these beings are hugely powerful, and have near-godlike agendas of their own, while others are mere servants of more powerful entities, and may be forced to act by mere mortals. There is a complex hierarchy of these beings, and one of the roles of priests in this world is to negotiate that hierarchy and represent the needs of the worshippers to the correct Servitor in the correct way.

I'm set on the basic structure; the idea of six bestial gods, the servitors of both good and evil nature, and that the gods are indifferent, far removed, and inhuman. However, I'm still not certain I've completely settled on the nature of each god, or its name, or the domains they represent. I'm even open to changing the gorgon and djinni to different beings/beasts. I also intend to assign each deity a season, a day of the week, and some symbols/colors. Any and all suggestions for these, and for how I could describe and set up the celestial hierarchy would be more than welcome.

Then I'll go to work on other aspects of the world, such as the various city structures, alliances and enmities, etc... I do so LOVE world design!

 

[Samloyal23]

The term gorgon goes back to the Greek myth of Medusa. She was one of several gorgons, the only who was mortal and could be slain. I am not sure where the mechanical bull entered the picture. What are your servitor races going to be? Will you have a Neutral one to balance against both Good and Evil? What about a Roc instead of a djinni for the element of Air? Or maybe a Thunderbird or some other type of aerial creature that is less humanoid in appearance?

 

[Gilladian]

I think the metal bull gorgon was introduced by Gary Gygax; it came from a medieval bestiary, if I recall correctly. But I like it... despite the potential confusion with the "true gorgon".

I did think about a Roc for air. I'll keep thinking about it, because yeah, I'm not entirely comfortable with the djinni as a god. Especially since I'm leaning towards having one of my world's cities ruled by a djinn.

My whole world lacks a name, too.