Lanefan
Victoria Rules
Quite some time ago I dreamed up a basic framework for the pantheons that I can now use for any game I ever run - all I have to do is fill in some names.
The framework goes thusly (the following is about 4 pages of text summarized):
There are three primary dualities in the universe: Good-Evil, Male-Female, and (to a lesser extent) Law-Chaos. To begin with there were 5 deities:
Az-sath-hoat (Azathoth) – One of all aspects, Neutral (and All)
Moeratin (Moradin) – He who shines, Male Good
Mamma San (Mimosa) – She who nurtures, Female Good
Dyith-vader (Dispater) – He who darkens, Male Evil
Ell-drasil (Hel) – She who knows, Female Evil
The names in bold are what they are currently known as. Before long, these 5 realized they had bitten off more than they could chew, and that the duality of Law-Chaos had arisen. So, they created 16 more deities (again, bolded names are in current use), their initial spheres are listed below but these have changed quite a bit since:
Danu (Danaan) [Male Neutral Good] – Water-as-element in all forms, essential for life
Rillifane [Female Neutral Good] – Elves
Baravara (Bearovan) [Male Chaotic Good] – Gnomes
Cynthia (Artemis) [Female Chaotic Good] – Humans
Loknir (Loki) [Male Chaotic Neutral] – Life in general, evolution, and so on
Lirien (Luthien) [Female Chaotic Neutral] – Air-as-element in all forms, essential for life
Hraskos (Orcus) [Male Chaotic Evil] – Demons
Naudshir (Llolth)[Female Chaotic Evil] – Drow
Gruumsh [Male Neutral Evil] – Orcs
Morgana (Morrigan) [Female Neutral Evil] – Fire-as-element, essential for life
Sammael (Asmodeus) [Male Lawful Evil] – Devils
Teanor (Tiamat) [Female Lawful Evil] – Dragons
Clebourin (Clanggedon) [Male Lawful Neutral] – Dwarves
Azaghal (Azak-ki-khri, later Azak'hri) [Female Lawful Neutral] – Hobgoblins
Brahma (Bahamut) [Male Lawful Good] – Worlds that support life (later Earth-as-element also)
Haisestra (Isis) [Female Lawful Good] – Females
So, now I've got this framework every deity I ever dream up can simply be defined as an aspect of one of these 21. Makes my life much easier.
Most of the deities above are taken from one pantheon or another. Mimosa is pretty much our own creation, she ended up becoming the gentle Matron of Hobbitkind (nobody else wanted them). Azak'hri is also my own; I needed an ultra-Lawful deity for the in-these-campaigns highly intelligent Hobgoblins and so I dreamed Her up.
I keep the whole pantheons for game play purposes - for example the Norse have Thor, Odin, Sif, etc. - but Thor is merely an apsect of Bahamut, Odin an aspect of Azathoth, Sif an aspect of Artemis, and so on...though don't try telling their followers that! As one of the 21 Loki, however, is real; as is Hel.
Lan-"pantheons take longer than any other aspect of world-building"-efan
The framework goes thusly (the following is about 4 pages of text summarized):
There are three primary dualities in the universe: Good-Evil, Male-Female, and (to a lesser extent) Law-Chaos. To begin with there were 5 deities:
Az-sath-hoat (Azathoth) – One of all aspects, Neutral (and All)
Moeratin (Moradin) – He who shines, Male Good
Mamma San (Mimosa) – She who nurtures, Female Good
Dyith-vader (Dispater) – He who darkens, Male Evil
Ell-drasil (Hel) – She who knows, Female Evil
The names in bold are what they are currently known as. Before long, these 5 realized they had bitten off more than they could chew, and that the duality of Law-Chaos had arisen. So, they created 16 more deities (again, bolded names are in current use), their initial spheres are listed below but these have changed quite a bit since:
Danu (Danaan) [Male Neutral Good] – Water-as-element in all forms, essential for life
Rillifane [Female Neutral Good] – Elves
Baravara (Bearovan) [Male Chaotic Good] – Gnomes
Cynthia (Artemis) [Female Chaotic Good] – Humans
Loknir (Loki) [Male Chaotic Neutral] – Life in general, evolution, and so on
Lirien (Luthien) [Female Chaotic Neutral] – Air-as-element in all forms, essential for life
Hraskos (Orcus) [Male Chaotic Evil] – Demons
Naudshir (Llolth)[Female Chaotic Evil] – Drow
Gruumsh [Male Neutral Evil] – Orcs
Morgana (Morrigan) [Female Neutral Evil] – Fire-as-element, essential for life
Sammael (Asmodeus) [Male Lawful Evil] – Devils
Teanor (Tiamat) [Female Lawful Evil] – Dragons
Clebourin (Clanggedon) [Male Lawful Neutral] – Dwarves
Azaghal (Azak-ki-khri, later Azak'hri) [Female Lawful Neutral] – Hobgoblins
Brahma (Bahamut) [Male Lawful Good] – Worlds that support life (later Earth-as-element also)
Haisestra (Isis) [Female Lawful Good] – Females
So, now I've got this framework every deity I ever dream up can simply be defined as an aspect of one of these 21. Makes my life much easier.
Most of the deities above are taken from one pantheon or another. Mimosa is pretty much our own creation, she ended up becoming the gentle Matron of Hobbitkind (nobody else wanted them). Azak'hri is also my own; I needed an ultra-Lawful deity for the in-these-campaigns highly intelligent Hobgoblins and so I dreamed Her up.
I keep the whole pantheons for game play purposes - for example the Norse have Thor, Odin, Sif, etc. - but Thor is merely an apsect of Bahamut, Odin an aspect of Azathoth, Sif an aspect of Artemis, and so on...though don't try telling their followers that!
As one of the 21 Loki, however, is real; as is Hel.Lan-"pantheons take longer than any other aspect of world-building"-efan
