The Gods of Lankhmer

There is no room for anyone to question the presence of the gods in Lankhmer. Even the most astute and agnostic of scientific minds in the current day and age cannot help but acknowledge the force of divinity in the universe. In fact, science in some ways supports the claims of magical observation, in terms of the construction and layout of the planes.

In a world where everything stems from the remains of dead divinity, and life as modern peoples know it is but a fragment of a god's existence, there seems to be no way to determine how many gods could exist. We can hardly even know how many gods mankind has been able to record in its time in existence! All we can do is count the ones that we know or believe to exist.

These gods have in recent times been sometimes known as the High Gods in scientific sectors, but are more commonly just referred to as the gods. Scholars often see fit to organize a so-called pantheon of these gods, regardless of possible sacrilegious implications.


The Edean Gods:

Bacidicar, the Golden Scale: God of Work, Commerce, Betterment, and Labors. He is worshiped in the Empire of Mandoria. He is believed to reward hard work, and punish laziness as well as unproductive efforts. He is believed to have made Mandor his highest ranking assistant. He is worshipped in many places in the northern realms of men.

Lon, the White Pitcher: God of Acceptance - particularly of Change, Soothing, and Humility. He was worshiped as a slave god in ancient Numidia, becoming chief god in Old Londor, and is the monotheistic god for modern Londar today. His worship has spread far across the kingdoms of men, and he is regarded as the chief diety ascribed to pious orders.
Other gods that were worshiped in Old Londor are:

• Anzelas, the Unblinking Herald.
  
• Borrodor, the Unfeathered Instigator.
  

Phoseus, Bull of the Sky: Chief god for the ancient Aquidorians, and the principle deity for the modern Aquidorian State within Achea. Phoseus is believed to be lord of the sky, and the master of fire. His worship today is somewhat rare outside of Achea.
Other gods worshipped with Phoseus include:

• Melas, Mother of Summer.
  
• Tysos, Master of the Waves.
  
• Golgamestes, Shining War God.
  
• Hadast, the Hundred Hands of the Underworld.
  
• Boltos, the Winged Light.
  
• Benidi, the Harvest Lady.
  
• And presumably other gods, though none others are clearly distinguishable over demi-gods or heroes.
  

Shumahs-Akkad Pat, Father Moon-Eye: God of Light, Wisdom, and Proper Judgement. He is worshipped in the Akkadic State of Achea, and his worship is often an act involving heavy meditation, contemplation, trascending of the self, and reflection. He is also said to have given the Moonsign to mortals. Many scholars, mages, or worldly people worship him.

Another deity worshipped with Shumahs-Akkad Pat is his wife, Anaitel-Sep Mat, Mother Dark-Sea. She was the goddess of Darkness, Mystery, and Passion. Her worship used to exist as a Dualism with Shumahs-Akkad Pat, but Bacharium propaganda hurt her worship, portraying her as an evil queen. Her worship is rebuilding, establishing her true identity. She is in no way evil, only mysterious and impulsive.

Shai-Pao-Lengshu, God of the Martial Tennants: A deity believed to have risen from mankind, Shai-Pao-Lengshu's spheres reflect those of his life of military excellence. Competence, honor, and sacrifice. He is depicted as the sublime reason that can destroy any problem, the ultimate force of mankind. His worship is extremely limited, practically all of it limted to Shena.

Nagetsakusuki, Flowerbud Maiden: Goddess of Household Honor, Lineage, and Ceremony. Once the chief duty of the Shenese people, she was systematically removed from public worship by Shai-Pao-Lengshu, though unlawful remnants of her still exist in the society of Shena, and her worship is isolated - but present - outside of Shena.

Sha, the Life Force of the Nuzeeri: The Nuzeeri believe in an all-involved force called ‘Sha’ Or Life, as it would be loosely translated. They hold the belief that all things share the energy that Sha provides and that the Nuzeeri are responsible for the continuation of life. To accommodate this, they have particular practices involving birth, and the expectation of mates in their society.

Tebkhesh-Atta, The Prime Archon, The First and Last.: Stygia was imperiled by internal strife when it fell; four Archons ruled the magocracy in a display of power that seemed godlike. When the first of them did die, the others turned upon themselves. The strongest of them, withstood their countless advances, and with the worship of Sep - as many in the magocracy kept even before it became Sabbaht - was the last among them to live. He was debatably the strongest archmage in Stygia's histories, and was rumored to have conjured the spirit of the first archon for guidance. None know what happened to him, but all of Stygian histories argue that he never died. The most popular theory is that he ventured into Sep's sleeping chamber single-handedly, having summoned the first archon's spirit and bound it to his body, to join the god - and become a god himself.

His departure left a new archmage in his place, but his rule and traditions revering Sep would pave the way for Sabbaht to rise. Many would revere him as a messiah figure, but there are some who wonder if he did not achieve godhood himself - and that he would smile upon those who lived in his nation, holy to Sep and the teachings of sorcerous power. His veneration as a messiah is undoubted in Sabbaht, but to openly worship him as a god is grave sacrilege where the punishment is death.

Numidon, Father of Dragons: An ancient deity, chief of the ancient Numidian peoples, depicted as a great dragon who breathed black fire that destroyed all things. His spheres were rightful destruction, sovereign command, and the right to command. This deity has largely been lost to history, save the few whom research him and find appeal in ancient Numidia or its god. Those that do often keep it secret, for rumor of dangerous Numid cults.

Debukutshezarr, Beastmaster: An ancient deity, belonging to the rival peoples of ancient Bacchus, the Viditites. He was the lord of hunt, domestication, and dominating. Depicted as a Puma-man on the back of a golden charriot drawn by birds. His worship has been entirely wiped out by the Bacchus people, his name only known to the scholars who read the histories.

Ubu, The Shining Ibis: Believed to have been worshipped by the far ancient ancestors of the Ibanasallan peoples, the ibis depicted god known as Ubu seems to have been the god of fair seasons and the sewing of bountiful harvests. His worship has remained intact through few key ascetic practices that survived with the people today, which have aided modern scholars in exploring ancient ruins.

Kstensidi, The Blood Spider: Believed to have been worshipped by the far ancient ancestors of the Stygian peoples in mankinds deepest prehistories, this god is depicted as a monstrous spider made of lightning bolts, and is characterized by deadly strength. Little is known about the validity of this ancient claim, no histories remaining of the Stygians that remark on the exodus that birthed them, and what gods they carried before the magocracy.



The Asdean Gods:

Wotann the Horned-Chief: Wotann the Horned-Chief was the wise one, and was chief of all things mortal in the world before. He is the strength given to mortals at their birth,  he favors perseverance, wisdom, and humility. His followers live honorable lives to appease him and the gods of his tribe. His family of gods is worshipped throughout the southern nations, primarily in Jorren.
Many of the southern Asdean religions seem to involve similar gods, suggesting either interaction between the peoples, a shared ancestry, or both.
Other gods that lived alongside Wotann, Horned-Chief.

• Morgana, Autumn Hawk. War Widow, Goddess of Nature and Perseverance.
  
• Grimnir, Stormbringer. God of battle, passion, storms, and justice.
  
• Wolgarr, Wolfcaller. God of fertility, harvest, and discipline.
  
• Vrigirdr, Voicecatcher. God of intellect, observation, and propriety.
  
• Ymlokr, Icebearer. God of patience, vengeance, and fairness.
  
• Udrun, Shadowstone. God of the dark, the unknown, and guardian of the dead.
  
• Ilhasi, Songwoman. Goddess of joy, familial closeness, and song.
  

Ymloch the Ice Titan: Ymloch the Ice Titan is the god of justice, fairness in all things, retribution, and persistence. His corpse, slain before the times of man, is the ice atop every mountain. He is life giver, to which the Gauden people respect by living their lives to the fullest. The Fiondar, ancestors to the modern Gauden people of Gaudeny are believed to have at one point believed in many other gods alongside Ymloch, but their writings focus entirely on Ymloch and their heroes.
Many of the southern Asdean religions seem to involve similar gods, suggesting either interaction between the peoples, a shared ancestry, or both.


Elhas, the Sea Maiden The patron of song, of fruitful endeavor, and growth. She is wife to another god, but she has the primary power of the household, and is often most respected. Her favorite pass-time is solving riddles, and many of the Brandur folk prize their cunning wit, their social skill, and cultural expression.
Many of the southern Asdean religions seem to involve similar gods, suggesting either interaction between the peoples, a shared ancestry, or both.
Other gods that lived alongside Elhas.

• Wulgas, Harvestfox. God of health, harvest, and strength.
  
• Morrigan, Ravenmoon. Goddess of rebirth, of the seasons, and coming change.
  
• Vindmir, Noble Horse. God of war and swiftness.
  
• Jignaldr, Wordkeeper. God of writing, trade, and knowledge.
  

Fillas, the Dreamkeeper: Matron of subsisting, survival by any means, remembrance, and dreams. She is regarded as saving the Ibanasalla peoples from doom by means of her aspects living on, and entering the dreams of the peoples during their time of need. Worship of her is quite rare and select, but many rites that respect all of the known gods make mention of her.


Morgitaug, the Ironchief: God of the Moors of Moorland, and their ancestors, Morgitaug was the god of frenzy, brutality, and right by conquest. The Moors were dissolved systematically by Bacharium and Mandoria both in their generations, all the idols and talks of Morgitaug cast down and burned. Some scholars question the validity of the remaining portrayal of Morgitaug by Mandoria, but it seems we will never know. Some warrior groups take up the portrayal of Morgitaug worship to demoralize their foes. No true practices or cloisters of Morgitaug remain.


Tixuatrotzeci, The White-Star Man: An ancient god trickling in the removed cloisters of ancient Brandurland, this deity seems to be entwined with nameless elder ruins. Wise women tell of a man in the stars who knew how to fashion hope and despair from their power, that he watches from his resting-place high in the sky. They say he does not live for his is the power that moves the stars.


Quas, the Earth Bones: Known only in the earliest foundations of civilization in the earliest prehistories. In the ancestor nation Quen, there was a god whom was the bones of all the world. His worship was the worship of bones, dead ancestors, and the unseen spirits of power. He is depicted as being older than the world, that it was born of his bones. Quas has no modern worship, save perhaps rare pursuers of esoteric knowledge.


Paon, the Weeping Maiden: Perceived by some dwarves and Nuzeeri as the forerunner of existence, and the creator of the natural world; the Weeping Maiden is a somewhat reclusive goddess in the scheme of history. Her worship has always been seen as somewhat taboo by the rare secluded groups of dwarves, or Nuzeeri that have found her. Structures in the desert that predate history seem to indicate worship to the goddess quite intensely. She is associated with the greatest river known, taking its name from her - the Paondyn; the Paon Weeping. The old dwarf name for the Eastern Lankhmer continent is Paondynar.




The Aordean Gods:

Sep, the Sleeping Serpent: Known for fostering powerful magics in mages and their societies, in Sabbaht reigns the priestcraft. Believed to be asleep, and dealing with the world in dreams, his power is said to be unfathomable. He is appeased by displays of power, and sometimes drug meditation is used to help receive visions from the god. Presumed to fall in line with the spheres he is symbolically depicted of, Sep's spheres are Lightning, mental control or command, and all of serpent-kind.


Kylikki, the Witching Spirit: In Dolfnweiss at one point in history, before joining with Jorrenland to become Jerren, a wide outbreak of Aordean worship swept the coast lands. Whole settlements given to the cold and uncaring worship of Kylikki, a thing of the deep cold waters. She was said to find joy in the subservience of mankind, and taking thrall anything that she could to grow her power within. The Kylikki Sagas in modern Jorren are common tales known by most, said to derive from a written account of the time wherein great heroes of the land destroyed her thralls and banished her back into the sea.


Boad, the Drinker: Few things are as horrible as the scenes found of those who find it necessary to reach out to the god of gluttony. Boad is an Aordean god whom most learned mortals immediately associate with the particular sins of gluttony, sloth, and lust. His twisted perversions know no end, and though seeming to lure humans in with a promise for power, and a genuine concern - it seems his greatest motivations come from twisting humans and produce scenes that are truly grotesque and macabre. Self-mutilation, loathsome polymorphing, mass suicide, breaking of the psyche, drama of the darkest sort - Boad enjoys it all.

Iskeskeskiib, The Bale of the Dark: Of all the Aordean gods known in our world, perhaps the most unique is Iskeskeskiib. He is known only in that he is acknowledged in history. In the fabled dark arts of many peoples throughout history peer into dark places, in between places, and at things mortals were not meant to be. None know what Iskeskeskiib holds as dominion, and though none can know the gods - one must wonder if even other gods can know Iskeskeskiib. He is depicted in unfathomable, non-euclidean scope, with only a single motivation that is revealed through his - those that speak of him are hunted by some impossible force so great that they have simply accepted their fate. They know naught what it is that pursues them with a single-minded intent to chastise these mortals whom have transgressed their limits - but they know one thing. If they are surrounded by ancient darkness, pooling towards them, they can hear the horrible and unimaginable whisper of something no mortal was meant to hear. The sound these whispers make is Iskeskeskiib.

Dolormin, the Shining One: There will never be a true count of all the gods that have been, or will be, mankind must accept this. Though, there is one god in the annals of history that might. There is one Aordean form that lingers at the fringe of existence with an inborn power that is unlike any other, one that promises doom upon all things. That being is Dolormin, the Shining One, the Bringer of Doom and the Ascendant. He differs from all other gods, that if he possesses a sphere at all - it is unadulterated and total destruction; he seems to mirror the raw force of entropy that exists within The Abyss. He shines with an unmitigated brightness, and any whom attempt to reach out to him are said to be burned from existence in all but the rarest cases. Nothing, not even the gods can behold him alone, and with his hands he may have the power to bring forth his promises of total annihilation. None seem to know how he came to be, just like any god - though some may wonder what the gods even know of Dolormin.