The formation of idols, or proto-gods, into structured pantheons is a phenomenon that could arguably predate written history. While the shifting potency and goals of the warious gods may predispose them to individualism, pantheons provide the security of symbiosis and association in a worshipping population.
As history has allow the evolution of the written word – and thus the concept of cultural pathos – the people of Arreia began to observe the three forms of god-change: eclipse, evolution, and enervation. As gods represent the impact of consciousness on mundane matter (see: Theories on the Foundation of Consciousness, by Andaillor of Alaron), their territories can become supplanted, expanded, or inconsequential, and by these changes can new gods be made.
However, in recent decades, an unprecedented reformation has occurred as gods have merged with one another. Now, and for the past one hundred years, the major pantheons have all consisted of same, sometimes renamed, nine gods – and a dwindling number of minor gods. The host of minor gods is being slowly conflagrated into the major gods.
What is causing this is currently unknown to the scholars of Arreia.
GODS OF THE PANTHEON
The major gods of the pantheon align with areas of thinking amongst the members of the sentient populations, and thus each of them is associated with a level of civilised behaviour (whether a god is lawful or chaotic) and a level of moral ethos (whether a god is good or evil).
These gods have their own names in different civilisations, but are the most influential nodes in religious societies the world over. They are:
Asmodeus. The Tyrant, the god of despots and hatred. His sigil is three triangles overlapping, and is associated with devils and demons.
Ioun. The Watcher, the goddess of knowledge and patience. Her sigil is a stylised eye, and she is associated with the arcane magics and libraries.
Kord. The Blade, the god of strength and knights. His sigil is a sword with a lightning bolt crossguard, and he is associated with rage and weapons.
Melora. The Balance, the goddess of nature and tempests. Her sigil is the spiral, or three swirls, and she is associated with natural disasters and change.
Moradin. The Creator, the god of innovation and metals. His sigil is an anvil with a star, and he is associated with forges and the act of invention.
Pelor. The Light, the god of the sun and the harvest. His sigil is a circle surrounded by six lines, and he is associated with the daytime, righteousness, and protection.
Sehanine. The Night, the goddess of the moon and dreaming. Her sigil is a crescent moon, and she is associated with messengers and solitude.
Vecna. The Usurper, the god/goddess of evil secrets and ambition. Their sigil is a cracked skull, and they are associated with lies and coups.
Zehir. The Madness, the goddess of poison and trickery. Her sigil is a snake in the shape of a dagger, and she is associated with insanity and greed.
These gods form the major gods of every pantheon in the world, though due to cultural differences their names and domains may change slightly to adhere to the local pathos.
For instance, Vecna’s worshippers in the Sattinorian Empire picture him as a robed man with a skull mask and one eye – in Endon, Vecna is a woman in a cloak holding an eye in her hand, whereas in the Underdark caverns, Vecna’s domain is controlled by Lolth, a spider-goddess. Whether or not Lolth is truly Vecna or another minor god with the same domain is a point of argument.
Worshipping specific gods will allow them to grant boons to their champions or avatars. The details are below.