Taruhmite pantheon

The Taruhmite pantheon (pronounced tah-ROOM-ite) is one of the major regional pantheons on Kishar. While it bears some similarities to the Dwarven pantheon, specifically in its origin stories, it has a very different set of gods, all of whom are appeased rather than worshiped. The Taruhmite pantheon is followed almost exclusively by the dwarven peoples of the Wounds.

Overview

The antagonistic deities of the Taruhmite pantheon are powerful figures, yet they are not so much worshiped as placated in order to keep them at bay. Each god, if not contented, will bring great danger to bear against those who anger them, and are therefore given regular offerings and sacrifices to ensure they remain at a distance. Interpreting the wishes of these deities is critical to Taruhmite religious life, as one wrong move could easily spell doom.

Theologically, the Taruhmite and Dwarven pantheons begin similarly. The world was created by their first gods, ageless yet mortal ur-dwarves, who then formed the Kingdom of Gold and Iron, a subterranean paradise to be populated by their mortal children. There they guided the first dwarven civilization on Kishar to wealth and glory, but this did not last, for the Kingdom eventually grew too full for the gods. Ascending into an etheric form, they left behind guidance for their children to help them thrive forevermore, yet they did not foresee the arrival of the new gods. These five - Marhhish, Urphel, Tnatrak, Nema, and Ttacar - revealed themselves in a spectral haze to the now-mortal rulers of the kingdom, demanding that they be given great wealth and regular sacrifices lest they turn their wrath upon the realm. Proud and haughty from their long era of prosperity, the dwarves refused, and retribution was swift to follow. The five destroyed the Kingdom, casting its former inhabitants far and wide, cursed to never live together in harmony or peace again.

Those the Dwarven pantheon calls deities are still respected by those who follow the Taruhmite faith, but not worshiped, for in ascending they cast aside their divinity and their ability to shape the world. Still, they are remembered as the Stone Ancestors, great figures who cared immensely for their people.

Few aside from a handful of small, shunned cults truly worship the Taruhmite deities. The faith instead centers around oracles and their interpretation of obscure portents and omens sent by the gods, all of which must be properly understood and acted upon lest their tests be failed and their punishment soon to follow. The clerics responsible for these tasks are organized into a strictly hierarchical church, the members of which engage in intense debates as they attempt to glean meaning from the faintest of signals. Acting upon these is crucial lest the gods destroy the realms of the modern day just as they did the Kingdom so long ago. Such destruction has been escaped so far, yet particular deities still send challenges and strife in times when they are displeased due to improper appeasement.

Veneration of ancestors is common amongst followers of the Taruhmite pantheon, with deceased members of one's family often given prayer and small offerings in hopes of guidance.

Deities

Name	Areas of Concern	Description
Marhhish	Disease, injury, undrinkable water, pests	Marhhish (pronounced mahr-HISH), the Bringer of Pain, is a goddess of disease, injury, undrinkable water, and pests. Of the five she is the most likely to act against specific individuals that displease her, rather than against their entire community, sending to them unbearable pain that they alone can feel. Once angered she keeps grudges forevermore, and even if placated through proper sacrifices may continue to punish those who offend her decades later. Marhhish acts with great precision, dispensing retribution in ways carefully chosen to match the affront. Those who fail to give her the proper libations, for example, may find their particular well tainted and undrinkable, though if they attempt to quench their thirst from the well of another she will not hesitate to share her punishments. She may torment directly by refusing to let one slake their thirst or by inflicting some hurtful wound, or else indirectly through letting a disease fill her role for her. The oracles tasked with interpreting Marhhish's omens are also commonly healers, working to limit the extent of her meddling by performing the proper rites, offering sufficient sacrifices, and tending to those afflicted by her touch should their previous efforts fail. Hers is the most diffuse and least centralized of all the Taruhmite churches. Cults worshiping Marhhish often attempt to unleash diseases in order to bring glory to their goddess. As with other deities of the Taruhmite pantheon, Marhhish is given no appearance. Her omens commonly manifest as water that remains still regardless of the winds and the waves, unexplained small injuries, or insects that appear to watch one's activities.
Urphel	Inclement weather, natural disasters, rough seas, volcanoes	Urphel (pronounced ur-FELL), the Bringer of Typhoons, is a goddess of inclement weather, natural disasters, rough seas, and volcanoes. The consequences of her wrath are the most dramatic and visible of all of the five, displaying to all the lengths she will go to punish those who did not maintain the proper sacrifices. Urphel is explosive when enraged. Her anger can come from all directions, whether storms of lightning from above, eruptions of magma from below, or tsunamis from the seas. All can subdue those who attracted her ire, devastating their communities in myriad ways. More than anything else, Urphel sends forth such ruin to teach a lesson, her actions visible from islands far away in order to warn all of the consequences of failing to appease her. Perhaps somewhat counterintuitively, she is seen by followers of the Taruhmite pantheon as the most merciful of all the deities, as by her showy nature she allows those who were not her victims to fall in line. The church of Urphel in Harv Taruhm diligently watches the weather for any signs of her omens. While they may attempt to manipulate the skies and seas at times into more favorable conditions, they are careful not to go too far, lest they intrude into the goddess' domain. Her cults, meanwhile, use primal magic to bring forth storms, eruptions, and so on, though on a much smaller scale than the goddess herself is capable of, in hopes it will whet her appetite for more. As with other deities of the Taruhmite pantheon, Urphel is given no appearance. Her omens commonly manifest as dangerous clouds on the horizon, slight rumblings in the earth, or a darkness beneath the seas.
Tnatrak	Internal unrest, strife, deceit, schemes	Tnatrak (pronounced t-NAH-trahk), the Bringer of Rebellion, is a god of strife, deceit, schemes, and unrest within a community or nation. He is perhaps the most subtle of the five, his disfavor taking years if not decades to manifest. Tnatrak works in the shadows, sowing division, jealousy, and discontent as he goes. Tnatrak works in many ways. Those who anger him may find themselves beset by pretenders to the throne, rule-breakers with no respect for authority, or even active rebels, but his actions may be more subtle too. Through seeds of doubt he breaks down the bonds of trust, causing friends to act against friends, kin against kin, subjects against rulers, not all at once but in a gradually escalating wave. Ultimately, no matter what method he chooses, Tnatrak breaks a community by depriving it of its leadership. With the right twisting Tnatrak can destroy those who anger him without ever revealing his involvement, as they fight amongst themselves and fall to ruin. Those who interpret Tnatrak's portents often serve as close advisors to Taruhmite monarchs, to an even greater degree than those of other deities, as these leaders rely on the insights of the oracles to stamp out discontent caused by the god. They are powerful political figures in addition to their religious roles, as they must act in both realms to keep Tnatrak's influence at bay. Tnatrakian cults are usually found amongst rebels against the thrones of Harv Taruhm, dissident thinkers, or those who plot to claim power for themselves. As with other deities of the Taruhmite pantheon, Tnatrak is given no appearance. His omens commonly manifest as inexplicably flickering lights in the tunnels of the mountain-homes of the dwarves, whispers barely out of reach, or thoughts of uncertainty clawing at one's convictions.
Nema	Famine, drought, salt, poverty	Nema (pronounced NEE-mah), the Bringer of Hunger, is a goddess of famine, drought, salt, and poverty. Her wrath can be slow to manifest, as crops begin to fail and storehouses gradually dwindle then empty, but once in full swing she is no less dangerous than her peers, able to starve and depopulate any community. Dead plants, a dearth of animals to hunt, and inedible, rotten foods are the most obvious signs of Nema's displeasure, but these are not the only ways in which she can deprive of resources those who anger her. She can salt the most fertile of fields and drive away the most endless of shoals, cutting off a community from its lifeblood. So too can she empty a mine of all its ores, leaving none left with which to trade, or shatter valuable obsidian, rendering it unusable to construct weapons critical for defense. The oracles of Nema's church give sacrifices to the goddess with great regularity. A quarter of all harvests are burned in offering to the goddess, or more when her omens show signs of particular anger. Similarly, a portion of all valuables, whether acquired through mining, crafting, trading, or by some other means, are buried in secret caches across the Grievous Islands, left for the goddess and her alone. The outcast cults that worship Nema often attempt to uncover the goods these caches contain; if successful, they surreptitiously distribute them into unsuspecting communities so as to direct Nema's wrath as widely as possible. As with other deities of the Taruhmite pantheon, Nema is given no appearance. Her omens commonly manifest as patterns in withered crops, skeletal fish washed ashore, or the loss of the ability to taste.
Ttacar	Outside threats, conquest, loss of memory, silence	Ttacar (pronounced t-TA-car), the Bringer of Blades, is a god of conquest, loss of memory, silence, and danger from outside threats. Of the five, he is perhaps the most dangerous, able to annihilate so thoroughly as to cause a people to forget their own past. It was he who struck the final blow against the dwarves of the Kingdom of Gold and Iron, erasing from their memory the Kingdom's location, cursing them to search forevermore and never return. Against those who displease him Ttacar sends raiders from across the seas, marauders bent on plunder and conquest. The Taruhmite dwarves maintain their own warships should their sacrifices fail and they be forced to fight the god's agents, yet his wrath can be felt in less direct manners too, in ways that are far harder to counter. He is the fog that eats away at the minds of the dwarven narrators and other keepers of their oral stories, leading them to forget the crucial details of their own pasts and traditions. Should Ttacar become truly enraged he could thoroughly destroy the entire culture of the dwarves without sending against them a single sword, something that has thankfully not yet come to pass. The church of Ttacar, those who interpret his portents, are perhaps the least outwardly active church of all the Taruhmite deities, giving sacrifices and offerings only rarely. Behind the scenes, however, they feverishly and diligently examine all reports of his signals, careful to ensure they do not miss any important clues in determining the desires of the god. Those who worship Ttacar, meanwhile, are strongly shunned just like the true believers of the other Taruhmite gods, relegated to small, hidden cults as everyone else labors to keep the god at bay. As with other deities of the Taruhmite pantheon, Ttacar is given no appearance. His omens commonly manifest as odd shadows in the crests of waves, crucial information inexplicably forgotten, or cracks in weapons or armor.

Area of worship

Worship of the Taruhmite pantheon is limited to dwarven peoples living on the islands of the Wounds - it has not spread to other communities either across the Na-Gaesa Ocean or farther afield. Historically it has been the largest faith on the Grievous Islands, the territory controlled by Harv Taruhm, but more recently it has also spread to the newer dwarven realm of Harv Doruhl as well.

Connections to other pantheons

The connections between the Taruhmite and Dwarven pantheons are clear, even if in the modern day they have diverged drastically. Few other major pantheons have come into significant contact with the Taruhmite faith, however, as the peoples surrounding its worshipers instead hold to a variety of very distinct and fragmentary beliefs. The insular culture of its dwarven followers has also contributed to the pantheon's lack of influence from others, as they are diligent to keep their old ways intact and are often hostile to those who would suggest different means of worship.