Kirnashal pantheon

The Kirnashal pantheon (pronounced KER-nah-shawl) is one of the major regional pantheons on Kishar. Though the pantheon is not truly dualist, its followers almost entirely venerate only two deities, with others limited to a very specific role.

Overview

The Kirnashal pantheon views its gods as representative of great cosmic forces - Sraosheh the tendency towards stability, and Mihr the drive towards change. Together, and through the actions of their mortal followers, these two deities influence the Scales, by which balance in the universe is measured. If the universe is to become too orderly or chaotic, and the Scales tip too far in favor of one deity, they are granted supreme ability to reshape the world, effectively resetting creation in an image more favorable to their embodied concept. Therefore most followers of the Kirnashal pantheon place great importance on heeding the tenets of both gods in equal measure, never allowing their actions to drive the cosmos out of equilibrium. Some particularly zealous adherents of one deity or the other, meanwhile, actively attempt to tip the Scales in order to give strength to their chosen god in the world to come.

Though these two deities are by far the most important in the Kirnashal pantheon, they are not the only ones its worshipers recognize - unlike most other pantheons, however, the remaining Kirnashal deities are both great in number and singularly focused. Together these gods form the One Hundred Forty Four Hands, dedicated to ensuring the Scales are not hindered from motion.

Deities from other pantheons or faiths are sometimes, but not commonly, adopted alongside the Kirnashal gods. These deities usually take the form of underlings to Sraosheh or Mihr, agents in their grand goals towards their ideals.

While the Kirnashal faith holds that the universe is cyclical, it is not without beginning. Before time and matter there was only one god, Mihr-Sraosheh, who played with the light and the magic, which was all there was at the time. As they did so, they found themselves torn - one part of their mind desired to see what it could form, while another sought nothing but to keep everything as it was. Unable to reconcile, Mihr and Sraosheh rent themselves apart. Together they twisted and exerted, contorting light into something solid as they attempted to see the shape of each other, unintentionally bringing the first universe into being.

Followers of the Kirnashal pantheon display great deference towards their religious leaders, especially towards the state-appointed clergy of Amshan who guide those under them in how to act in accordance with the universal forces. These churches and the shared temples under them are never antagonistic towards each other, as despite their often opposing principles they are bound together by their reverence for the Scales and those who hold their fingers upon them. It is not at all uncommon for an individual to frequently pray to both Sraosheh and Mihr, depending on what troubles or concerns them at the moment.

Deities

Name	Areas of Concern	Description
Sraosheh	Stability, inevitability, truth, history, reason, the night	Sraosheh (pronounced SROW-sheh) the Sovereign is a god of many domains, including inevitability, truth, history, reason, and the night. He is the lawful counterpart to Mihr and the divine embodiment of the cosmic force of stability. The god and his clergy instruct that order should be respected, especially when upsetting it could bring discord or uncertainty. As the slow and majestic incarnation of what is and what has been, he looks to the past to find peace, meaning, and truth. Sraosheh promotes careful deliberation, planned action, and respect for history. Priests of Sraosheh are responsible for performing funerary rites and rituals. A great many are historians, mathematicians, or natural scientists, which they see as inseparable from their other religious duties, as they believe they must understand the world in order to best preserve and secure it. Sraosheh is typically depicted in humanoid form. In modern day religious artwork he is usually shown wearing simple robes and the Fire Crown, at least when alone, often in scenes where he impassively surveys his domain. Sraosheh and Mihr are often portrayed as two halves of a whole, sometimes in a very literal manner as two faces on opposite sides of one head. Temples to Sraosheh are almost always shared with the clergy of Mihr. In these temples, worship of the god centers around braziers of eternal flames, permanently kept alight to represent the enduring nature of the god even in the face of change around him. When the Scales tilt in Sraosheh's favor, the world becomes more orderly, predictable, and peaceful.
Mihr	Change, beginnings and endings, healing, art, violence, the day	Mihr (pronounced MEER) the Instigator is a goddess of many domains, including beginnings and endings, healing, art, violence, and the day. She is the chaotic counterpart of Sraosheh and the divine embodiment of the cosmic force of change. In the teachings of Mihr, change is the only constant. Frenzied and aggressive, she is driven by a ceaseless desire to transform and alter the world, even if these acts are only for their own sake. The goddess and her clergy promote artistic expression, creativity, and even violence at times. Priests of Mihr are healers and fighters alike, as both creation and destruction lead to a changed world. Many are accomplished artists within the employ of the monarchs of Amshan, or otherwise seek outlets for creative expression in honor of their goddess. Depictions of Mihr tend to be ostentatious, portraying the goddess as a humanoid figure in motion, clothed in elaborate and colorful robes bearing either intricate patterns or imagery of the sun. Mihr and Sraosheh are often portrayed as two halves of a whole, sometimes in a very literal manner as two faces on opposite sides of one head. The clergy of Mihr and Sraosheh nearly always share temples and worship in close proximity to each other. In these temples Mihr's clerics create beautiful patterns in their sand floors every morning, which over the course of the day become indistinct and eventually erased completely by the ritual pacing of her followers. These acts represent the endless change brought by Mihr. When the Scales tilt in Mihr's favor, the world becomes more chaotic, dynamic, and innovative.
One Hundred Forty Four Hands	Ensuring the Scales are not hindered	The One Hundred Forty Four Hands are collectively the gods who ensure the Scales are allowed to move without restraint. They never tilt the Scales themselves, but rather prevent anything that would inhibit others from doing so, whether god or mortal. Along with Sraosheh and Mihr, the One Hundred Forty Four Hands are the only entities to survive each universe, and each time they see to it that such a transition can still reoccur. While each of the Hands has their own name, this is the only way by which they can be distinguished, as they are physically identical, genderless, and completely united in purpose. In Kirnashal religious art, the Hands are often depicted as shadowy or amorphous figures, frequently crowded together behind the two primary gods. Very few worship the Hands on their own, though most followers of the Kirnashal pantheon pay deference to the minor deities at least on occasion. Those who are intensely concerned with balance and impartiality, such as judges and some paladins, do frequently pray to the Hands, however. Offerings are almost never given to them by any. The exact actions of the Hands remains one of the vaguest and most intensely debated aspects of the Kirnashal pantheon, even amongst the highest leaders of its churches. To some the Hands simply maintain the existence of the Scales across each cycle, allowing both gods to have a chance in the new universe. Others more controversially believe they directly stop unworthy mortals from affecting the Scales.

Area of worship

Nearly all worshipers of the Kirnashal pantheon live in the areas around the Kirnashal Sea, specifically Amshan, Ramashal, and Kudurru. Other adherents can be found farther afield, including small numbers within Abanir, the Arrajan Wilds, and the Eastern Chaskan city-states. Compared to the Chaskan pantheon that developed on the other side of the Taizzan Expanse, the Kirnashal gods have not achieved widespread followings.

Connections to other pantheons

The Kirnashal pantheon bears some notable similarities to that of the dragons. Both are dualist, most obviously, but the connections go farther than that. Though it fell out of favor over two thousand years ago, historically the Kirnashal deities were frequently depicted in draconic form, something well-attested in reliefs carved into the ancient temples of central Amshan. Drawing a connection between Sraosheh and Marduk, and Mihr and Tiamat, is uncontroversial, but some theologians go a step farther, claiming that in fact the Kirnashal pantheon is simply the result of taking the gods of the dragons and understanding them from the context of a mortal.