Khapeshan pantheon

The Khapeshan pantheon (pronounced kah-PESH-an) is one of the major regional pantheons on Kishar. Most followers of the pantheon live in the nation of Khapesh, with some followers elsewhere along the southern and eastern coasts of the Chaska Sea and along the northern stretches of the Kilche Sea. Its theology emphasizes the close parallels between the mortal and divine realms, and followers of the pantheon believe they have a religious imperative to shape the world to better reflect their gods.

Overview

To those that follow the gods of the Khapeshan pantheon, the divine and mortal realms closely mirror each other. Chaos or stability in one causes the same state in the other. Followers of the gods, therefore, attempt to alter mortal society to better fit the nature of their chosen deity or deities. For example, as a goddess of order Harakhte is believed to grow stronger when there is stability amongst mortals and the rule of law is respected, while she grows weaker when her tenets are neglected in favor of the forces of chaos.

Religious structure is of utmost importance in the Khapeshan pantheon. Temples are almost all organized into churches, with religious leaders appointed into their roles based on rigid structures and ancient practices. Long-standing religious traditions are thought to come directly from the gods, and therefore adherence to these traditions is critical to adherents of the pantheon. The Khapeshan pantheon is quite conservative as a rule, and has changed little even as the world around it has shifted greatly in the last centuries and millennia.

The creation story of the Khapeshan pantheon shares many similarities with that of the Chaskan pantheon, telling of great divine struggles as the universe was brought into being. As the ruler of the gods, Sokar is also the ultimate creator of the world. Sokar directed the other deities in shaping the form of the universe, turning the primordial water, sand, and mud into something much greater than the sum of its parts. As the gods worked under their leader's direction, the serpent Apep formed itself from the waters and lunged at Sokar, enraged at the structure that was being drawn out of the once infinite chaos. After a great battle both Sokar and Apep were mortally wounded, yet as gods neither could truly die. They drew their last breathes and expired, only to rise again, Sokar the next morning and Apep the next evening. Unable to continue the fight himself, Sokar stepped back to advise the gods, giving his sister Harakhte the responsibility of keeping the Serpent at bay - she dutifully continues this task to the present day.

Deities

Name	Alignment	Areas of Concern	Description
Harakhte	LG	The sun, rulership, law, duty, hunting	Harakhte (pronounced hah-ROCK-tee) is a goddess of the sun, rulership, law, duty, and hunting. Rulers in areas following the Khapeshan pantheon often style themselves as the devoted servants of Harakhte, mortal agents of her will, even if they worship another god as well. Harakhte embodies the traits of a fair but firm ruler. She represents the stabilizing influence of the law, but only when applied equally and fairly - to Harakhte, tyranny is as inimical as chaos. Just as the sun's rays enlighten and nourish the world, clearing away the darkness of chaos, she teaches that rulers should teach and foster the growth of those under their authority. Her clergy instruct that one must follow and enforce the law for the good of all of society, as long as one's leaders hold to the same principles. All good rulers should lead by example, setting a path for their people through their own deeds. Harakhte's most devoted followers tend to be administrators, stewards, and those involved in governance, but she is also popular amongst soldiers, hunters, and any who seek to enforce law and order. Harakhte's clergy is based out of her grand temple in Abydos, a city in lower Khapesh. The temple, located on a small island in the middle of the Aur River, dates back to the earliest days of Khapesh when the city was the kingdom's first capital. Today clerics and champions of Harakhte still regularly make pilgrimages to the temple to pay their respects to the goddess and receive guidance from the high priesthood. Temples to Harakte are almost always built in open air designs, typically set far enough away from other structures that the central area for prayer receives no shade until nightfall. Her faithful believe that performing a prayer in the light of the sun will ensure it is seen by their deity, and therefore make every effort to ensure their actions are visible to her, sometimes even bringing bottled sunlight with them when traveling to sunless places. After the first battle between Sokar and Apep, Harakhte has taken on the responsibility of defending the world from the god of chaos. Every night Harakhte and Apep fight, as the goddess and her divine allies continue their never-ending war to keep the Serpent at bay. Every sunrise symbolizes the temporary defeat of Apep at Harakhte's hands, proof of the the goddess' strength and worthiness of her role. Harakhte is depicted as a woman with the head of a falcon. She is often dressed in the garb of a ruler and typically holds a scepter in her hand. In some images, she wears the traditional crown of Khapeshan monarchs.
Sokar	LG	Death, rebirth, change, renewal, plants, agriculture, hope	Sokar (pronounced SOW-car) is a god of death, rebirth, and change. He is the creator of the universe and the original ruler of the gods, though after his battle with Apep he gave that role to his sister Harakhte. Perhaps more so than with any other deity in the Khapeshan pantheon, Sokar fills a number of roles. He is the giver of life who causes plants and animals to grow and thrive, yet he is also a god of death. It is Sokar who gave mortals the wonder of existence at the same time he imparted the inevitability of its eventual end. Through creating and maintaining the cycles that govern the universe, Sokar ensures the world remains bountiful for each future generation. In this way he is also a god of hope, as his followers know that even the evil and bad in the world will eventually come to an end, replaced by better times. Sokar is the shepherd of mortals who guides his flock towards the future. Sokar is closely connected to the Aur River's cycles of droughts and floods that bring new growth every year. In Khapesh Sokar is intrinsically tied to agriculture and communal prosperity, and he is worshiped across the kingdom in hopes of bountiful harvests. Though most across Khapesh pray to Sokar at least occasionally, he is followed especially devotedly by farmers, pastoralists, and others who make their living from the earth. The One Who Continues to be Perfect is one of the most cosmologically important of the Khapeshan pantheon's gods. In the moments before time began, Sokar directed the other deities in shaping the form of the universe, turning the primordial water, sand, and mud into something much greater than the sum of its parts. As the gods worked under their leader's direction, the serpent Apep formed itself from the waters and lunged at Sokar, enraged at the structure that was being drawn out of the once infinite chaos. After a great battle both Sokar and Apep were mortally wounded, yet as gods neither could truly die. They drew their last breathes and expired, only to rise again, Sokar the next morning and Apep the next evening. Unable to continue the fight himself, Sokar stepped back to advise the gods, giving his sister Harakhte the responsibility of keeping the Serpent at bay. As is typical with Khapeshan deities, a grand temple to Sokar exists, whose priests are seen as leaders of his faithful. From the grand temple in Sile the Sokarin clergy provides guidance to pilgrims and clerics alike who travel far to seek the wisdom of the god. Smaller temples are widespread across Khapesh, with one in almost every city of notable size. Sokarin temples are often built to reflect the many sides of their god. The exteriors of the temples are often as richly decorated with reliefs as any in Khapesh, but their interiors are almost always extremely austere - many even retain dirt or sand floors, partially as a matter of humility and partially as they tend to interpret the idea of sacred ground rather literally. Sokar is depicted as a green-skinned figure holding a crook and flail. In some pictures he is shown partially mummified.
Tawaret	NG	Families, children, protection, dreams, hospitality	Tawaret (pronounced TAH-wah-ret)
Meshkenet	NG	Curiosity, art, music, invention, gardens	Meshkenet (pronounced MESH-keh-net)
Qadesh	NG	Travel, storytelling, fresh water, storms, oases	Qadesh (pronounced kah-DESH)
Shentayet	LN	Writing, history, education, research, scribes	Shentayet (pronounced shen-TAH-yet)
Khenmu	LN	Cities, trade, wealth, architecture, craftsmanship	Khenmu (pronounced KEN-moo)religious prerogative to build massive monuments
Shai	N	Judgement, souls, the dead, the moon, burial rites	Shai (pronounced SHY) is a god of judgement, souls, the dead, and the moon. They are the judge of the deceased who determines if they are worthy to pass into their afterlives and their guardian who keeps them safe from threats beyond death. All those that die face Shai eventually to have their hearts weighed on the Scales of Judgement - as much as some may try, there is no way to avoid their verdict. Those who did their duty in life are honored by Shai with a passage to the afterlife, while those who shirked their responsibilities or performed foul deeds are tossed to his hounds. The god judges all impassively and impartially, strictly following the ancient rules of the gods. Before judgement, however, all souls must first make their way to Shai. Such a journey is fraught with dangers, for Shai is not the only god who is concerned with those that have died. Apep too seeks souls for his own purposes, as he desires to consume them to provide him strength in his battles against the gods. The time between one's death and their arrival at Shai's court is perhaps the most perilous period for any soul. Upon death all souls enter the Rivers of the Dead, great divine waterways that collect souls from the mortal realm and carry them towards Shai. Complex rites performed for the dead by priests of Shai, as well as texts, maps, and other items interred with the deceased, are all intended to ward souls and provide them with the knowledge necessary to navigate the Rivers successfully, while avoiding Apep who lurks in the recesses of the waters. Even those who are sure they will be judged unworthy by Shai still consider such a fate preferable to being eaten by Apep. The clergy of Shai are intensely concerned with the proper methods to inter the dead. Funerary rites and rituals are of central importance to his religion, all carefully recorded and preserved so they will never be forgotten. Indeed, Khapeshan burial practices have changed very little in millennia, in large part due to the diligence of Shai's priesthood. These traditions are recorded in Shai's holy text, Emerging Forth into the Light. This lengthy tome includes instructions on the correct means to bury or preserve the bodies of the deceased, as well as steps meant to guide the soul as they make their way towards judgement and then their eventual destination. Excerpts from Emerging Forth are commonly written on coffins, funerary urns, or objects left with the dead, in order that they will not forget the instructions when they find themselves along the Rivers. The grand temple of Shai is located in the city of Apis, believed by many to be the oldest settlement in all of Khapesh. The temple there has been used continually by priests of Shai for at least seven thousand years. It is old enough that there are inscriptions in the reliefs on the walls that are written in languages so ancient that their very existences have been otherwise forgotten. Outside the city are a large number of mortuary complexes and tombs for Khapeshan royals and elites, all dutifully preserved by Shai's clergy. Smaller temples and shrines to the god are commonplace across Khapesh and in other regions where the pantheon is followed, often with their own extensive crypts, catacombs, or other manner of tombs. Shai is depicted as a figure with the head of a jackal, often holding an ankh or a scale.
Maahes	N	Conflict, weapons, tactics, healing, alcohol	Maahes (pronounced MAH-hess)
Iabet	N	Nature, weather, air, water, clouds, the sky	Iabet (pronounced EYE-ah-bet) - either cut or double down on sky
Amathaunta	CN	Trickery, self-interest, spite, outcasts	Amathaunta (pronounced a-mah-THAWN-tah)
Sutekh	LE	Power, ambition, rivalry, deserts, sandstorms	Sutekh (pronounced SOO-tek) is a god of power, ambition, rivalry, deserts, and sandstorms. Though aggressive and evil in his quest to rule the gods, he is not unreasonable, and he plays an important role in keeping Apep at bay. Sutekh aids Harakhte in her cyclical battles against the Serpent, fighting side by side through the night even as he seeks to usurp her position, as despite his own aims he knows there are greater stakes at play. From his domain of the desert Sutekh always plots for more. The arid lands around Khapesh are so barren, his followers say, as he has already used everything they had in his chase of a greater position than the King of the Red Lands. Sandstorms are said to be brought about by Sutekh's anger, directed towards those that stand in his way. Sutekh is the patron of the ruthlessly ambitious, those who are willing to cast others aside in their pursuit of personal power, even as his clergy simultaneously teaches the importance of uniting under strong leadership for a common goal. They see no contradiction in seeing the significance of both sides at once. Both the god and his followers seek control, yet what is the purpose in ruling a pile of rubble? For this reason Sutekh is seen far more favorably than Apep or Nakith by devotees of other gods of the Khapeshan pantheon, even if they remain keenly aware that to Sutekh's followers any notions of larger issues are constantly re-evaluated as they wait for a time to strike. As with other evil deities in the pantheon, Sutekh has no grand temple. Smaller temples can be found with ease, however, as the god is tolerated enough for his followers to be permitted a presence in most large communities. Sutekh is depicted as a humanoid figure with the head of a sha, spear in one hand and a fistful of sand in the other. In imagery made by his followers he is often shown wearing the same crown possessed by Harakhte, though this is never seen when the god is depicted in the religious artwork of other faiths.
Nakith	CE	Hedonism, catharsis, hunger, revenge	Nakith (pronounced nah-KITH) is a goddess of hedonism, catharsis, hunger, and revenge. The goddess has an unusual status in the pantheon. Commonly known as the Half-Alive or the Serpent-Tarnished, she is believed to have been partially devoured by Apep in the first battle between the Serpent and the rest of the gods. Though she managed to escape, in her incomplete form she can no longer experience joy, satisfaction, or other sensations like she could before. Constantly driven by a hunger to recapture emotions she can no longer grasp, Nakith now seeks to devour the mortal world just as Apep does the divine. There are relatively few devotees of Nakith. As the goddess is antagonistic to the order in which the other gods live, she is shunned by adherents of effectively every other deity, even those of Apep. To followers of the Serpent, Nakith is a defeated foe unworthy of any consideration, while worshipers of the Half-Alive see Apep as perhaps their greatest enemy for what he did to their goddess. Nakith's faithful see the world as theirs for the taking, something they deserve in compensation for the disregard the other divines showed to their goddess in allowing her to be consumed. Temples and shrines of Nakith are usually found in hidden places such as under-cities or repurposed old tombs. Like other evil deities in the Khapeshan pantheon, she has no grand temple. Her clergy and faithful rarely openly proselytize, preferring instead to grow their number and expand their cults through more subtle means. The goddess is the patron of those that indulge to the greatest in all worldly pleasures while they last, while also the one that causes them to end, a deity of both feast and famine. Nakith was once a neutral good goddess of plenitude, freedom, and forgiveness, but these domains were lost by her during her encounter with Apep. While nearly all of her followers worship her current form, a rare few still believe their goddess can be redeemed in the same way she would formerly have given absolution to others. These followers are extremely secretive about their views to the point that many consider the sect to be a mere myth. Nakith is variously depicted as skeletal, emaciated, or in some other manner that conveys her status and constant struggle. She is often pictured wielding the knife she used in her failed attempt to defend herself from Apep.
Apep	CE	Destruction, chaos, anger, night	Apep (pronounced ah-PEP) is a god of destruction, chaos, anger, and the night. The Serpent is the primary antagonist of all the other gods, fighting them in nightly battles as he tries to unmake the divine world. Apep plays an important role in the creation story of the Khapeshan pantheon. As the gods to build the world under Sokar's direction, the serpent Apep formed itself from the primordial waters and lunged at Sokar, enraged at the structure that was being drawn out of the once infinite chaos. After a great battle both Sokar and Apep were mortally wounded, yet as gods neither could truly die. They drew their last breathes and expired, only to rise again, Sokar the next morning and Apep the next evening. When Sokar tasked Harakhte with keeping the Apep at bay, the god turned his rage towards the new defender of creation. In battles every night the two clash. Apep cannot exist in the light of the sun, and must therefore make his attempts at defeating the other gods under cover of darkness. Every sunrise symbolizes the defeat of Apep at the hands of Harakhte, a joyous celebration to most yet a source of great anger to followers of the Serpent. Apep is also the Eater of Souls, an enemy to Shai who seeks to consume the souls of the deceased in order to both gain their strength and to disrupt the cycles of the universe. During the day when he is forced to hide from the sun Apep lurks in the recesses of the Rivers of the Dead, waiting for powerful yet unsuspecting souls to pass, who he then consumes to provide energy and knowledge for his upcoming battle the next night. As with other evil deities in the pantheon, Apep has no grand temple, or many temples at all for that matter. The Serpent is the most reviled deity in Khapesh, seen as an enemy by all others, and his followers are treated with equal hostility. Most worship of Apep takes place at hidden, private shrines instead. Some devotees of the Serpent occasionally undertake the risky endeavor of performing their rites and offerings in the temples of other gods, especially those of Sokar, Harakhte, Shai, and Sutekh, finding opportune moments to glorify their patron while fouling the holy places of others. Unlike every other god in the Khapeshan pantheon, Apep is not depicted in a humanoid manner. Instead he is shown as a serpent, sometimes very large in size and sometimes no bigger than an ordinary snake. At certain points in Khapesh's history it has been seen as dangerous to create images of Apep - in some ancient tombs and ruins reliefs showing Apep were defaced long after their creation, damaged in order to avoid drawing the attention of the Serpent. This taboo broadly does not hold in modern Khapesh, but some groups continue to eschew any depiction of the god.

Area of worship

The vast majority of the Khapeshan pantheon's followers live in the Kingdom of Khapesh. Khapeshan influence stretches far, however, and many adherents of these gods can also be found elsewhere along the southern and eastern coasts of the Chaska Sea. In the northern Kilche, the now largely abandoned nation of Akhom was inhabited by followers of the Khapeshan pantheon, and many who left their destroyed lands for Rudamun continue to worship the same deities. The pantheon has a notable presence even in the southern Kilche as far afield as Laniobriga and Oscan.

Connections to other pantheons

The Khapesh, Chaskan, and to a degree Hellean pantheons all share many notable similarities. Their creation stories are all quite similar, for one, as are the general roles that they ascribe to each god. Scholars of religious matters generally believe all pantheonic deities to be the results of differing cultures seeing the same gods in their own ways, frequently pointing to these three pantheons in particular as proof. Certainly their modern followers often do not see great differences. A priest of a Khapeshan deity and one of a Chaskan deity often find much common ground, sharing many teachings, holy texts, and practices. Even religious structures and leadership often overlap. For example, though the Khapeshan church of Harakhte is nominally independent, it has close relationships with the centralized church of Harinna in Mesollonia.