To build is to pray. Start with your tools, then your houses, then your cities. Sculpt a prosperous life for yourself and your family, just as Hasamel sculpted himself out of the primordial essence as easily as a potter works her clay.—Excerpt from a sermon by the Wildlander cleric Qurus Oxamon
Hasamel (pronounced HAZ-ah-mell) is a pantheonic god commonly associated with cities, trade, family, and wealth.
Aserdian pantheon
Most of Rasalas' most devout followers are merchants and caravaneers, those whose livelihoods are dependent on trade. His clergy recount his teachings in large, ornamented temples, almost all of which can be found in major urbanized centers: Teshub, Okoton, and Laniobriga especially. Outside these areas priests of Rasalas are considerably less common. Aserdian clergy of Rasalas often have close ties to those of Khenmu, his Khapeshan aspect.
Rasalas is most often depicted as either a caravaneer, leading his pack animals (representing his followers) to wealth, or as a craftsperson hard at work at his forge, drafting table, or loom. Either way, anthropomorphized forms are preferred by his followers.
Edicts and anathema
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Chaskan pantheon
Hasamel is the builder, the crafter. He calls for his followers to build and create, whether that be an object as simple as a tool or as large as a city, or something even grander in scope. Hasamel and his faithful value the prosperity gained through one's labors, seeing it as an expression of self-worth. At the same time, building something merely for the sake of it is not necessarily virtuous to Hasamel - only if it is done in service of family, community, or a higher cause.
The god has a large following among craftspeople worldwide. No matter the trade, those that work with their hands are welcomed by Hasamel. From the greenest apprentice to the most experienced master, all find a reason to worship the god. He is similarly popular amongst merchants, who view the god as the preeminent teacher in matters of fair yet profitable trade.
In most stories, Hasamel created himself, sculpting a shape and form out of the ether. As the other gods set about creating the world, Hasamel emerged as the personification of their labors, then gave himself hands so that he might assist. Quickly observing that his self-given task would be slow and difficult without tools, he then created the first forge, and with that the first hammer and chisel. Armed with his new implements, he joined in the chorus of creation with focused delight. Once again, he was unsatisfied - he was more efficient, yes, but he was still not as productive as he could be. Hasamel used his tools to craft a small army of ethereal assistants, to whom he delegated parts of his work. Thus aided, he resumed his task once more with vigor, indelibly leaving his mark on the world.
There are many churches to Hasamel, often organized by nation or region. The leaders of these church hierarchies are almost always on good terms with each other - the proliferation of churches is more due to how cultures prioritize different aspects of Hasamel than due to any theological disagreements. Though proper temples to Hasamel tend to use much grander works, small shrines to the god often include a clay figure of Hasamel in reference to the stories of his origin.
Hasamel has multiple holy texts. Each major church has its own combination of writings it considers to be particularly important, but there are twocollections that are widely read.
- Providence of Wealth
- The Providence of Wealth teaches that the accumulation of wealth is a moral good, as first enriching one's self allows for the later enrichment of one's community. This book is especially popular in Tirione and its colonies in the western Chaska Sea.
- The Model City
- Perhaps the single most widespread holy text of Hasamel, The Model City describes the god's thoughts on how the ideal community should be constructed and organized.
Hasamel is commonly depicted in a heavily anthropomorphized form. To those that are primarily concerned with his aspect as a crafting god, Hasamel is often pictured as a craftsperson hard at work, often at a forge or drafting table but sometimes using instruments of other trades. In some places he is thought of as a family patriarch, depicted as sitting at the head of a great table.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- Build and grow cities, create useful tools, refine and streamline your craft, bring prosperity to your family and community
- Anathema
- Undermine a community's laws, destroy an object or place without cause, create shoddy works
Hellean pantheon
Many cities in Hellea claim to have been founded by Khalkeus long ago in places where he set up his forge and anvil. The god visits the workshops and studios of his followers in the guise of a fellow tradesperson, an interested buyer, or a prospective apprentice, offering hints at new inspirations and techniques to those who impress him. Skill at one's craft is important to Khalkeus, but he cares even more about the application of such efforts. There is no purpose to toil if performed only for one's self-interest, only if done in service to one's family, city, or nation.
Khalkeus is important amongst the Hexad as the glue that binds them together, as he reminds them that despite all their differences they remain family. It is said that soon after Typhon's defeat Khalkeus gifted each of his siblings a throne crafted out of the materials that best suited them. To this day the others of the Hexad view Khalekus as something of a mediator, able to resolve their inevitable differences as amiably as is possible.
Khalkeus is usually depicted as a muscular man wearing a sooty apron over his plain clothes. His beard, normally rather long, is tied up to prevent it from being set alight as he works. The god walks with a cane to account for the limp he gained in the Hexad's fight with Typhon.
Edicts and anathema
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Khapeshan pantheon
Khenmu and his priesthood call for his followers to build and create, whether that be an object as simple as a tool or as complex as a city, or something even grander in scope. Many among his faithful see the construction of towns, cities, and great monuments as a religious prerogative, something to be undertaken with great solemnity and devotion as an expansion of civilization in the mortal realm. The grandiose tombs, mortuary complexes, canals, and more that can be found across Khapesh were and are largely made under the direction of Khenmu's clergy, as the inscriptions to the god they often bear can attest.
The god has a large following amongst all manner of craftspeople. No matter the trade, all those who work with pride are welcomed by Khenmu. Both the apprentice and master can find reason to worship Khenmu, as he is the master of all crafts, surpassed in none. Architects in particular are closely connected to the god. More generally, Khenmu approves of prosperity and those who bring it to their communities, and so merchants often follow him as well.
Unlike every other grand temple to the pantheon's many gods, Khenmu's is not located in Khapesh proper. Instead it can be found in Avaris, a port city that connects the Chaska and Kilche seas. Despite its relative distance from most of the god's followers, the priesthood of the grand temple maintain close connections with other temples scattered across the kingdom and the Khapeshan diaspora. Khenmu's temples serve as examples of the greatest of Khapeshan architecture, simultaneously innovative and traditionalist as they meld ancient designs with modern methods of construction.
Khenmu is depicted as a figure with the head of a scarab beetle, often holding a hammer and chisel or other tools associated with craftspeople.
Edicts and anathema
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Dwarven pantheon
Worship of the god is often performed through the production of finely made items in Tharrus' forge-temples. Laboring over their crafts and sweating in the heat of their furnaces are expressions of piety to those that worship the god, even more so than the prayers they chant as they work. Exertion is holy, especially if it brings forth beautiful and functional objects that keep one's society and community humming along smoothly.
As a god of judgement, Tharrus determines the worthiness of all souls upon death by examining the fruits of one's labor. Those who neglect their responsibilities or do not show pride and care in their works are disfavored, while he smiles upon those who spent a lifetime of honing their trade in service to their family, town, or city. But such actions must not necessarily be done in purely in line with Tharrus' tenets. For example, the faithful of Solnas who spent their lives dutifully chronicling history are thought of highly by the god as are those who farmed under Surgar's guidance or made fine art in the name of Ayen - even those that worship other gods still serve their community in the eyes of Tharrus.
Tharrus is usually depicted as a soot-covered dwarven man with a long gray beard. He is often shown with his tools in hand.
Edicts and anathema
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Elven pantheon
In the Elven pantheon, Thalan takes on the responsibility for families that is typically shared between himself and interpretations of Aritimi in other pantheons. He aids parents in raising their children and elders in teaching the new generations. In this role Thalan is seen as a strict yet kindly figure.
Unusually for interpretations of Thalan across pantheons, his followers in the Elven pantheon do not ascribe particular importance to any holy text. Some teach from The Model City, taken from Aserdian and Khapeshan influence, but this is seen as much less prescriptive than it is elsewhere. His clergy instead prefer to collect what they call life-tomes, stories of model devotees of Thalan from whom all can glean meaning.
Thalan is usually depicted as a humble laborer, dressed in austere clothing as he toils at his work. He is sometimes thought to take such a form to walk the world in order to meet his followers directly.
Edicts and anathema
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