The Esh-Gurr pantheon (pronounced ESH-GURR) is one of the major ancestral pantheons on Kishar. Followed by the dwarves of the Stormlands nation of Haran Gurr, the Esh-Gurr faith bears many similarities to other dwarven religions around Kishar but is uniquely dualist in nature.
Overview
Esh-Gurr faith revolves around two deities, Salal and Thath, who exist in simultaneous states of friendship and tension. This divine duo of father and son represent the two different paths their devotees can follow - one traditionalist and the other forward-thinking. Life for the Esh-Gurr faithful is a constant give and take between these two forces as they attempt to balance the necessity of holding onto the security of the past with embracing the potentially perilous opportunity of the future. One must always learn from both, for each offers wisdom that the other cannot.
The story of the Esh-Gurr pantheon begins much like that of other dwarven faiths. The world was created by ageless ur-dwarves, each of them a quintessential embodiment of a certain aspect of the dwarven soul, who then formed the Kingdom of Gold and Iron as 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. Evil spirits of the surface observed their growing wealth with envy and sought it for themselves, thus beginning an escalating series of attacks. Initial probing raids soon gave way to all-out war against the utopia. Though at first the ur-dwarves were able to keep the evil spirits away, they soon became overwhelmed, and one by one fell to the onslaught. Finally only two were left - Salal and Thath. The father and son gathered what remained of their followers and led them to safety away from the Kingdom, removing from their memories the location of their previous paradise so as to keep them safe from those who invaded. In order to better guide their now-diffuse followers while being only two in number, Salal and Thath ascended into full divinity where they now remain, ever vigilant.
Esh-Gurr clergy is highly centralized. The faith has few worshipers outside Haran Gurr and almost all priests and soothsayers live in the nation's strongholds of the Illan Peaks or in the immense cave systems under the Oasis. While the pantheon is not truly a state religion, Esh-Gurr religious figures are always close allies of the nation's leaders, regularly sought for advice in how to approach each opportunity or challenge with balance.
Veneration of ancestors, such as the creation of monoliths, is common amongst followers of the Esh-Gurr pantheon. Animistic beliefs, or at least those related to surface animals, landmarks, or phenomena, are viewed with suspicion, however, lest one tolerate the worship of those that led to the downfall of the Kingdom.
Deities
| Name | Areas of Concern | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Salal | Animal tending, hearths, fire, rulership, families, protection, history, death | |
| Thath | Trade, war, healing, cities, crafting, art, dreams, alcohol |
Area of worship
Worship of the Esh-Gurr pantheon is effectively limited to the dwarves of Haran Gurr. It has not found adherents amongst communities of other ancestries in the Stormlands, or with other dwarves away from that continent. Dwarves of Esh-Gurr heritage living elsewhere in the Oasis typically continue to venerate their traditional gods, however.
Connections to other pantheons
Many parallels exist between the Esh-Gurr, Dwer, and Taruhmite pantheons, especially in their stories of the first dwarves on Kishar. All diverge significantly regarding the collapse and exile from the Kingdom of Gold and Iron, however, and in the nature and number of their extant gods.