The Aserdian pantheon (pronounced ah-SER-dee-an) is one of the major regional pantheons on Kishar. Followed primarily by peoples living in Brightmarch and the Laqto Rainforest, the theology of the Aserdian pantheon emphasizes systems of cyclical change and rebirth.
Overview
The Aserdian pantheon foregoes any origin story of the mortal realm. Instead, followers of this pantheon hold that the universe has no beginning and no end. Cyclical change is a fundamental part of their theology - the world and everything within it decays and grows anew, never remaining static yet simultaneously never really coming to an end. Deities in the Aserdian pantheon are thought of in much the same way. They are not unchanging entities, but rather endlessly shifting in interests, tenets, depictions, and even names as the cultures that venerate them encounter new challenges and opportunities. Perhaps as a result of this, the adherents of the Aserdian pantheon tend to be extremely tolerant of divergent beliefs and quite willing to syncretize their deities with those of other cultures.
As a general rule, followers of the Aserdian pantheon eschew holy texts. Many deities are not considered to have sacred written or oral works, and amongst those that do it is rarely seen as prescriptive in matters of worship.
Deities
| Name | Alignment | Areas of Concern | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saclateni | LG | Death, rebirth, change, renewal, plants, natural and cosmic cycles | Saclateni is seen as the bringer of change, the god who ensures the world never stands still. Followers of the Aserdian pantheon credit Saclateni not only with the creation of the universe but also with the establishment of the cycles through which new things are brought into being. Saclateni is often worshiped alongside Errai, one the destruction to the other's re-creation.
Depictions of Saclateni are split. Some prefer to picture the god in an anthropomorphized form, typically as a humble figure wearing the garb of a common person who causes new life to spring into being as he passes. Roughly an equal number of followers instead consider the god to be a cosmic force too broad and all-encompassing to be reduced to a simple depiction - these followers generally see Saclateni in all life, pervading everything and everyone. |
| Tarazet | NG | ||
| Anka'a | NG | ||
| Izar | CG | ||
| Tucana | CG | ||
| Nashira | LN | ||
| Rasalas | LN | ||
| Saiph | N | ||
| Markab | N | ||
| Auva | N | ||
| Errai | CN | ||
| Kalausi | CN | ||
| Mothallah | LE | ||
| Eltanin | NE | ||
| Nusakan | NE | ||
| Blind Witness | Unaligned |
Area of worship
The Aserdian pantheon is the predominant pantheon amongst those living in Brightmarch and the Laqto Rainforest, with sizable numbers of followers as far east as Laniobriga and Oscan. It is not, however, the dominant faith in these areas, as is the case for many other pantheons in locations in which they are present. The Aserdian emphasis on religious fluidity has resulted in many adopting the gods of the pantheon in addition to other religious beliefs that are held simultaneously, sometimes significantly altering the portrayal of a deity of the practices of worship as they do so.
Connections to other pantheons
The Aserdian pantheon has many notable similarities in beliefs with the Elven pantheon, such as their shared emphasis on cosmic and spiritual cycles, developed over time as a result of the close proximity of the two pantheons' followers. Many scholars of religious matters have suggested that one pantheon's set of beliefs diverged from the other at some point in the past, but these are purely matters of conjecture.