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 with defined beginnings, but rather are 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 these texts are rarely seen as prescriptive in matters of worship.
Religious tensions are largely absent amongst followers of Aserdian gods, both with the adherents of other deities in the pantheon and with followers of other pantheons. It is common to pray to many gods simultaneously, in fact, instead of primarily focusing the object of one's veneration on a single deity.
Deities
| Name | Alignment | Areas of Concern | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saclateni | LG | Death, rebirth, change, renewal, plants, natural and cosmic cycles | Saclateni (pronounced sah-clah-TEH-nee) is 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.
Saclateni has relatively few clerics of his own. He and Errai are often the invoked in prayers and sacrifices by the devoted followers of other gods, however, as together they are widely considered to be fundamental forces underpinning the world, worthy of worship and respect even if not necessarily the primary target of one's veneration. 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 | Families, protection, dreams, hospitality, visions, hallucinogens | Tarazet (pronounced TAH-rah-zet) is a goddess of the family and community first and foremost, a gentle guide and fierce protector of her followers. Her clergy often perform marriage ceremonies, exhorting their goddess to watch over the new family, and she is invoked to protect one's dwelling. Unlike many other deities in the Aserdian pantheon, she is thought to take a very active role in the lives of her faithful. Tarazet is believed to play a strong influence on all dreams and visions, including those induced by the consumption of certain plants. Devotees of Tarazet often use hallucinogens as part of their prayers in order to form a closer connection to their goddess. Still, the clergy of Tarazet teach moderation of this practice, as one should not become too consumed with the world of dreams.
Tarazet's clergy typically take very active roles in their communities, often serving not only as religious figures but also as public servants, offering whatever aid they can to the needy. Temples are usually austere, as they place far more emphasis on feeding and healing those that request assistance than on displays of wealth or piety. Devout followers of Tarazet often maintain dream journals, in which they interpret the dreams granted to them by their goddess. Tarazet is typically depicted in animalistic forms, most often as an elephant. |
| Anka'a | NG | Curiosity, art, music, invention, philosophy, sun, light, color, language | Anka'a (pronounced on-kah AH) is a goddess of curiosity, art, invention, and philosophy. She provides sparks of inspiration to those that put their minds to creative tasks, aiding them in seeing the world in novel ways. She is also associated with the sun and light, and either directly or through her followers she is said to have brought color to the world. Anka'a is additionally considered to be a goddess of language - many followers of the Aserdian pantheon believe language was a gift from the goddess, not originally for the purpose of communication but rather as a form of music.
Anka'a is most often depicted as a humanoid figure dressed in the garb of an artist, hard at work on her artistic pursuits. Statues of the goddess sculpting herself out of clay, usually with the upper half of her form complete and the bottom half far more rough, are found especially widely in her temples. These temples usually resemble workshops more than areas for prayer; to Anka's faithful, creation of artistic works is a form of prayer in itself. |
| Izar | CG | Liberation, farmers, pastoralists, hunter-gatherers | Izar (pronounced EYE-zar) is a goddess of farmers, pastoralists, and hunter-gatherers, seen as the deity that provides the people of the world with all the food they can eat. She is often prayed to before a harvest or when attempting to locate a meal, especially in times of scarcity. She is thought to appreciate small burnt offerings of food when the forests are plentiful and the stockpiles are full, which she then collects and returns to her followers when the lean times return.
Though her aspect as a goddess of liberation is present in the Aserdian pantheon, it is far less emphasized than it is with some of her counterparts in other pantheons. Izar has few clergy, even by the standards of other gods of the Aserdian pantheon. She is considered a household goddess, one who is prayed to by many people without the need for clergy to aid in their worship. The goddess is usually depicted as a woman with skin made of flower petals that constantly fall to the ground as she walks. |
| Tucana | CG | Travel, whimsy, storytelling, fresh water, storms, nomadism | Tucana (pronounced too-CAH-nah) is a goddess of travel, whimsy, stories, and fresh water. She is the patron of nomadic groups and peoples - it is believed to have taught them that travel brings wisdom and a breadth of experiences, and that there is always more to see in the world.
Her clergy are habitually itinerant, traveling widely to meet other followers of the goddess and grow her flock. They are endlessly keen in conversing with all, but rarely seek to proselytize, far more interested in sharing what they have heard and picking up the latest tales than in spreading their faith. To those living in particularly remote areas, the itinerant clergy of Tucana are often critical in keeping up with the events in the broader world. Tucana's clergy widely share and teach her holy text, The Rivers and the Winds, a long and meandering story of fantastical places and people. This holy text has its roots in the Chaskan interpretation of the god, Taliash, though it was adopted in a continually altered form by her Aserdian faithful centuries ago. Tucana is commonly depicted as a woman sitting amongst a flock of waterbirds, who crowd around her as if intently listening to a story. In some representations she is one of these birds herself, most commonly a spoonbill, larger and more elaborately colored than the rest. |
| Nashira | LN | Writing, history, research, investigations, teaching, learning | Nashira (pronounced nah-SHEE-rah) is a goddess of central importance, especially as a deity of history - many consider her the most important figure in the pantheon, or at least the most important one that takes an active role in mortal affairs. She connects communities to their past, both recent and distant, and in doing so allows them to better understand the present. Followers of Nashira believe the teaching of others to be one of most pious acts one can take. In the Aserdian pantheon Nashira is not only the goddess of written works but also of oral histories, which are often interspersed with praise for the goddess.
Nashira's clergy are often found working in libraries or as researchers, actively attempting to further mortal understanding of the world as a facet of their prayers. Unusually for Aserdian deities, her priesthood is quite well-organized, if rather diffuse. They frequently communicate with each other in order to share knowledge and take part in each other's worship. Though it has no official status as such, the House of Treasure in Yarma is widely considered by Nashira's clergy to be one of the holiest places for their faith, and a great many of their theological works are stored there. Compared to her interpretations in other pantheons, Nashira is more of a neutral goddess in the Aserdian pantheon, with her lawful aspects de-emphasized. Nashira is typically depicted as a scribe deep in her work, often wearing clothes covered in intricate writing. She is frequently pictured as sitting amongst celestial bodies, pulling ink from the night sky between them. |
| Rasalas | LN | ||
| Saiph | N | ||
| Markab | N | ||
| Auva | N | ||
| Errai | CN | ||
| Kalausi | CN | ||
| Mothallah | LE | ||
| Eltanin | NE | ||
| Nusakan | NE | ||
| Blind Witness | Unaligned | Lost opportunities, forgotten dreams, the spaces between the stars | The Blind Witness is an unusual deity. They are uncommonly worshiped even amongst followers of the Aserdian pantheon, and are rarely seen in parts of the world in which this pantheon does not have a well-established presence. Still, they have an important cosmological role. The Blind Witness is the god of lost opportunities, forgotten dreams, and the spaces between the stars. They are a god of the events that could have been the the goals that were left behind. They see the passage of time in the universe yet do not interfere. The Witness has no herald or servants, save for its few mortal devotees, and is not believed to ever directly act upon the world.
The Blind Witness has no holy text, though some temples to the god contain books for worshipers to write down dreams and wishes they have long-since abandoned, which then serve as objects of contemplation for prayer. Unlike with most other deities, followers of the Blind Witness prefer not to give any depiction to their god. To most, it has no shape or form that would make sense to the mortal mind. A simple filled black circle is sometimes used as a holy symbol, representing the totality of the Blind Witness. |
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.