Post by zenith on Aug 28, 2016 3:30:03 GMT
I'm running a campaign in a homebrew world, and I'm working on fleshing out my pantheon and various bits of history/mythology. It is loosely based on the Norse patheon. I'll post what I have so far, and edit this post as we go. I very much welcome suggestions and criticism.
Each deity has an associated constellation. I definitely stole that idea straight from the podcast.
Creation Myth
This part is still very much up in the air. I'm not sure where the deities came from or how the world was made.
The Great War
At some point after the creation of the world, 12 of the gods either rebelled against the others, or banded together and did something terrible. I haven't figured out what the inciting incident was just yet. Whatever the cause, there was a war between the 12 and the rest of the pantheon, or at least a majority. These 12 were defeated and banished to the outer planes, and are no longer able to directly influence the mortal world. Their names were erased from the minds of the world's mortals, as well as written works which existed at the time. Their deeds and vileness was not. They are collectively known as The Forgotten, a term which is commonly used as a curse. "Forgotten take you!"
Because they were allied, the constellations associated with The Forgotten were together in the sky. At the time of their banishment, the constellations vanished. That section of the sky is now just a void. It probably should have some special name, to be determined later. The season of the year during which this section of the sky is directly overhead is considered a dangerous and unlucky time to superstitious people in the world. This season also coincides with the lunar solstice, the shortest day of the year. This day is considered the worst day to begin things or make agreements.
The Pantheon
Each deity has a name, as well as a title. Although they are listed together, they are rarely, if ever, said together. Someone might say "May Ota judge him fairly," or "Praise She Who Strikes the Anvil!" You are unlikely to hear "Dagnir, He Who Defends the Gate, save us!" The titles are styled after the names of the "small gods" in Joe Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy, as well as the tendency to reverse the stereotypical gender roles associated with what the gods/goddesses do (e.g. Mother War vs. Father Peace in the Shattered Sea books).
A note about the constellations: I used this sigil generator to create them. I basically typed in 2 or 3 words about the deity, sometimes fiddling around with the order of those words. Pretty pleased with the results so far.
Ideas for other deities I haven't made yet:
The Forgotten
These are mostly just vague ideas at the moment, and need tons of detail. Also, some astute readers may notice that there are fewer than 12 listed.
In my world, the Hells and The Abyss are among the outer planes, so those are the sorts of places where The Forgotten might set up shop. Which means devils and demons and the like are likely creations/servats/minions of them. Some of these are inspired by demon lords, and others are inspired by evil deities in other campaign settings.
This is full of spoilers for my current campaign. I swear if you're one of my players and you read what's in here before I tell you that you can, I will destroy your character and everything he holds dear. You have been warned.
Note about the constellations: These constellations are gone from the sky, of course, but the symbols are still recognizable. To make them, I did the same thing as for the rest of the deities, but then I imported them into GIMP and did some warping and curving, then fit a bezier curve around it and stroked.
Other ideas:
On Dragons
In my world, dragons are extremely rare. They were created by the Gods following The Banishing to guard the seals or some such. Most, if not all, of them are currently in hibernation. The seals have physical representations in the material plane, but reside mostly in a neighbor plane, in which the dragons' dreams take place. Should the seals weaken, they will wake and prepare to defend the world from the wrath of The Forgotten.
Each deity has an associated constellation. I definitely stole that idea straight from the podcast.
Creation Myth
This part is still very much up in the air. I'm not sure where the deities came from or how the world was made.
The Great War
At some point after the creation of the world, 12 of the gods either rebelled against the others, or banded together and did something terrible. I haven't figured out what the inciting incident was just yet. Whatever the cause, there was a war between the 12 and the rest of the pantheon, or at least a majority. These 12 were defeated and banished to the outer planes, and are no longer able to directly influence the mortal world. Their names were erased from the minds of the world's mortals, as well as written works which existed at the time. Their deeds and vileness was not. They are collectively known as The Forgotten, a term which is commonly used as a curse. "Forgotten take you!"
Because they were allied, the constellations associated with The Forgotten were together in the sky. At the time of their banishment, the constellations vanished. That section of the sky is now just a void. It probably should have some special name, to be determined later. The season of the year during which this section of the sky is directly overhead is considered a dangerous and unlucky time to superstitious people in the world. This season also coincides with the lunar solstice, the shortest day of the year. This day is considered the worst day to begin things or make agreements.
The Pantheon
Each deity has a name, as well as a title. Although they are listed together, they are rarely, if ever, said together. Someone might say "May Ota judge him fairly," or "Praise She Who Strikes the Anvil!" You are unlikely to hear "Dagnir, He Who Defends the Gate, save us!" The titles are styled after the names of the "small gods" in Joe Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy, as well as the tendency to reverse the stereotypical gender roles associated with what the gods/goddesses do (e.g. Mother War vs. Father Peace in the Shattered Sea books).
A note about the constellations: I used this sigil generator to create them. I basically typed in 2 or 3 words about the deity, sometimes fiddling around with the order of those words. Pretty pleased with the results so far.
 | Azre, She Who Weaves the Mystery Azre is the goddess of arcane magic and mysteries. The Mystery (the source of arcane magic in my world) was created by Azre, and she maintains it. She loves riddles. |
 | Borosti, She Who Leads the Charge Usually depicted as a tall, broad woman carrying a broadsword and wearing brigandine, Borosti is the goddess of courage and battle. Her constellation is intertwined with that of her brother, Dagnir, god of protection, locked eternally in battle. |
 | Dagnir, He Who Defends the Gate Dagnir is the god of protection, loyalty, and determination. His constellation is intertwined with that of his sister Borosti, goddess of war, locked eternally in battle. |
 | Illdar, He Who Writes the Book Illdar, son of Ota and Uldi, is the god of knowledge, teaching, and alertness. He carries the book of all knowledge with him, adding to and editing it constantly. |
 | Oran, He Who Tends the Field [Insert description of agriculture god here.] Also, not sure about that title. Lacks some 'zazz. |
 | Ota, She Who Stands in Judgement Ota, mother of Illdar, is the goddess of justice and honesty. She has a calm temperament, and values order and truth in all things. |
 | Uldi, He Who Heralds Peace Uldi, often depicted in a white robe, is the god of peace and mercy. His constellation is occasionally found near those of Borosti and Dagnir, where he is said to try and convince them to stop their endless war. Other times it is opposite that of his wife Ota, encouraging mercy for the judged. |
 | Ysrenna, She Who Strikes the Anvil [Insert description of smithing/craftsmanship goddess here] It may also be the case that this title is ripped straight from Abercrombie. Memory's fuzzy on that score. |
Ideas for other deities I haven't made yet:
- Goddess of the forests/nature
- Gods/goddesses of the earth, sea, sky, etc.
The Forgotten
These are mostly just vague ideas at the moment, and need tons of detail. Also, some astute readers may notice that there are fewer than 12 listed.
In my world, the Hells and The Abyss are among the outer planes, so those are the sorts of places where The Forgotten might set up shop. Which means devils and demons and the like are likely creations/servats/minions of them. Some of these are inspired by demon lords, and others are inspired by evil deities in other campaign settings.
This is full of spoilers for my current campaign. I swear if you're one of my players and you read what's in here before I tell you that you can, I will destroy your character and everything he holds dear. You have been warned.
Note about the constellations: These constellations are gone from the sky, of course, but the symbols are still recognizable. To make them, I did the same thing as for the rest of the deities, but then I imported them into GIMP and did some warping and curving, then fit a bezier curve around it and stroked.
 | Annag, He Who Stokes the Flames of Wrath Fire, revenge, destruction, etc. Heavily inspired by mimir.planewalker.com/forum/alzrius-lord-infernal-light |
 | Hziol, He Who Slays Truth Will be loosely based on Graz'zt (5e MM page 52) |
 | Shuluk, She Who Calls the Sleepers Loosely based on Orcus (5e MM pg 52) |
 | Yagdul, He Who Devours Hope Betrayer, was the 'leader' of the 12 before they were banished. Something of a grudging "first among equals" kind of thing maybe? |
Other ideas:
- plague deity
- god/goddess who fills a Baphomet/Grumsh role
- Tiamat analog?
(see below)
On Dragons
In my world, dragons are extremely rare. They were created by the Gods following The Banishing to guard the seals or some such. Most, if not all, of them are currently in hibernation. The seals have physical representations in the material plane, but reside mostly in a neighbor plane, in which the dragons' dreams take place. Should the seals weaken, they will wake and prepare to defend the world from the wrath of The Forgotten.
