Kasturi Pantheon Application

[Gollee]

Type: Religion

Founding/Settlement Date (if applicable): Recognised by the Sol Alliance in 2421

Region of Space: Primarily Epsilon Eridani.

Controlled by (if not a faction): Priesthood of the Kasturi

Other Snapshot information:

Small, new religion.

Worships a pantheon of six Gods.

Followers can either venerate all the Gods, or one in particular.

Long Description:

The Kasturi Pantheon

The Kasturi Pantheon began as a cult-like following among a small number of colonists in the Epsilon Eridani system; throughout the years it has grown slowly in followers, finally achieving religious status in the eyes of the Sol Alliance in 2421.

The followers of this faith believe in a pantheon of six major gods:

Souleon: Elder God of Time. The Pathwalker, the Waywatcher, the Elder.

Souleon is considered the head of the pantheon, ruling from the mythical Light World of Graile. As the master of the timeways, Souleon traditionally recuses himself all but the direst circumstances presented by his brethren.

Souleon is often depicted as a masked figure in white robes, all in white, or light yellow; holding a smooth black-wood staff, topped with a translucent yellow gemstone. Souleon was one of the original three beings to come into existence, with his three children, Sormtiar, Rihilok and Parthanos being born millennia later.

Tilura: Elder, Goddess of Space and the Stars. The Wanderer, the Light, the Last, the Everwatcher.

Tilura is the wife of Souleon, and, in his absence, rules the council of Graile; she is considered one of the more aloof of the six great gods, spending much of her time watching for the darker threats of the Kasturi mythology, such as the Darkness, an all-pervading force of destruction, or the Sinith, twisted creatures driven by an endless search for the essence of all things.

Tilura is often portrayed as the most elderly of the gods, however, the Mythos states that Souleon and Tilura were created simultaneously, along with the primordial Darkness. In appearance, she is depicted to have grayed hair, and wrinkled skin, but an unbowed back, and shining bright eyes, wearing a black cloak scattered with the stars of the universe.

Sormtiar: God of Peace and Healing. The Saviour, the Healer, the Defender.

Sormtiar, in the Mythos, is the most interfering of the six major deities, the mythology of the pantheon are wrought with tales of his interactions with mortals. These interventions range from the healing of a deathly ill infant, who later grew into a kind and just ruler, to the decimation of ancient, war-mongering armies. It is often said by his followers that, “He who speaks of peace, but will not fight for it, does not know it’s meaning.”

Sormtiar is the eldest of the three children of Tilura and Souleon, and is often portrayed similarily to his father, in white robes, however, the key distinctions is the lack of mask and staff; instead his face is often imagined to be that of a jovial, yet stern man with cropped hair, in his hands are often a glowing stone, to represent the seed of life, and a double-edged sword, to represent the risks of his defensive aspect.

Parthanos: God of War and Storms. The Storm, the Ender, the Bulwark.

Parthanos is the middle child of Souleon and Tilura, he took the aspects of war into himself, becoming Souleon’s avenging hand in the many wars against the Darkness and other befouled creatures. Even amongst the other gods, Parthanos is known to be openly aggressive, the Mythos describes an ancient duel between Parthanos and Sormtiar, after the two came to blows following the emergence of Celaya and the arrival of mortals to the universe.

Parthanos is often imaged as a tall, bald man with dark grey skin and red eyes; he is always depicted to be in motion, whether striking down enemies of the Pantheon or debating with the other five major gods upon Graile. Isstvir, the world upon which Parthanos is said to have set up his forges of combat are said to be countless in number, and their produce has served the Pantheon and their servants well in their endless war of light and darkness.

Rihilok: God of Wisdom and Conflict. The Capricious, the All-knowing, the Trickster.

Rihilok is the youngest, and weakest child of Souleon and Tilura, and the most wily of the three, he delights in the machinations of mortals and gods alike. Despite this troublesome nature, Rihilok is a stern defender of light, his capricious and elusive nature infuriating the creatures of the Darkness at every turn; their blows against him finding only echoing laughter.

He is often depicted as a mirthful, young man, with dark skin and darker hair. He is never shown holding a weapon, instead a halo is inscribed around his head; revealing his true nature.

Celaya: Goddess of Nature and Love. The Beloved, the Green Spirit, the Destroyer.

Celaya, unlike the other five gods, is not linked to the creation of the universe. When the first mortal creature looked into the sky and wondered about it’s origins, Celaya emerged, a living vessel of the forces of life and death. After the War of the three Brothers, Celaya married Sormtiar, sitting at his side at the council.

She bears the appearance of a beautiful woman, though her exact appearance varies from image to image. She is most commonly depicted with a planet clasped in her right hand, and her left hand open above it; depending on in what context the image is created, she is often drawn with sparks drifting down from her left hand, or a cloud of crows.

Light Worlds

A Light World is a term for a planet taken as a home by one of the Kasturi, only one Kasturi does not have a Light World, Tilura. The Light World of Parthanos is also not referred to as a Light World, instead, it is called a Dusk World, as it has long since been twisted by its’ constant war with the Darkness, despite the efforts of Parthanos himself. It is predicted that he will soon again be searching for a new world to call home.

A Light World is warped by the presence of the Kasturi, taking on aspects pleasing to it’s owner; Celaya’s, for example, is split into two hemispheres, one filled with all the verdancy of life, countless species communing in harmony on it’s surface; and the other hemisphere, a desolate bone-waste, scattered with the remains of long-forgotten creatures.

The Light Worlds of the Kasturi

Graile: Graile is the original Light World, controlled by Souleon; it is an endless, empty metropolis of colossal crystal spires; the council of the Kasturi takes place here, situated at the highest of the spires, well-above the atmosphere of the venerable world. Souleon himself spends his time wandering the deserted streets of the city, listening the the flow of time around him, whether to the delighted shrieks of a street-fair on a world ten thousand light years away and a dozen centuries ago; or to the desperate screams of the victims of a pillaging army a single system away and a thousand years in the future. Simply walking the ghostly streets of Graile can catapult an unprotected mortal countless millennia into the future or the past.

Unkaron: Unkaron is the Light World of Sormtiar; a grand monument to the wonders that can be wrought by the forces of righteousness and order. Sormtiar has brought countless sentient creatures to Unkaron, training them in the use of his magic, so they might fight for the Kasturi in times of great strife. The greatest of these disciples are known as Ophelian, singular beings that can channel the collective might of their species, these warriors are capable of standing beside the Gods themselves, serving the six deities with legendary prowess.

Isstvir: Isstvir is the chosen world of Parthanos, Isstvir is known as the Dusk World; a Light World nearing it’s end. When Parthanos claimed Isstvir, he assembled countless forges and furnaces across the planet; producing millions of eldritch machines and billions of fabled weapons with which the Kasturi and their allies fight back the Darkness.

Jatheni: Jatheni is the Light World of Rihilok, God of Wisdom. Jatheni is a planet-spanning library, gifted to his son by Souleon, Jatheni contains the total sum of all knowledge known by the Council. Many intruders have met their end in it’s endless twisting corridors, whether from thirst and starvation, or from the formidable guardians skulking it’s darkened hallways. Given Rihilok’s penchant for mischief, it isn’t surprising that even the enchanted creations whose purpose it is to guide and direct have a penchant for misdirection, as likely to send you to your destination as they are to trap you in the hidden labyrinth.

Mobilai: The newest, and most dangerous of the Light Worlds is Mobilai, the chosen world of Celaya; The large world is split in two along it’s east-west hemispheres, one half of the world, that which faces the sun, is a paradise of life, immense savannahs, dense jungles, near-endless oceans; each domain within the light-side of the planet are almost infinite, their size supplemented by the powerful presence of their guardian. The dark-side of the planet is a scene of utter devastation, nothing lives on the dark-side of Mobilai, immense bones of long extinct creatures scatter expansive ash wastes amid poisonous smog and radiation. To step into the dark-side of Mobilai is to accept death, for that is the second nature of Celaya. As the planet turns upon it’s axis, the terminator between the two opposites moves, life springing up in front of the motion just as fast as it is destroyed behind, as is the balance of nature.

War of the three Brothers

When Celaya revealed herself as the sixth member of the Pantheon, Souleon, who had long predicted her emergence, welcomed her as an equal among the Council of the Kasturi; however, her arrival set blades to throats amongst Souleon’s children, as they all sought the beautiful goddess for themselves. Rihilok soon distanced himself from the conflict; knowing he could not defeat either of his brothers without grave risk to himself. Sormtiar and Parthanos, on the other hand, fought for millennia. Neither could gain the advantage over the other, an endless storm of parries and deflections. The battle would have continued indefinitely, had Parthanos been more wary; in his rage against his brother, his sword went wild, the edge of destruction plunging through a hapless world, and towards the enraged Celaya who knew not the strength of The Storm. Sormtiar saved his beloved by casting himself in the way of the blade; forcing Tilura to act, to preserve the life of her favoured son. Such an act stopped the battle in an instant; even the Blade of Night ceasing as the very power of the stars themselves compelled it to halt. In repentance for their reckless combat, Tilura laid an oath upon Sormtiar and Parthanos, to never draw arms against another God again; and she set them to gather the sparks of life from the creatures they had killed in their rampage, so that they might join with Graile, as is right.

Celaya, impressed by Sormtiar’s act of sacrifice, even if it had been ultimately in vain, pledged herself to him, and him to her; much to Parthanos’ anger, but he could not strike his brother; enraged, he left the scene, beginning the long and lonely collection of the lost life.

 

Notes: This isn't a WIP, I think it is good to go as is, but I will be writing up more and more in the background, starting on religious ceremonies and strictures.

If you want to hear more about this ingame, please talk to Inis Truesight or Guinevere Tier; who are both followers.

[Guest]

A few questions from your resident Lore App Manager Answer whenever is convenient. (Preferably within the next 36 hours)

1. Are the behaviors and practices of this religion's followers seen as moderate, or extreme. (Is it like Jehovah's Witness moderate cult or Nar'Sie cult extreme basically)

2. Do you have any concept art, or are you able to make some, in relation to the Gods, symbols that represent them, or common items used in worship? (Just so players can get a physical grasp on the religion with visual association)

3. Would you be willing to make the developments of this (ceremonies and strictures) a public Google Doc or Piratepad, so all followers can view it with ease?

4. Would you be willing to host a topic on it in the IC forum section, like a church webpage basically? Ideas could include a religious quote of the week and such. (Just an idea to immerse those who choose to partake in this)

5. Would you be willing to, for awhile at least, play ICly as a Chaplain to promote this religion to garner some OOC-IC hybrid attention to it?

[Gollee]

1. Moderate, they aren't Westboro, or ISIS. They are peaceful (generally) and accepting of other faiths and idealogies.

2. The only thing I currently have is Inis' necklace as the symbol for one of the gods; I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination; I can try and knock some stuff together, or give descriptions if someone else is willing to try.

3. Of couse, google doc, comments enabled. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_M7FbrhOiNxSn5nv40XUnOmd0u6-F4RmRRPvNUWgSZY/edit?usp=sharing

4. Yeah, I can quite easily do that, thinking up abstract phrases is something I am proficient at.

5. I already have two characters with this, my well-known one, Inis Truesight, and a Chaplain, Guinevere Tier, who isn't as well known.

[Guest]

Alright. You just need at least one other player to say they're interested in this, and I'll be able to accept it in 34 hoursish.

[Guest]

I myself am actually interested in this and will be a buy-in.

Accepted. Locking and archiving.