The Ardovian Pantheon

©2003 by Jefferson Krogh

Last updated August 2003

Ardovian Theology

In the beginning, it is said, there was nothing but an endless, barren plain of ether and void. Nothing, that is, until the First One appeared.

The First One was the father of a race of giants, and he brought his seven sons with him to dwell upon the vast stone plain. From where they came, no one can say, for none who live remember those days, or remember any who remembered them.

But the First One was the ruler of his little family, and his power over the plain was unending. Almost as great as his power was his jealousy. He commanded his sons as if they were slaves, and allowed them no say in their own affairs. He was the larger and brawnier than any of his sons. When they argued with him, The First One would use his great strength to pummel them into submission.

The youngest of these seven sons was a spiteful and jealous giant named Balathor. Being the youngest, and the smallest, his only way of getting his way was through cunning and guile. Using trickery, he convinced his brothers that their father was planning to murder them all, so better to have everything all to himself. Such was the magic of Balathor’s silver tongue, that his brothers believed him. They rose up against the First One, who, outraged at their betrayal, slew six of them. Balathor, cowardly as always, slunk away from the battle when no one was looking.

When The First One came to his senses and saw his sons dead, he wept for one thousand days and nights, and his tears flooded the plain. So came water to the world. For the first time ever, he doubted himself. He had proven his strength, and it had lost him everything. Then, distraught, the First One drew away from the half-submerged bodies of his sons and slew himself.

The heat of his very blood, as it spilled over, gave the world fire. With his dying breath, he gave the world air. And has his body cooled, alongside those of his sons, they turned to stone, and when they did, the world had earth and stone.

Then, with water, fire, air and earth together, formed the true children of The First One, each carrying a small portion of his memory and his awareness.

First came Cwthane, who formed among the air. Then Lynness, from the fire; Jyneth, from the grief of the sea; and slow Geopatrus, from the earth. They were the first of the gods, and from them would someday come the rest, save one.

Each had a fragment of the story you have just heard. Together, they pieced together the tale of their birth, and they realized they had been given a second chance to do that which The First One could not—bring forth new life, and give it freedom and purpose. They would bring forth their own children, but then they would leave them be, to grow and learn on their own. First, they would need somewhere to go.

Together, they worked, and created the First Tree. Jyneth gave it water, Lynness gentle warmth, Geopatrus a solid home in which to grow; and finally, Cwthane breathed life into its roots and branches. In doing so, Cwthane proved the most powerful of them all. At the top of this tree, Lynness and Cwthane made their home. Jyneth, who carried with him the final grief of the First One, retreated to the seas which shared his agony. Geopatrus slept, deep within the earth.

The plain would be forever flooded by the tears of the First One, and you can see the proof by looking at the waves of any sea. You can see the anguish of the First One when the waves pound and the seas swell. The bodies of his sons turned to stone over time, and each became a world unto itself.

Ardovian Cosmology

The Ardovian cosmology is centered around the continent of Ardovia, which is a Material Plane all its own. It is not the only Material Plane, but it is the home of the campaign, and therefore everything is named after it. Ardovia is surrounded, after a manner of speaking, by a seemingly infinite number of other mortal and divine planes. It is often said that all of the mortal planes float upon Jyneth's kingdom, the Endless Sea of Tears. Likewise, all of the divine planes either float high in the sky, or are in caverns deep in the fiery depths of the earth.

In D&D terms, there is no appreciable difference between the Material and Outer Planes—they're divided between mortal planes (where mortals live) and divine planes (the homes of the gods). They are joined not by the Astral or Ethereal Planes, but by the different Elemental Planes, which are exceedingly dangerous to traverse.

Wynden Trwll

The name given to the universe; all things are a part of Wynden Trwll.

Ardovia

One of the worlds of mortals, formed from the petrified corpse of one of the sons of the First One. Originally the dominion of the elves of Forellia, it is now ruled by the human Empire of Amesh, worshippers of Tallos.

Aquia

Another of the mortal planes; little is known about it on Ardovia, except that it is inhabited by men.

The First Tree

Among the most prominent of the divine planes is the First Tree, where Lynness, Cwthane, and other gods dwell. Atop the First Tree, Cwthane watches over all creation, biding his time. Within the upper branches, the gods have built mansions and halls. There, they take councils, hold celebrations, and rest.

Solacia

This is Lynness’ home plane, an ethereal realm far to the west of Ardovia. It is a lush and golden land of plains and hills. At its western end there lies a tall mountain on a peninsula. This mountain is now snow-capped, but is green and verdant all the way to its peak. When the sun goes down at dusk, it rests here, behind the mountain, before it magically moves to the east to rise again in the morning.

The souls of those who were faithful to Lynness journey here by way of the six Charioteers who serve her. They live on forever in warmth and joy.

Lunaheim

The moon, when full, is a silvery globe some one hundred miles in diameter. It floats above Wynden Trwll, in the airless spaces a thousand miles overhead. Elowyn has exercised her will to keep breathable air and water on the moon for the souls who reside there.

As the months pass, the moon waxes and wanes, crowding the souls into a smaller area. The souls don’t mind; as the new moon approaches, the souls all gather at Elowyn’s great temple for celebrations. This temple is in a great city called Lunaheim, on the very edge of the moon’s disc. Lunaheim is said to be a place of silver arches and towers, a place of enlightenment with great libraries, gardens, and other cultural wonders.

The view of Wynden Trwll from Lunaheim is quite breathtaking; the few mortals who have been there have been quite effusive in their praise.

Far to the east of Ardovia is a great mountain. The moon rests here when it is not making its nightly course over Wynden Trwll. The souls who live there sleep during this time.

The Ardovian Pantheon

The Ardovian pantheon is a tight pantheon, though it is currently racked by turmoil and warfare. Until the revolt of Tallos, Cwthane was the supreme ruler of the pantheon, with his wife Lynness as a respected second in command. Of the seventeen known members of pantheon, a dozen form the core of the group. They are those who usually follow Cwthane's lead. Tallos is an aberrant god who rebelled against the rest of the pantheon; he is currently waging a war against Cwthane, and apparently winning. Knaithe is a mysterious figure on the fringes. Jyneth is a member of the family, more specifically the mad alcoholic homeless uncle. Trakalzhar and Altan keep their own counsel. Even so, the Ardovian religion, at least as it stood before the war, worships all the gods. The rise of the cult of Tallos has frayed this tradition quite a bit, and now it is fairly common for individuals to revere only their patron deity. This is especially true in the case of Tallos and the other “outsider” gods. Nonetheless, many worship all seventeen gods, while keeping a special reverence for their favorite or patron.

Since the Ardovian deities form a tight pantheon, clerics may serve the entire pantheon rather than a specific deity. Those who do are usually aligned with Cwthane's faction. Mortals are free to follow whom they will.

Clerics who serve the entire Ardovian pantheon may choose any of the following domains: Air, Animals, Artifice, Cavern, Chaos, Charm, Creation, Darkness, Death, Earth, Evil, Family, Fate, Fire, Good, Healing, Knowledge, Law, Luck, Magic, Moon, Nobility, Protection, Renewal, Scalykind, Strength, Sun, Time, Trade, Travel, Trickery, Water, Weather.

Clerics of the pantheon may be of any alignment. They may choose their favored weapon from among the longbow, spear, scythe, harpoon, hammer, hand crossbow, shortbow, rapier, quarterstaff, sling and greataxe.

Table 1. The Ardovian Pantheon

Table 2: Ardovian Deities by Race

Table 3: Ardovian Deities by Class