Gods & Religions of Mandalay

This entry covers all Deities, Demigods, religions, philosophies & Creeds of Mandalay that have either been featured in or referenced during the ongoing Mandalay campaigns.

The Vigil of Haris
Dedicated to Truth, Justice, and Law, the Vigil of Haris are a Pantheon of the Straight and Narrow. Good Paladins, Clerics, and others who enforce the Laws of Good find their faiths here, in the realms of Heaven.
 * Bahamut [Bah-Huh-Met]
 * The Platinum Wyrm
 * Domains: Law, Good, Dragons
 * Areas of Influence: Metallic Dragons, Valor, Honor, Protection
 * Favored Weapon: Greatsword
 * Herald: Laznogard Ux Tibir
 * Danaris [Dan-uh-ris]
 * The Avenger
 * Domains: Valor, Rulership, Justice
 * Areas of Influence: Paladins, Hope, Humans, Law
 * Favored Weapon: Longsword
 * Herald: None
 * Tarris [Tair-is]
 * The Cleaver, LegendForge
 * Domains: Forge, Smithing, Protection, Cleaving, Drunken Battle
 * Areas of Influence: Dwarves, Ale, Battle, Good, Recklessness
 * Favored Weapon: Dwarven Greataxe
 * Herald: None
 * Eunara [Yoo-nah-ra]
 * The Raindancer, The All-Mother
 * Domains: Farming, Forests, Harvests, Family
 * Areas of Influence: Halflings, Gnomes, Crops, Beauty
 * Favored Weapon: Sickle
 * Herald: Gladrien, Dryad Princess

The Tribunal
A council of gods whose focus lies primarily with the mortal realms, the Tribunal meet often to discuss matters. While they do not live on the same plane, they make a point to gather regularly at some neutral point in the cosmos to discuss the affairs of mortals. While gods of good and evil are within the tribunal, they rarely get along, and often use mortals as chess pieces against one another.
 * Molaes [Moe-Lay-us]
 * The Light, Flower of Dawn, Redeemer
 * Domains: Sun, Healing, Redemption
 * Areas of Influence: Healing, Clerics, Medicine, Positive Energy
 * Favored Weapon: Scimitar or Wand
 * Herald: Toxa
 * Evistra [eh-vee-strah]
 * The Muse, The Matchmaker
 * Domains: Beauty, Art, Music, Love
 * Areas of Influence: Performance, Elves, relationships, creativity, the arts, harmony, friendship
 * Favored Weapon: Lute or Drum
 * Herald: Avanna Blackmore, Bard of Legend
 * Ardis [arr-dis]
 * The Wizard, The Old Man, The Fool
 * Domains: Magic, Hope, Destiny, Good
 * Areas of Influence: Magical prowess, Leadership, peace, unlikely victory, critical thinking
 * Favored Weapon: Staff, Pasta
 * Herald: Finnis Lightfoot, Archmage
 * Bertox [Bert-ox]
 * The Plaguebringer
 * Domains: Disease, Gluttony, Plagues, Misery
 * Areas of Influence: Plagues, Pestilence, Disease, Starvation, Misery, Mass death
 * Favored Weapon: Halberd
 * Herald: None
 * Baratus [Bahr-ah-toos]
 * Death, The Undying
 * Domains: Undead, Darkness, Cold, Fear
 * Areas of Influence: Souls, Negative Energy, Death, Regrets
 * Favored Weapon: Claw
 * Herald: Zedek the Eternal
 * Kezlak [Kehz-lahk]
 * The Whispered One
 * Domains: Secrets, Greed, Poison
 * Areas of Influence: Extortion, Blackmail, Bribery, Secrets, Murder, Sins
 * Favored Weapon: Blowgun
 * Herald: Viorian Dekanti, The Violet Angel
 * Mur [muh-r]
 * The Wanderer, The Trailblazer
 * Domains: Wealth, Exploration, Travel, Law
 * Areas of Influence: Merchants, Commerce, Journeys, Roads, Civilization, Currency, Bartering
 * Favored Weapon: Pitchfork
 * Herald: None
 * Tyketto [Tie-ket-toe]
 * The Tome Keeper, Father Time
 * Domains: History, Knowledge
 * Areas of Influence: Magical Power, ruins, artifacts, study, education
 * Favored Weapon: Khopesh
 * Herald: None

The Rasel Union
The gods of freedom for freedom's sake, these deities don't outright oppose with their lawful counterparts so much as strongly disagree with them. They, like the Tribunal, take great stock in mortal affairs, if only to keep things...interesting.
 * Sumnaris [soom-nar-is]
 * The First Star, The Nocturnal Queen
 * Domains: Dreams, Stars, Cosmos
 * Areas of Influence: Astrology, Astronomy, Constellations, Stargazing, Tides, Celestial Bodies, Dreams, Nightmares, Wishes
 * Favored Weapon: Rod or Club
 * Herald: None
 * Serinanth [Seh-rin-anth]
 * The Trickster, The Thief, The Lord of Laughs
 * Domains: Freedom, Bravery, Thievery, Mischief
 * Areas of Influence: Laughter, Jokes, Pranks, Contests, Humor, Pickpocketing
 * Favored Weapon: Dagger
 * Herald: Ziljirah, The Copper Clown
 * Rallos [Rah-loss]
 * The Warmonger, The Berserker
 * Domains: War, Battle, Weapons
 * Areas of Influence: Strength, Orcs, Giants, Slaughter, Endurance, Triumph
 * Favored Weapon: Orcish Double Axe
 * Herald: None
 * Damistria [Dah-mees-tree-uh]
 * The Seducer, the Succubus Queen
 * Domains: Lust, Revenge
 * Areas of Influence: Sex, Lust, Tricks, Extortion, Betrayal
 * Favored Weapon: Dagger
 * Herald: None

The Conclave of Monad
Balance comes at a cost, and the gods of the conclave maintain it. Neither good, nor evil, these deities are less tied to mortal affairs and more concerned with larger issues that keep the wheels of the universe turning.
 * Fenresah [Fen-reh-sah]
 * The Oncoming Storm
 * Domains: Nature, Weather, Oceans
 * Areas of Influence: Elves, Fae, Forests, Druids, Henges, Survival
 * Favored Weapon: Trident
 * Herald: None
 * Uuelfeth [You-El-Feth]
 * The All-Seer, The FateSpinner
 * Domains: Fate, Prophecy
 * Areas of Influence: Seers, Predictions, Destiny, Choices
 * Favored Weapon: Crossbow
 * Herald: Nika Siannodel, Lady of Prophecy
 * The Faceless
 * The Current, The Flowing River
 * Domains: Magic, Mana, Krel
 * Areas of Influence: Spells, Balance of magic, Counterspells, Anti-magic
 * Favored Weapon: Rod of Cancellation
 * Herald: None
 * Zoey (Zoh-Ee)
 * The Grey Goddess, The Descendant
 * Domains: Balance, Equality, Good & Evil
 * Areas of Influence: Morality, Fairness, Equality, Justice, Judgement, Shades of Grey
 * Favored Weapon: Greataxe or Longsword
 * Herald: Beshtath Rathfornir, Incubus Consort

The Axis of Kael
The undoers, the destroyers, the world-eaters. The Axis of Kael are devoted to the destruction or corruption not just of mortalkind, but also of the universe as a whole.
 * Yuilmith [Yoo-ill-mith]
 * The Gibbering Death, The Unknowable
 * Domains: Madness, Monsters, Aberrations
 * Areas of Influence: Fear, Horror, Insanity, Eldritch Knowledge, The Far Realm
 * Favored Weapon: Claws or Tendrils
 * Herald: The Serpent Riders (Deceased)
 * Asmodeus [As-moe-day-uhs]
 * The King of Hell, The Black Prince
 * Domains: Tyranny, Pride
 * Areas of Influence: Slavery, Oppression, Contracts, Law
 * Favored Weapon: Scepter
 * Herald: Caerthosi, The Last Vessel
 * Ekzarrath [Ek-zahr-rath]
 * The Apocalypse Engine, The All-Eater
 * Domains: Wrath, Destruction
 * Areas of Influence: Disasters, Kaiju, Tarrasque, Behemoths, Brutality
 * Favored Weapon: Spiked Gauntlet
 * Herald: Makoto, the Many-Tailed Disaster
 * Kytoran [Kite-oh-rahn]
 * The Chained King, The Grinning Agony
 * Domains: Envy, Pain, Void
 * Areas of Influence: Fear, Pain, Chains, Torture, Wounds, Cannibalism
 * Favored Weapon: Chained Hook
 * Herald: Smiling Jack
 * Vladimirith [Vuh-lad-ihm-ihr-eth]
 * The Patriarch
 * Domains: Corruption, Corrosion, Doom
 * Areas of Influence: Control, Evil, Damnation, Nihilism
 * Favored Weapon: Flamberge
 * Herald: None

Religion on Mandalay
Religion on Mandalay is held very seriously; it is a world constantly plagued by calamity and destruction, on account of the fact that it functions as a prison for the OverGod Kael'Karum. Most of the free peoples of Mandalay celebrate the many good and neutral gods openly, praying to Mur for safe travels, Molaes for peace, and Fenresah during droughts or natural disasters.

Churches are uncommon for most of the deities of the good-aligned pantheon; most of the gods prefer to have their teachings taught through daily life; Mur, for example, is celebrated and worshipped during grand opening ceremonies for businesses, as well as long travels or caravans. The only exception to this rule is Molaes, whose churches serve as a heart of every community of every faith variation. Molaes is the goddess of healing, and her churches serve a vital function even to those of different faiths.

Evil Faiths & Their Practices

Evil faiths, such as Kytoran and Kezlak, are never practiced openly. Dark churches to Baratus can be found in abundance in the Necropolises and empty fields of Corpse Isle, but most other foul faiths are worshiped in the dark, away from the eyes of those they would seek to subjugate. Sewers, outskirts, slums and corrupt forests are often the places of worship for these faiths.

The Forsaken Children: The Nyssaor
The Nyssaor were ancient beings forged from The First, or Kael'Karum. Their names were thought lost to time until the Cataclysms, when they were resurrected in a profane ritual by their brother, Tetchiklonoc. These creatures are long dead now, but rumors circulate that perhaps a new brood of Nyssaor was hatched in secret before the Fall of the BlightSpire.
 * Sabrecius, the Necromancer
 * Aidolor, the Beast
 * Acheron, the General
 * Beshtatith, the Vizier
 * Ravorus, the Vampire
 * Tetchiklonoc, the Forgotten
 * Zeratis, the Darkness
 * Heremor, the Bishop

The Patriarch & The Dark Mother
Vladimirith, father to the Nyssaor and offspring of the OverGod Kael'Karum itself, he was the embodiment of mortal evil. Nearly destroyed eons ago by the Mylnir during the Nyssian Scourge, he resurfaced as planned during the cataclysms alongside his bride Inpefess to bring about the release of Kael'Karum. He and Inpefess were destroyed in the Battle of the BlightSpire by the six Sages.

Lords of the Abyss: Demon Lords
Demon Lords are surviving, powerful demons that fell into the Abyss at the dawn of everything. Left over from the first Nyssaor Cataclysms, they are the ascended forms of the original demonic race that resided on the fabled Land of Twilight.
 * Tenebrous (Previously known as Orcus), Demonic prince of Undead
 * Angazhan, Demon Prince of Beasts
 * Azazel, Demon Prince of Fire
 * Makoto, The Many-Tailed Disaster
 * Graz'zt, Demon Prince of Lust
 * Sandara, Demon Princess of Corruption

Lords of Light: Empyreal Lords
The empyreal lords are entities of pure love and peace that govern many of the facets of good. They are the hands of the good gods, playing roles in the mortal realm to further the good agenda and inspire mortalkind.
 * Cernunnos, Lord of the Forests
 * Korada, Lord of Peace & Enlightenment
 * Nika, Lady of Prophecies
 * Mithaniel, Lord of Dragons
 * Zaphkiel, Lord of Righteous Love
 * Raziel, Lord of Heroic Might
 * Heryn, Lord of Redemption
 * Toxa, Lady of Healing
 * Beshtath, Lord of Fairness

The Empyreal Lords are beings that mortalkind pray to in times of specific need. For instance, a druid looking to protect a sacred grove from marauding Bugbears may pray or even call upon Cernunnos before battle, or for deliverance from such acts. A Paladin about to enter a hopeless fray may call upon his deities, then ask for Raziel to help steady his blade in the fray (Or Heryn, if he is going up against less-than-morally-obvious foes...) While a ruler whose people face famine or enslavement may seek Korada's guidance to see an answer he otherwise could not to save his people.