Gods, Ghosts and Spirits in Castellar
NICAH is the goddess of mercy, justice, fertility and the sun in Castellar. She is most often officially pictured as a mother holding her hand out in kindness with one hand and holding a scale of justice in the other. Nicah is seen a source of kindness, fertility and a patron of the Empire's rule. Through Nicah, the Emperor's benevolent rule creates a harmonious order between heaven and earth. For that reason, Nicah's followers often wear blue, as a symbol of her rule of the skies and her Empire beneath them. Nicah's followers often also wield holy symbols or rings with a circular shape, representing the order of the seasons.
Each year, at the winter solstice, the Emperor himself, Nicah's chief mediator, conducts a ritual of thanks to protect the Empire and ensure the harvest for the coming year.
Followers of Nicah revere the dawn, practice charity and view Castellar's Empire as a source of kindness, mercy and order in an otherwise chaotic world. Some followers lean towards the gentle kindness and mercy aspect of her cult, while others emphasize that her benevolent order should be brought throughout the world to help those they see as unenlightened, lost or chaotic others.
CHAEN stands for the forces of nature, growth, the natural order and balance. This deity is usually represented without an image. His followers are primarily rangers and druids who worship outdoors, though temples to Chaen are found in cities where nature is respected as well.
BARTETH is the god of war, trickery and luck. In the city, Barteth's followers generally keep a low profile, prefering to worship in secret temples away from prying eyes. Barteth has for the past few centuries suffered in popularity after his followers led Dol Agath into a ruinous war, after which he was replaced by Jajil.
JAJIL is the god of scholars, mandarins and afficionados of the arcane. Followers of this bespectacled demon revere learning as the ultimate source of wisdom and power, and would wager their souls--and perhaps those of others--to obtain it.
KYREEN is the Goddess of the Desert. She is commonly worshipped by all the indigenous peoples of the Ashkani Desert and beyond, where she is usually called just "The Goddess". She is often depicted as a woman's face in a sandstorm. Uncaring and unyeilding Kyreen demands that her faithful show strength and independence.
LOSO is the God of Time and history. His followers are few and temples fewer. Loso is held to be something of a trickster, and his priests tend to emulate this. He is usually depicted as an old man, however sometimes he is also shown to be a young boy. Clerics of Loso are held in low esteem in the empire.
All other deities, eg. Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc., would be considered minor or foreign sects, though the Empire is cosmopolitan enough that different religions are respected. DMs also welcome suggestions for additional deities at PC character creation.
Copyright 2005 by
Arawen Silverstar Productions and Chimera DMs. All Rights Reserved.
