Worldbuilding: Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part IV - The Hanged Man

 

Ghotomo, The Ascended

The Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part IV

Motif: A Lotus Flower

Spiritual Weapon: A giant, open palm

Domains: Mind, Peace, Self

Core Beliefs: 

• Study The Virtuous Truths and you will find The True Path
• Follow the The True Path, and you shall reach enlightenment

Ghotomo is most often depicted as a mortal that managed to ascend to divinity. His teachings are based on clarity and self-enlightenment. He is often depicted as a monkey, or a slim, robed man with the face of a monkey, that either hangs upside down, or stands on his hands; in both of these depictions, one of his legs is straight, while the other bends to make the shape of the number four. 

Followers

Those who worship Ghotomo are known as Selfless. Their spellcasters are experts in abjuration and transmutation, and every member is expected to learn proper meditation practices. Those who practice the psionic arts often find themselves seeking Ghotomo's teachings.

The Selfless believe that they will reach enlightenment through the worship of Ghotomo; in prayer, they solicit him for clarity in the True Path, and Ghotomo in return guides them to the way of enlightenment. 

Rites

The Selfless do not exchange goods or services in exchange for prayer, for Ghotomo does not care for blind worship. Their practices often involve various forms of community service, and those that become genuinely interested in the lifestyle of the Selfless are then welcome as one of their own.

The Virtuous Truths are a number of statements that are the core of Ghotomo's beliefs. The True Path is a series of behaviors, or lifestyles, that followers practice in a given order, as part of their journey to enlightenment. 

Temples

Because Ghotomo's teachings focus more on the self than on Ghotomo himself, those that follow The True Path don't usually require a place to gather. However, many of the bigger cities will often have a small temple dedicated to Ghotomo. These temples coordinate with local authorities and offer their assistance in the city's maintenance as a form of community service; In these cases, it's not uncommon to see Selfless monks rescue citizens from a burning building, or deliver food to the elderly in the middle of a snowstorm. 

Outside of the cities, a handful of greater temples to Ghotomo exist. All of these temples are located in remote locations of the world (and not all of them reside in the Material Plane). Selfless that truly devote themselves to Ghotomo's teachings will seek these temples to find like-minded individuals and unlock the secrets of The True Path.

Organizations

Ghotomists

There are those who believe that "Ghotomo" is not a mortal that ascended to godhood, but is instead a title, which was given to the first individual that broke the shackles of mortality through self-enlightenment, becoming an entity that transcends mortal limits. Though his name has been long forgotten, many have followed in his footsteps to become Ghotomo themselves. 

Known as Ghotomists, these unorthodox followers of the True Path believe that Ghotomo's intention was to help others follow after his steps, and he never meant be worshipped. They believe in The Truths and The True Paths, but disagree that the First Ghotomo will guide anyone in prayer.

This, of course, puts them at odds with the Selfless. Though this ends up in healthy disagreements for most of the time, extremist Selfless have been known to attack Ghotomists on sight.

Ember Lotus

Founded by a handful of fully achieved Selfless who aimed to apply Ghotomo's normally self-intended teachings to guide the world itself to enlightenment. The Ember Lotus is a secret, anarchist organization with an agenda that is often at odds with some of the other, more prominent organizations of the world. Rumours say that they currently plot to demolish the Draconiquity.

Worldbuilding: Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part III - The Tower

  

Zanviola, Lady of Storms

The Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part III

Motif: Sea Serpent

Spiritual Weapon: Trident

Domains: Weather, Destruction, Sea , Travel

Core Beliefs: 

• Demand what you're owed, and do not accept compromise
• Enact vengeance towards those who cross you

Zanviola is the goddess of reckoning and vengeance. Her portfolio includes mastery over weather and the sea. She is often portrayed as a large sea serpent.

Followers

Zanviola regards those who practice her beliefs as her children, and her followers who subscribe to this idea refer to themselves as Zanviolites. Spellcasters devoted to her are masters of evocation and transmutation magic, and every member is required to learn how to swim. Many druids pledge themselves to her, as they often find that the best way to protect nature is to bring reckoning to those who would spoil it.

Rites

Zanviolites preach that water is the source of all life, as life cannot grow without it. They believe that the sea is Zanviola's gift to all living beings. For her sea-dwelling children, the sea is a domain she grants for them to live in; While for those who live on the surface, it is a place to provide fish them to feed upon, as well as a means to quickly travel between lands. Rain, on the other hand, is the blessing she provides to bring the gifts of the sea to those who live away from it. 

Zanviola delivers her boons without request, but they are not free; She expects her due payment from those who would benefit from her gifts of the sea, in prayers and tribute. Those who not pay their dues risk inviting the direct retribution from The Lady of Reckoning.

The clerics of Zanviola act as her direct agents for this purpose, demanding tributes and prayer from fishermen and sailors, and keeping tally on those that skirt their dues. Most seafaring folk won't question to pay these dues, as they rightly fear a visit from a member of the Stormlords. 

Temples

Every coastal settlement has some form of temple dedicated to Zanviola; The size of the temple is relative to the amount of ships that the city can dock. In some cases, the temples are big enough to host docks themselves. Many seafarers come to these temples and pay tribute in exchange for a consultation on the upcoming weather to determine the date when they next set sail; a service that many Zanviolites are happy to provide.

Many large farms prepare a shrine to Zanviola; though this is often only after a Zanviolite threatened to bring a drought to their crops if they refused. 

Temples of Zanviola are rare inside inland cities, but they can be expected if the location is prone to storms and tornadoes. For most inland cities, however, it is more likely to find a shrine to the Lady of Reckoning inside a hideout for the Wroth.

Organizations

The Wroth

The teachings of Zanviola can very often become a mantra of empowerment for the poor and forsaken, and The Wroth takes full advantage of that. This cult-like organization gathers those that have nothing to lose, and enamor them with the idea of bringing a reckoning to those in power who profit at the expense of many; like corrupt politicians, slave owners, or rich individuals with a history of exploiting their workers to death. 

Stormlords

Considered more as a folktale than an actual organization, the Stormlords are the primary reason that seafarers and farmers heed the Zanviolites and pay tribute to their goddess. Stories of ships that skirted their tribute payments and were never seen again are plenty; When sailors share the stories of how they were haunted by the ghosts of these long lost ships, it brings further credence to the Zanviolites' word.

Regardless of their reputation, the fact is that there is indeed an organization of individuals capable of summoning storms at will and making ships disappear without a trace. It is speculated that these are mostly composed of Sahagin, and perhaps other sea-dwellers. Nobody really knows what they're after, but the rumor is that, while a regular Zanviolite is incapable of weilding magics powerful enough to control the weather, there's a chance that they are in contact with a Stormlord that could be hired to perform the deed.

Worldbuilding: Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part II - The Hierophant

Durvos, Lord of Lore

The Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part II

Motif: Raven

Spiritual Weapon: A feathered quill

Domains: Knowledge, Arcana, Rune

Core Beliefs: 

• Knowledge requires nurture.
• Education is the pillar of growth of the one and the many.

Durvos is the god of education and knowledge; including history, both natural and mathematical sciences, arcane lore, as well as the teachings of the divine. He is usually depicted as a raven, or a tall humanoid-shaped figure with dark avian features.

Followers

Followers of Durvos are sometimes called Erudites. Their spellcasters are masters of abjuration and divination magic, and literacy is often required of every member.

In addition, many journalistic groups associate themselves with the Lord of Lore, and this is often reflected in their names or symbols being raven themed.

Rites

The clerics of Durvos offer sanctuary for those seeking to learn. In return, they foster research and accept new information, as well as provide a haven to repay them with prayer.

Temples

Durvos' temples are mostly found as various forms of libraries. Access to these libraries is often only granted for something in exchange, like a piece of new information, or an extensive amount of prayers. It is for this reason that Erudites keep a healthy relationship with the Whisperers, who often have obscure knowledge to provide.

Temples of Durvos inside large cities almost always task themselves with conserving the knowledge of local cultural traditions, and they help ensure that these are taught, practiced, and honored by the local citizens.

In addition to these library-temples, a few schools that study the magic arts consider themselves as temples of Durvos. All places of learning in general, however, even those that are martially focused, often house a shrine to the Lord of Lore.

Organizations

Corvus Bibliotheca

Floating above mist-filled lands, Corvus Bibliotheca is an ancient, roaming gray tower. This imposing structure contains much of the world’s secrets, in the forms of stories, poems and songs that are written within its many tomes and scrolls. Residing within its halls are the Grackles; a short, black-feathered avian race that communicates by repeating words and phrases that they’ve heard before. The Grackles call this tower their home, and the tower protects them.

Dolfero University

Named after a renowned gnome arcanist of heroic legend, this university is as big and powerful as a small city. This haven of learning accepts arcane spellcasters of all kinds, and offers extensive courses on all schools of magic. Though it hosts small shrines to other gods, it in itself is generally considered to be the largest known temple of Durvos.