Tulrissian Pantheon

For as long as anyone can remember, perhaps since the original settlers came to the region, the people of Tulrisse have worshipped five gods. Some people may believe other gods exist, some may believe only some of the five are worthy of praise, but all believers in the Pantheon recognize that these five are the main (if not only) beings at play in the cosmos.

The Pantheon

Groddo, the Plainsfather

Groddo is the only unanimously-regarded deity of the Pantheon. Anyone who believes in any of the gods knows that Groddo is the chief amongst them, more powerful than the others and the creator of the plains themselves. Some view him as the father to the other gods, some simply as the metaphorical ‘father’ of the region, the parental term simply referring to creation. Regardless, the other gods’ feats would be irrelevant if not for Groddo’s wise leadership.

Groddo is said to have designed the region from his perch on Mount Tressam – the God’s Peak. Certain sects also believe this is where he created (or birthed) the other gods, creating both Tulrisse and the Pantheon at the same time. This legend is where the name “Fatherlands” comes from, and why the city of Holdfast, at the base of the mountain, is the holiest place in Tulrisse.

Vessa, Goddess of the Harvest

If Groddo is the most important deity, Vessa is a close second. She has near-universal praise, and for good reason. As goddess of the harvest, and plant life in general, she is responsible for the great wealth of agriculture that flourishes in the region, the lush forests that dot the landscape, and the impenetrable swamp that has always protected the region’s northern border.

Those who do not view Vessa as the child of Groddo view her as his wife, the Mother to his Father. Groddo created the plains, but she tills them, providing for the masses who make the area their home. Without her flora, the region would be nothing like it is today, far from a world power and food productions center.

Fausta, Goddess of the Beasts

Though not quite as universally-acclaimed as Groddo or Vessa, Fausta has always enjoyed her fair share of worshippers. As goddess of beasts, she is viewed as creator and patron to all manner of animal life, from the domesticated farm animals to the vicious predators who stalk them. Most at least respect her, for the ‘good’ animals she has made far outnumber the ‘bad’, but some still refuse to worship her, often those who’ve had bad run-ins with her more aggressive creations

Fausta’s influence is more prevalent in some areas than in others. In Volberg she is the most popular of the gods, the region having always used her birds for hunting and scouting. The lack of arable land combined with the millenias-long animal partnership has cemented Fausta as the region’s patron. Likewise, the riders of Fausta’s Steppe – a region with a long history of animal husbandry and equestrianism, also praise Fausta above Vessa more often than not.

Fulsirri, God of the Seas

Fulsirri is influential, though not as much as the previous three. His sphere is the sea and, by extension, the rains it provides. While no one can deny the importance of rain in farming, few actively worship Fulsirri except in times of drought. Most who do are sailors or fishermen, both occupations which are far outnumbered by the farmers of the interior.

While not as popular in the vast inland regions of Tulrisse, Fulsirri does enjoy a good bit of worship in the coastal cities of the west. He has particular support in Eranor, a place which also holds unorthodox views of the god. While most view Fulsirri as ruling alongside the other gods from the sky, the people of Eranor see him as a half-man half-fish creature of phenomenal power, who swims beneath the waves of the ocean and directly influences the tides from below. In their view he wields a great three-pronged spear and, on rare occasions, will surface to converse with sailors.

Inara, Goddess of Death

Inara is an outlier among the gods, and the most divisive by far. Most fear and revile her, wielding her name as a curse and praying each day that she does not visit them or their loved ones. Some, often more educated, tend to have a more neutral view of the goddess, seeing death as a natural part of life and her ‘services’ a necessity, albeit an unpleasant one. Others still choose to pray for the deaths of their foes, beckoning Inara to take them so that they may benefit.

Unlike most of the gods, Inara has a structured and centralized group of worshippers, the Priestess of Inara. All are women, who strive to follow in Inara’s footsteps as a soothing shepherd to the dead, and all are trained at the Temple to Inara in Blackstead. It is the goddess’ only temple, and so is often viewed with a heavy dose of skepticism. Regardless, it is a staple of the region and any Priestess encountered in the nation was once a student there.

Worship

The Tulrissian religion is a fairly decentralized one, having no true ruling body or structure. Most cities, major or minor, have at least one temple to at least one of the gods, usually to Groddo. These range from small wooden buildings to grand stone structures, and everything in between. These temples are presided over by priests, but priests of a specific god do not answer to some higher authority on that god. There are tales and scriptures and books of history that the priests learn from, and oral traditions passed down by their predecessors, but for the most part each temple acts independently of the others. There are some exceptions to this.

The Great Temple of the Five

The Great Temple of the Five, a temple to all five gods, is located in the city of Holdfast, at the base of Mount Tressam. It is believed by most that the Pantheon’s first worshippers were here, and that the Great Temple was built over the site of the original temple to the gods. Here scholars and holy men study ancient texts and modern writings alike, trade knowledge, and do their best to educate the masses who flock to the temple on pilgrimage.

Surrounding the Great Temple is a vast dormitory complex, where monks and scholars and would-be priests live and learn and worship. The area is like a school, inspired somewhat by the Tenant academies of Old Serran. Among these are the Grand Clerics, five priests regarded as the religious authorities on one of the five gods each, and the High Priest, a former Grand Cleric deemed the wisest of the Great Temple’s inhabitants. The High Priest, apart from overseeing the education and operation of the Great Temple, has also traditionally served as one of the chief advisors to Tulrisse’s reigning monarch.

The Temple to Inara

A unique temple located in Blackstead, the Temple to Inara is the only temple devoted to the Pantheon’s goddess of death. Situated towards the northern edge of town, the Temple is avoided by many of the more superstitious peasants of the area. It is home to the Priestesses of Inara, a sect that worships Inara as the neutral shepherd of the dead into the afterlife, a task essential in preventing the dead from roaming the land in undeath. These priestesses, seeking to follow in their goddess’ footsteps, train in both ritual funeral rites as well as combat, specifically combat aimed at defeating undead foes.

The Temple only admits women, often recruited at a young age to learn the truth about Inara and the important job she does for the living. Many of the young priestesses are orphans or homeless when taken in, though some are willingly given by more open-minded parents. The young girls undergo years of education and combat training before they are sent out into the world to do their goddess’ bidding, helping those in need, burying the dead, performing funeral services, and slaying any undead that cross their path. They almost always travel alone, though some have paired up for companionship.

Other Sects

The Cult of Falsirna

In Eranor, all but recent immigrants to the area regard Fulsirri as the most important deity – the only living deity, who can be encountered at sea if one is fortunate (or unfortunate) enough. He is not viewed as even being a ‘true’ god in the same way that the other four are, but instead a powerful and primal creature that rules the seas in a very real sense.

To the denizens of Eranor, Falsirna (their name for the god) is a large half-man, half-fish being that resides below the waves. He is large – as long as any Imardanian warship – and a single whip of his massive tail is said to be able to cause massive waves crashing into anything caught in its wake. Far from a god of stability (a trait typically associated with Fulsirri), Falsirna is seen as chaotic but ultimately good. Without the waves he whips up the sea would stagnate, without the storms the crops would wither, and without his protection the sea could be claimed by another god for their own use, for better or worse.