Best of Greyhawk VII - Le Monde de Greyhawk

Aria13The Oeridian pantheon, I see as under going a startling metamorphosis.The original All-Father was Velnius (Sky, Weather) served by Atroa (Spring, East Wind), Sotillion (Summer,South Wind, Ease Comfort) Telchur (Winter, North Wind, Cold), and Wenta (Autumn, West Wind Harvest).The second tier of gods were the Twin Gods. Celestian (Stars, Space, Wanderers) and Fharlanghn(Horizons, Distance, Travel) were the great civilizing influences, traveling and bringing knowledge.Heironeous (Chivalry, Honor, Justice, Valor) Hextor (War, Discord, Massacre) represent what the Oeridiansdid with the knowledge. From a natural state they gained knowledge and fell to fighting among themselves. Velniuseither would not or could not intervene.The third tier of gods represent the fall out of the Oeridian's struggle to become civilized. Delleb (Reasonand Intellect) and Pholtus (Light, Resolution, Law) were broader manifestations of Heironeous, while Erythnul (Hate,Envy, Malice, Panic) and Kurell (Jealousy, Revenge, Thievery) were broader manifestations of Hextor.Procran (Oceans, Seas, Salt) and Zilchus (Power, Prestige, Influence, Money Business) represent theultimate product of the civilization of the Oeridians, transcending the Heironeous/Hextor-good/evil dualism for themore subtle one of chaos and law. In reaching this distinction, because of their very civilized roles and becauseVelnius is now so far out of the picture, Procran and Zilchus have risen to lead the pantheon. Of course, the otherdeities remain active and the cycle continues.Rudd (Chance, Good Luck, Skill) would become the much beloved deity that Oeridians look to get themthrough their trials and tribulations, which have been many.Thus, the Oeridian pantheon had its nature phase, its civilizing phase, it's intellectual phase and finally itsurban phase, with appropriate reactionary movements. No other pantheon seems so lively.Aria13Subj: Re: Mystery Gods (Oeridian) Date: 95-10-02 20:30:17 ESTMB DrapierAria,I like your ideas on the Oeridian religion a lot. They begin with the nature deities, and then as they movemore, they turn to the travel deities and so on.I'm not sure I see Pholtus and Delleb as originating from Heironeous. Heironeous is a warrior god, whilePholtus seems pretty middle or even lower class, and Delleb appears, frankly, monkish. But I apprectiate thesymmetry with the Hextor-Erythnul-Kurell stuff.I do see the worship of Pholtus and Delleb as coming from a period of bloody strife, possibly civil strife, inthe young Kingdom of the Aerdy. Possibly worship of Erythnul and Kurell grew in this period as well.At the same time, worship of Procan and Zilchus was beginning to grow. I don't think that the Oeridianscould have followed Procan earlier, since their point of origin according to the original Greyhawk set was aland-locked valley in what is now Ull. They must have learned of the sea god as they took to the waves in thoseearly years.Zilchus also probably emerged as the kingdom became more powerful.MBSubj: Re: Mystery Gods (Oeridian) Date: 95-10-03 09:51:30 ESTQSamanthaI really like Aria's spin on the Oeridian pantheon. I like the idea of gods being mutable.QSamantha