Fifteen spirits of ours,
watch over us,
from near and from afar,
and make us who we are.
There are fifteen powerful entities in the universe of Babikiye. They symbolize and are personifications of the natural world and our societies, the closest thing to deities that one may find. Their existence is not a matter of belief, though many worship these entities in some form or another. Some unlikely folks may have never heard of them at all. Nevertheless, they influence us all.
Each member of the Cardinal Pantheon is a unique individual. Each person symbolizes critical components of our lives, from the air we breathe to the thoughts we think. Yet, we may rather simply divide them into three factions according to their scope and power. At the top of the Cardinal Pantheon is the Vinacalir, the two weavers who put us all into motion, then the Nisoyal and the Serayin. For a short breakdown of each member of the pantheon, please expand the table below:
Without further ado, let us start from the top:
Two Vinacalir
Two to weave us,
our threads they balance,
fragile in their hands,
yet more vast than we may understand.
The two weavers are the two most powerful beings in our universe. The Ida and the Laila command the forces of nature, which bend at their wills. Although they operate in vastly different capacities, both share one power: the power of creation, or the ability to manipulate reality itself to their liking.
The Ida
Purpose
Unknown
Nature
Unknown, often seen in Yashelin form
Creation, Physics, Natural Laws
Stoic at the best of times with a low tolerance for trivial questions, people have puzzled over the Ida's nature since time immemorial. Its existence predates even our oldest civilizations and its powers soar over our understanding of magic or of science.
The Ida spends most of its time apart from corporeal societies, ostensibly busy maintaining the universe it is credited with creating. The Ida is ever curious, however, and often checks in on its creations.
The Laila
True Name
Ozim Laila
Name Meaning
Grounding; Watcher
Purpose
Balance Disparities
Nature
Yashelin; the Ida's reincarnation
Learn More at
Who is the Laila?
Balance, Judgment, Equity
The Laila is a private, spotlight avoidant introvert who is best known for stepping up for the ignored and the impoverished when no one else dared any longer. Her power spills out of her unbidden and untrained, leaving many a "minor" miracle in her wake.
Oz lives in Haven, a Kivrian nation she founded as a refuge from her fraught, arguably heroic past. She only leaves to visit her family on Aravu or to tend to the Lainist Kivrians who worship her.
Six Nisoyal
Six to sustain us,
the ground upon which we stand,
as gentle as a breeze,
as vicious as a freeze.
The six Ofanin are the personifications of the forces of nature the universe is built upon, These forces are known by many names, but most broadly in order of age known as: air/gas, fire/temperature, water/liquids, ground/corporeality, spirit/consciousness, and time/evolution. The ofanin are omnipresent but not wholly omniscient. Everyone continues thinking even if the ofanin of consciousness sleeps, for example. Each ofanin has control over their domains, limited by awareness, experience level, inability to manipulate the other forces directly, and vulnerability to the whims of the Vinacalir.
Fari
Name Meaning
Wind
Nature
Incorporeal
Air, Space, Movement
Fari's incorporeality limits our ability to understand it, despite its attempts to communicate in breezes with select people. It is, however, popularly known as playful and extremely nosy.
Velu
Name Meaning
Fire
Nature
Incorporeal
Temperature, Fire, Weather
Velu does not appear to try to communicate directly. It is suspected that Velu is attracted to extremes in weather and temperature, such as roaring bonfires or blinding blizzards.
Vanora
Name Meaning
TBD
Nature
Predominantly incorporeal
Water, Liquids, Fluidity
Vanora is the most communicative of the incorporeal ofanin. It sometimes fashions a facsimile of a corporeal body for itself out of water if it wants to make itself not only known, but memorable.
It is a fiercely loyal ally and fearfully vindictive enemy. It abandoned Aravu for Kivria after the Ida used its domain violently against its wishes.
Kotu
Name Meaning
Forest
Nature
Incorporeal
Corporeality, Nature, Stone
Even though Kotu is incorporeal, it is incapable of leaving no trace. It drops massive amounts of its energy everwhere it wanders, which then forms into the vimstones which power much of our magitech today.
Kotu avoids most people, preferring to spend its time in natural wilderness rather than built or agricultural environments.
Ezeki
Name Meaning
Story, Memory
Purpose
to Tell Stories
Nature
Corporeal; Yashelin
Sentience, Spirit, Past
When the older ofanin returned to their incorporeal nature, they left Ezeki behind. As the sole remaining ofanin, Ezeki raised the Serayin and laid the foundations of Yashelin society.
It is best known for its love of storytelling, festivities, and sleeping. It is also the authorial mind behind the current codex.
Nanatu
Name Meaning
Luminary
Purpose
Expand Knowledge
Nature
Astris; Reincarnation of Heyir and Uri
Learn More at
Nanatu Zylpeiros
Evolution, Time, Future
Long ago, the Ida split the twin Serayin Heyir and Uri in two to avoid another nisoyal. Nevertheless, fate found a way. Over one million years later, their spirit shards reunited and Nanatu was born.
She is an extroverted, intelligent, and driven leader, but prone to lapses in maturity at times as is natural for one so young yet so full of potential and power.
Seven Serayin
Seven to bind us,
our ideals personified,
into their duties they dive,
and when combined our societies thrive.
Each of the seven serayin symbolize major pillars of sophont cultures and civilizations. They are the least innately powerful of the three major groups within the Cardinal Pantheon, though they are arguably the most influence in the day-to-day lives of the average person. Where there are people, these overarching concepts are also found.
All Serayin are Aravun Yashelin in origin, and all but one reside on the planet of Aravu. Naturally, Aravu is where they exert the most personal authority. Their Kivrian counterparts, the Reincarnations, were created when the Ida took and released a shard from each Serayin to be reborn elsewhere.
Heyir
Name Meaning
Growth
Purpose
to Drive Innovation
Nature
Yashelin
Reincarnation
Nanatu
Learn More at
Heyir
Science, Agriculture, Nighttime
Heyir is an easily excited ball of constant energy. They care for the well-being of their community, to the point of invention... as well as destruction.
They rebelled against the Ida, who exiled Heyir and their followers in retribution. Somehow, they brought Aravu's moon into exile with them, shrouding their world in darkness.
Uri
Name Meaning
Light
Purpose
to Safeguard Spirits
Nature
Yashelin
Reincarnation
Nanatu
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Uri
Tradition, Magic, Metallurgy, Daytime
Uri is a person in flux, mood always changing. Ae cares for aer community to the point of celebration... as well as stagnancy.
Ever since ae failed to prevent the First War, ae holds aer cards much closer to aer chest. Despite aer fears, ae can on occasion be convinced to break convention to protect aer loved ones.
Coran
Name Meaning
Covered
Purpose
to Build Sanctuary
Nature
Yashelin
Reincarnation
Yasmine
Architecture, Fiber, Protection
Coran is boisterously brash, loudly prideful of they and their flock's achievements as the architects and artists behind Yashelin cities and fiber arts.
Coran often calls themself the brawn to their partners' brains, and too many people erroneously believe it. Their outwardly straightforward nature disguises restless hands and a mind in perpetual motion.
Rafa
Name Meaning
Healer
Purpose
to Sustain Life
Nature
Yashelin
Reincarnation
Odina
Learn More at
Rafa
Health, Emergencies, Safety
Rafa is mild-mannered and frumpy inside and out. What ze lacks in charisma, however, ze makes up for with strong ethics and discipline. Ze also has a knack for delegating tasks to the right people.
Rafa is a medical jack of all trades and a master of none. So, ze happily uses zer versatility as a primary care physician, emergency responder, and teacher.
Gafir
Name Meaning
Messenger
Purpose
to Send Messages
Nature
Yashelin
Reincarnation
Khenty
Learn More at
Gafir
Laws, Trade, Diplomacy
Gafir is a sensitive, curious spirit. They thrive in intercultural settings, preferring the foreign to the known.
Despite their fickle nature, or perhaps because of it, they believe strong in following local laws and customs as well as correcting those who break them.
Seri
Name Meaning
Education
Purpose
to Explore Identities
Nature
Yashelin
Reincarnation
Kiana
Learn More at
Seri
Education, Exploration, Research
Seri is the biggest busybody in all of Aravu and then some. Naturally, they are the creator and head of the
Yashelin Education System.
Until recently, Seri acted as Ezeki's decenir rather than lead their flock themself. Ever since Heyir's exile and Ezeki's failing health, however, they have taken over these responsibilities admirably.
Areta Maikir
Name Meaning
Choice; Dreamer
Purpose
to Collaborate Together
Nature
Yashelin, two spirits within one body
Reincarnation
Ravi
Hope, Choice, Adversity
The Ida created Areta as an experiment in free will, gifting ver the ability to choose ver own path. With the mind of a scientist and the heart of an artist, Areta went on to engineer magitech marvels. Ver free will also led ver to rebellion.
Ve has an aloof yet sweet demeanor, the steel beneath ver placid surface only revealed if ver back is to the wall. Ve showed ver steal when ve threw away ver easy life of Aravu to rebel against the
Astris Genocide and, later, to end the
Aravun Civil War.
Fifteen spirits of ours,
watched by us,
and in our belief and in our doubt,
we show them who they are.
I think I did what you mentioned in the authors notes 2 times. But either way, I'm glad you got this one right! Cause it was a great read! I really enjoyed the deep delve into the individual elements and learning of the seven Serayin. Going through the tiers of the pantheon is an interesting way to do it.
Thank you so much!!! <3 I'm excited to hear that you enjoyed learning about my pantheon. This cast of characters is dear to me and a major goal for the next half of the year is to delve into them more.
You got this Aster! Have fun with it I look forward to seeing more