Wicka Pantheon
Named for the Wicka Tribe, and their own pantheon, this pantheon was for a long time the dominant pantheon worshiped within the Sypi Confederacy and northern Losana. The gods are believed to have been determined by the founder of the Confederacy himself, and the pantheon was assembled using borrowed gods and deities from the various tribes and towns that had emerged within the fledgling nation. Followers of the pantheon are dedicated and for the most part they respect and follow the gods even that they do not consider their own personal patrons.
Gods of the Wicka Pantheon
| Deity | Alignment | Suggested Domains | Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keesous, ruler of the gods | N | Order, Twilight, Peace | Cross |
| Allof, god of fire and dust | CE | Tempest, Nature, Forge | Crescent Moon |
| Arawn, god of life and death | LN | Grave, Death | Skull |
| Goah, god of wind and storms | CN | Tempest, Nature | Storm giant |
| Etu, goddess of time | N | Life, Grave, Nature | Timepiece |
| Goibhniu, god of smiths and healing | NG | Forge, Life | Anvil |
| Heyoka, goddess of thieves and tricksters | CN | Trickery, Arcana | Wand |
| Oghma, god of speech and writing | LG | Knowledge, Arcana | Book |
| Bast, goddess of animals | CG | Life, Nature | Cat |
| Isis, goddess of fertility and magic | NG | Life, Arcana, Peace | Shapely woman |
| Frayah, goddess of the sun | NG | Light, Nature | Star |
| Toneinilii, god of rivers and water | CG | Tempest, Trickery | Waves |
| Malsumis, god of war and conquest | LE | War, Death | Spear |
| Nuada, god of warriors and heroism | N | War | Sword |
| Loosafor, god of the dishonored dead | NE | Grave, Death, Trickery | Fallen angel |
Structure
The Wicka pantheon is more organized than some other polytheistic faiths in Emicara. Most of the varied churches and societies of the Wicka gods are based on town to town and tribe to tribe. Some of the tribes put more weight on worship of their patron gods than others, and some of those even find it a faux pas to worship any other god that isn't their tribal patron. Regardless of the occasional disputes between the varied worshipers and tribes, these usually are resolved peacefully and without malice among followers. Nearly all of the tribes and faiths within the Sypi Confederacy contribute towards the maintenance and construction of the Great Temple. They provide the funds for this community to continue functioning, acting as a central and neutral meeting place for all faiths within the Confederacy, not strictly those who follow the Wicka pantheon. During the Sypi Civil War these tithes were dramatically escalated as the Great Temple was razed by the Church of the One Sun. Since that time, the majority of gods and their followers in the Wicka pantheon have made it a mission to pursue and the Church and those who follow it.
Public Agenda
The original public agenda of the Wicka Pantheon was to provide a sense of unity and accomplishment for the people of the Sypi Confederacy. The gods are a motley crew assembled from a variety of deities from the faiths that made up the Confederacy at its founding. The provision of theological unity to a disparate nation and peoples has been the primary objective of the leaders of the faith for centuries. Today, the pantheon's priests and clerics are dedicated towards the pushing back of the Church of the One Sun and the elimination of the influences that it has created within the Confederacy and Alsona. A bitter guerilla war has erupted between these two faiths, and the Wicka pantheon is determined to triumph.
Assets
The majority of temples and shrines following the gods of the Wicka pantheon each possess what resources have been granted to them by their local tribal leader. This can include anything from an actual built stationary temple to just a large tent that can be used for services among the roaming encampments. The faith as a whole also maintains a series of wayshrines throughout the Sypi Confederacy. These wayshrines have been built over the centuries over places of religious importance for the pantheon. The stories behind these wayshrines are varied and some have even been lost, and during the Sypi Civil War, most were abandoned by those who maintained them. While a handful of the shrines now have garrisons and fortifications installed, relics of the Civil War, most have been allowed to deteriorate and decline in condition as the pantheon dedicates resources to the reconstruction of the Great Temple.
Prior to the Sypi Civil War, the pantheon maintained a town-sized religious institution with its own guards and militia. This location was a neutral area for members of all faiths, including the Church of the One Sun. Any religious faith that wished a presence in the Sypi Confederacy could build its own church or temple within the confines of the Great Temple walls, offering them safety. At the start of the civil war, the Church of the One Sun and the Sihka Tribe spearheaded a direct assault upon the Great Temple, razing it and slaughtering most of the people within, including guards, clergy, and civilians. This massacre had little strategic value and consumed a good deal of Sihka resources early in the war. The resultant effect was mass outrage and unification of most of the Confederacy against the Church. Since the end of the war, a new Great Temple has been established, this time within the walls of the city of Wofslar. It lacks the same size and scale of the old institution, and is dedicated to training new clerics and paladins solely of the Wicka gods.
History
Prior to the formation of the Sypi Confederacy, dozens of small tribes existed throughout the region, constantly preyed upon by raiders and monsters. The Wicka Tribe eventually became the most powerful military force in the region, and rather than simply conquering their way across the world, they sought to leverage their power into negotiations. All of the various tribes gathered together in a meeting at what was at the time a simple encampment known as "Wolf's Lair." They talked for months, and eventually the majority of tribes agreed to form together into what became the Confederacy. Part of the negotiations involved the creation of a single faith or pantheon for the people of the merged Confederacy. Thus the first negotiated pantheon was created.
Sects
While all polytheistic faiths are considered to be divided into individual temples and groups focused around specific gods, the worshipers of Allof are worthy of special mention. The Mor tribe follows Allof almost exclusively and other gods receive at best at hostile welcome in the lands of the Mors. The Mors recognize that other gods exist, but they choose to believe that this is an aberration and that all other gods are impermanent fixtures of the world at best. They believe that Allof will eventually emerge as the single god of the world and creation, triumphing over all others. They actively pursue this goal on regular basis, and are the most fanatical in the crusade against the Church of the One Sun. Their extreme violence and hostility towards other gods can be directed at others within the pantheon on occasion, leading to inter-tribal conflicts, though most of these were put aside in the wake of the Sypi Civil War.
Faith of the Spears
Founding Date
88
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Permeated Organizations
Location
Comments