Greater Syimlin of the Keel Pantheon

This brief outlines the major Keel pantheon for those ghosts unfamiliar with the greater syimlin. There are generations of spirits who, after meeting Death upon passing, realized deities existed, but who did not delve beyond that recognition. (Though, modern Talin living populations, after the Deaths from around the world extinguished the lives of the interstellar invaders, are more involved in worship than beings from the previous thousand years or so. I believe the renewed interest lies in the admittance that greater deities are powerful--above nymph mafiz and elfine curios--and many wish to placate them before something untoward happens the disrespectful).
I'll also list books for more information, if you're curious (and you should be. Syimlin enjoy visiting the Evenacht, and you might run into one. It would be bad form, to tank such a meeting with ignorance).
The Keel pantheon consists of 12 great syimlin and numerous minor ones. Minor syimlin tend to be more active on Talis, greater syimlin in the Evenacht. All have temples in both places, and all have a primary one in each place (except for Death, whose temple straddles the two, for obvious reasons).
The information will be Evenacht-relevant. Talis has a long religious history that affects the ghosts who now reside in the evening lands, but catching up on it is beyond the purview of this document.

All artwork by Shanda Nelson.
Note from the author: Scanned images are of my original concepts, which I drew in high school. They will (eventually) be replaced by updated versions that better reflect what my Evenacht serial has become--and my much-improved style. The scans will give you an idea of how a syimlin looks, but I've added two more faelareign (species) to the humanoid populations, and some will change accordingly.

Research:
Greater Syimlin
by our virtuous Finder hero, Lorgan the True
In this Research Document:

SUN: Ga Son

Gifted Mantle:

Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

unknown: Ga Son has always been Sun
Blond
Green
unknown
Sun's Touch, The Sun Plains, Fading Light

Ga Son appears human, but no one believes he actually is. His ears are a bit too pointed, his eyes a bit too big, his hair a bit too fine, he's a bit too tall. Elfines believe he is elfine, but he refuses to say. There is a line of religious thought that claims he is the creator of the world because other pantheons across Sensour do not have a Sun deity, and revere Ga Son as the only one (and, like Ga Son, the name they use always translates as The Sun).

Ga Son by Shanda Nelson
background by Zukiman Mohamad

Greatest Strength:

Kindness (if you've read about the Gift of Life, that seems out of character, but his acolytes swear it's true, and many syimlin agree). I'd say personable; he'll take a selfie for and with anyone.

Controversy:

Ga Son knelt in reverence to Erse Parr after she eliminated the interstellar invaders. Some acolytes despised the act because they feel Sun should never bow to any other. That hatred has spilled into minor wars between Sun and Death followers. Both have condemned the conflicts yet the Sun acolytes persist. There is also a train of religious thought that claims he is indifferent to the plights of mortal beings and should not be revered at all, but their examples have far more complex issues than they admit.

DEATH: Erse Parr

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

6119 Years Previous
Black
Umber
Human
Forest Temple, straddles Talis and Fading Light

Erse Parr is revered throughout Sensour as the death deity who first lay waste to the Flayn Empire's invaders. She is revered by ghosts in the Evenacht as being the syimlin of death. She came to power by slaying the previous Death, the Beast, and made the office hers by refusing to follow in his bloody footsteps.

Erse Parr by Shanda Nelson

Greatest Strength:

Her moral code. Judgments of spirits have become fairer; she refuses to inflict undue punishments due to random moods.

Controversy:

This depends on the era. Her marriage to Verryn was considered scandalous at the time, but later generations accepted their love. Some wonder why she continues to support the Fields of the UnRedeemed, when her acolytes declare she despises the punishment. Yet others do not think a Living Death can properly maintain the mantle and feel she should step aside and name an already-deceased successor (this is a ghostly want. The syimlin are adamant that they support Erse and refuse to contemplate another Death. The Beast traumatized more beings than the mortal living, and syimlin have long memories).

LIGHT: Talis

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

21524 Years Previous
Red
Blue
Human
The Blinding Shadows, The Ambermint, Fading Light

Talis survived the Aristarzian gauntlet, obliterated his people's Light temple, and was rewarded with Light's mantle for cleansing the Darkness out of the Light. And then he goes and walks hand in hand with Darkness, basing joint magics on an observation made by Ga Son. He's quite the odd duck.

Talis by Shanda Nelson
Background by Kordula Vahle from Pixabay

Greatest Strength:

His magic. He possesses the most powerful offensive magics but for Ga Son. The Aristarzian honed him into a weapon, and he has not forsaken those lessons.

Controversy:

Acolytes either love or hate his penchant for trickery. Priests of other syimlin consider him a trickster deity and tend to regard him with unease. He, after all, blew up a Light temple filled with some of the most powerful magic users of his era. What might he do to someone he gets upset with?

DARKNESS: Veer Tul

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

15435
Black
Blue
Human
The Darkened Light, The Dark, Fading Light

Veer's Darkness is softer than his predecessor's. He sees grey shadows rather than pitch-black, he cradles rather than swallows. He survived the slaughter of his people, and chose to find hope in that darkness rather than plot revenge. This change in perception makes his power more versatile, which allows him and Talis to cast some amazing spells together.

Greatest Strength:

Empathy. This is why he and Erse get along so well; he empathizes with her loss of her family, as he lost his.

Controversy:

Rezenarza, Darkness's predecessor, disliked Veer's perception of his magical leaning, and attacked him for what he perceived as insulting. Rezenarza delved into deeper Darkness, and this limited the spells he could wield against his opponent. Veer drew on soft shadows as well as darker elements, and won. Nymphs, who were very much taken with one of their own bearing the mantle of Darkness, protested the defeat, but Old Man Death gave Veer the Gift of Life and Ga Son exiled Rezenarza to the Evenacht. Needless to say, Rezenarza is pissed about the whole thing, and he plays on nymph hatred to maintain a hidden following. His acolytes are nasty when confronted with Darkness followers, and this has caused numerous ghostly problems.

Sun, Death, Light and Darkness hold a special place in the Keel pantheon. They are considered the most important deities and are honored in numerous ways, like extra calendar seasons named after them, etc. Don't underestimate their reverence in the Evenacht, and don't underestimate the awe spirits feel when discussing Death.

There is a sense that these four are set in their mantles for the foreseeable future. This has caused some concern among other faelareign who are not human, since only humans are among the four most important syimlin (depending on whether you count Sun as human; many don't. Elfines count him as elfine, so they're not as worried about representation).

HEALER: Zibwa

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

34920
Ginger
Green
Elfine
Winesap Shelter, Zibwa's Retreat, The Quiet

Zibwa is the second-oldest great syimlin, next to Ga Son (several minor syimlin are older). He is very active with his followers, and teaches classes on healing at his primary temples on Talis as well as in the Evenacht. Some may wonder what ghosts find alluring in this, but there are ghostly ailments, and the natives deserve a good healer when needed. There are other healing houses throughout the evening lands, but the busiest are associated with Zibwa.

It is of note, that while Death is the only being who can grant the Gift of Life, the Healer can take it away if necessary. After the Beast's reign, he has vowed to never allow another destructive force to don Death's mantle, an oath which goes against everything he stands for.

Greatest Strength:

Willingness to heal anyone, no matter their wealth or status.

Controversy:

Zibwa demands his followers swear to help all in need, including foul enemies. This led to his acolytes healing monstrous beings associated with the Beast, and few believed they should have. The Beast hated this aspect of the Healer because it denied him these evil-minded followers, and they clashed on a regular basis over it. There is a temple of beghestern hidden on Fading Light who carry on the Beast's teachings and traditions, and they are enemies of Zibwa's healers.

MOON: Daquio Mistark

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

8234 years previous
Lavender-white
Greyish-blue
Dryan
New Moon's Path, Dryanthium, Uka's Lament

Daquio grew up in a dryan community that lived near the Laquille, a river whose headwaters are in the Cordellethee Mountains. That's about all anyone knows about his mortal years. We know Rabbit gave him the mantle, we have no idea why, and he's never revealed (she still stops by his Talis temples from time to time, too, and he welcomes her, so the exchange was amicable). In this, his followers see him as a new moon, a hidden entity, rather than a brilliant nighttime light. He enjoys the mysterious, so this is in keeping with his personality.

Greatest Strength:

Finding hidden joy in average things. I've never understood this, but his acolytes call it bliss.

Controversy:

He took sides in the Brindle Wars after his daughter's Keel lover was assassinated by the Gaithen. Syimlin typically don't, just in case their side loses. It's a bad look. The Keel succeeded, but other beings on Talis disliked his interference because of the favor it showed, and they carried that resentment into the Evenacht. Some beings believe that he asked the Beast to create a special punishment for the assassins, which is stupid because the Beast met the Final Death long before the Brindle Wars. That hasn't stopped the history-less faelareign from promoting it. There's also the fact sprites claim he is a sprite, not a dryan, which upsets the dryans because without him, there would be no dryan represented in the great syimlin (don't underestimate the hatred in some religious circles that three of the most important deities are human).

NATURE: Maed Enne

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

10811 years previous
Blonde
Fawn-brown
Faun
The Howling Winds, Ramaradar, Ulven Islands

Nature before Maed Enne leaned towards plants, while she is a shape-changing faun. She takes great delight in the Gift given her ancestors, and will take any animal form that strikes her fancy. She bred and trained the two great vulfs, Rayva and Salan, for Darkness, and they still guard the Tunnel of Memories, making certain the deceased go where they need to go.

Greatest Strength:

Physical strength. She can turn into some terrifyingly strong animals, even some that are extinct.

Controversy:

Acolytes of other syimlin claim she spends too much time in animal form, and tricks them into taking her into their temples, thinking she is a stray. She denies she does so, though her acolytes might. She was lover of Veer Tul until the interstellar invasion. The battles were tough on her, and she broke their relationship and pulled away from all but her most loyal priests. Her acolytes complain she is too withdrawn and if she cannot carry out her duties, she needs to pass the mantle to one who can.

EARTH: Gapp Keobo

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

14896 years previous
orangish-red
Brown
elfine
Skalerion of the Eruption, Intersection, Uka's Lament

Despite his fiery leaning, Gapp is the laid-back, welcoming type. He's quite content to manipulate volcanic activity to grow Uka's Lament, creating more land upon which ghosts and natives can dwell. Older spirits even say he tamed the dragoonites with his demeanor; they take after him and his calm. Of the greater syimlin, he is the most active with his acolytes.

Greatest Strength:

His steadfast calmness, even in dire situations. He rivals Zibwa in this.

Controversy:

He is hounded by suspicions that he, in an underhanded manner, eradicated the previous Earth, Ith Lasen. His predecessor disappeared one day, and the next, he showed up on Old Man Death's doorstep, awaiting the Gift of Life. Dryans are particularly anti-Gapp, because Ith was a dryan, and since only one of their faelareign currently holds a mantle, they see his existence, and lack of punishment by the likes of Ga Son, as insulting.

WEATHER: Nem Hala

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

26781 years previous
Black
Brown
Nymph
Lightning Over the Meer, The Grace of Nem Hala, the Windtwist Islands

Nem Hala is one of the older syimlin, and hails from the Core Lyricals, an ancient nymph population known for their skill in both water and wind magics--hence, she is Weather. The previous Weather, Martelle, was a sprite water witch, and Nem Hala was her observant acolyte. Martelle decided to pass on the mantle to her most devoted. I'm under the impression they are good friends, and Martelle advises her.

Greatest Strength:

Willpower. She will finish what she starts, despite the cost.

Controversy:

Both living and deceased feel her wrath in the deadly cold-season storms that ravage the seas every year. Storms bring great destruction with them, and followers of the Keel pantheon feel she overdoes it when she rides with the winds. This, of course, annoys her, and makes the storms all the more fierce. She claims she rarely incites a hurricane or tornado; the warming of the earth does so, and perhaps beings should ponder why that is and fix their destructive tendencies instead of blaming her.

WATER: Arstet

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

7335 years previous
whitish-blue
Blue
Sprite
Raindown, Lake Arstet, Fading Light

Arstet is reclusive, preferring an artist's life to that of a syimlin. Her visits to her temples are rarer, and therefore garner more attention than the visits of other syimlin. She and Erse have a close relationship, and Water created the paintings that decorate Forest Temple. Unlike other syimlin, she helped design both her primary temples, which explains the gorgeous eye-candy architectural elements outside and within.

Greatest Strength:

Creativity. Being an artist has taught her to think about things in a different light, and find unique solutions to difficult problems.

Controversy:

Her acolytes believe she needs to be more involved with her followers, though they are not as sharp about it as Maed Enne's. In the Evenacht, both ghosts and natives have complained about the giant lakes, and how she promotes them by maintaining her primary temple at one. The lakes were created long before her arrival as a syimlin, and, as Erse found out with the Sunderlands, flora and fauna have adapted to the point, harm will come to them if she releases the water. Of course, it's not just about water, but the damming of the mists, but she never voices an opinion on that--and many feel she should.

PASSION: Verryn

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

100 years previous
Brown
Brown
Human
has not founded one; acolytes work out of Forest Temple, Erse Parr's temple

Our youngest syimlin is quite unique. He married Erse Parr while still a mortal (and she gave him the Gift of Life, so while everyone still considered him mortal, he was, in fact, immortal), and became her liaison within the Evenacht. He fought in the Brindle Wars of near 5000 years previous, which gave him experience so that, when the interstellar invaders decided to attack 100 years previous, he threw himself into the battles. He convinced Erse to take her stand against them, and during her release of power, he soaked up enough to gain his syimlin mantle. Erse calls his power Love; he prefers Passion. So he, like Talis, who never sought a mantle, now wears one.

Yeah, there isn't a pic for Verryn :(

Greatest Strength:

Diplomacy. Without it, he never would have succeeded as Erse's representative in the Evenacht.

Controversy:

As stated with Erse, their marriage garnered squinty-eyed disapproval in the beginning, and moreso after his diplomatic skills earned him respect and reverence. Now that he's a syimlin, numerous, powerful beings are badgering him to give up the mantle. He was not born magical, and now that he wields great ability but has no way to control it, he is a danger to Talis and the Evenacht. Handing off his power to a nymph or elfine is only logical (*rolls eyes* It's well established that all syimlin need a grace period to learn to control the depth of magic now at their disposal. Verryn is no different in that regard).

PROTECTOR: Uka

Gifted Mantle:
Hair:
Eyes:
Faelareign:
Primary Temple:

4802 years previous
Blonde
Blue
Human
The Benevolence of the Shield, Happendance, Uka's Lament

Uka came into her mantle during the Brindle Wars. She was a Keel protector assigned to guard the Moon Princess after her lover was assassinated. Her courage earned her Moon's gratitude, and he bestowed upon her a mantle of Protection for the Keel. Typically, syimlin acquire their divine power like Verryn did; through exposure to a humongous amount of magick, and survive to tell the tale. Moon gave Uka a power not previously known, and specifically designed to protect the Keel.

Greatest Strength:

Stubbornly continuing despite adversity. She is a great defender in this capacity.

Controversy:

Many acolytes over many years have disregarded her and her power because she is a more specific syimlin than other great syimlin. Some believe she only carries a lesser syimlin's strength in magic, and should not be considered a greater syimlin. Some believe she needs to expand her focus, since far more beings than humans live on Talis. Still others believe her presence is why the Keel pantheon is still referred to as the Keel pantheon and not the Talis pantheon, or another incarnation deemed more general. Many claim she favors humans because of this, though there is little evidence that she prefers one faelareign over another (after all, she guarded a half-dryan princess with no problems).

Materials:
Sun by Acolyte Thren (inventive title, I know)
Sons of the Sun, Daughters of the Moon directed by Korin Dant
A Graven Knee by Pethenes Sevassel (do not read if you hate the fact Ga Son knelt to Erse Parr after she destroyed the interstellar invaders)
An Elfine's Guide to Syimlin: The Greater Vol. 1-2 by Seusethenes
An Elfine's Guide to Syimlin: The Lesser Vol. 1-5 by Seusethenes
Waterways directed by Fein Zenausz
Walking with the Spirits and the Syimlin by Jefin Velvor
Death's Defiance by Singrid Valloway
A Strictly Serene Evenacht by Caldid Gren

The Brindle Wars: A Deity's Revenge by Jeng Gelen
Earthly Delights and Windy Charms: The Importance of Both Earth and Weather by Sueme Wrenne
Healer's Touch directed by Korin Dant
They Walk Hand in Hand by Singrid Valloway
Nature's Way by Vulfpriest Berois
Who Shall Protect by Flerest
An Argument for Passion audio by Mafiz Derzenah Sevaeh
Embrittled and Embattled: What the Evenacht Needs from Syimlin by Dour Ferown