The Tekederian Pantheon
The Tekederian Pantheon, simply known as the Pantheon of the Gods among its worshippers, is the dominant religion and official religion of the Tekederian Nation state, the religion is focused on a vast pantheon of gods representing everything from the sky to love and war to building. The Pantheon was once the single largest faith on the continent, but it has slowly fallen out of favor over the centuries do to growing discontent and the rise of cults dedicated to certain gods and rejecting the others.
Perhaps the greatest of these stories of the Titan, was the stories of the clay he laid upon the world, this clay alone meant little, but within the clay were seeds, and these seeds would one day in the future bring about a great birth and evolution of beings that he dreamed of, that would one day inherit his great works. But the Titan had little energy after laying the Clay and seeds, and instead, he prepared for his final work upon the world.
It is said the gods gathered upon a great cloud in the sky and built for themself a mighty city greater than any to come, and from here they would rule an eternal golden age, they began to claim the creatures and domains of the world for their own, creating mighty fortresses, secluded homes and great works. As the Gods built their realm, they granted sentience to many creatures, creating absolutely loyal creatures tied to the will of the gods. It was an age of the Divine, an age of Gods.
The Exact number of the Gods are impossible to pinpoint, plenty of deities exist for only local communities, with only the more well-known central gods having recognition across the worshippers. Meanwhile other cults within the Pantheon simply reject the existence of all other gods except for a few, Such as the Cult of Creation which rejects the existence of every god that didn't have a role to play in the creation of mankind.
Despite this birth, mankind was bound to the will of Palma Viridis , but she did not seek to rule over the final creations of Primus and sought the help of the other gods to grant true life and freedom to these basic clay creatures. The God Palma Steel, twin of Palma Viridis, gave men the skill and ability to wield and craft tools, Oculus Iudicii gave them a sense of right and wrong, while her twin Oculus Visus blinded them to the future, muddled the past and clarified their present. But it was the God Cognitus who gave them the greatest gift, he expanded their seeds and gave them the power to think as the gods thought, free of control and instinct to serve.
But as the Gods interacted more and more with mankind, they were unknowingly taking the same actions as the Titan Primus, pouring more and more of their power and souls into their creations, the demigods and mankind, one by one the gods would slowly enter slumbers from which they would never awaken. It is said Palma Steel was forever entombed under his fortress, while his sister Palma Viridis rests in a hidden grove somewhere in the world. Meanwhile Oculus Visus hid herself from the sight of man and God alike, while her sister used what little power she had left to forge the scales of judgement, from which all people are judged upon death.
Eventually it came down to one God, Cognitus sat alone upon his throne, preserving all of his power, delaying the inevitable sleep that he would come to embrace. But even for the first and greatest of the Gods, the eternal rest of Primus came for him aswell, and after centuries of staving off the rest, he slipped into an eternal slumber, his last act being the sealing of the God's great city so that no mortal could ever see her
Thus ended the Age of the Gods, and Began an Age of Man.
Despite continued efforts by the Tekederian Governments of the past centuries, the Tekederian Pantheon never formed into a proper religious institution, nearly every single community had its own temples, religious leaders and doctrine. Cities like Candiurum or Ventia would have dozens of temples dedicated to just as many gods, with many cults to the gods waging gang wars on the streets and shadow wars in the halls of power against each other.
While major cities were clashes of influence and power of the great temples, minor cities and small communities were centered around but a single temple, be it a properly built place of worship, or a ramshackle improvised place by the sole priest of a god. These small communities are so centered on this temple, their daily schedule is based on the worship of that god, days of festivals and worship of that god are held above any other, and gods considered enemies are reviled and often taunted with burnings and destruction of anything related to them.
Despite these deep-rooted religious divisions, the modern faith can serve as a uniting symbol for all. The Titan Primus, God Cognitus, and Goddesses Viridis are revered by all for the role they played in the creation of Mankind. Emperor's, Princeps and King's alike invoked the image of Primus for their reign, while Cognitus became a symbol of scholars and thinkers, while Viridis became a sigil for the natural beauty of the world.
The Gods have always been respected when faced with foreign faiths, those not seen among the ranks of the Tekederian Gods believed to be false and pure evil, while the Tekederian Gods are beloved and good to their true followers. This Belief stems from the common Tekederian Xenophobic view of anyone and everyone of none Tekederian Origin, this they set aside religious rivalry when faced with a foreign god.
The Modern
The Reign of The Gods
The Titan Primus
Long Ago, before the God of the Stullmen and Falfen people walked the earth, before the Bir emerged from their sea, and the Forzor landed upon the western coast of the continent, the Ancient Titan Primus walked the barren earth. It is said he wandered it alone for a thousand years, carving out rivers and lakes, constructing mountains and large valleys, he was said to have laid vast forests of trees and birth from his hands all sorts of life. He Wrangled the Sun and Moon to give his project day and night, and hundreds of other stories of him working to create it all.Perhaps the greatest of these stories of the Titan, was the stories of the clay he laid upon the world, this clay alone meant little, but within the clay were seeds, and these seeds would one day in the future bring about a great birth and evolution of beings that he dreamed of, that would one day inherit his great works. But the Titan had little energy after laying the Clay and seeds, and instead, he prepared for his final work upon the world.
The Gods
After a thousand years of work, Primus wandered out into the ocean and took a rest, never to awaken. From the sleeping form of the Titan, emerged dozens of beings from his form, and thus were born the Gods of Tekederia. Chief among them was the God Cognitus Caput, who emerged from the head of Primus. Other notable gods were Palma Viridis, Goddesses of Plants and Animals, Palma Steel, God of Weapons and tools, Oculus Iudicii, Goddesses of Justice, Oculus Visus, Goddesses of Prophecy. Dozens of other Gods were born among them, they would become a pantheon of mighty beings among the TekederiansIt is said the gods gathered upon a great cloud in the sky and built for themself a mighty city greater than any to come, and from here they would rule an eternal golden age, they began to claim the creatures and domains of the world for their own, creating mighty fortresses, secluded homes and great works. As the Gods built their realm, they granted sentience to many creatures, creating absolutely loyal creatures tied to the will of the gods. It was an age of the Divine, an age of Gods.
The Exact number of the Gods are impossible to pinpoint, plenty of deities exist for only local communities, with only the more well-known central gods having recognition across the worshippers. Meanwhile other cults within the Pantheon simply reject the existence of all other gods except for a few, Such as the Cult of Creation which rejects the existence of every god that didn't have a role to play in the creation of mankind.
The Clay Creatures
While the Golden Age continued, the God Cognitus and Goddess Palma Viridis had discovered the Seed Filled Clay left behind by Primus, Cognitus collected all the clay he could find and brought it to Viridis, she began to shape the clay into figures like the gods, and spread them across the world, then once the work was done, she breathed life into the seeds and watched as the clay hardened and the beings of clay began to move, mankind was born.Despite this birth, mankind was bound to the will of Palma Viridis , but she did not seek to rule over the final creations of Primus and sought the help of the other gods to grant true life and freedom to these basic clay creatures. The God Palma Steel, twin of Palma Viridis, gave men the skill and ability to wield and craft tools, Oculus Iudicii gave them a sense of right and wrong, while her twin Oculus Visus blinded them to the future, muddled the past and clarified their present. But it was the God Cognitus who gave them the greatest gift, he expanded their seeds and gave them the power to think as the gods thought, free of control and instinct to serve.
An End to a Godly Era
The Newly born Mankind, specifically the Tekederians, drew the constant attention and interest of the gods. There would be more and more stories of the gods interacting with and interfering in the lives of the mortals, with many gods taking mortals to bed and bringing into the world more and more demigods, half god and half human.But as the Gods interacted more and more with mankind, they were unknowingly taking the same actions as the Titan Primus, pouring more and more of their power and souls into their creations, the demigods and mankind, one by one the gods would slowly enter slumbers from which they would never awaken. It is said Palma Steel was forever entombed under his fortress, while his sister Palma Viridis rests in a hidden grove somewhere in the world. Meanwhile Oculus Visus hid herself from the sight of man and God alike, while her sister used what little power she had left to forge the scales of judgement, from which all people are judged upon death.
Eventually it came down to one God, Cognitus sat alone upon his throne, preserving all of his power, delaying the inevitable sleep that he would come to embrace. But even for the first and greatest of the Gods, the eternal rest of Primus came for him aswell, and after centuries of staving off the rest, he slipped into an eternal slumber, his last act being the sealing of the God's great city so that no mortal could ever see her
Thus ended the Age of the Gods, and Began an Age of Man.
The Faith Today
Even when the Gods entered their eternal slumber, the worship and veneration of them within the lands of Tekederia, even today the Pantheon remains a strong pillar of Tekederian society. Despite this continued survival of the Pantheon, it has never been a central united force within Tekederian Society.Despite continued efforts by the Tekederian Governments of the past centuries, the Tekederian Pantheon never formed into a proper religious institution, nearly every single community had its own temples, religious leaders and doctrine. Cities like Candiurum or Ventia would have dozens of temples dedicated to just as many gods, with many cults to the gods waging gang wars on the streets and shadow wars in the halls of power against each other.
While major cities were clashes of influence and power of the great temples, minor cities and small communities were centered around but a single temple, be it a properly built place of worship, or a ramshackle improvised place by the sole priest of a god. These small communities are so centered on this temple, their daily schedule is based on the worship of that god, days of festivals and worship of that god are held above any other, and gods considered enemies are reviled and often taunted with burnings and destruction of anything related to them.
Despite these deep-rooted religious divisions, the modern faith can serve as a uniting symbol for all. The Titan Primus, God Cognitus, and Goddesses Viridis are revered by all for the role they played in the creation of Mankind. Emperor's, Princeps and King's alike invoked the image of Primus for their reign, while Cognitus became a symbol of scholars and thinkers, while Viridis became a sigil for the natural beauty of the world.
The Gods have always been respected when faced with foreign faiths, those not seen among the ranks of the Tekederian Gods believed to be false and pure evil, while the Tekederian Gods are beloved and good to their true followers. This Belief stems from the common Tekederian Xenophobic view of anyone and everyone of none Tekederian Origin, this they set aside religious rivalry when faced with a foreign god.
The Modern
