Zholmyr's pantheon is divided into three main distinctions: The Timeless Ones, the Pentamont, and the Soul Shepherds.
The Timeless Ones
Very little is known about the creator beings of Zholmyr and the universe. They remain out of reach of those who tap into the quintessence, and therefore outside the realm of holy and clerical magic. It is said that the Timeless Ones created the planes and the life within them. They also created the Soul Shepherds to guide humanity. Direct worship of these beings is extremely rare, largely due to their abandonment of meticulously governing the world after the Breach, and also because of the very limited information the mortal races have about them. The Soul Shepherds are the only beings left in the Material Plane that have any recollection of the Timeless Ones and they have shared very little with mortals.
The Pentamont
The five gods of the Pentamont are the embodiment of the most primordial and fundamental aspects of the elements. Together, they are believed to make up the sentient consciousness of the world that makes Zholmyr so unique amongst the multiverse and are therefore responsible for the process of geomorphosis that is constantly shaping and reshaping the planet. But they are not so much gods as they are ideas and concepts attributed by mortals to better understand them. They possess no definable motives or goals, nor do they display affection, unbalanced favor, or spite. People still whisper tales of monstrous spirits manifested by the Pentamont that wrought havoc upon long-lost civilizations, but any details or accounts have been lost to time.
In the more civilized parts of the world, worship of the Pentamont is outright forbidden. Those who dare to venerate the five gods of the Pentamont usually must do so in isolated cults in the remote wilds.
- Adohr, the Sky (incarnation of AIR, wind, the sun)
- Ynean, the Sea (incarnation of WATER, rain, ocean, rivers, ice)
- Strahk, the Shadow (incarnation of UNLIFE, darkness, underground, death)
- Tarzhil, the Flame (incarnation of FIRE, storms, thunder)
- Venarin, the Land (incarnation of EARTH, stone, mountains)
The Soul Shepherds
The Soul Shepherds are the gods of civilization. It is believed that they were created by the Timeless Ones to help mold the souls of the mortal races. Today, as defined by the Apex Prelacy, Soul Shepherds are deities that encapsulate the ten "good" aspects of the soul that humanity strives to achieve balanced within their own essence. The Shepherds and their disciples operate in a fragile harmony with one another. They firmly subscribe to the philosophy of their respective dominions, but recognize the necessity of their inverse to exist as two ends of a spectrum in order for a mortal soul to know balance. Still, the Soul Shepherds will often work through their mortal disciples to antagonize the followers of their inverse deity in order to gain an edge or an upper hand to move the proverbial needle to their side.
| Deity | Alignment | Province | Suggested Domains | Inverse | Common Symbols |
|---|
| Stiri, the Deep Mistress |
LN |
Prudence, caution, consistency, sadness |
Knowledge, War |
Veles |
A crescent moon reflecting on rippling ocean waves |
| Veles, the Maiden Mage |
CN |
Curiosity, innovation, recklessness |
Arcana, Trickery, Light |
Stiri |
A shimmering open book |
| Enkir, the Everkeen |
LG |
Duty, discipline, obduracy |
Forge, Order, Peace |
Niye |
Two wolf's heads reflected in profile |
| Niye, Lady Lavish |
CE |
Extravagance, spontaneity, vice |
Death, Trickery |
Enkir |
A jeweled goblet |
| Tolkah, the Vagabond |
N |
Independence, autonomy, proficiency, instinct |
Twilight, Nature, Grave |
Viseri |
A setting sun with a feathered arrow as the horizon |
| Viseri, Kind Grandfather |
N |
Congeniality, collectivism, joy |
Light, Life |
Tolkah |
A linked chain fastened into a perfect circle |
| Palion, the Steel Chancellor |
LE |
Rationality, logic, competition |
Knowledge, Order, Death |
Kyi & Diy |
Two rapiers crossed over one another |
| Kyi & Diy, the Tender Twins |
CG |
Empathy, generosity, compassion |
Life, Peace, Light |
Palion |
Two humanoids forming a heart-shaped silhouette |
| Rylene, the Firemount |
NG |
Resilience, confidence, ignorance, vengeance |
Grave, Nature, War |
Mara |
A mountain peak set ablaze |
| Mara, the Windwalker |
NE |
Vulnerability, sensitivity, adaptation, fear |
Tempest, Arcana, Twilight |
Rylene |
Two wind gusts resembling a blooming flower |
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