Atsiq Pantheon

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The Atsiq Pantheon is the native religion of the Dalar of Atsiq. It is a belief system that revolves around the concept of balance between two opposing forces - the forces of light and goodness and the forces of darkness and the unknown. Within this religion, adherents recognize the necessity of both aspects of the divine in maintaining harmony and cosmic equilibrium. These opposing concepts are represented through a split in the Gods. In this way, the religion is a dualist one, composed of two opposed pantheons.

Origins

The origins of the Atsiq Pantheon trace back to ancient times to early Dalar civilizations. Similar mythologies and legends could be found all over Atsiq, with many regional variations. Later on, the unification of Atsiq under the Great Atsiq Empire led to the establishment of a structured religious belief system.

The Pantheons

The Atsiq Pantheon is comprised of two opposed sub-pantheons, each representing opposing aspects of life and the cosmos. The gods of these pantheons are known as the Pillars and the Roots (О̄nglēhe and Wabhe in Holy Sod), each containing 9 gods. The Pillars are generally more benevolent gods, often granting boons and blessings to mortals, while the Roots tend to be more reserved, acting mysteriously and in accordance with their own self made rules and agendas. The table below describes the domains of the various gods of the Atsiq Pantheon. Note that each of the Pillars is usually associated with an animal spirit, and as such these gods have a secondary name that they are known by, written here in parenthesis.

The Pillars

Deity	Description	Image
The Moon Mother (White stag)	Goddess of the Moon. Also associated with Kindness, Mercy and Leadership. Queen of the Gods. The moon in the sky is a symbol of her role as ruler and leader in opposition to evil, its light shining and giving sight in the darkness of the night. Due to Atsiq being a matriarchal society, the Moon Mother, in her capacity as Moon Goddess, is said to be the only one to have power over the Queens and Duchesses of Atsiq. Kind, gentle, yet firm and commanding. Never raises her voice, yet commands absolute authority. Her Animal Aspect is a white/silver stag, with extremely elaborate and interweaving antlers.
The Traveler (Wandering Raven)	God of Knowledge. Associated with Intelligence, Curiosity, Adventure and Exploration. His representation as a traveller who comes down to earth to learn emphasises the journey, the quest inherent in knowledge seeking. Represents a more physical side of being a scholar, as someone who goes out, talks to people, engages, and learns from experience. Represents Curiosity as an emotion that leads to action. Clever, quick thinking, friendly, down to earth. A trickster with a good sense of humour. His Animal Aspect is a giant black raven, with an extra eye under each wing, which he uses to look for adventure while flying above the world.
The Flaming Child (Red Fox)	Goddess of Fire. Associated with Heat, Warmth, Light and Food. Represents both aspects of fire, both as an important contributor to mankind's survival, a provider of defence against the cold and the darkness, but also as a dangerous, unreliable force, that can quickly grow out of control. Often associated with the creation of other essential tools that provide protection or cover against the elements. Her hunger, her outbursts and her difficulty controlling her power represent the uncontrollable nature and power of fire. Childish, erratic, brat. Always hungry. The youngest of the gods. Extremely protective of mortals. Usually innocent and friendly, unless mortals are threatened, in which case becomes one of the most dangerous and violent Pillars. Her Animal Aspect is a red fox with bright orange eyes and its tail on fire.
The Challenger (Green Wolf)	God of the Hunt. Associated with Courage, Strength and Tradition. An important God during warfare. Represents hunting as an important cultural practice on Atsiq, with of the rituals and traditions surrounding the practice being attributed to him in myths. His personality represents reckless combat and the more brutish, less rational side of warfare. His skill in hunting is associated with him having a strong connection to animals, plants and the earth, and being in tune with Nature. Cocky, confident, loud. Never refuses a challenge, never backs from a fight. Refuses to be called cowardly. Quick to anger, easy to manipulate by taunting. His Animal Aspect is a Green Wolf with brown tufts of fur. Much like his humanoid form, its canines extend to its jaw.
The Ever-Watcher (Old Bear)	Goddess of Justice. Associated with Truth, Law and Wisdom. Her judging is unbiased and unquestionable. The law is followed and upheld under her watchful gaze. Also judges the souls of the dead, deciding whether the souls are worthy of the Afterlife, otherwise mauling them as punishment. Judges the dead and the living equally, for not even in death can the Law be escaped. Her personality represents Justice as an immovable object, something inevitable that cannot be changed through clever wordplay. Strict, emotionless, no nonsense, very direct, never using flowery language, telling lies or omitting anything. Wise and experienced. Her Animal Aspect is an old, grey, furry bear, with three glowing blue eyes.
The Ocean Father (Purple Turtle)	God of the Ocean. Associated with Storms, Rain, Passages, New Beginnings and Change. A powerful God, with command over the weather, he is hard to please and very quickly can turn against mortals, should they fail to please him. Oversees rituals, passages and beginnings, granting his favor to those that perform his rituals correctly, rejecting them if a single mistake is made. As the Husband to the Moon Mother, she holds power over him, easily swaying his mood. Serious, bad-tempered, moody and greedy. Angry and vengeful. Egotistical and jealous. Bipolar, very quickly changing his mind, self-contradicting. His Animal Aspect is a Giant Turtle, with purple eyes and a purple shell.
The Bard (Blue Stoat)	God of Love. Associated with Relationships, Friendship and Creativity. Responsible for Fun and Partying, ensuring that events go to plan. Creator of Dreams and Music. Also responsible for Commerce, Trading and Business. Bonds between mortals, be they of Friendship, Love or Trust, when united in the proper ritualistic manner, are sacred to him, and breaking them would lead to losing his favor, leading to poverty and failure in business affairs. Flirty, dreamy and charming. Creative and clever. A dreamer, idealist. Always laughing and joking. A trickster, always getting in trouble. His Animal Aspect is the Blue Stoat, a cute and friendly creature.
The World Shaper (Horned Hare)	Goddess of Agriculture. Associated with Fertility, Nature, Earth and Valleys. Responsible for providing a good harvest. Shaper of Mountains, and the fertile valleys where Farming is done. Associated with labor, crafts and farming. Rewards hard work, punishes laziness. Also associated with mining and smithing, with metalworking being invented by her in a myth. Friendly, excited, hard working. Always willing to help or provide some divine intervention. A bit of an airhead, easily distracted. Unable to sit still or concentrate for too long. Her Animal Aspect is a Brown Hare, with two large curved horns on its forehead.
The Great Speaker (Black Auklet)	Goddess of Diplomacy. Her domain includes the many sides of Diplomacy, meaning that she represents not only Cooperation, Politeness and Agreement, but also Politics, Spying, Sabotage, and even Rivalry, Conflict and War. In her position as a War Goddess, she fills the role of the more refined side of warfare, such as Tactics and Strategy, being depicted as a commander and leader. Secretive, mysterious, impenetrable. Always speaking in parables, in a roundabout, flowery manner. Two-faced, never showing true intentions. Easy to offend. Her Animal Aspect is a Black Crested Auklet, with white eyes, beak and crest plumes.

The Roots

Deity	Description	Image
The Night King	God of the Night. Associated with Shadows, Secrets, Order, and the Necessary Evils of the world. His existance and contrast to the Moon Mother represents the balance between light and dark. Maintains Order through darkness, ensuring that the necessary Evils continue to occur, never being eclipsed by the Moon Mother's light. Proud, calculating, and patient. Speaking with a commanding and monotone voice. His emotions are always under control, and he rarely shows any sign of anger or impatience. Respected by all the other Roots.
The Laughing Dwarf	God of Madness. Associated with Creativity, Inspiration, and breaking down mental barriers. He inspires artists, poets, and writers with his madness and encourages them to explore new ideas and boundaries. He is also a patron of the marginalized and the outcasts. Completely mad, unpredictable, and random. Wild mood swings, but most of the time happy and excited. Creative and clever in the few times that he is lucid. Always laughing and cackling.
The Starving One	God of Cold and Snow. Associated with Despair, Lost Hope, Endurance and Persistance in the face of adversity. Represents the harshness and unforgiving nature of the winter, and the challenges it presents to life. Represents Hunger and other difficulties that come with harsh winters. The feeling of the freezing cold on one's skin is said to be the bite of The Starving One, looking for food. Cold, distant, and melancholic. Stubborn and persistant. Moody, refuses to be denied his wishes.
The Great Devourer	God of Fear and the Unknown. Associated with Nightmares, and Horror. Associated with reckless hunting, without tradition or purpose. Instills fear and dread in the hearts of mortals. Represents primal fear that trumps logic and reason, fear caused by the unkown and unexplainable. Even the Gods fear him and avoid angering him. Ruthless and merciless. Always hungry, never satisfied. Ominous and unsettling. Mysterious and inscrutable. Terrifying and unstoppable when angered.
The Choir	God of Chaos. Associated with Chance, Luck and Randomness. Responsible for random and unpredictable situations. Rules over games of chance and luck, intervening to sway the odds in the favor of his worshippers and against those who have not followed proper procedure in gambling. Plays with the fate of mortals for his own amusement. Mischievous, unpredictable, and playful. Loves to stir up trouble and create chaos. Enjoys playing pranks and deceiving mortals. Often seen as a nuisance, but can also be a helpful ally if their interests align.
The Skygazer	Goddess of Time. Associated with Destiny, Fate and Predetermined Events. The Spider is said to spin the threads of time and fate, shaping the destiny of all beings in the universe. The Fates decided by her are determined and unchangeable. Much like a web, Fate and Time are intricate and interconnected, in ways only the Spider understands. Associated with Memories of the Past and Premonitions of the Future. Patron of oracles and prophets. Mysterious, distant, and aloof. Patient, methodical, and always thinking several steps ahead. Can be unpredictable and even cruel at times, as they are not bound by mortal notions of morality.
The Unforgiven	Goddess of Ambition. Also associated with Betrayal, Greed, and Envy. She is associated with the desire for power and wealth, patron of those who wish to push further, reach new heighs and those who strive for greatness. She empowers those that overlook morality in their path to success. betrayal, She is the embodiment of Greed and Envy, and she encourages her followers to pursue their own selfish desires at the expense of others. Outwardly charming and charismatic but deceptive, manipulative and cunning. Willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, no matter who gets hurt in the process. Unscrupulous, always believing the ends justify the means.
The Sled Driver	Goddess of Death. Rules over the transition from life to death, as well as the afterlife. Associated with Disease and Decay. Also associated with Childbirth. Carries the souls of the dead on his sled, taking them to the afterlife if they are judged worthy by the Ever-Watcher or delivering them back to Earth if judged unworthy, so that they may be reborn and attempt to lead a good life the next time. Patient, and wise. Generally harmless and not unfriendly. Unconcerned with the affairs of mortals. Gentle and comforting when guiding the souls of the departed to their final resting place.
The Blood Seeker	God of Revenge. Associated with Blood, Violence, Divine Retribution, and Carnage. Revered by those who seek vengeance, or seek the favour of the Gods to curse a mortal enemy. Often called upon by the other Gods to deliver justice in the form of retribution. Responsible for Carnage, the bloodiest, most brutal and mindless form of combat. Ruthless, vindictive, and consumed by a thirst for blood. Sees mortals as potential prey, and takes pleasure in watching those that deserve retribution suffer. Almost animalistic and mindless at the prospect of carnage.

Beliefs and Practices

Central to the teachings of the Atsiq Pantheon is the concept of balance. Adherents believe that the universe operates in a perpetual state of equilibrium, maintained by the interplay between light and darkness. They perceive existence as a chaotic yet cooperative effort between light and darkness, who provide the wide breadth of experience in life.

Worship within this religion encompasses rituals and ceremonies dedicated to both the pantheons. Followers seek to honor and appease both, recognizing their complementary roles in the grand scheme of creation. Various rituals and practices are intimately weaved into everyday life on Atsiq.

The Atsiq Pantheon emphasizes the importance of embracing duality and accepting the inherent contradictions within the universe. It teaches that light cannot exist without darkness, nor can goodness be truly appreciated without the presence of evil. Therefore, followers strive to find harmony within themselves and the world around them, acknowledging the necessity of both light and darkness in their lives.

Throughout history, the Atsiq Pantheon has influenced cultural practices, artistic expressions, and philosophical thought. Its teachings have inspired a profound appreciation for the delicate balance of existence, fostering a sense of reverence for the natural world and its complexities.