The Gods of the Western Lands

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Beowulf
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The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Beowulf »

Can someone point me to some resources concerning the gods of the Western lands? The main core book mentions a few and Solomoriah lists a few in his actual play videos but short of rewatching and pausing to write them down are they listed anywhere else? I haven't read every word of every supplement but what I have read doesn't really offer many.

Thanks!
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Solomoriah
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Solomoriah »

My actual play videos are set in my world of Glain, actually.

The gods of the Western Lands are left "loose" deliberately. Like in the real world, different cultural groups worship different pantheons. The arrival of the monotheistic Imperial religion, Tahism, led those previously-separate groups to talk a bit more and resulted in the concept of the Hundred Gods (though there are more than that). That's the in-universe explanation anyway.

From a higher perspective, as the author I wanted to allow anyone to use any pantheon they wanted. You want a cleric of Thor? No problem. Pelor? Sure. I'll permit just about any non-controversial patron. Nothing with substantial adherents in the real world... that way lies violence. But just about anything mythological or fictional will work in the Western Lands, by design.

Or to answer your question more deliberately, no, other than Tah there are no named gods that are definitely part of the Western Lands campaign.
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Beowulf
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Beowulf »

Ah, gotcha. I had thought that the Western Lands are on Glain. We haven't had any problem with a lack of details, just curious.
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Solomoriah »

The Western Lands are definitely a separate world.

Though if I were running a Western Lands campaign I'd still allow Glain pantheon gods.

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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Kane »

I have a small list of pilfered deities for the 100 gods:
1. Adonai, God of the sun, prophecy, music and archery
2. Agni, Charioteer of Fire
3. Anu, Lord of the Heavens, Creator of the Earth, Master of Dragons
4. Arioch, Duke of Swords, the Chaos Star A beautiful man like a fierce lion, summoning swords with spells, sundering spells with swords. Patron of princes, fi ghter-mages, elves, and conquerors.
5. Azi Dahaka, the three-headed dragon-spirit of death
6. Blessed Sir Gareth d’Orcni, the knight of many colors; patron of orcs, bastards and mercenaries
7. Blessed Sir Garlon, the invisible knight, patron of robber barons and thieves
8. Brigit, goddess of poetry and fire
9. Chao Kung Ming, Lord of War Blood-red, riding a fl ying tiger; his spear pierces men and heavens
10. Horus-Radamanthus, the Hawk, the Avenger and patron of archers His name was once Chi-Chiang, and his symbol is the skull.
A god of terrible aspect who metes out punishment to those who spill innocent blood or desecrate the temples of any of the 100 Gods.
11. Ilmarinen, the Great Smith, builder of the Sun
12. Kali, Black Earth Mother
13. Kishijotun, the lucky little girl
14. Loviatar, Goddess of Pain
15. Mitra-Varuna, god of order & protector of oaths
16. Rudra, Demon-God of storms, animals and the dead
17. Tewas Melek, the Peacock Angel, the Prince of Pride, the Lord of the Earth...he allocates responsibilities, blessings and misfortunes upon humanity as he sees fi t and that it is not for the race of Man to question his choices. Melek Tewas is no respecter of persons.
Often equated with Shaitah by the Tahists. His symbol is a male peacock displaying its panoply.
18. Thasaidon, Ruler of the Seven Hells, Lord of Evil The archdemon was depicted in the guise of a full-armored warrior, lifting a spiky mace as if in heroic battle.
Often equated with Mephistus by Tahists
19. Tvashtri, the Artificer and Priest of Science
20. Ushas, Goddess of the Dawn
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Solomoriah
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Solomoriah »

Kane, that's pretty much how I envisioned it being done.
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Beowulf
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Beowulf »

Nice! I'm just looking to add a little flavor to the clerics in our Morgansfort/Western Lands game. 8-)
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Kane »

Beowulf wrote: Mon Nov 28, 2022 11:40 pm Nice! I'm just looking to add a little flavor to the clerics in our Morgansfort/Western Lands game. 8-)
Here's some more stuff on religions I wrote with the assistance of Worlds Without Number https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/34 ... ee-Edition (you can grab the free version online). It is influenced by the Western Lands descriptions but, as CG no doubt intended, they were vague enough to be filled in however you want. You could make the Tahists honest-to-god LG paladin types who just have some problems with the corrupt empire making bad use of them; you could make them scheming, nigh-sociopathic and serving a god of imperialism and tyranny. You could make the 100 gods a panoply of credible religions and spirit cults, or you could make them a medieval stereotype of ravenous pagan savagery. Which is great, because you can go Sword & Sorcery, classic D&D or straight weird sci-fi, just by connecting the dots. Chris has done a better job than B2 in giving the rudiments of a sandbox ecology, though, admittedly, with inspiration from the classic setting provided in Keep on the Borderlands.

I am trying to cleave to B/X and Mystara spirit closely, with a lot of focus on oldschool 'domains' from D&D's wargaming path. To that end I made the 100 gods a variety of moral qualities, some of the deities and religions with what we might see as flaws or abusive tenets, but the Tahist church as most firmly on the side of Law (as opposed to Chaos). But not all factions of Law get along, and not all Tahists are actually Lawful. The church conflicts I modeled only in the loosest way on early modern European history: they do have a conflict in hierarchy views. But the main focus for me was that they emphasize different aspects or views on a Lawful deity, who was similar to Talos in his role as a founder of Urdish civilization in their homeland across the oceans. The Bethites cleave to their version of that imperial identity and its culture (changed as it is by time and isolation), and have a very traditional adherence to old imperial structures, including the church. The scattered and decentralized Tahists on the mainland cannot rely on the Bethite hierarchy for practical reasons, and have developed their own traditions and independence.

Thasaidon's name and look is from Clark Ashton Smith, but he's basically a deity who's easy to bargain with for magic-user spells and power, worshipped by flame-red skinned humans in the Kingdom of Knecht (near Gryk Thalek, southwest of Slateholm). He's an old ifrit prince who had his soul stolen and turned into a synthetic god by his human servants, anscestors to the princes and queen of Knecht. His worshippers can be neutral or chaotic, but he is definitely Chaotic.

Church of Tah, Bethite
Church Structures: Single pontiff with a layter of upper clergy beneath them, and a layer of minor clergy serving them.
God’s Origin: Legendary historical hero-teacher of the Urdish people, long ago on their continent of origin. Considered to be the founder of the Empire.
Why Does the Faith Matter? The state church of the Urdish empire and central to their sense of identity and distinction from the Vester ("natives"), who actually make up most of the population in terms of heredity.
What Does the Faith Want: Obtaining vast wealth for the faithful.
What are the Clerics Like? Chosen from specific noble bloodlines and trained to serve the faithful.
What Does this God Do in Society? Explains the creation and order of the world.
God’s Portfolio: Travel and fertility
Faith Strictures: A tithe of 10% of all income.

Church of Tah, Reformed
Church Structure: There is no official clergy. Some believers take up special roles and provide teaching, but have no qualitative distinction.
God’s Origin: Legendary historical hero-teacher of the Urdish people, long ago on their continent of origin. Considered to be the founder of the Empire.
Why Does the Faith Matter? It has important influence over the locals, and provides an alternative to the Bethite church’s corrupt leadership.
What Does the Faith Want? Protection of devout believers against Chaos and natural disaster.
What are the Clerics Like? Individuals who step forward and are accepted for their qualities as priests.
God’s Role in Society: It empowers those seeking revenge for wrongs.
God’s Portfolio: Prophecy and Cosmic Law
Strictures: Certain places are held taboo, specifically the temples of other gods (which can only be entered to attack them).

Cult of Thasaidon
Based among the Knecht people.
Church Structure: Each mage-priest of Thasaidon is an autonomous leader, with their own sect branch, and as many followers as they can accumulate.
God’s Origins: Thasaidon is an artificial construct created by humans from the corpse of their Ifrit prince. Locked away in the Fiery Hells, a stolen bit of the City of Brass.
Why Does the Faith Matter? It provides magical favors to the faithful, mostly in the form of magic-user spells.
What Does the Faith Want? Control of its holy sites, including several in the Aphrodite Bay. The Church of Tah does not tolerate the Cult of Thasaidon, and prevents them from visiting them.
What are the Clerics Like? Magic-users, in reality - ritual technicians trained in complex rites, with no special moral qualities.
What Does This God Do in Society? It provides protection from danger, especially supernatural threats.
What is the God’s Portfolio? Family and Magic
Faith’s Strictures: Marry exclusively in the faith, specifically, within Knecht bloodlines.
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Beowulf
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Beowulf »

Fantastic stuff! I'm sure I can mine this for many adventures.😎
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Re: The Gods of the Western Lands

Post by Boggo »

I have to say the idea of a Monotheistic church moving in with a conquering empire scratches a Runequest itch for me, and I'm planning on that, with the rest of the world having multiple gods, BUT the "Druids when you aren't using Druids" section in Morgansfort struck me as perhaps the best way of doing Shamanistic worship I've seen, I plan on using that (not as Druids, but as Shamans)
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