The Tormalin Pantheon

Saedrin, greatest of the Old Tormalin gods is the sun deity. His festival is the five-day Summer Solstice, which is marked by fire and water purification rituals which vary across Tormalin, Dalasor and Gidesta. His colour is bright yellow and his symbol is crossed keys.

Pre-eminent in the pantheon, Saedrin pays particular attention to the behaviour of mortal rulers, and those who exploit their subjects will incur his wrath. He is the Keeper of the Keys and the Guardian of the Threshold where the dead must account for their misdeeds in this mortal life before they are allowed to pass. If Saedrin turns them away, these lost souls are cast into the demon-haunted darkness of the Shades. Once they reach the Otherworld, the virtuous dead are reborn with no memory of their previous existence.

Poldrion is the Old Tormalin God of the Dead. His festival is the Winter Solstice and his colour is black.

He is the Ferryman who carries those souls whom Saedrin lets pass across the River of Shades to the Otherworld. His symbols are a yew staff and also mistletoe on a bare oak tree. He commands the demons of vengeance who torment unrepentant sinners.

Raeponin is the Old Tormalin God of Justice. His festival is the Spring Equinox and his colours are blue and white.

His symbol is a set of scales. The honest and just can expect to prosper thanks to his blessings while cheats and deceivers should expect his punishment both in terms of financial losses and more general misfortune. In Tormalin, Gidesta and Dalasor, all legally binding contracts and judicial oaths are made in his name.

Drianon is the Old Tormalin Goddess of the Harvest. Her festival is the Autunm Equinox and her colour is ripe gold. Her symbols are the eagle, and the broom plant.

As Goddess of Marriage, Drianon guards households, their hearths and their thresholds. She also watches over pregnant women and newborn babies. As Goddess of Wheat she is often honoured in association with Ostrin, since neither bread nor beer would be possible without her blessing.

Ostrin is the Old Tormalin God of Hospitality and Fertility. His sacred season is For-Summer, his colour is brown and his symbol is a faithful hound. He is also the God of Healing, and his larger sanctuaries in Tormalin have grown into notable hospitals. Those who serve others in whatever capacity can expect him to defend and avenge them from any abuse.

Ostrin watches over both crops and herds, warding off blight and illness. His gift of yeast combines with Drianon’s gift of wheat to give mankind bread and beer. He is also God of the Vine and it is his cup of wine which wipes away the memories of those who are to be reborn into the Otherworld. Similarly wine brings oblivion to those who have died there and who will soon be reborn into this realm.

Arrimelin is the Old Tormalin Goddess of Dreams. Her sacred season is Aft-Spring and her colour is scarlet. She takes particular delight in dancing, which often features in her rites.

A deity who can travel between this realm of existence and the Otherworld, she may send vital messages from the dead by means of dreams and daydreams. A further blessing is her gift of sleep which eases grief and pain.

Her blessing confers sound judgement and good counsel from others. She watches over growing children and those who abuse such innocents can expect to suffer her wrath through nightmares, sleepless nights and wrong decisions leading to disaster.

Dastennin is the Tormalin God of the Sea and of Storms. His sacred season is For-Autumn and his symbols are the dolphin, sea shells and seaweed. His gift to humanity is salt, one of life’s essentials. His favour is essential for any seafaring endeavour.

Dastennin seems to have been adopted into the Tormalin Pantheon rather later than the previous deities. His cult in particularly strong in southern Tormalin, notably around the Isthmus and Cape of Winds. He is another deity who can travel between this realm and the Otherworld using the rivers and ocean currents that flow between them.

Misaen is the Maker, and was originally a Mountain deity. His sacred season is Aft-Winter, the darkest and hungriest time of the year.

He is God of Smiths and other artisans. His symbols are the raven, and the hammer and anvil, together or individually. He is the God of Fire, his gift to humanity. As guardian of oaths, those who swear falsely will suffer his searing retribution.

He watches over young men, and his particular gift to them is the razor for their first shave. Those who fail in their duty to train such youths in the skills they need for a productive life will incur Misaen’s wrath. More recently he has become the patron god of printing and of knowledge shared through the written word.

Maewelin is the Mother, and she was originally a Mountain Deity. Her sacred season is For-Winter and her symbols are the wolf and the rat.

In the Tormalin pantheon, her aspect as the Winter Hag has come to the fore. Those hoping to come safely through the cold seasons are well advised to pray for her blessing. She is the guardian of widows and orphans, and she will ensure their vengeance falls on any who fail in their duty to care for such unfortunates.

She watches over the dying and eases the passing of the innocent and virtuous, whether they are infants or stillborn babies, or aged men and women at the end of long lives. However those who have earned any curses sent their way by petitioners at Maewelin’s shrines through the course of their life will find her at their deathbed, exacting retribution in their pain and distress.

Halcarion is the Goddess of Love and Luck, originally a Forest deity later adopted into the Tormalin pantheon. Her sacred season is For-Spring and as Goddess of both moons and of the stars in between, any and all of these heavenly icons can be used as her symbol.

She is the guardian of maidens and the sworn enemy of hypocrites and deceivers in both romance and gambling.

Larasion is the Goddess of Weather, originally a Forest deity. Her symbol is a branch showing buds, blossom and fruit all at the same time. Since wind and weather cross between this realm and the Otherworld, she is another deity who travels between both.

She is associated with rivers and springs and the purification that comes with bathing and laundry. Her blessing is found in sweet water and her wrath shows itself in polluted wells. Her favour is essential for good health.

Talagrin is the God of the Hunt and of Wild Places, originally a Forest deity. His sacred season is Aft-Autumn and his symbol is the stag.

His favour is essential to keep meat on the table, both through successful hunting and also as herds are gathered for autumn slaughtering. He rewards self-discipline and chastises liars and those prone to boasting and spreading rumours. Since the Chaos that followed the fall of the Old Tormalin Empire, he has become the God of Warriors, whose favour or displeasure can determine the outcome of a battle.

Trimon is the God of Travel and Music, originally a Forest deity. His symbol is the harp. Since music can reach the Otherworld, he is another god who can travel freely between the realms. He has no sacred season but his shrines, large or small, mark every bridge and crossroads.

He is the guiding god, bringing children safely to their naming ceremonies, adolescents to the rites that mark puberty and young men and women to marriage. His gift of music to humanity blesses all such celebrations. Finally, he guides the newly dead to Saedrin’s door.

Those who incur his wrath with joylessness, selfishness and spite can expect to suffer loses and confusion as he conceals their best courses of action. He can also hide the unjustly persecuted from pursuit.