The Shrine of Hamaskis.
The Hall of Mind
The Shrine of Hamaskis.The Hall of Mind | |
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Within the Celestial Court are a number of sub-courts or chambers. The two main chambers are the Upper Chamber and the Hall of Mind. The gods of the Hall of Mind sit in judgment over the actions of all intelligent beings for it was set up to govern the emotions of the sentient races.
There are eight deities who sit in the Hall of Mind (note that in some uncivilised lands where Hamaskis is not known the Hall of Mind only has seven occupants). With the exception of Sindla and Hamaskis, who also sit in the Upper Chamber of the Celestial Court, these Gods were all minor deities before the Banishing. They have risen to prominence since then as the sentient civilisations have risen on Titan.
What is apparent from looking at the Hall of Mind's members is that the emotions they govern are virtues. Flawed emotions such as Malice or Envy are not represented. This is the reason why Slangg and Tanit are not depicted as being members of the Hall. It may be that the Hall does encompass the less desirable emotions, but current religious teachings do not support this idea.
The most worshipped members of the Hall are Sindla, Hamaskis and Libra. Sindla and Hamaskis are Greater Gods and Libra has been the patron goddess of many nations throughout history.
The Goddess of Luck and Fate. She is the sister of Titan. It is believed that she is a member of one of the original families of the Gods created by the Primal Deities. In her case, her family is believed to have been created by Ashra and Vuh. She is also the leader of the Hall of Mind and along with Hamaskis, is the only member of the Hall of Mind to also be considered one of the Greater Gods. She is the mother of Libra, Usrel and Asrel. Some religions believe that Lord Moon was Sindla's husband, for as her brother was attracted to the light of Glantanka, the more enigmatic light of The Moon captivated Sindla.
Called Cheelah in Kakhabad and Eastern Ruddlestone, Gredd in Western Ruddlestone and Brice, Avana in Northern Allansia, Lady Luck and Mistress Fate in Frostholm (in fact sometimes Lady Luck and Mistress Fate are seen as two separate deities), Zaragillia in Arantis and Lhyss in the Eastern Realms of Khul and the Islands to the east of that continent, such as the Arrowhead Isles. Other names include Castis, Bismen and Juvenar.
She is a favourite God for appeals and blessings. Sindla is also worshipped by Orcs and bestows her favour on them. Many peoples, for instance the Lendleland peasantry or the peoples of Arantis, pray to her for favourable weather believing that as Goddess of Fate she may be able to influence the relevant Gods.
On Stayng Island was said to be the Finger of Lhyss, an artifact of the Goddess, whose worship is prevalent in that region. A great hero, whilst journeying to fight the Lich Lord Mortis, is said to have become the Chosen of Lhyss when, at the foot of Whistlestone Tor (the apparent Finger of Lhyss) the hero blew the sacred whistle of the Goddess thus awakening the power of the Finger which bestowed the hero with power.
Sindla is often depicted as an aged but handsome woman. Her symbol is a pair of dice. Her temples will be domed, topped with a statue of the Goddess. Her priests, who may well be encountered as adventuring priests, will be dressed in the Goddess's sacred colour, White.
God of Learning and Sorcery. Known to the Elves as Livurien the Sorcerer. His companion is the White Lord (Tela Oriens), the Elven demi-God to whom it is believed Hamaskis taught the secrets of Sorcery.
He is also known as Serion and Tyralar and wah called Khunam in ancient Djarata and depicted with the head of a ram. He is the patron of all sorcerers and scholars. Some scholars believe that he may even be the brother of Titan. However, others (mainly men) argue that were this to be the case he, rather than his sister Sindla would surely be the Head of the Hall of Mind. He is certainly considered to be one of the Greater Gods and thus there is a strong belief that he is the son of Titan. He has close connections with other Elven Gods and he may be the father of the Children of Erillia.
He is often depicted as an Old Man or a Fresh faced youth with a huge open book. His symbol is the staff and his priests wear robes in his sacred colour purple. They can often be encountered because they are known to be adventuring priests trying to bring the gift and love of knowledge to the peoples of Titan. In cities the temple to Hamaskis will simply be the Library, although remember that these places are very sacred in the world of Titan for the written word is a rare commodity.
The Goddess of Justice and Truth, Also known as Sicalla, Bersten and Macalla. She is the daughter of Sindla and the sister of Usrel and Asrel. Libra is the patron goddess of Analand, worshipped at the lake that carries her name. It is a point of pride among Analanders to make pilgrimages there to worship, although many religious groups have monasteries there.
A member of the Hall of Mind, Libra is said to understand all aspects of Good and Evil, Law and Chaos. Some religions believe that Lord Moon was the husband of Sindla and hence Libra would be his daughter.
Libra's symbol is the scales of justice and she is often depicted as a beautiful woman holding such scales in her hand, with her other hand raised in admonishment or blessing. Her priests will be clad in grey robes and may be encountered on journeys throughout Titan for they have adventuring spirits wishing to bring justice to the wild lands of the world.
Sindla's daughters Usrel and Asrel both have families. However, whilst Usrel's offspring are members of the Hall of Mind, Asrel's are regarded as anathema, due to their defection to the side of Chaos in the First Battle.
The Goddess of Peace. She is daughter of Sindla and therefore sister to Libra and Asrel. She is also the mother of Courga and Fourga. and is known as Liriel, Enkala (in Ruddlestone), Ageral and Westrea.
The people of many war torn lands worship her fervently to end the fighting. Others actually despise this Goddess who they feel has betrayed them, although the energies lent to this hatred would be better spent beseeching her aid.
She is depicted as a motherly woman with arms outstretched and her symbol is the White Flower. Like Sindla her sacred colour is White and this is the colour her priests wear. She is known to have adventuring priests, who are active in trying to promote peace in lands where conflict is rife.
Goddess of Grace. Also known as Tuanar, Kirilin and Nureya. Sometimes this deity is perceived as a male and the twin brother of Fourga, for instance in Khare (and indeed all Kakhabad). In Khare they are a pair of warring brothers who fight each other to produce different degrees of pride and humility in the characters of people. In Khare, the 'grace of Courga' is an ideal, a way of life for the elite who live on the North Side of the Jabaji.
In the rest of Titan these two deities are both brother and sister AND a married couple. They have a child, Telak (who is not acknowledged in Khare, but is replaced with a number of demi-deities who govern his sphere.)
Courga is most often depicted as a graceful warrior girl. Her symbol is the Cat (thus she has very close ties to Meerar). Throughout most of Titan temples to this deity will almost always have delicate graceful spires and it has been known for this deity to have adventuring priests.
The God of Pride. He is the son of Usrel. Other names include Vinar and Pirin. In Khare (and indeed all Kakhabad) Courga is his brother. In Khare they are a pair of warring brothers who fight each other to produce different degrees of pride and humility in the characters of people. However, Fourga's worship here has been in decline since the rise of Kakhabad where he is portrayed as a vengeful God; most remember his name as little more than a curse ("by Fourga's pride!"). 'Pride goeth before a fall' is indeed true in Khare. His priests preach that pride comes from within and should not be confused with arrogance. Even so pride is no longer considered a virtue there.
In the rest of Titan these two deities are both brother and sister AND a married couple. They have a child, Telak (who is not acknowledged in Khare, but is replaced with a number of demi-deities who govern his sphere).
Lendleland peasants and nobility avidly worship him. In Brice he is also worshipped. In this country the church of Dyshyos (as he is known there) is powerful and along with the church of the Swordbearer (Telak) imposes a heavy tithe on those who are permitted to own their own land and live in the cities.
Fourga is often depicted as a warrior and is accompanied by a hunting dog, which is his symbol. He has close associations with Durrak because of this. The temples of Fourga are very often imposing Square structures with a Dome dominating the building. The priests that tend these temples will normally be dressed in robes of his sacred colour Red and you may well encounter adventuring priests of this deity.
The God of Courage. He is the son of the Goddess Courga and the God Fourga (note that in Khare, where Courga is male, Telak is not worshipped). He is often associated with Rogaar, the Lion Lord. He is also known as Orial as well as The Swordbearer, The Shieldbearer and The Warrior. He is the Patron of all warriors and professional mercenaries. He is a member of the Hall of Mind.
Lendleland nobility worship him. In Brice he is also worshipped. In this country the church of the Swordbearer (as he is known there) is powerful and along with the church of the Dyshyos (Fourga) imposes a heavy tithe on those who are permitted to own their own land and live in the cities.
Ruddlestone is governed by the priesthood of Telak the Swordbearer, but allows religious tolerance within certain limits to churches of gods friendly to Telak (Courga, Fourga, Throff, and Filash for instance are notable examples). The priests of Telak in Ruddlestone lead monk-like lifestyles. The high priest, or priest-king, is the head of the Telak church in Ruddlestone and is its monarchial ruler. Worship of Telak unites all classes in Ruddlestone. The current priest-king is called Rogar, the Lion King, who takes Telak's association with Rogaar, the Lord of Lions, to the hilt.
The Arm of Telak is a God-forged weapon that was used by the forces of Vymorna to repel the onslaught of the army of Evil and chaos laying siege to them. It was located after the Prince of that Realm (a devotee of Telak) was visited by Telak in a dream. With the exception of the Talisman of Loth (which is not considered a weapon by many scholars) this is one of only two God-forged weapons known to be present in Titan, the other being the Spear of Doom used in the defeat of Voivod.
Telak is often portrayed as a heavily armoured warrior accompanied by a lion. His armour may well be golden as will be his sword. The Golden Sword is actually his symbol as well. This symbol is often to be found tattooed on the backs of the sword hand of warriors. Alternatively Telak has appeared in visions as a Dragon and as a giant Lion. He is closely associated with Rogaar. The priests of Telak, who are known to take up the adventuring life, clad themselves in golden robes, gold being his sacred colour.
Osmani, the God of Mercenaries in Gallantaria, may be an alternative name for Telak, or a minor god under his protection, not treated as a full member of the Hall of Mind.
Although Asrel is a member of the Hall of Mind, her children rebelled against the forces of good and are now more closely associated with the Dark Lords than their relatives
The Goddess of Love and Beauty. Also known as Culacara or Culucara, Jerez, and Ooraseel. Some scholars believe that she is the mother of the deities Slangg and Tanit. She is the daughter of the Goddess Sindla and sister to Libra and Usrel. She is a member of the Hall of Mind. Some religions believe that Lord Moon was the husband of Sindla and hence Asrel would be his daughter. She is also closely linked to the Goddess Galana. She is now rarely worshipped on Titan although all know her name.
The God of Malice. Brother of Tanit. It is thought that he is the son of Asrel. In defiance of his mother's domain, he chose Malice to be his special concern. Sometimes referred to as a Dark Lord although this title is disputed, as many believe him to have been a servant of the Dark Lords. Although he fled to the Void, it is believed that he was not imprisoned there, and still visits the Celestial Court.
Slangg is worshipped also by the Dark Elves who call him Ar Anwar Gerithan. He is not a member of the Hall of Mind, because the Hall's members are seen to govern virtues whereas malice is perceived as a flaw.
Slangg and his sister Tanit govern Malice and Jealously respectively. From the writings of an adventurer turned scholar whose knowledge of the Old World is deep, it is known that Slangg is very popular in the rougher South Bank district of Khare. In this city Slangg's temple is a large covered piazza, where large numbers gather to hear the 'teachings of Slangg'. The many traps throughout Khare (known as the Cityport of Traps) are accounted almost shrines to him.
He is depicted as a grossly fat man with the forked tongue of a snake, typically posed whispering as aside behind his hand. His priests wear bright orange robes and have shaven heads. If encountered, beware, for they will be carrying weapons.
Goddess of Envy. She is the sister of Slangg. She is worshipped especially in Kakhabad. It is thought that she is the daughter of Asrel. Tanit is always portrayed as an exceptionally beautiful woman. However, despite this her mother's beauty outshines her own. Thus Tanit grew up constantly in the shadow of her mother, never being fully appreciated by other deities. For this reason she fostered a hatred borne by envy. Her hatred was easily manipulated by the Dark Lords and thus she joined them in the First Battle, encouraged by her brother's defection.
After the First Battle having been on the side of Death, she fled to the Void with her brother. However, she was not imprisoned there and is still able to visit the Celestial Court. She is associated especially with the Gods of the Hall of Mind. However Tanit is not depicted as being a member of the Hall, because the Hall's members are seen to govern virtues whereas envy is perceived as a flaw.
From the writings of an adventurer turned scholar whose knowledge of the Old World is deep it is known that the worship of Tanit pervades Kharean society. Her temples tend to be private houses, far more subtle than the worship of her brother. Her cult is female-only.
The portrayal of Tanit as a beautiful woman is accompanied by her wearing a macabre hat, veil and long black robes, with a wicked curved dagger held behind her back and a cruel smile on her lips. Her priestesses dress in robes to match their Goddess. They are very subtle in carrying out the work of their Mistress. They put their plans into action by planting the seeds of doubt into the minds of husbands and wives and lovers in an effort to undo the work of Asrel and her followers.
The son of a union between Tanit and Slangg. He is the God of Conspiracy and the Patron of Assassins. This God's name is a secret known only to a chosen few. He is termed the God of Shadows because this is where his work is perceived to take place and where his acolytes worship him. He utilises the gifts he has inherited by planting the seeds of malice and envy in the minds of rulers, or he directs his servants to do so. The Assassins worship him as a master of deception and cunning but even amongst them only the highest members of the Assassins' guilds utter his name.
He is also known as The Whisperer, The Unseen Hand and The Cloaked One.
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