Arth’s Pantheon: The Gods of Dominion

This is part of a series on Arth’s Pantheon. Twice a month we’re taking a look at life on Arth and the gods that shape it. If you’re new to the series, get started with an overview. This post looks at the gods of the realm of Dominion.

Laws, governance, and justice are the line between people and animals, though many agree that animals have the better of this arrangement. The gods of dominion were once revered above all others, for they once ruled the other gods to keep things in order.  Today, those that are left of them scrabble with the other gods for honor and authority where they can find it.

Al’Thadan

Al’Thadan was once the God of Law and Order, and the king of all gods. He united the gods during the Age of Darkness and appeared to strike Mannon down. But after Mannon returned and made war on the People of Light, Al’Thadan was revealed as a traitor. He and all of the Stennish Gods fell at the end of the Third Age, when the treacherous Sten were wiped from Arth. He has, outside of nominal protocol, been replaced by Tandos. Now he is invoked only as a curse.

• Titles: the Traitor God, The All Father, formerly the King of the Gods,
• Race: Sten
• Status: Banished (formerly Dominant)

Al’Matra

The sculpture of Al’Matra showed a woman wracked by grief, her hair matted, and her eyes staring forlornly into the distance. A queen who held her crown in limp hands. A mother who had been betrayed by her husband, and then watched as her eldest son cut her love down and slaughtered all of his subjects.

It was the kind of ugly end to a relationship that can really mess someone up.

— Orconomics, Chapter 3

Al’Matra was the goddess of wisdom, of good sense, of insight. The All Mother was wife to Al’Thadan and bore many children with him. His betrayal, and the deaths of many of her children and and people have robbed her of her mind. Al’Matra has gone slowly but steadily mad since the end of the Third Age, and her temple has been associated with madness since the beginning of the Fifth Age.

Al’Matra is tolerated by the other gods, mostly because her schemes and struggles amount to little. She is regarded as irrelevant by almost every other temple, and some of her own clergy.

The eleventh month of Arth’s calendar, commonly called Highmoon, is named for Al’Matra.

• Titles: The All Mother, The Mad Queen, The Falcon Lady
• Race: Elf
• Favored Weapon: Longbow
• Holy Symbol: Falcon
• Colors: Green and Silver

Ad’az

Ad’az rules the Dwarven Pantheon, but doesn’t hold many ambitions beyond that.  Once the god of justice, he is content to let Tandos rule every other people and their gods. Since the War of Betrayal, Ad’az has become more determined that the Dwarves retain their independence, often to the point of isolation.  He is credited with (or blamed for) keeping many of the Dwarven people from truly integrating with the rest of the world. As reclusive as he has become, however, Ad’az still is passionate for justice, and some will invoke him when they’ve been wronged or unfairly treated.

There’s a temple to Ad’az in every clanhome. He is the patron of the Brothers of the Axe, the brotherhood of Dwarven warriors and soldiers. He reigns over all of the other Dwarven gods, and is on good terms with most of them. He has a special hatred of Sitha, goddess of murder and treachery, and they have had many holy wars through the ages.

• Titles: The High Dwarf, the Smith of Kingdoms, the Arm of Justice
• Race: Dwarf
• Favored Weapon: Axe
• Holy Symbol: Golden Throne
• Colors: Gold and Blue

Grund

Grund was once the Great Gnome, the god of Loyalty and Fealty. He was the Patron of Clan Galden, which became the Gnolls.  Nobody knows how Mannon convinced him to turn against the other gods in the Second Age. When Mannon’s treachery was revealed, Grund was transformed into the Gnoll god, the King of Dogs. He marched on the armies of Light in the War of Betrayal, and joined with Mannon again in the Age of Darkness.

Gnolls and many other Shadowkin believe he sided with Mannon out of love for his daughter, Sitha, and not malice. Gnomes use his name as shorthand for cowardice and betrayal. He is an enigmatic figure, sometimes bringing out the best in his followers, and other times leading them into atrocities. He has many alliances, but most notable are with Sitha and, oddly enough, with Erro, the Gnomish god of hearth and home.

• Titles: The King of Dogs (formerly the Great Gnome)
• Race: Gnoll (formerly Gnome)
• Favored Weapon: Cudgel
• Holy Symbol: Feral Dog (formerly Oak Tree)
• Colors: Red and Black (formerly Red and Silver)

That’s it for this section of Arth’s Pantheon. You can get a good overview of the gods of Arth here. There’s more Arth Lore available on the blog as well. And in case you haven’t journeyed to Arth yourself yet, check out my books for some fantasy adventure that’s so funny, it’s epic.