The Many Gods of Southrun

The pious pagans of Southrun maintain that two brother gods, Amir and Bhamut, once ruled over Southrun. For six centuries the Brothers held sway over all the Land.

The day came when the Brothers became rivals. For they had a sister named Sekhat, who was greatly desired as a consort by each of them. And the two of them came to blows over which of them would be able to wed her. And the fury of their rivalry caused great tribes and nations to go to war. And it came to pass that Sekhat, who tried to preserve the peace of her brothers, was slain in their conflict. So each looked to the creatures of their domain for wives.

For his part Bhamut took many creatures of the animal world and had his offspring by them. These became beasts of great cunning and strange power. While Amir took mortal women and slew many of them with his seed. But some of his wives survived and produced many offspring for him. All of these offspring were immortal and extremely powerful -- gifted with many of the powers of their sires, but also given to all the failings and passions of their mothers.

Eventually, both Amir and Bhamut grew tired of war (some say they were slain by the machinations of the Dark Elves). They have left the temporal world in the hands of their volatile children and can be seldom bothered to pay attention to the affairs of Erenth, let alone interfere in them. 

The sheer number of their offspring means that every tribe and family has its own preferred god or goddess, with most of the rest being benignly neglected. While they will not sacrifice to the other deities, the Southruner is careful not to blaspheme or disparage them -- for he believes (under the Law Which Cannot Change) that any one who does so will suffer curses for seven generations.

The lists below are far from complete. These are the well-known offspring of the brother gods. In addition to a great number of siblings unrecorded, each of these demigods have further bred with other creatures and mortals, and with each other, giving rise to lesser and least categories of beings with divine blood.

The Lineage of Al Amir
  • Djazzar -- The butcher is a particularly bloody and violent culler of life.
  • Hadeeqah -- The gardener is known for his love of plant life and green areas.
  • Bohairah -- The god of lakes and water. He is responsible for the rise of the oasis and all well-watered areas.
  • Jabal -- The master of the mountains is considered to be the keeper of the borders between the Khard and the coastal Sultanates.
  • A'lana -- This goddess is considered the messenger of the various gods.
  • Naqaasha -- This goddess is capricious and given to strife, anger and conflict.
  • Hajaam -- He is a warrior god given to attacking first and maintaining a good offense as the best defense.
  • Haraqah -- The burning-one is the keeper and originator of fire.
  • Raqasa -- Depicted as a young belly dancer, she is a goddess of fertility, allure and desire.
  • Halama -- This goddess is the master of dreams, hope and vision. He is called the Dreamer.
  • La'eba -- This god is depicted as a small, naked, and often dirty child. He is the god of merriment.
  • Wa'ada -- This goddess is a matronly and wizened woman, austere and grim. She is invoked to bear witness to contracts and agreements.
  • Abhara -- The patron of sailors and travelers across the sea.
  • Kataba -- The patron of scholars and learned men, Kataba is faceless and usually depicted with ink-stained fingers.
  • Rahabba -- The goddess of hospitality and the protector of travelers, pilgrims and nomads.

The Lineage of Al Bhamut
  • Asad -- The Lion, god of war, power and savagery.
  • Samak -- The Fish, god of contemplation, silence, sea voyagers and armorers.
  • Qett -- The Cat, mother goddess and patron of defenders and of children, enemy to Af'aa. She is invoked as a surety for hospitality.
  • Dob -- The Bear, god of wrathful vengeance and righteous anger.
  • Hesaan -- The Horse, god of strength and nobility
  • Af'aa -- The Snake is a being of unparalleled cunning, he is the god of liars and assassins.
  • Ta'lab -- The Fox is a creature of great mischief, he is the patron of gamblers and actors.
  • Gazal -- The Antelope is the patron of generals and the brave. He is the rival of Asad for the affections of Qett.
  • Qerd -- The Monkey is often seen as another incarnation of La'eba and is the god of merriment and of debauchery.
  • Kalb -- The Dog is the god of servants and soldiers. He is fiercely loyal and a protector of the weak.

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