A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO BONISSA: PANTHEON
Codex: The Pantheon of Bonissa
Religion in Bonissa is a tricky thing. Bonissa has a pantheon of gods, the primary ones corresponding to the four principal natural elements in their belief system, with lesser deities playing supporting roles in their mythology. However, Bonissa also prides itself on being a society of advanced scientific learning and understanding, even as it pertains to the Fade and arcane matters. Thus, if you ask the average Bonissan about their gods, you are likely to get a patient explanation that they are metaphors, convenient personifications of elemental forces that govern our lives, both physical and ethereal. The gods in this view are not literally real, but simply a helpful cognitive construct. The myths that surround them are parables that were cooked up by the primitive ancients and are now useful primarily as stories to teach children moral lessons. Ask those same questions in certain quarters of Low Town or among the palace servants who pass dutifully unnoticed at the periphery of Bonissan court life, however, and you will get a much different answer. To these denizens, particularly those of gnomish or elvish blood, the gods are very real and very literally will intervene in mortal affairs from beyond the Veil. Much like many of the more primitive elvish tribes, they also believe that the myths are real history, that the gods at one time possessed the actual ability to pass freely across the Veil, and frequently would very literally walk among mortals in the material world. The strange thing is, insofar as I can tell, this view is shared by the Cult of the Shifting Sands, a very learned and respected, if also esoteric and clandestine, organization. Even stranger is that the Cult seems to enjoy status as Bonissa’s dominant religious institution despite the average citizen, and even many nobles and officials, knowing nearly nothing about its inner workings and beliefs.
-- From A Compendium of Beliefs and Superstitions in Greater Valkana, Fifth Edition, by Professor Ibid Genitivi of the Storm Coast Academy, Wanocce
Major Deities
Ōn, the God of Air, patron of knowledge, justice, and commerce; his avatar is a shaman; his animals are the great birds, principally the eagle; his common attributes are wands, scepters, scales, crosses, crown; Ōn is the king of the gods who led them to victory over the primal chaotic forces that existed before the birth of the universe and gifted chosen mortal species with sentience and the power to reason
Lurra, the Goddess of Earth, patron of the harvest and of the hunt; her avatar is a huntress; her animals are wolves, halla, bears, and other forest creatures; he common attributes include gems, fruit, bow and arrow, horns, sand, wood, plants; Lurra is the queen of the gods, in some versions of the myth Ōn’s wife and in some his twin sister, who taught mortals how to farm, hunt, and survive off the land
Vodda, the Goddess of Water, patron of lovers and of the arts; her avatar is a bard; her animals are fish and other sea creatures; her common attributes include cups, shells, pearls, lyre, palette, masks; Vodda is the princess of the gods, in some versions of myth the daughter of Ōn and Lurra and in some versions their younger sister, who taught mortals to feel emotion
Gar, the God of Fire, patron of war and of the forge; his avatar is a warrior; his animals are dragons, reptiles, and serpents; his common attributes include swords, blades, hammer, anvil, helmet; Gar is the prince of the gods, in some versions of myth the son of Ōn and Lurra and in some versions their younger brother, who taught mortals to forge weapons and tools and how to use them
Minor Deities
Nave, the Goddess of Death; her avatar is a spider; Nave is in some versions of myth the mother of Ōn and Lurra and in some versions their older sister, who saw the necessity that for mortal life to have meaning, they must be granted the ability to die. This act was seen as a betrayal by the other gods, and so Nave was cast down into the depths underground, which are considered her domain.
Yalan, the God of Lies; his avatar is a shadow; Yalan is in some versions of myth the twin brother of Ōn and in other versions is Ōn’s shadow come to life. Fearful that mortals would one die try to unite and make war against the gods in hopes of winning immortality, Yalan the Trickster taught mortals to lie, ensuring that chaos and discord would forever plague their lives. This act was also seen as a betrayal by the other gods, so Yalan was banished like Nave, this time confined into the shadows, never able to step foot in the light.
Argia, the God of Light; his avatar is a chevalier or paladin; his attribute is the sun; Argia is the first of two twin children of Ōn, in some versions of myth Lurra is his mother and in other versions he and his twin sister were born wholly from their father. Argia was the gift of light that Ōn placed in his domain, the sky, so mortals could have daylight by which to read and study, to congregate and organize into societies and establish laws, to nourish the ground so that Lurra’s food can grow and to provide the warmth needed to kindle Gar’s flames. Most versions of the myth contend that Argia was murdered by the trickster Yalan as revenge for his exile and out of jealousy that Argia’s light diminished his domain.
Ametsa, the Goddess of Night; her avatar is a priestess or healer; her attribute is the moon; Ametsa is the second twin child of Ōn and twin sister of Argia. Argia was the gift of night that Ōn placed in his domain, the sky, so that mortals would have the ability to dream and thus journey through the Fade, the realm of the gods and the source of magic. As such, Ametsa is often a favored patron of mages in Bonissa. Additionally, in the myth of Argia’s death, rather than allow her brother’s soul to pass into the realm of Nave, she allows his soul in her domain, the night sky, until it is strong enough to be resurrected. This was said by the ancients to be why the sun disappears every night but then returns in the morning. To hide Argia’s light from Nave’s detection, Ametsa fills her night sky with other lights, the stars, allowing her brother to blend in. This association with the myth of Argia’s death and rebirth has also caused Ametsa to be cast in the role of psychopomp, the shepherd of souls passing through the Veil, and thus makes her particularly favored as a patron for Bonissa’s necromancers.











