The Japanese Pantheon

The original worshipers of this pantheon are said to be civilized folk who nonetheless occasionally indulge in barbarism. They've established dynasties and traditions that put most cultures to shame, and expect other mortals to recognize this. Still, they do know how to adapt, and that's one of the reasons why their ancient powers still exist on the planes - at least that's the chant. It could be that, even as they mold themselves to common thought, they are also molding the common thought to their dreams. It's the Unity of Rings, something this pantheon seems to understand very well.

The politics and subtleties of the Japanese faithful are incredibly complex. The degree of incline as a body bows his head to another can speak volumes of his true thought, and the range of motion of a gesture can delineate even more. When dealing with outsiders, these people've had to learn to be more barbaric, and it sickens them even as it fascinates them.

According to myth, the universe was once a viscous mass, a great oily sea rich with potential. A reed emerged and brought two proto-powers into being, one male and one female. The pair produced children, who in turn produced two more, until the seventh generation saw the birth of Izanagi and Izanami, the founders of the future pantheon.

The Light of Heaven, The Radiant Watcher

Intermediate Power

Symbol: The sun’s disc

Home Plane: Mount Celestia/Mercuria/Radiant Light

Alignment: Lawful good

Portfolio: Light, health, wellbeing of the Imperial family

Domains: Ancestor, Law, Good, Sun

Favored Weapon: Katana

Known Proxies: None

Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the Land of the Dead. She is the goddess of the sun and effectively rules the pantheon. Through one of her grandsons, the Imperial family is descended directly from her. Amaterasu gives light to the world, makes plants grow, cures diseases in men, and destroys her worshipers’ foes with terrible brilliance. Amaterasu is the patron goddess of Japan and watches over its welfare carefully. She also watches over the Imperial family, and will never allow those who bring harm to its members to go unpunished.

Omens from Amaterasu take the form of solar eclipses. When she appears personally, she usually assumes the form of a beautiful woman with golden eyes and hair.

AMATSU-MARA

The Mind of the Forge

Intermediate Power

Symbol: Double-edged axe

Home Plane: Bytopia/Dothion/The Golden Hills (The Mithral Forge)

Alignment: Neutral

Portfolio: Blacksmithing, weaponsmithing

Domains: Artifice, Strength

Favored Weapon: Waraxe Known Proxies: NoneAmatsu-Mara is the god of blacksmiths and weapon forgers. It is he who had placed veins of iron and other valuable metals into the earth, so that mortals would find them and put them to good use. When Amatsu-Mara notices a weapon forger taking special pride in his work, he often rewards the effort by investing the weapon with a kami (thus making it an intelligent item). Priests of Amatsu-Mara rarely wield weapons that they have not crafted themselves.

Amatsu-Mara prefers to appear as a huge, manlike being with one eye located in the center of his forehead.

AMATSU-MIKABOSHI

The Brilliant Male

Intermediate Power

Symbol: Silhouette of a hook-nosed man

Home Plane: Acheron/Ocanthus/Eye of the Storm

Alignment: Lawful evil

Portfolio: Secrets, temptation, betrayals

Domains: Darkness, Evil, Knowledge, Law

Favored Weapon: Ninja-to (scimitar)Known Proxies: NoneAmatsu-Mikaboshi, “the august star of heaven”, is the god of evil. He sees and sanctions all things done under cover of darkness. He looks into the hearts of men and tries to make them his, tempting them with power, money, lechery, or whatever they desire most. Amatsu-Mikaboshi is cunning, and has gathered more worshipers than one might suspect. There are some rumors of this power being the patron of the entire bladeling race, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Amatsu-Mikaboshi rarely appears before mortals, and then prefers the form of a dark shadow that can never quite be seen.

HACHIMAN

The Commander

Intermediate Power

Symbol: Crossed blades

Home Plane: Ysgard/Ysgard/Kenyama

Alignment: Lawful neutral

Portfolio: War, bravery

Domains: Courage, Law, Strength, War

Favored Weapon: KatanaKnown Proxies: Yushi-Iye, NG quasi-power (male human) Samurai 8/Ranger 5/Bard 5Hachiman was born as a mortal man called Ojin, son of the Empress Jingo. He grew up to become a cunning and mighty warrior in his own right. In fact, his victories were so great that the Amatsu-Mara granted him immortal status and made him the god of war. War being such a popular activity, Hachiman has since progressed far, and holds the status of an intermediate deity.

Whenever a battle occurs, Hachiman is watching. He hates cowardice in combat, and any warrior exhibiting a fear of death may provoke his wrath.

Hachiman sometimes appears as a tall warrior wearing heavy armor without any clan or house insignia, and fights in melee besides mortals whose bravery had impressed him.

HO-MASUBIThe Orphan FlameLesser Power

Symbol: A boar with flaming eyes. Home Plane: Prime Material Plane/wanders Alignment: Chaotic neutral Portfolio: Flames, self-sufficiency, the dispossessed Domains: Chaos, Creation, Destruction, Fire Favored Weapon: WakizashiKnown Proxies: Aika Tamori, CN quasi-power (flamebrother salamander) Shugenja 14Ho-Masubi is the god of fire. When he was born, he caused the death of his mother, Izanami. His father, Izanagi, was so distraught that he chopped the child in two; despite being so disjointed, the fire god survived, making his way to the Inner Planes and eventually the Prime, away from the rest of the pantheon.

Although destructive by his very nature, and feared by mortals, the fire god is not evil and does what he can for mankind, providing them with light, warmth, a means of cooking, and the heat for forging weapons and tools. If the people affront him by neglecting his worship, however, he has been known to burn cities to the ground.

Ho-Masubi sometimes appears as a yellow and orange man with red hair, but prefers the form of his sacred animal, the boar – a swift, destructive creature, like the fire god himself. Around his waist there is always a terrible scar where his father cut him in half.

INARIThe Feeder, The GiverIntermediate Power Symbol: Rice plant Home Plane: Bytopia/Dothion/Prosperity Alignment: Neutral good Portfolio: Rice, prosperity, crops Domains: Community, Good, Plant, Protection Favored Weapon: Three-section staffKnown Proxies: NoneAt one time the patron of smiths who forged swords, Inari has since passed that duty to Amatsu-Mara so that he can spend more time in his other calling, that of a rice god.

Inari is generally a beneficent deity who does his best to help the people feed themselves. He watches over the sowing and reaping of rice, as well as the preservation of the crop after it has been harvested. He controls the flow of waters and the growth of plants.

He sometimes appears as a hybrid between a fox and man, called kitsuke.

KURA-O-KAMIThe Cloud's Blessing

Lesser Power

Symbol: A tree in mist Home Plane: Beastlands/Karasuthra/The Misty Valley Alignment: Chaotic good Portfolio: Rain, snow Domains: Chaos, Good, Weather Favored Weapon: ShurikenKnown Proxies: None

Kura-O-Kami is one of the many rain gods. He provides a more or less steady supply of rain for the crops, although he can get caught up in Susanoo’s fury during storms and send too much rain, causing the streams and rivers to overflow their banks and flood the countryside. He is also somewhat forgetful, as he sometimes allows many weeks to go by without sending his life-giving waters. However, most of the time Kura-O-Kami is a kind and efficient power, imparting his blessing in beautiful, gentle rainfalls.

Kura-O-Kami appears as a translucent old man with a kindly (if somewhat vacant) expression.

NAI-NO-KAMIThe Wild GroundIntermediate Power

Symbol: Fist smashing a wall Home Plane: Mechanus/The Shaking Land Alignment: Lawful neutral Portfolio: Earthquakes, volcanoes Domains: Destruction, Earth, Law, Strength Favored Weapon: WarhammerKnown Proxies: Dai-do, LN quasi-power (galeb duhr) Fighter 14/Shugenja 6Nai is the god of earthquakes. Neglected by mortals for a long time, he patiently endured this insult, sending tremors from time to time to warn the people of their error. He eventually grew angry and demolished much of the world with a series of violent earthquakes. Many mortals regularly pray to Nai to stay his wrath. Priests of Nai perform rituals that involve a particular type of wrestling called sumo.

Nai-no-Kami usually appears as a large, powerfully built man, vaguely resembling an earth elemental.

O-KUNI-NUSHI

The Great Land-MasterIntermediate Power Symbol: Double-edged axe Home Plane: Ysgard/Ysgard/Kenyama Alignment: Neutral good Portfolio: Medicine, sorcery, nature’s creatures Domains: Animal, Good, Healing, Magic Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff Known Proxies: Raiko, NG quasi-power (male human) Ranger 18

The son of Susanoo, O-Kuni-Nushi is the god of medicine, sorcery, master of the land, and patron of heroes. He is thought of as brave and cunning at the same time. O-Kuni-Nushi rules all animal creatures, and often sends his servants to heal injured animals.

Omens from O-Kuni-Nushi are usually delivered by a talking animal, but when he chooses to appear personally, he assumes the form of a samurai with a quiet, gentle manner and a ready smile.

O-WATATSUMIOld Man TideIntermediate Power Symbol: A silver fish Home Plane: Elysium/Thalasia/The Citadel of the Sea Alignment: Neutral good Portfolio: Sea tides, sailors Domains: Good, Protection, Travel, Water Favored Weapon: TridentKnown Proxies: NoneO-Watatsumi is the greatest among the many spirits of the sea. He was created when Izanagi washed his feet in the sea after returning from the underworld. He is the ruler of all living things in the sea, and the controller of the tides. A benevolent deity, O-Watatsumi tends to move the tides in an extremely regular fashion so that men may predict their action and avoid being stranded, flooded, or drowned.

O-Watatsumi’s preferred form is one of a tremendous green kraken, but he is also comfortable in the form of an ancient bald man with gills.

RAIDENLightning's ArrowIntermediate Power Symbol: Black mace crackling with electricity Home Plane: Carceri/Orthrys/The Palace of Thunder Alignment: Chaotic evil Portfolio: Thunders, arrow-making Domains: Chaos, Evil, Fury, Wrath Favored Weapon: Composite longbow Known Proxies: The Tanuki, CE quasi-power

Raiden is the god of thunder and the patron of fletchers. A constant companion of Susanoo’s, he loves nothing better than beating his drums while the storm god rages. When he wishes, he can beat these drums so loudly that they send all enemies into a blind panic.

Raiden is a rather petty and jealous god; he is fond of eating human flesh, and is said to receive a meal any time a man is slain by an arrow. As the patron of fletchers, Raiden occasionally grants an arrow-maker the power to automatically create a single arrow of slaying during his lifetime. The fletcher never knows when he has created such a weapon, but does realize that he has been unusually successful in creating the arrow.

Raiden usually appears as a humanoid with a horned, grotesque head and long, vicious looking claws.

SHICHIFUKUJINThe Seven FortunesLesser Power Symbol: Seven stars in a circle

Home Plane: Mount Celestia/Lunia/The Seven Happinesses Alignment: Lawful good

Portfolio: Fortune, happiness Domains: Good, Law, Luck Favored Weapon: Unarmed strikeKnown Proxies: None

The Shichifukujin is a collective entity consisting of seven spirits of Good Fortune. These seven kami (Hotei, Jurojin, Fukurokujo, Bishamon, Benzaiten, Daikoku, and Ebisu) come from various origins, and each one oversees a particular aspect of life. To be truly happy and fortunate, a man should worship all the seven kami together in the proper balance. The Shichifukujin responds to its worshipers as a collective, although the particular aspect of life regarding which they grant (or withhold) good fortune depends on the favor of a particular kami. The Shichifukujin does not send omens, although the degree of happiness in a person’s life might be perceived as one.

SUSANOOThe Impetuous MaleIntermediate Power

Symbol: A many-forked lightning bolt Home Plane: Limbo/ Globe of Raging Chaos Alignment: Chaotic neutral Portfolio: Storms, destruction, fertility Domains: Air, Chaos, Madness, Storm Favored Weapon: Kusari-gama (spiked chain)Known Proxies: NoneSusanoo is the god of winds and storms. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the underworld. An entirely unpredictable power, he sometimes creates storms that do not result in terrible destruction, but on other occasions he savages the land from one end to the other, ripping up trees, destroying homes, and flooding crops.

Susanoo is a constant troublemaker, pestering deities and mortals alike. When Amaterasu was forced to hide from him in a cave, the world was temporarily depraved of sunlight. In punishment for this and many other terrible acts, the other gods shaved Susanoo’s beard, pulled out his fingernails, and ejected him from the Upper planes. Since then, Susanoo is unable to appear in any form other than a beardless man with a fierce aspect and no fingernails.

TSUKI-YOMICycle KeeperIntermediate Power Symbol: A rabbit’s figure outlined on the face of the moon Home Plane: Mount Celestia/Lunia/Mirror of the Moon Alignment: Lawful good Portfolio: Moon, the passage of time Domains: Good, Law, Moon, Time Favored Weapon: Unarmed strike Known Proxies: None

Tsuki-Yomi was born when Izanagi washed his right eye after returning from the underworld. He is the god of the moon, whose function it is to count the passing of the months. Tsuki-Yomi’s primary concern is the orderly progression of time, so that seasons change and crops mature properly. He is generally benevolent to those who rely upon and respect the cycle of nature.

Tsuki-Yomi often appears as a handsome blue-faced man, riding a giant rabbit.