Forgotten Gods of Ortho

The Forgotten Gods

The Lords of Order may be the dominate pantheon of Ortho, and there are a few other divinities who didn’t make the grade for ‘acceptable’ but weren’t designated as primary enemies of Harmony, as the Lords of Chaos were. Some of these gods have been genuinely forgotten, abandoned by their followers in favour of the new Pantheon of Order. The OCA has given other faiths a ‘helping hand’ in being forgotten rather than actively persecute them (and potentially give them notoriety by that very act), but the Harmonium and OCA has subtly pushed them into obscurity.

What remains of the deities is a matter of speculation: They may have moved on to other other primes, have been consumed by a more high-profile, related faith, hidden in isolated cults in the backwaters of Ortho, or be lingering in the faded remains of the Realms, awaiting a final trip to the Astral Graveyard.

Aorrus
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Dreams, Inspiration, Intoxication, Herbs.

Aorrus is a God of dreams, inspiration, and intoxication. The latter is actually an extrapolation of his original role as patron of herbalism and medicine. Ironically, this both increased his popularity among civilised folk and resulted in his worship being outlawed by the Harmonium: Too wild, too easily associated (often wrongly) with the forces of Chaos.

The faith of Aorrus is outlawed on Ortho, but with many easier targets it’s been largely forgotten about by the powers that be. Aorrus continues to be worshipped in a various places throughout Ortho and her colonies, although his festivals usually have harmless secular titles now. In some rural areas, where hedge-magic and folklore still predominate, Aorrus’ worship is only semi-secret.

Aorrus manifests in many forms, taking on mixtures and features of different genders and different species. He, she or it is said never to appear exactly the same way twice. His history with the Harmonium and Ortho is long and convoluted. Long before the Harmonium, Aorrus served as a mediator deity between the mortals and mortal world and the gods, as well as helping the gods communicate and to mediate disputes between each other. Indeed, Aorrus is in part responsible for bringing some of the inspiration to the first party that founded the Harmonium. He is also credited for a multitude of herbal remedies and folk cures that are widely used throughout Ortho. It is said that he was one of the first gods that was called for to be banned and one of the last to officially be banned outright. Compounding the problem are several partly successful attempts to convert worshipers and cults of Aorrus to a more lawful alignment. These attempts have left Aorrus’ presence subtlety woven in with the grain of the folkways of Ortho and is widely regarded as a troublesome stain, difficult to remove.

Iskandros
Alignment: CN
Portfolio: Conquest, Nobility, The Iskandrian Empire

Although known throughout the Provinces he once conquered, Iskandros is worshipped by name only by the nobles of Iskandral. Otherwise he is largely subsumed as an aspect of Didairdin.

Iskandros is a deified conqueror from the past – ancient unifier of Karazam, Osmopondia, and Hazhkan. A proud, charismatic, and dangerous barbarian of mixed Ulfrheim/Osmopondian heritage, Iskandros brought almost all of the (to him) known world to heel by means of savage war and bold diplomacy. A mighty hewed barbarian (at least, that is how the Osmopondians described him), he was known as much for his unpredictable temper as his military prowess. Historical records repeatedly liken him to a dire tiger –large, unpredictable, and very dangerous.

Kar-Az
Alignment: CG
Portfolio: Strength, Giants, Resurrection

Ancient Karzite creator god, whose various adventures and misadventures created the world, its people, and slew many monsters. OCA efforts have repeatedly cast him as a harmless buffoon, and few people now revere him beyond the giant families of Karazam. Kar-Az also died and ‘escaped’ the afterlife several times, and is sometimes called upon to petition Tyerusus for the return of a soul.

Manwanui
Alignment: N
Portfolio: Turtles, Tides

Although known as a minor aspect of Riolondru local to a few Thaeran isles, Manwanui is actually the Turtle Lord, an inhabitant of the Happy Hunting Grounds (the Beastlands). The truth seems to have been somehow lost over the centuries, and no one outside the cult of Manwanui knows the truth; Manwanui and his druids are active participants in this charade.

The Mountain Gods of Shoryko
Alignment: Various
Portfolio: Ancient Patrons of Shoryko

The mountains gods are actually nothing of the sort: They’re a mix of various supernatural creatures (mainly celestial, infernal, and fey animals) who were allies and patrons of the earliest Lords of Shoryko. In later years, the patrons were either abandoned or became associated with a given Lord of Order. After the schism, their worship was outlawed (to many rumblings of discontent in Shoryko), but are still occasionally referred to as divine servants.

Scent That Kills
Alignment: N
Portfolio: K’jinte Defensive Pheromones, Hive Supremacy

Scent That Kills is an obscure and abstract ‘god’ revered by the K’jinte – specifically their warrior caste. No one outside the K’jinte is quite sure if it is really a deity; it manifests as a smell which brings with it “a certainty of knowledge” that a K’jinte is an enemy.

The Seven & The Nine
Alignment: L
Portfolio: The Seven virtues/The Nine Sins

This is actually two separate religions, one devoted to the Seven Archangels of Mount Celestia and one to the lords of the Nine Hells. The former was particularly strong in Osmopondia, the latter in Motmurk. Both religions were outlawed after the Schism, but both sets of exemplars continue to enjoy some veneration as ‘messengers of the gods’

Szin'anya
Alignment: NE
Portfolio: Strength, Corruption, Darkness, Plants

Szin'anya is the ‘Dark Foster Mother’ of ogre folklore, a magical black root growing far beneath the earth who’s sap brings great power but also physical and spiritual corruption. Ogre legends say that they gained their strength and size from feeding on her flesh and sap, and that her tendrils stretch across the world. A version of Szin'anya was also worshipped by the Gnolls of Karazam, and ancient Athran druids who passed on her arcane secrets to the liches of the Eighth Cabal.

The Troll Gods
Alignment: CE
Portfolio: Eating, Killing, Mating

What little can be gleaned of the Troll Gods is taken from obscure elvish manuscripts, cave paintings, and careful divinations. It appears that there was once a Father deity, who sired the other troll gods on a succession of monsters. After having only three sons however (named ‘Eat’, ‘Meat’, and ‘Rend’) his children ambushed, killed, and devoured him. They consumed his power as well, and became the new troll gods. Fortunately they too have been defeated or slain, but surviving trolls sometimes raise crude bloody idols to their lost gods.

Embleer
Alignment: NG
Portfolio: Freedom, Those Who Are Hunted, The Xarican Plain

Embleer is a minor guardian deity associated with freedom and the Xaric savannah, and was strongly associated with the local druidic tradition. Its role was eventually subsumed by both Kabajij and Alae (and later just Alae) but it’s rumoured that Embleer is still worshipped by many of the savannah animals of Xaric, who communicate her words to local druids.

A few freefolk, shepherds, and border guards (especially those watching the orcs of Motmurk) also maintain a few folkloric traditions which are suspiciously similar to Embleer’s worship.