The Keit-Cyndig Pantheon

Ishkana

Although the Keit and Cyndig people broadly worship the same pantheon of gods, there is a great deal of difference in their emphasis. The Cyndigs consider Taranus to be the most important, with his grand temple standing proudly over Delmop. To them, Ishkana is merely the fickle goddess of love and sex, wine and music. To we Keits however, she is quite simply our mother; our leader in war, our nurturer in peace. It is to her we pray for victory in battle and for a plentiful harvest.

Ishkana is associated with fertility and rain, and along with her consort Bei, she yearly acts out the seasonal cycle of death and rebirth. She is also a warrior goddess, a fierce protagonist in the battles against the Elder Gods. She is patroness of the state of war, and Keits sometimes refer to battle as the "dance of Ishkana."

Ishkana is the goddess of the evening star, which is her symbol and is patroness of all the pleasurable pursuits; drinking, dancing and gaming, in which men indulge when their working day is done. She is the protectress of the harlot and of the ale house where she works.

The magnificent temple of Ishkana in Teissbin is truly one of the wonders of our world. People come here from all over the Keit lands to petition the goddess or to request an oracle.

Taranus

Taranus is the god of the sky and of the stars, which hold all knowledge in their depths. He is particularly concerned with truth, justice and retribution. In Byffen, he is also responsible for the harvest, with farmers making him an offering to ensure the skies remain clear while the crops are brought in. Taranus is associated with medicinal herbs and with snakes. He is often depicted with a snake in his left hand and anyone who survives a snake bite is considered blessed.

As I have mentioned, Taranus is particularly important in Delmop, where his prime temple stands. His priests are intimately concerned with justice in the city, and many, dressed in distinctive white armour, are involved in administering justice in the law courts. A priest of Taranus must adhere to the truth at all times and this does not simply mean that they cannot tell a lie. Ellendar, an acquaintance of mine from the temple in Delmop, once tried to explain what he called the five levels of falsehood, which must be scrupulously avoided by the priesthood. Unfortunately, he didn't always manage this himself, and seemed to be constantly doing penance for his actions. I am glad that Ishkana is a much more flexible mistress, for I believe that though truth is important, there are times when a small falsehood is essential in order to facilitate the greater good.

[Yaq]

Yaq

Mistress of the underworld and protectress of the dead, Yaq is the wife and younger sister of Taranus. They have had five children together and mothers-to-be will always make an offering to Yaq to help their pregnancy. She is the patron goddess of the theatre and is said to have taught priests their magic. She is the lady of the zodiac, and is particularly associated with vultures.

It is the temple of Yaq that deals with funerals, with her priests and priestesses involved in the complicated rites of mourning that ensure the soul completes its dangerous journey to the underworld safely.

Faum

Faum is the unlucky husband of Ishkana, marrying her under the instructions of Thant. They had but one child together, the god Zath, before Ishkana grew bored of him and looked elsewhere for love. For centuries, while she had a stream of lovers, he refused all. Couples make offerings to him before taking marriage vows as he remained faithful for so long.

Faum is also known for his rages, which we see as the great storms, earthquakes and volcanoes which afflict the world. When a natural disaster strikes the cry will go up: "Ishkana has another lover."

Werrarum

The last and youngest of the so-called Pentad, when the other four paired off, Werrarum was left on his own. At first he was stoic, but eventually the loneliness knawed at him. At last, he could stand it no longer and while Faum was away one day, he disguised himself as the god and visited Ishkana. Thus the first adultery was committed and it is still a point of contention as to whether or not Ishkana knew what was going on.