The Powers of A'ta
Names in parenthesis include pronunciations and other names by which the diety is known. The first name is the most popular in the civilized areas of the Heartlands (generally the area from Ellora and Saresyn to the Ligurian League and the remnants of Tachin). The list is not exhaustive. The powers are known by other names and even appear as the opposite sex depending on the particular location. Often times, priests of the same power may find themselves at odds or even blows with one another as politics and differences of spiritual interpretation balloon into open warfare. Such is the power of Ravanna.
Many people see Vanthalori as the head of the powers, with the others acting as intermediaries or patrons for particular goals or lifestyles. For instance, a warrior may well believe that Vanthalori is the Mother, and never forget that it is she that will come for him one day, but all the while regularly pray to Aras for aid in battle. If the warrior retired, he might regularly pray to Anerin if he became a fisherman, living his life on the seas, or Dore if he became a farmer. He would likely, however, remember the fortune brought him by Aras, and continue to pray to Aras, if less frequently than before. The belief in Vanthalori's pre-eminence is reflected frequently in holy symbols -- bezerkers of Enyo might display the two-handed sword symbol of their patron on the black disc of Vanthalori.
Anerin: water, the sea
- appears as a wave
- a gleaming ship of silver and gold
- a spear-wielding giant made of water
- a horse of green and blue, surging in the wavesAras (the Thunderbird, Carnadus, Kumara, Volos): war
- appears as a bird of prey
- an armored man on a huge armored horseEnyo (Z'roya)(daughter of Aras): patron of bezerkers
- a slight armored woman bearing a two-handed sword
- a two-handed swordCymbelline (Eyra): moon, travelers, friendship, medicine
- appears as a beautiful woman
- a will-o-the-wispDore ("Door-ay", Marzanna, Datan, Ajysyth, Rauni, Mikula): earth, argiculture, seasons
- appears as a tree
- a man or woman whose age varies with seasons, but always dressed in rustic fashionWeyland (Fen the Spider-man): invention, handicrafts, prosperity
- appears as a tall, well-muscled man with long limbs,
- a hairy, green spiderMahar (also Karchon, Karshoon, or Maros): sky, storms, weather, archery
- appears as weather of some kind
- often heard in the wind
- sometimes leaves storms to Taroan, his wild and dangerous shield-bearer
- his servants are the Maruts, the windsRavanna (the Souleater, the Defiler, Kingoras, the Seven-Headed Dragon of Chaos): evil, night, darkness, the Seven Deadly Sins
- appears as a huge black panther
- a huge tiger
- a shadow-cloaked man
- a great seven-headed black dragon
- all his forms have blazing green eyes
- his minions:
- the mighty demon Dev (also called Azrael) represents murder and bloodlust
- the gaunt fiend Zarich manifests illness and insanity
- raging Nagythra is discord and hatred
- sly Drauga represents lies
- rampaging Alrinach is deadly weather (floods, shipwrecks, tornados, etc.)
- demented Achor the Tormenter is torture and agony
- hideous Tawrish is famine and plague
- wicked Saurva is cruel oppression and tyranny
- sultry Kiyo the Temptress represents lust and depravity
- the Keres are horrible, black-winged female spirits who torment and destroy Ravanna's foes
Talassio: mischief, deception, luck
- appears as a monkey
- a mischievous child, halfling, or gnome
- a shadow with a hidden or unobvious source
- the playing card 'the Jester' (bad luck if drawn inverted)Tore ("Tor", Medeine, Devanna): nature, animals
- appears as an animal of any kind
- a hunter or huntressVanth (the Ancient, Vanthalori, Night, Diar, Khumn): time, death, sleep, memory
- appears as a kindly, bent, old woman (or man)
- symbol is a black disc
- soothes the suffering of the sick and dyingYvoire (Kiun, Yarillo): love, fertility, pleasure, revelry, peace
- always appears as a happy, delightful woman
- her comeliness ranges from ugly to stunning
- her apparel ranges from plain to rich, but always clean and in good repairZurong (Maat): justice, retribution, light, truth, justice, duty, sun
- appears as a shining, valiant, and noble warrior
- a wise and hale old soldier
To illustrate the variety of faces worn by the Powers, consider Cratos, a power venerated in the wildlands of Khur.
Cratos: strength, courage
- appears as a huge and burly barbarian
- a bison or bullScholars of the Heartlands believe that Cratos is not an independent power, but rather an aspect of Aras. Naturally, the faithful of Cratos fiercely and violently deny this.
The Creation Myth
Vanthalori is the eldest and considered the mother of the powers, though her priests never make the claim themselves. According to the priests of Vanthalori, she slept, and while she slept she dreamed. She was awakened by a clatter, and saw a tiny ball. On closer inspection it proved to be a world, and she saw things she had seen in her dreams. She called it A'ta ('the boat' in the ancient tongue) for she knew it would carry living creatures through the heavens. Dore, Mahar, and Anerin appeared, calling her 'mother' and descended to A'ta, doing their work as ordered. And so the world grew.
Dore, Mahar, and Anerin are the eldest children of Vanthalori.
Yvoire and Tore are the children of Dore.
Ravanna is the evil twin of Zurong, and the two are eternal enemies. They are believed to be the manifestations of free-will. Ravanna is a vile corruptor, and his foul works can be seen everywhere in A'ta, from the highest mountains to the deepest depths of the earth and sea. All creatures that plague the world are his handiwork.
Aras was born of the spilled and mingled blood of Ravanna and Zurong.
Talassio grew from Ravanna's left hand, the last part of him to hold out against evil. The hand was severed by Zurong to preserve the part of his brother that was not evil.
Cymbelline is the daughter of Zurong, mankind's ally in the night against Ravanna.
Fen and Cymbelline are close friends to each other and mankind. Fen was himself once mortal and Cymbelline, though divine, was saved from Ravanna by mortals (with the assistance of Fen). The two are eternal enemies of Ravanna, and assist mortals against his machinations.