Going Greek
As I mentioned in my last post about Karithia, we had decided to use the Greek Pantheon for our new campaign, but when I went looking into the relationships between the gods it quickly became a bit overwhelming!
I needed to pair this down, establish a smaller pantheon that players could absorb quickly. It would need to keep the very human elements of the Greek deities, with their bickering, passions and petty squabbling, but allow me to incorporate the features and structure of a D&D campaign world.
If you look through the monster manual you'll find a lot of the creatures and creations come directly from Greek mythology, which was great but there are also things that are missing, critically the player races and of course Dragons! These were things I wanted in our world so I need to bring them together.
This then was my reduced pantheon:
Having studied classics my aim was not to maintain the Greek myths intact, but to use that tone to create a mythology that blended the various parts together.
The Primordials
Each of these beings is linked to an element they represent, while they have an impact on the realm of Karithia, they also occupy and embody those elements. They are beyond normal mortal understanding and any interaction with them is like insects interacting with an elephant – one most likely won’t notice any interaction and is likely to be extremely destructive by accident, the other has at best a very limited understanding of what they are encountering.
Gaia
Gaia is the mother of the gods and by extension all mortals, a warm, friendly but distant figure associated with the earth. Many dwarf and gnome communities include shrines to Gaia.
Eros
Eros is the embodiment of all passions and the father of the gods and mortals, Eros is a dangerous being, prone to extreme volatility, atone moment congenial and friendly and in anther filled with sudden violence. More savage communities of orcs include rites for Eros and it is rumoured the Wood Elves also offer sacrifices to him.
Nyx
Ephemeral and changeable, Nyx is strongly associated with the air and the night. Eros, filled with passion for the unattainable sought her out for two nights of unimaginable passion. During the first she appeared as a gargantuan lizard and from them sprung the dragons, in the second she appeared as a cloud of black smoke and the devils were the result. Returning to Tartarus she discovered him lost in a bitter sleep and her children gone. She wailed inconsolably in an attempt to rouse him and it is said you can still hear her keening on the wind at sea and that way the seas roil and flow is because of his angry response to her cries. Legend says that should she ever manage to awaken him his anger will cause an endless storm and the seas will rise to cover the land.
Tartarus
Known as the mad dreamer, it was Eros’ pursuit of Nyx that drove Tartarus insane. In his bitterness and fury, he brooded, his thoughts like a whirlpool churning on the fact of Nyx’s betrayal. Sinking deep within and eventually losing himself to his own crazed thoughts he fell into a sleep, like to death, a slumber that continues to this day. In this bitter sleep, his tortured dreams formed the Abyss and into that darkness he drew the children Nyx had borne him; Typhon and Echidna.
The Titans
Dragons
Born of fire and air, dragons are known in myth and legend, though none living, even among the elves can claim to have seen one. Said to fly among the stars, there are stories that tell of the dragons leaving to journey far and wide into the cosmos leaving Karithia behind.
Devils
Formed of smoke and heat the Devils were proud of their heritage, frequently boasting until they learned the truth of their parent’s infidelity. Seeking forgiveness they approached the Abyss seeking out their siblings Typhon and Echidna, but Tartarus’ madness had already taken them and the Devils were attacked without warning and many died. Seeing the danger of their siblings and the demons they had spawned, the devils swore to prevent any escape from the Abyss. They now patrol the lands of the dead guarding against the Demons that would rise and consume all things. To replenish their numbers in such an endless war they capture souls from among the dead, turning them into new devils. They also bred with mortals who travelled into the hells creating Tieflings who live in great communities in the underworld.
Typhon, Echidna and the Demons
The children of Tartarus and Nyx were young and growing when their father’s madness overcame them and dragged them into the realm of his dreams. His dreams are dark and twisted and all things finding their way into the Abyss are bent and corrupted by it. Typhon and Echidna were no exception and long years in the Abyss have given them forms created out of a nightmare and the hunger to destroy and consume all things that come into their reach. They are first among the denizens of the Abyss and there they rule over their own children, the demons who share their warped desire to devour and destroy.
Cerberus
As Hades was laying claim to the lands of the dead, making deals with the Devils, and establishing the Spirit Path he came across Cerberus. The giant three-headed dog had been injured in a fight with many devils and had stopped to lick his wounds. Both were wary of each other, but Hades struck a deal with the creature, it could consume souls in safety and comfort, but only if those souls did not bare the coins of fair burial. Hades promised there would be plenty and so it has proved and Cerberus has remained content and loyal for many long centuries.
Kraken
With an appetite and ferocity that scared even its parents, the Kraken was brutalized and driven further and further into the depths of the Abyss. Somewhere in the darkened depths however it found a path into the seas of Karithia and once there it fed and grew strong. Eventually noticing the disappearance so many creatures in his domain Poseidon sought the monster out. The two fought an epic battle, and after five days of fighting that caused storms the like of which have never been seen before, Poseidon defeated it. In the final moment though he offered it a choice, guard the entrance to the Abyss unless called upon to strike at Poseidon’s enemies and the Kraken could feed on anything that came within its reach. In addition, Poseidon would arrange for a portion of his sacrifices to be given to the Kraken, to these terms the Kraken agreed. Many times now the Kraken has repelled Typhon, Echidna or their children from entering the world and the great storms that batter the coasts are a reminder that the Kraken still stands guard, faithful to its word.
Fates
When Typhon and Echidna first rose from the Abyss to strike at the Devils, the Fates came with them. Not interested in the conflict and destruction their parents looked for, the three sisters escaped into Karithia while the battle in the underworld was at its height. Coming first to the home of Demeter they requested sanctuary swearing mighty oaths to all the gods that they would not seek to consume, corrupt or destroy as their kin might. When the Devils came to take them back it was Apollo, though still a youth and shining with the radiance of the sun, who turned them away. Unfortunately, the brilliance of him also blinded the three sisters, so long used only to the dark of the Abyss. Out of pity Demeter took them in and raised them with the twins, from her they learned of the circle of life and death, from Apollo they learned prophecy and from Artemis they learned the hunter’s tricks and how to avoid them.
Years later they were presented to the gods on Mount Eserkel during the harvest festival, but being blind and borne of demons they were mocked by Hera. Angry at Zeus’s infidelity with Demeter, she compared them to Cerberus, demanding that Zeus declare pets not be permitted at the god’s table. He acquiesced and ordered that the Fates sit on the floor among the rushes with the hounds. They waited till the gods slept and then stole the Loom of Lives from Zeus’s treasury. Despite all attempts to track them, they could not be found, for Artemis had taught them too well. The gods constantly watch for signs of the Fates seeking to recover the Loom but have only found portions of the cloth of life. From these portions, they can change the flow of events, but only within the limits of the threads that are there.
Gods and Goddesses
While all the gods are able to use any area of magic, those schools of magic to which they have particularly strong associations are listed here.
Hecate
Necromancy
The only deity not born of Eros and Gaia, no one is quite sure what her origins are. Her concerns are magic, mysteries, crossroads, the night, and ghosts.
Hades
Abjuration
Chiefly known for his dominion over the land of the dead and judgement of mortal souls, Hades is also concerned with riches, the deep earth and secret places.
Io
Divination
The first child of Hecate and Hades, it is said that Io never lies. She spends her days riding across the skies with Apollo observing mortals and their activities and her nights in the lands of the dead talking to those who have died. Her domains are knowledge in all its forms, bards, truth, history, conversations and memory.
Hypnos
Illusion
The second child of Hecate and Hades, Hypnos is known for his governance of sleep, confusion, forgetfulness, mazes, dreams, poppies and loneliness. After his sister eloped with Apollo, his father chained him to a wall in a cave close to Elysium. There he weeps constantly because none come to visit him (made impossible by the mazes that surround him) and his tears form the river Lethe.
Demeter
Conjuration
Demeter is the goddess of the harvest and presides overgrains and the fertility of the earth; she is also Goddess of sacred law and the cycle of life and death.
Apollo
Divination
Son of Demeter and Zeus and twin to Artemis, according to legend the sun is his chariot and when the sun is particularly hot Apollo is said to be riding. His areas are music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light. The High Elves revere Apollo above all.
Artemis
Transmutation
Not only was Artemis the goddess of the hunt, but she was also known as the goddess of wild animals, wilderness, childbirth and virginity and the protector of young children. Since the Erespia (the return) she is also the primary goddess of the Drow.
Zeus
Evocation, Transmutation
King of the gods and ruler of Mount Eserkel, Zeus is concerned with lordship, fatherhood, lightning and the sky, oaths, the agora, hospitality and judgement of the living. Zeus is renowned for his infidelities and while technically married to Hera has sired many children, both mortal and divine outside of that relationship. Once focused on a conquest he stops at nothing, frequently taking to changing his form to defeat attempts to prevent him.
Hera
Illusion
Queen of the gods and wife to Zeus, Hera is known to be jealous and vengeful for which he gives her plenty of reason. She never forgets a slight or injury and will go to extraordinary lengths to achieve revenge, often drawing others into her plots for revenge. Her areas include; women, marriages, births, fidelity, plotting, disguise, vengeance and peacocks.
Athena
Abjuration
Athena is Zeus and Hera’s firstborn and goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, owls, olives, strategy, the arts, and skill. Often jealous for her father’s attention, she also frequently sought to outdo him. Mother to the Dwarves she is frequently revered by them.
Hephaestus
Enchantment
Hera placed a curse on Zeus following his infidelity with Hestia and the birth of the beautiful Aphrodite. The curse was to ensure that his next child would be born ugly. Unfortunately, that next child was born to her. Known for creating the weapons of the gods, Hephaestus ugliness was a constant reminder of her hubris and Hera constantly sought ways to punish him. Eventually, he left Mount Eserkel and is said to reside now inside the forge, continuing to perfect his craft. His areas are industry, invention, blacksmithing, fire and crafting. He is frequently worshipped by both Gnomes and Dwarves as he is considered a father to both races.
Ares
Evocation
Ares is the youngest child of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite. His areas are the violent and physical untamed aspect of war, martial prowess, physical strength and passion experienced in battle. Given his sudden and uncontrollable explosions of rage, very few of the other gods will openly oppose him. Even his mother Hera took no action when he married Aphrodite against her will.
Aphrodite
Enchantment
Aphrodite is the goddess of fertility, deception, love, and beauty. Despite her amazing beauty, many legends tell of her attempts to seduce being thwarted by her target’s fear of Ares. A typical tale sees her trick them into sleeping with her only to be discovered by Ares, in about half the stories he joins the couple in the bed, in the others he slaughters her lovers. In the later, it transpires that Aphrodite was not actually in the bed on that night having slipped away and arranged for a mortal to take her place.
Hestia
Transmutation
Hestia is the goddess of the hearth, home, architecture, domesticity, forgiveness, family, and the state. She is the least storied of the gods; she embodies the open welcome of a family home and rarely comes into conflict with any other deities. After the birth of Aphrodite at the request of Hera, she married Poseidon to discourage further attention from Zeus.
Poseidon
Conjuration
Married to Hestia, Poseidon is the god of the sea, earthquakes, storms, and horses. He is known to be moody, unpredictable, greedy and vengeful if insulted. In order to keep his promise to the Kraken, his temples demand animal sacrifice from anyone who seeks his protection.
Hermes
Evocation
Famed for his ability to move at incredible speed, Poseidon and Hestia's firstborn Hermes is the god of trade, thieves, travellers, sports, athletes, and border crossings; he is also the guide to the Underworld.
Dionysus
Transmutation
The second son of Hestia and Poseidon, Dionysus is known for his friendliness to the mortal races and his areas include revels, wine, the harvest, dance and celebrations. He is known as the father of many races as he casually created centaurs, minotaurs, satyrs, dryads and tabaxi in his attempts to seduce Artemis. He is also laughingly called the ‘mother of halflings’.
After many centuries the primordials came to rest and the world became settled. Gaia lay in her slumber, wrapped around Eros holding him close. Nyx floated above, ever moving and lonely and Tartarus sunk deeper into his madness. The Titans had found their places and the world was at peace, andthe gods and goddesses were seated on Mount Eserkel, bored and seeking entertainment.
Race Specific Myths
The image below explains the relationships between the gods and the mortal races (Dragonborn and Tieflings, not born of the gods, are included in the previous diagram) and below are the creation myths and important stories for them.
Elves (part 1)
Before there were any mortals on Karithia, Apollo and Artemis were exploring the world, from the coldest tundra to the hottest desert they travelled and they took great pleasure in all they saw. Eventually, they settled at what would one day become the Restful Glade at the heart the Elven capital Den-Qender. In this shaded dell, the twins sang and danced for many hours and eventually the trees called out, begging to be able to join them in their revels. The twins agreed and weaving their magic allowed the trees to step forth as the first of the elves. The High Elves came from the pines, tall and proud, and raised their voices in song matching themselves to Apollo’s harmonies. The Wood Elves stepped out of the willows, all grace and movement, dancing languidly with Artemis. Finally, the Drow appeared from the hawthorn passing from song to dance as the whim took them. Hearing the song Hecate came upon them and as the song ended begged the twin to let her raise the Drow, to which they agreed and the Drow she took into the earth teaching them magic and her mysteries.
Orcs
One day Apollo went to the underworld to visit with Hecate and Hades. As they sat at dinner, Hecate, seeing the joy and light in Apollo became enamoured of him and in her infatuation failed to hide it from Hades who became frustrated that his wife should display so clearly her affection for another. Apollo, however, was oblivious to such byplay as from the moment he entered Hades’ hall his heart had been stolen by fair Io. As they talked through the evening her knowledge and wit impressed him so that Apollo proposed on the spot, and with Hades’ firm blessing (hoping to shut down his wife’s affections for young Apollo) Io agreed.
Following their wedding, Hecate’s envy of their obvious passion for each other grew. When Hecate discovered that Io was pregnant she poisoned her daughter trying to kill the child. As Io suffered in pain Apollo brought to bear all his skill at healing while she used her knowledge to determine the poison. The ravages of this sickness left Io a wispy and insubstantial form that she is trapped in to this day. In the end they were able to save the child but it was born twisted and bent - the first Orc.
Apollo, not willing to risk any further retribution against the child from Hecate asked Ares to raise the Orcs, but all he taught them was fury and bloodlust. Apollo though had forgotten his other children, the Drow, who Hecate began to twist and corrupt for her revenge.
Halflings
As the elves grew and prospered the gods visited them often and celebrated the passing of the seasons. At a spring festival, Demeter watched as Dionysus consumed course after course, downing several casks of ale and spilling a good deal of both on his clothing. Calling out to him to control his appetite and maintain his dignity he responded that he was hungry. Smiling quietly to herself she offered Dionysus a plum which he swallowed whole. From the plum, a creature grew, and the more Dionysus ate the more it grew. Finally Dionysus began to experience some indigestion, eventually giving a mighty belch and from it, the first Halfling was ejected into Hestia’s lap. In one hand it held a drumstick in the other a slice of pie happily eating as it landed. The gathered company paused, expecting Hestia to be offended. Suddenly she started laughing, clearly entertained by the Halfling and offered to be their father, for clearly Dionysus was their mother and the rest of the gods laughed at Dionysus’ new nickname.
Humans
As the Orcs grew in number Ares encouraged them in their excesses and frequently joined them, leading their raids, until he withdrew from the company of the gods entirely and lived among them. The Orcs became a scourge and with Ares leading them they destroyed many settlements, but even the other gods were fearful of facing him in battle. At this time Hecate revealed the extent to which she had corrupted the Drow as they attempted to return to the surface. According to Hecate, they came to help defeat the Orcs, but they actually turned against the other gods proclaiming Hecate the Queen and only true god and attacked Mount Eserkel. They were repelled in the end but managed to defile Hera’s temple, burning it to the ground before they were defeated an offence for which she has never forgiven them.
It was Athena who came up with the plan that finally defeated Ares, though it did not work as she had planned. She encouraged Aphrodite to seduce him, but while Ares fell in love with Aphrodite she also fell in love with him. Rather than leading him into a trap where the other gods could capture him she led him away from both the trap and the orcs. For several years the couple disappeared and in that time the orcs were pushed back and lost some of their aggressive tendencies without Ares leadership. When the couple returned to the company of the gods, they brought with them humans, being born of such opposites has made humans flexible in their thinking and behaviour; capable of the most incredible destructiveness, but also beautiful creativity.
Tabaxi, Centaur, Minotaur, Satyr, Dryad etc. and Manticores, Wyverns, Gryphons, Hippogryphs and Chimeras
With peace restored the gods returned to their playful ways and Dionysus began his pursuit of Artemis. Many are the adventures described in the different versions of this tale, but in each, the same pattern emerges. Artemis is rumoured to be hunting a creature looking for signs of it's passing, so Dionysus tries to figure out what it is. Believing he has figured it out he captures it first, mixing it with a human form born from the goddess of love to impress her – so are born the tabaxi, centaur, loxodon, minotaur and the like. When she arrives though she moves past the beings Dionysus has made appearing to hunt some other creature and so the tale begins again. Often sung in rounds, The Hunt of Dionysus is a popular folk song with individuals adding invented creatures in all sorts of combinations.
Eventually, the tale or song ends the same way; Dionysus concludes that Artemis is hunting a creature that doesn’t exist, made up of the parts of many beasts. In his desperation to win her heart, he turns himself into a vast creature made up of all the creatures he has caught along the way. It is then that the huntress springs her trap, capturing the great beast in her enchanted net and explaining to Dionysus that she will never be anyone’s bride. At this point Ares arrives, furious at the transformations made to so many humans he hacks at the beast that Dionysus has become cleaving off pieces that become Chimera, Gryphons etc. until Dionysus is small enough to escape the net and flee Ares’s wrath swearing never again to change his own shape.
Gnomes & Dwarves
Working at the forge as a youth, Hephaestus grew in strength and stamina. Despite the ugliness of his face, his build and the fine lines of his muscles filled Zeus with passion. Disguising himself as a wealthy merchant looking for the services of the Smith, Zeus paid Hephaestus many visits, complimenting him with each visit. Hephaestus eventually succumbed to Zeus’ charms and even consented to wear a sack over his head to hide his ugliness while they were intimate. From their love the Gnomes were formed, taking shape in Hephaestus’s side.
As this relationship developed, Athena grew jealous that her father’s attention was no longer hers to command. Discovering eventually that he disguised himself as a merchant and visited Hephaestus’s forge she assumed Zeus was having a new weapon made. Wanting to see the weapon and perhaps be the first to try it she slipped a sleeping draught into her father’s ambrosia. Once he was sound asleep she took his robe and shaved his beard using them to disguise herself before visiting Hephaestus. She was surprised to find herself led to the bedroom and, with the sack over his head how attractive Hephaestus was. After days of passion, Hephaestus slept in contentment and Athena fearing discovery wrapped the robe around a bolster next to him and left.
When Zeus woke up, beardless and naked he was furious. He called down a curse that would wither the limbs of whoever had his robe and that whoever had his beard would forever be marked by it so he might know who had shaved him. While Hephaestus slept his left leg lay against the robe and was withered by the curse. He knew to whom the cloak belonged and who had laid the curse, so when Zeus next came to visit Hephaestus turned him away insisting he never returned. Athena suddenly found herself with a full-grown beard and feared her father’s anger when he discovered what she had done. So she sought out Hestia for her advice, while Hestia could not remove the curse she could transfer it to Hephaestus’s child that now grew within Athena. So the first Dwarf was born with a fine and lustrous beard and was taught to avoid the open sky, lest Zeus recognises his beard on them.
Athena left the first Dwarf at Hephaestus’s door after it was born and Hephaestus, seeing Zeus’s beard was reminded of their love and despite his pain took the child in. He raised both Gnomes and Dwarves together, suckling them on the sweat of his brow and teaching them the smith’s arts. To this day Dwarves and Gnomes both speak Hepheastian and revere him.
Elves (part 2)
As the centuries passed the High and Wood Elves grew into a mighty shared kingdom dominating the world of Karithia. Under their rule, the Drow hid in the darkened depths of the Underdark only rarely surfacing to cause mischief. During this time Artemis spent less and less time with the Wood Elves allowing them to grow as they would, while she attempted to redeem the Drow. Her cult worked its way into Drow society, slowly subverting it and bringing about a change that saw them longing to be reunited with their kin in peace and returned to the surface.
In the event now known to history as the Erespia, the Drow revealed themselves, bringing gifts to their kin and to the gods at the site of Ko-Ofest.
Hera somehow heard of this and sent Ares disguised at Apolloto order the other elves to destroy the Drow. As the battle began Apollo arrived and ordered the High Elves to stand down, but the Wood Elves, already committed to the assault were left exposed and suffered a crushing defeat –they now refer to this event as “the betrayal”.
In a fury that her will was thwarted by both Apollo and Artemis, Hera called out to Zeus and Poseidon that the Drow had risen again and that this time the other elves had joined them. She convinced them both to send cataclysms, Zeus a thundercloud filled with lightning to scourge the mainland and Poseidon a raging tsunami to flood the islands, her aim was to destroy all the elves and in many places, she succeeded. Seeing the approaching danger Apollo protected the High Elves at Liefhame, the northernmost island of their kingdom while Artemis shielded the Drow around Ko-Ofest, but the Wood Elves were left undefended and untold thousands died.
From that day forth the Wood Elves have turned against the gods and offer no supplication. They have become barbarous and raid along the southern coast, looting and pillaging. They create ships called serpents with some unknown magic that are articulated (they flex along the spine of the ship, undulating like a sidewinder) and impervious to the magic of Poseidon’s clerics. They are feared and hated wherever they are known. None know the names of the cities on their islands and the ruins are said to be inhabited by an ever watching entity of malicious intent.
