The Forfarian Pantheon - Roleplay Resources

[MAB77]

The Forfarian Pantheon

INDEX
Overview of the pantheon
The Pantheon
Other Forfarian beliefs
The druidic factions of Forlorn


Note, the following information is an amalgam of canon information taken from the Castle Forlorn boxed set and the Doomsday Gazetteer I. Where information contradicts, the 3rd edition Ravenloft material was taken as accurate.

[MAB77]

Overview of the pantheon

The Forfarian pantheon is, on the surface, the same as the Tepestani pantheon. The gods have the same names, and they are generally called upon or placated for the same reasons, but there are important differences in their respective cultural lore, and sometimes even in the genders of their deity.

The clerics and druids of Forlorn act as priests of a single deity among their pantheon. They will honor all the gods, but will call themselves priests of a single one of them, and solely call upon that god to get their powers.

Druids serve, almost exclusively, as priests of the Forfarian gods Belenus (the sun god) and Daghda (chieftain of the gods and god of fertility) but there has been a resurgence in the worship of other old Forfarian gods. Brigantia, Diancecth & Math Mathonwy are occasionally venerated by Forfarians at large, but they count no more than a dozen clerics altogether. Whereas Arawn (god of death) and Morrigan (the bloodthirsty warrior-hag) are greatly feared and seldom worshipped at all, other than to placate them.

Arawn is the much feared and seldom mentioned god of death and the underworld. He his primarily worshipped in a twisted manner by the Goblyns of Forlorn. The Goblyns believe their god dwells in the underworld of Annwn, a land called the Isles of the Cursed, which would be accessible through a fissure called the Maw of Arawn located at the peak of Mount Arawn, the sacred site of their debased beliefs. The mountain's caves are filled with the carefully sorted bones of the goblyns’ dead, watched over by crude statues of their god. They have no priests of Arawn among them, serving him only through violence by killing and seeking violent deaths themselves as they believe all bloodshed glorifies their god. They also believe all dead belong to him and will thus eagerly murder anyone they can to swell the kingdom of their god. Resurrection, reincarnation and undeath are blasphemies that rob Arawn of his subjects.

Math Mathonwy is rarely worshipped at all as Forfarians, in general, take a dim view of arcane magic. Most of its practitioners are related to the ApMortens clan of Forfarmax. They maintain a shrine to Math Mathonwy within Longshanks Halls, their clan's residence.

Any lore on other former gods of the Forfarian pantheon that may have been has seemingly vanished from collective memory, although the resurgence of Brigantia, Diancecth & Math Mathonwy's worship in recent years may indicate otherwise.

According to druidic legend, the Wild Hunt is a pack of ghostly huntsmen and hounds that ride through the night, preying on evil creatures. The Hunt consists of a pack of baying, ghostly mastiffs, with green glowing eyes and breath of green flames, followed by the horned god, the "Master of the Hunt", who rides a ghostly steed behind his hounds. He is depicted as wearing a distinctive black helmet crowned with antlers and wielding an enormous spear. The Wild Hunt frequently has other ghostly riders and followers who race behind the Master of the Hunt, eager to help capture the Hunt's wicked prey. The horned god is not truly a deity but is recognized as such by many Forfarians, especially the Rowan faction whom wants to enlist the Wild Hunt in their efforts against the Solleyder. To others, he is considered at the very least as a legendary hero, somewhat akin to a demigod.

[MAB77]

The Pantheon

Deity [gender]	Domains	Alignment	Favored Weapon	Symbol	Portfolio
Arawn [m]	Death, Evil, Repose	NE	Scythe	Skull wearing antlered helm	Death, Underworld
Belenus [m]	Fire, Good, Sun, Scrutiny**	NG	Sickle	Celtic-style golden sunburst	Fire, Light, Sun
Brigantia [f]	Animal, Good, Protection	LG	Warhammer	Woman holding a hammer	Nature, Industry, Agriculture
Daghda [m]	Good, Plant, Trickery	CG	Club	Cauldron	Fertility, Forest
Diancecht [m]	Good, Healing	NG	Dagger	Leaf	Healing
Math Mathonwy [m]	Knowledge, Magic	LE	Quarterstaff	Iron Scepter	Dark Magic, Secrets
Morrigan [f]	Destruction, Evil, War	CE	Greatsword	Crossed Swords	Discord, War

[MAB77]

Other Forfarian beliefs

The Forfarians believe that after death, the souls of the good, just, and wise past into the west to the Isles of the Blessed, Avalon, a shining realm of plenty and peace. Wicked souls descend through the Maw of Arawn into the bleak islands of Annwn

All the evil that has befallen Forlorn since the Year of Woe, where the entire population of the land except the druids were turned into goblyns, is the work of the Solleyder, "the defiler", whom dwells within the ruins of Castle Tristenoira.

The majority of Forfarian druids have red hair, ranging in coloration from bright as a carrot to predominantly brown with a distinct auburn tint. To have red hair is thought to be a gift from the fey, marking someone as possessing abilities with natural magic: the brighter the shade of red the greater the potential. It is believed this magical gift is what protected the druids from turning into goblyns at the culmination of the Year of Woe.

Upon becoming a druid, one gives up his last name and all clan alliances in an effort to maintain strict neutrality. Druids are also required to hold a vow restricting them from using metallic armor of any kind.

The rare, miraculously blight free, small groves of Forlorn's landscape are held as sacred by the druids. This is where they worship their gods, meditate and gather the mistletoe, herbs and edible plants that fuel their spells and sustain them.

Celebrations of the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and of the winter and summer solstices are important days for the Forfarians. On those days they spend the day outdoor communing with nature and gathering for large open-air community meals. Those who still follow the old gods recite prayers and make small offerings. Within Forlorn, it is claimed that only on those days do new seedling sprout in the forest, growing from seeds to four-foot-tall saplings within a day. The druids therefore devote those days traveling the length and breadth of Forlorn to gather as many of the rowan and oak saplings as they can find and transplant the newborn trees to the safety of the unblighted groves. In this way the druids hope to expand their holy ground. It is also said that the Goblyns are oddly inactive on the solstice and equinoxe days, thus making the druids' work easier.

The Forfarians believe in the legends of the Math Muinntir, the Good Folk, a vast array of faerie like creatures, being at times both awed and afraid of their powers.

[MAB77]

The Druidic Factions of Forlorn

The Forfarian druidic society is divided in two distinct factions, the Oak and the Rowan, with their own views as to how to oppose the corruption of Forlorn. The Oak faction currently has the ascendance after a Rowan disastrous assault on Castle Tristenoira shifted the balance of power in 750 BC. Within Forlorn they live exclusively in carefully concealed warrens of hand-dug tunnels, called Sanctuaries, to hide from goblyn patrols. Though they have different philosophies and strategies, they do work for the same basic goal: cosmic balance. Thus they maintain an amicable relationship, share knowledge, the use of their sanctuaries and come together for ritual observances. They do however strive to steal members from one another's factions. Non-Forfarians would have a hard time distinguishing the two groups as they all wear plain brown kilts and cloaks, soft hand-sewn leather boots and sporrans (a kind of pouch) made of stag hide but to keen observers, their members often wear a discreet and tiny embroidered symbol or cloak pin of their respective faction.

The Oak
The Oak faction serves as priests of Daghda and its members believe that the best way to oppose the blight of Forlorn is to bring in more goodly creatures. Oak followers agree that directly fighting evil is not a suitable task for those dedicated to neutrality and balance. They believe the forces of good should instead be built up to the point where they will naturally begin to counter the existing evil. The faction is led by a woman named Maeve and its members use the oak leaf as their symbol. The oak tree is a powerful fertility symbol also implying strength, durability and protection. It represents the oak faction's belief that good creatures must be encouraged to be fruitful and multiply.

The Rowan
The Rowan faction serves as priests of Belenus and its members believe that the best way to oppose the darkness is by culling the number of evil creatures in Forlorn. The faction is currently led by a firebrand by the name of Fionna and they use the berries of the rowan tree as their symbol. The rowan tree, often called the "Tree of Life" is a druidic symbol of wisdom and power. It represents the Rowan faction's belief that the evil in Forlorn must be actively suppressed before life will return to balance. They often hold nightly prayers in the hope of enlisting the aid of the Wild Hunt in finding and slaying the Solleyder. On other nights, they hold druidic hunting parties themselves, often mimicking the actions of the Wild Hunt to the point where participants will often wear small sets of antlers on their heads.