Thirteen pantheons dominate the divine organization of Glorantha. Each is briefly explained in the text. Important explanations of their lifestyle, beliefs, and membership will be given, as well as lists of members. Since the pantheons mimic the society which worships them many cultural facts can be interpolated.
Every pantheon given here has other deities and spirits in its mythos. Space limits the information which we can give. Later supplements will detail the pantheons individually.
Many less important, but locally powerful, deities exist. For instance, in Fonrit the three thousand initiates of Tondiji, god of a powerful city-state, also believe in the Grain Goddess, Ikadz, the Invisible God, Ompalom, Pamalt, Worlath, Yelm, and Zorak Zoran, all of whom have shrines in Tondiji's great temple.
The pantheons to be detailed are:
Chaos Array
Dwarf Pantheon
Elf Pantheon
Eastern Pantheons
Hsunchen Array*
Lunar Pantheon
Malkioni Array
Merman Pantheon
Orlanth Pantheon
Pamalt Pantheon
Praxian Pantheon
Troll Pantheon
Yelm Pantheons*
*indicates that no What the Priests Say article is included for that pantheon or array.
In some places devout chaos worshipers are normal human beings, socially refined and well-educated. In other lands chaos worshipers are the wretched descendants of cursed gods, from whence stem the broos, krarshtkids, and scorpion people. Some chaos things are perversions of reality, like the charnjibber, a Pamaltelan monster which reshapes itself into a tentacled version of whatever it ate last. Some are pure horror, like vampires, or the slime which eats away Dorastor.
Chaos Deities: Bagog, Cacodemon, Crimson Bat, Krarsht, Malia, Pocharngo the Mutator, Primal Chaos, Thed
Dwarfs are monotheistic, even atheist, but their beliefs include the equivalent of lesser deities, especially since dwarfs revere the Ancestral Mostali. The way of Mostal is also divided by philosophies such as Openhandism.
Worshipers of Mostal are of two types: dwarf and slave. Dwarfs know through thousands of years of experience that as long as they do not change their way of life they are immortal. Each new dwarf enters a special caste and is taught his caste's skills. Attaining perfection in his tasks may lead to diamond status.
Non-dwarfs sometimes worship Mostal as if he were an ordinary god. The dwarfs call such beings slave worshipers, because they give so much and receive so little. Some dwarf ancestors are regularly contacted by outsiders, such as Quicksilver, the god of alchemists. In Slon a large human populace worships Mostal.
Dwarf Religion: Mostal
The people who worship these pantheons are quite civilized. They are separated from other nations by vast oceans, barbarian-infested wastelands, and their own cultural barriers. They regard their own culture as self-evidently superior to the rest of the world. Though the easterners are slow to adapt foreign ideas, they are extremely innovative in their own right, and have exported many concepts and magical inventions to the rest of the world.
The empire of Kralorela is so old that records survive from when Yelm, the sun god, ruled. When Yelm's cosmic empire fragmented, the benevolent dynasty of the Dragon Emperors, which has continued to the current time, took over. Kralorelan mythology is largely concerned with the temptations and threats of the outside world, which must be met by the wise Emperor and his loyal subjects. Each Emperor is deified and worshiped forever after as a god. Since the Dawn, only one Emperor has died -- the saintly Yanoor, who fled prematurely to the afterlife to escape the assassins of the usurping God Learners.
Vormain's gods are little-known. Foreigners are not safe in this land. The natives are both secretive and violent. Likewise they have little ambition to spread themselves outside their lands, and so they are the most mysterious people of the east. The different gods of their small pentheon are each associated with a different color-type of magic, and sorcery is common. The only Vormaini commonly encountered by outsiders are ferocious pirates.
The East Isles are fragmentary. Their gods are numberless and often seemingly trivial. They make no effort to convert others to their religion and, in turn, rarely or never worship other folks' gods. Their primeval mythology resembles that of Kralorela, but with the break-up of Yelm's empire their myths begin to concern themselves solely with their own active, often squabbling, series of petty deities.
Eastern Cults: City Gods, Dendara, East Isles Gods, Godunya, Gorgorma, Grain Goddesses, Path of Immanent Mystery, River Gods, Thief Gods, Trickster, Tsankth
All elves are born into this religion, and usually remain in it until they die. Some other beings join this religion but they must be natives of the deep wood and have a long history of friendship and loyalty to elves. Elves dominate their woods and are ruthless against intruders. All treatings with elves, especially in secret matters of religion, must be on their terms.
Elves remember a united nation in the blissful pacifism of the Green Age. Now they are divided into forest kingdoms whose residents have adapted to local conditions. All plant life is admitted to eff kinship, even the sea-water algae and the musty fungi, and each has an associated race.
Elf Gods: Aldrya, Babeester Gor, Flamal, Grain Goddesses, Horned Man, Voria, Yelmalio
The Hsunchen primitives hold to their old ways in scattered wildernesses throughout Genertela and the fringes of Pamaltela. Different tribes may worship dffferent local and ancestral spirits but, despite this, they preserve some common traits, especially concerning their creation and most ancient practices.
Hsunchen are human, though tales of hybrid monsters and miscegenation haunt them wherever they dwell. The Hsunchen usually live in regions too bleak or dense for exploitation by neighboring cultures.
Hsunchen Gods: Ancestor Worship, Horned Man, Hunter, Hykim & Mikyh, Trickster
Lunar mythology is concerned with the apotheosis of their goddess and the other members of the pantheon. Lunar philosophers are willing to accept almost any version of history and myth before their goddess's birth, always carefully explaining how it was a presagement of their cult.
The Lunar deities are worshiped only in and around Peloria. Most Lunar cultists are human, although many non-humans are believers. The Lunar religion does not displace older religions. Any cult willing to accept the Red Goddess's existence is welcomed within the bounds of the Lunar Empire.
Lunar Cults: City Gods, Crimson Bat, Etyries, Red Goddess, River Gods, Seven Mothers, Thief Gods
The West worships only the Invisible God. However, within his creation live saints and other personalities important to the service and history of the Invisible God. This monotheistic religion is divided into several factions, or sects, each declaring the rest to be heresies from the true way. A unified Malkionism has not existed since the time of Malkion himself.
All Malkioni are human. Their feudal society is divided into social classes so each man can know his place in life. Inter-class mobility varies with the particular sect.
Malkioni Religion: Dormal, The Invisible God
The mermen's grim faith is structured upon inexorable fate. Their deities are servants of that fate and their myths are filled with stories of ancient wrongs never righted, hopeless battles against hideous doom, and the dominance of powerful inhuman entities. Their religion urges a struggle of life against darkness, but accepts a final unity with the mystical currents of the world.
Most worshipers belong to the marine and submarine mer-races. Nine different types are known, mostly airbreathing, with human torsoes and fishy or cetacean tails. Some races are friendly or neutral to humanity while others are inimical. The nearly extinct Waertagi are a hybrid race between merman and human. They look like humans, but have webbed fingers, green or blue complexions, fins, and live entirely at sea within great ships enchanted from sea dragons.
Coastal humans frequently submit to the sea's influences, and some merman gods are not too alien to be worshiped by humans. A few sea gods, such as Dormal, are even popular among humankind.
Merman Cults: Dormal, Magasta, Triolina, Wachaza
MERMAN DISTRIBUTION - all water areas
Orlanthi mythology is full of personal combat and heroism, reckless deeds and honorable responses to impossible situations. Although the storm gods wrecked the old world by murdering the sun god, they improved it by instilling danger and freedom into an otherwise stagnant life. When too many people complained of hunger and fear, Orlanth accepted his responsibility and went to Hell to bring back the sun.
Orlanthi culture has spawned several organized civilizations, though these have so far always degenerated to barbarism.
Orlanthi Cults: Asrelia, Babeester Gor, Chalana Arroy, City Gods, Donandar, Dormal, Ernalda, Grain Goddesses, Humakt, Hunter, Issaries, Lhankor Mhy, Mastakos, Maran Gor, Orlanth, River Gods, Storm Bull, Thief Gods, Trickster, Ty Kora Tek, Uleria, Valind, Voria
The Artmali are a relic of the Godtime. In the Golden Age, the Artmali Empire ruled central Pamaltela in a glorious cold-blooded reign. Their heartless perfection could not withstand the brute vitality of the invading storm gods, and their culture vanished. Today, the Artmali Empire is remembered only by its descendants, the slaves of Fonrit and the Veldang people.
After the Artmali disaster, the Doraddi people rose. Their new gods defeated the enemies of Pamaltela and set up a way of life which has survived to the present.
Most of Pamaltela is rolling grasslands cut by seasonal rivers which rage in the wet winter and dry up in the summer. The Doraddi are semi-nomadic horticulturists and hunters living in extended families. Their religion mirrrors their lifestyle with a lively family of gods whose quarrels are petty and endless until threatened by outsiders. Mythology includes both cosmological events and explanations of the myriad social mores and restrictions.
Most plains-dwellers belong to the nomadic Doraddi culture. In the last few centuries, the Kresh wagoneers have risen. Their religion is derived from that of the nomadic Doraddi, but their culture differs in crucial details.
Pamalt Pantheon Cults: Ancestor Worship, Babeester Gor, Grain Goddesses, Horned Man, Hunter, Lodril, Maran Gor, Pamalt, Trickster, Ty Kora Tek, Uleria
The animal nomads live in the Wastelands, and believe Prax to be their holy land. Most claim descent from Waha or another prominent god. The religion has little support outside its native region though it is tolerated in some border lands.
The animal nomads have five main tribes: Bison Riders, Sable Riders, Impala Riders (who are pygmies), Alticamelus Riders, and the non-human Morocanth.
Praxian Cults: Ancestor Worship, Eiritha, Hunter, Horned Man, Storm Bull, Waha
On the surface the trolls and their minions quickly spread across the land, eating everything in their way and eventually conquering much of Glorantha. Events culminated in the Chaos War, when they fought desperately and valiantly against overwhelming hordes of chaos monsters. After horrendous sacrifice, the trolls conquered, shattering the armies and gods of chaos.
Troll history is an epic of uninterrupted suppression, violence, and treachery both by and to trolls at the hands of humans and other races.
Troll religion is crude and violent, but suffices for this unsophisticated species. Trolls are a non-indigenous race which migrated to the surface world during the Great Darkness.
Trolls are diverse. The leaders of modern trolls belong to the type known as Dark Trolls. These are served by the race of Trollkin, cursed and stunted slaves. Another servant race is the Great Trolls, gigantically powerful warriors and heavy laborers. A few members of the ancestral Mistress Race still survive in dark caverns -- these fearsome beings have black magical powers beyond mortal comprehension.
Other types of trolls include the Snow Trolls of Valind's Glacier, the Jungle Trolls of Pamaltela, and the Tusk Riders (Half-Trolls) of Peloria. All but the Tusk Riders worship these same gods. Troll gods are rarely worshiped by outsiders.
Troll Cults: Ancestor Worship, Argan Argar, Asrelia, Gorakiki, Horned Man, Hunter, Kyger Litor, Subere, Xiola Umbar, Zorak Zoran
Yelm worship once was much more wide-spread than the current distribution. The religion in its pure form survives in only a few important places. Many separate regions recognize the sun god as overlord or a major force. The solar religion is organized in imperial fashion with Yelm as ruler and emperor. This pantheon is worshiped by members of all human races. It is also popular among elves and certain other non-humans.
Yelm Pantheon Cults: Chalana Arroy, City Gods, Dendara, Donandar, Eiritha, Gorgorma, Grain Goddesses, Lodril, Lokarnos, River Gods, Thief Gods, Uleria, Voria, Yelm, Yelmalio
The Major Pantheons and Arrays of Gods
Chaos Array
In the darkest part of the Storm Age, when all the Gods were at war or dead, the Unholy Trio completed their mad plot and ruptured the boundaries of the universe. The world structure cracked and the gods of chaos stepped forth from the void. They spread over all the world, destroying, corrupting, and tainting almost everything. The World Mountain vanished in a clap of thunder. Only the most desperate sacrifices by every living thing prevented the ultimate destruction of the universe. Since the Great Compromise of the gods, the chaos threat has been reduced. However, it still lurks in the hinterland, and can now never be completely expelled.Dwarf Array
Dwarf mythology begins with Mostal and Stone, primeval brothers. Mostal made crude images of himself, thus forming the Stone Mostali, who helped make better living images. These were the Lead Mostali, who helped make even finer attunements, and so on until the Octagony of Ancient Metals was formed. The eight Mostali races together made the World Machine. When other gods' recklessness broke the machine the Clay Mostali, or dwarfs, were created to swarm about and fix it. Most of the ancient divine race of Mostali were destroyed by chaos. They will be resurrected only when the machine is fixed again. Since time immemorial, dwarfs have worked unerringly to repair the machine, and have proof that their tasks are succeeding.Eastern Pantheons
The deities of the Eastern Pantheons can be easily divided geographically into three regions: Kralorela, Vormain, and the East Isles.Elf Pantheon
Elf mythology is mainly concemed with the Green Age, when Aldrya walked the earth and spread her children across its surface. During Yelm's Golden Age, elf civilization reached its pinnacle, but it was destroyed by the Young Gods, who sent the world into the First Winter. A few survivors, led by High King Elf, remained awake to preserve life.Hsunchen Array
A long time ago, no dffference existed between people and animals. But when things changed and the world worsened, people were set apart. Only the Hsunchen remember the older, better age when people freely conversed with animals and all living things were brothers.Lunar Pantheon
The Red Goddess taught some of her followers the way to become immortal. Her pantheon is composed of mortals who have so succeeded.Malkioni Array
The mythology of the West begins with the Invisible God's creation of the world. In earliest times, people lived close to the Creator, but subsequent generations found power and faith in the insidious temptations of the false gods. Malkion the Prophet revitalized the religion in the Godtime, and Hrestol the Initiator did likewise just after the Dawn. Other saints have had historical importance, either militarily or through some important discovery.Merman Pantheon
Merman philosophers teach that the world was once a single current flowing through the cosmos. For some reason (and different merfolk have different explanations) the current divided into fresh and salty water, then hot and cold, and in other ways, eventually forming the current generation of deities in the world.Orlanth Pantheon
Orlanth is the god of most barbarians of Genertela. Their tumultuous politics resemble their storm god's roiling personality. Their deities range in demeanor from the civilized Issaries to the brutal Storm Bull.Pamalt Pantheon
This category includes the deities of both the Doraddi and the Artmali.Praxian Pantheon
Praxian mythology is involved with the suppression of Chaos and their ancestors' struggle to renew Life. It glorifies co-operation, hardiness, generosity, and energetic activity. The Praxians know that their land was once a fertile paradise, but it is now blighted and ruined by the invasion of Chaos. The ancestors of the modem animal nomads aided their gods and remain as the only survivors of the final catastrophe. Their god, Waha, taught the wretched remainder of humanity a new way of life perfectly suited for survival in that harsh region.Troll Pantheon
In the beginning all trolls dwelt in the wonderful primal bliss of Wonderhome, where no light ever came and live food abounded. This paradise was ruined by the Gods War and Death's blazing fury. Many trolls were burned, but many more escaped to the surface world.Yelm Pantheons
In the Golden Age, Yelm ruled the universe with benevolence and perfection. This time of elegance and happiness continued for eons until the time of the Rebel Gods, who murdered Yelm, destroyed his empire, and fell to squabbling with each other over the shards of the world. But Yelm's purity and virtue brought Orlanth and the more important Rebel Gods to him, repentant. Yelm returned to the world, though now he must spend half of his time in the underworld.
See also:
Introduction to Glorantha: Magic and Religion
The Gloranthan Prosopaedia