Lynxian pantheon

In most pantheons, it is often the case that the head of the pantheon, or winning side of the pantheon is associated with qualities given culture sees as virtuous.

However, Lynxian pantheon tells a different story. One where the evil win, and the righteous fall. Story, where betrayals pay off, injustices go unpunished, and playing good rarely works. But there is a flip side to the story. The good do not stop being good. They do not give in; their values do not change. And while evil may reign today, there is still hope…

Mastuh, the Ruler of the Sun

Mastuh, also referred to as the Usurper, is the chief god in Lynxian pantheon. He represents cruelty and ruthlessness; he is the product of at-any-cost mentality.

Mastuh stole the throne from Marb, his brother, the rightful ruler. Marb did not want a war, and for sake of peace, he retreated to his realm. But he warned Mastuh, that if his rule will be unjust, his servants will, eventually serve under his command once more. And eventually, even the mighty Mastuh will bow to him.

Mastuh did not heed the warning of his brother, and so the death became part of this world. One by one, Marb regains command of the mortal realm. Mastuh’s cruelty and relentless pursuit of power has cursed the world. But the balance will be restored. Eventually…

Mastuh is the origin of the common word for master - one being served, a ruler.

Order of resolve

Resolve and relentless pursuit of your goals. The Mastuh’s greatest vice. One must be careful not to stomp on others, not to devastate what they were building, not to harm the innocent.

Lynxians are pragmatic, they do not (generally) believe in strong convictions. They resent the idea of vows (such as do not kill). They merely consider the pros and cons, and the right decision is the one that brings the most benefits…

Lynxians believe that resolve, as all things, must be balanced and taken in moderation. Too little and you will be too inactive, too easy to move around. Too much and you lose yourself in the process.

Order of power

There is something to be said about power. Any kind of power. Be it intellectual, political, or raw strength, they all come with danger. Power is rarely a noble goal, and your endeavors would likely be met with resentment and contempt of the common folk.

As Mastuh has been consumed by the power he wielded, so are the powerful people in danger of succumbing to it. Great restraint must be exercised to wield the powers you have properly. Lynxian institutions and those in power tend to have a lot of fail-saves and cross-examination put in practice to keep everyone (who holds any significant power) in check. Power is to be wielded carefully and always with respect.

Research & academia

Lynxian can see the power of knowledge. And they recognize it cannot be wielded by everyone. They have seen abuse of power too many times… And while they do have public universities, directly affiliated with Acaadia, most of the research is private.

Domains & Symbol

Symbol is Iron fist.

Obe, the Dreamer of the Sea

God of sea, the way of adapting to the way the wind is blowing, always changing your views and opinions to suit those in power.

While he himself did not order the tides and storms, Obe sure does not go out of his way to prevent the constant stream of disasters that gods deploy to keep the righteous in check.

Order of servitude

Also infamously known as the Order of cowardice.

Obe does not stick his neck out for the lesser ones. He rather keeps silent and does as his masters wish. Lynxians tend to put great emphasis on this effect. In many cultures, mutiny is act of disloyalty – a treacherous thing. However, Lynxians believe it is a sign of great courage – someone who did not blindly serve their master and chose to disobey.

While this order is not particularly popular (at least when it comes to becoming a cleric / worshiper), many succumb to the trap of doing nothing with the injustices they see and chose to please their masters instead. This is where Obe’s true power comes from. Not from the worships and sacrifices, not from its followers. But from the slip-ups of the weak.

The Mute -- Lynxian insult, someone who follows wrong / evil orders.

Order of the wind

Obe recognises that power is like a wind. It is ever-fleeting, usually not staying in one place for long. It always blows in different directions. Thus, one needs to adapt. Be a leaf in the wind.

Also known as Order of Lies, it is greatly favoured by thieves, assassins, and spies. One needs to lie and befriend those in power. To adapt to the way they rule. To seem useful to them.

Obe is seen as an evil god, failing to stand up to atrocities committed against mankind and Marb. But some say he waits for a time to strike against Mastuh. But until then, he must pretend… and adapt. Many see the fact that he blesses thieves and lesser men as an act of silent rebellion – simple and small, invisible acts against those in power… But I suppose we will never know for sure where Obe's loyalties truly stand.

Which way the wind is blowing -– common saying, originated in Lynxia, meaning “the general opinion”.

Order of nature

Ultimately, someone needs to call in the tides… make volcanoes explode and earthquakes rip the earth apart. Obe is that someone. If Mastuh is the one calling the shots, Obe is the one firing them. He is the one dispensing disaster after disaster on his masters’ behalf.

It is hardly a surprise that Lynxians see nature as an enemy – after centuries of disasters, hardly anyone can blame them. To them, nature is a disaster waiting to happen. It needs to be controlled; eradicated.

Domains & Symbol

Symbol is leaf or ash.

Dah Nil, the Heir of Magic

Dah Nil is the trickster god and uses magic and lies to get what he wants. His exploits became legendary, and all gods fell for his tricks at least once. No one knows for sure what his motives are, nor which events are his doings. Scholars argue to this day whether he was behind the Betrayal of Marb. Regardless, his name means trouble – but you usually only hear it when it already is too late.

Order of birth right

Sometimes referred to as Order of magic & money. In Lynxian culture heritage is often seen as a bad thing – you were given something you did not earn. It is common for people to often prove, to themselves (and others) that they are worthy of the gift of their forefathers. Lynxians resent the idea of being gifted, materially or not. They work for their advantages, skills, and gold… they take nothing for granted and refuse what was gifted. At least in theory.

Magic & stigma

The Lynxian idea of magic comes from times when it was not very well understood. From times where Sorcerers and Warlocks were the only options for magic. They see magic as an ability you are born with, rather than a skill you need to train and hone. Though someone educated enough probably knows this is not true, the damage was done – there is a stigma against spell-casters.

There is flip side to this story though. Lynxian people learned to not rely on the magics. Be it the invention of gunpowder, brilliant engineers that can match their skill to those of Ragnaria or master surgeons, often more precise and skilled than priests and healers of other lands.

Order of trickery

Sometimes called Order of mystery or Order of obscurity – this is the art of plots and schemes. The art of fooling your enemy. Of Manipulating events from behind the curtain.

Lynxian see this as weakness and shame. You do not have the guts to stand up for your actions. You are so weak to resort to such plans, rather than confront your opponent directly.

One would think that this order is more fitting for thieves and assassins. The trick is, Dah is known not to give away blessings on a whim. There is always a catch. A way to further his schemes… Only those desperate, greedy, or proud enough tempt their fate with Dah Nil…

Domains & Symbol

Symbol is an eye.

Hadia, the bringer of War

Hadia is wife to Marb. She followed him to the Underworld when he was cast out; exiled. But her wrath was yet to be witnessed by the wicked. She swore she will right the wrongs committed against her husband. That one day, she will punish the weak and foolish.

Order of Strength

Warriors, paladins, and soldiers all seek strength. But Hadia reminds mortals, there are two parts to strength – a physical strength and spiritual strength. One cannot exist without the other and Hadia rewards those who understand this simple truth.

Spiritual strength is a bit complicated. It is not tranquillity or wisdom – far from it. It is not resolve or thick-headedness. But rather it is a strength to withstand. A strong spirit can endure thousand arrows, million stabs and hundreds of fireballs. Morale is at least just as important as strength of the body. No amount of strength will help when there is no will to fight.

Morale & military

Lynxians recognise the power of morale. Each platoon has a bard assigned to it. Due to this, Lynxian military units are exceptionally durable.

Killing a unit’s leader would usually be a huge hit to a morale. But it just makes Lynxians angrier (and less organized).

General falls -- Lynxian saying, means things got serious or one was provoked beyond point of return.

Order of War

Lynxian draw a clear line between blind rage and vengeance. The just anger versus petty tantrums. Those who chose the path of fire must take care not to get burnt and consumed by it. Those people pray to Hadia to give them strength and guide them through the fires.

This order serves to remind the common folks, that not all skirmishes are important. That there is a greater scope to their fight. And that there needs to be purpose behind anger and bloodshed.

Fair fight

Lynxians have a highly developed idea of a fair fight: even ground, equal numbers, no manoeuvres - just a simple frontal assault. And they are really good at these sorts of fights. But that rarely is how it goes…

Wizards & wars

In many countries, wizards are often seen as a silver arrow for warfare. They tend to provide the key firepower (quite literally in most cases). However, Lynxians have a strong prejudice against spell-casters, and so they tend to deploy wizards only as saboteurs and assassins – special task forces rather than part of the main army.

Domains & Symbol

Symbol is foot or small sandal.

Marb, the rememberer of Death

Marb is the god of Death and rules the Underworld. He was cast out by his brother Mastuh. His reign is just and largely leaving the dead to rest and have some peace. He is patient and wise. He bears no grudge to his brother, but he sees how his rule is unjust - this needs to be remedied. He sees people flooding from the mortal realm into his at ever increasing rate. Rumour has it, that eventually he will return from the exile and restore himself as the rightful ruler.

Order of the dead

As a king of Underworld, Marb rules over all dead. Rites of passage are deemed important in Lynxia, although unlike Brytens, they do not think everyone deserves such respect.

The purpose of this order is tree-fold.

First, it serves as a reminder to mortals, that one day every single person will have to meet Marb in the Underworld. While Marb is known to be forgiving, it is important to settle your scores right in the mortal realm. You should not leave lose ends, thinking you will do it later someday…

Secondly, it reminds people that death is normal. One should not be afraid of dying, but one should not seek it. One should not try to cheat, outrun, or outsmart death – it never works and only causes problems. One should be at peace and accept death as part of life.

Finally, it illustrates the importance of patience. Unlike Mastuh, who greedily takes what he can, Marb waits for the right moment. Sometimes doing nothing is the best option.

Necromancy

In many countries, there is a stigma against necromancers, but officially they are just like any other wizards, allowed to pursue their craft. If things go sideways, authorities do step in, but necromancy on itself does not receive special treatment.

In Lynxia, this is not the case. Compounded by the anti-magic mentality, necromancy is deemed unnatural and wrong. It is heavily regulated (although not forbidden). Every necromancer is accounted for, each raised corpse has a permit and license. Nothing goes unapproved.

Order of Wisdom

Also known as the Grey order. It is important to not see only the black-and-white but also recognize the shades of grey. Rarely is someone truly evil. They may be selfish, but there usually is a reason behind that. Marb sees through and looks for truth, forgives and does not rush to conclusions.

Order of Truth

Also known as Order of the Faithful. Marb and Hadia are probably the only functional couple in the entire pantheon. They are faithful to each other beyond death – as proven by Hadia when she followed Marb to the Underwold.

Any attempts to divide those two usually did not go well – Lorick, the apprentice of Dah Nil once wanted to brainwash Hadia and take her back to mortal realm. But instead, Marb cursed his mind and to this day he wanders the Infinite Labyrinths of the Underwrold. Or that one time when Arsia tried to assassinate Marb in his sleep only to be…

Either way, one must not confuse faithfulness and truth with unconditional loyalty. Being faithful means not letting others bend your will, not compromising what is right. It does not mean not changing your believes, stubbornly following a chosen path.

Domains & Symbol

Symbol is a (grey) hand (usually pointing somewhere)

See also

• Lynxian Empire - Empire of shot and steel.