The Gods of Haven

[defe999]

My Suggestion for a Pantheon of Gods in H&H
To finish my list after those list, i'll publish this list of "Beastlings" gods. I’m sure I am not the first to propose adding a mythological pantheon of gods to the lore of H&H and I’m sure I will not be the last. Nonetheless I am a long time big fan of mythology, and this possible list of gods is but an exercise of diversion. Given that the “Hearthling” society es modeled partially after that of the ancient Nords, germanic peoples and vikings, I though the best source of inspiration is, of course, Nordic (icelandic) mythology. But given that the gods of the mediaeval nords is well know, to copy and paste the ancient divine figures doesn’t seem as an interesting prospect, at least for me. I have drawn inspiration of ancient northerners, such as Ainu, Innuit and Finnish to some extent, and I think a good idea would be to formúlate a pantheon of animal divinities, not so different from that of the Ainu or northern North American mythological beliefs. Nordic, though, were fond of animal imaginery in ther myths, preserved in Icelandv and as such, the names of these mythological beasts and gods seem as a good starting point to name the deities of the Hearthlings.

First of all, I will comment that these gods I formulate do not constitute a “family” in the common sense, although it was common in ancient times that families of divinities changed according to región and time. Thus, I don’t think that is a fundamental part of a pantheon, but the things that the deities represent in their “cores” usually are mantained through time. In nordic mythology animals had a symbolic dimension, and as such, for example, wolver were seen as dangerous vicious beasts (Fenrir, Sköll, Hati), crows were associated with death and knowledge (Hugin, Munin). Boars and sows were usually associated with fertility but also with warriors, and had a close relationship with the Vanir (Freyr, Freyja), goats were associated with sexuality, potency and sustenance (Thor’s Goats, Heidrun). In the Finnish homelands and in Ainu territory, on the other hand, the hunt was the prevalent livelihood method, and the bear remained an important beast, associated with the forest and its dangers. Among celtic and germanic people the cult to Horse deities was very important, while in Egypt, Greece and India, Cows remained specially importan, while the Bull was a lunar animal associated with virility in the Near East. Thus, a pantheon of “Beastlings” or animal deities doesn’t seem too farfetched and actually blends really well with the game.

The pantheon, mostly lacking a monolithic hierarchy, is associated with “warrior” orders of the nordic people, in which warrior sought to be possesed by the spirit of certain animals, usually bears, wolves or boars, to go against their enemies undefeatd. Their forms would be represented in “carved steles” as their respective animals, painted in red and surrounded by abstract motives o even people, or they could very well be represented in their “heathen idols” carving human bodies with animal heads o directly carving animal forms, and specific skulls and pelts could be used to create skull poles (totems) and fetishes (with hides). Everyone of these gods could also provide certain “blessings”, usually at the momento of the hunt, ori f they are “domestic animal gods”, like the deity of boars/pigs, cows or goats, these could give economic agricultural blessings as well. This system could be also complementd making a “astronomical lore” of “animal constellations” related to the adventures of the Beastlings and their myths ore ven explaining through them certain climatic or celestial phenomena. The list, though, is separated in thre “families” of gods, related each to the Sky (birds), Land (mammals) and Sea (fishes, as whales and dolphins where usually thought to be fishes in the past):

Land Beastling Tribe:

• Maimanto, Mammoth Lady: among the land beastlings, the biggest of them all is the Mammoth, lady of the steppe, of strenght and thunderous voice. She is respected by all the beast gods, and is incredibly wise, her memory protecting the secrets of the begining of the world. She boasts incredible power, longevity and because of her wisdom she is considered the Matriarch of the Gods. She is sometimes considered as a White mammoth, while others believe she has a third eye in the middle of her forehead with which she sees the past. Generally, though, she is mostly believed to be blind. A common myth says that the world is actually sustained on her back, and all the Beastlings and herself live in the heavenly paradise, walking around the World Tree. She is often considered the mother of the gods and also she is usually responsible of giving advice on how to deal with them, most notable, when the Bear rage threatened to destroy the world, she was the one that adviced to give him mead. He got drunk, thus saving the world. In dry season she is though to suck water with her trunk blowing it to cause rain, thus being associated with weather.
• Bergelmir, Bear Lord: particularly agressive and wrathful, sleeps in a Cave in the slopes of the “World Mountain” or among the roots of the World Tree. He is the protector of the “Berserker”, Bear Warriors who use bear pelts in battle. He is fond of honey and mead and alcoholic beverages in general and thus he is seen sometimes as a drunken god and mead or beer are offered to apease his wrath and make him fall asleep again. Berserker: Bear Warriors that use bear pelts and know the “Secret of the Bear”that gives them strenght in battle.
• Hrodvitnir, Wolf Lord: solitary god of the night, the Woods and wolf packs, he’s lost an eye, and is usually accompanied by ravens (as they are seen together in battlefields). He is a god of war, of hunger, of the moon, and it is said that his perpetual hunger will make him devour the sun and the moon in the end of time. Úlfhédnar: Wolf Warriors that use wolf pelts in battle and know the “Secret of the Wolf” to use it against their enemies.
• Hyrrokkin, Wolf Lady: she is said to be the mother of wolves and snakes and the lady of witches, a goddes of the night, of the forest, of wolves howling in the dark. She is said to be the wife of the Wolf, but she likes to travel the forest in the middle of the night, all alone. She also has a liking for snakes, as she uses them as collars and usually has one of them in her hands or her mouth.
o Geri and Freki, Brothers Hound Lords: twin sons of the Wolf, their names mean “ravenous” and “greedy”, they betrayed their feather in favor of the Hearthlings cause they ofered a pile of fat, bone and skin that seemed like a lot of meat. Once they discovered the ruse, they tried to return to their father but he cursed them to go behind the Hearthlings until the end of days.
• Hildisvíni, Boar Lord: one of the “Three Lords of the Forest” with the Wolf and the Bear, he is an aggresive and paranoid god who likes to attack others without provocation. He has an numerous offspring, all of them prefering to go together and follow his great father. He is the patron of the “Svinfylking”, the Boar Warriors. Svinfylking: Boar Warriors that use bear pelts in battle and know the “Secret of the Boar” that gives them prowess with cutting weapons.
• Sýrdís, Sow Lady: fecund mother of pigs and boars alike, she is a goddess of childbirth and motherhood that looks after her numerous offspring. She is often represented paired with the Boar.
o Slidrugtanni, Hog Lord: first son of the Boar and the Sow, he is a golden haired boar with silver tusks whose appearance usually brings a light similar to that of the dawn, shining momentarily upon the forest before dissapearing into the wilderness once again.
o Saehrímnir, Pig Lord: although Pig is the biggest of the sons of the Boar and the Sow, he is a voracious glutton, a fatty giant and comically lusty. He is the father of Pigs, lover of food and sows, but lacks the warrior spirit of his brothers.
• Hreinndís, Reindeer Lady: the mother of the Reindeer is imagined as a gigantic antlered goddess with white fur who roamos about the celestial tundra, wife of the Stag Lord. They nonetheless inhabit vastly different landscapes, as she preferes cold snowy climates and barren lands while he lives in the woods and verdant vegetation of the mild climates.
• Eikthyrnir, Stag Lord: upon the World Tree (Laeradr), an enormous stag feeds on its leaves and buds. From his antlers he distills such abundant exudation that it comes down into the world and feed numerous rivers. He is father of four brothers which travel with the four winds of the world.
o Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr, Durathrór, Four Wind Stags: the four sons of the Stag, they are called “Dead”, “Unconscious”, the calm winds, “Thundering” and “Snorer”, representing the noisy heavy winds carrying storms.
• Heidrun, Nanny Goat Lady: magical goat that feeds on the leaves of the World Tree, and from his udders four streams of mead run into the world of gods, feeding the Bear and mantaining him asleep, and feeding the Paradise’s Sea of Mead. She is also a goddess of love and passion, and has three sons, the Goat and the Twin Goats.
o Julbocken, Billy Goat Lord: he is the goat thar presides over Winter and the Winter Solstice, the celebration of Yule, festivity where he, the Boar and the World Tree are celebrated joyously with food, beverages and games. He is dangerous nonetheless, and can be deceiving, his eyes don’t tell his intentions.
o Tanngrisnir y Tanngnjóstr, Twin Goat Lords: warring sons of the Nanny Goat, they are gods of storm and thunder, with furious glowings eyes, always fighting among themselves, they cause thunder when their horns slam against each other.
• Brundr y Kaelinn, Twin Lynx Gods: the Twin Lynxes are two big blue cat deities that travel the mountains together. The lynxes are fleet of feet and are never seen alone. They are also gods of the night and the mountains, of the secrets of the Woods and distrust, stealth and theft.
• Reginhard, Fox Lord: cunning and mischievous, the Fox is another of the trickster gods who usually causes chaos among men and gods. He is rebelious and full of wit, usually tricking other gods into doing his chores. He must not be trust, as he is and adept liar, but he also knows secrets of divination and is usually thought to know the secrets of the gods, just like the Raven and the Salmon.
• Audumbla, Cow Lady: beloved goddess of motherhood and birth, she is often associated with mothers breast-feeding their offspring. She usually licks glaciers and mountaintops in spring, causing these to melt, from its udders the rivers of the world are said to flow endlessly. Her milk also feeds a “Milk Sea” in the world of the gods and some claim that the Milky Way is a river flowing from her teats.
• Ratatoskr, Squirrel Lord: a trickster god who likes to travel along the trunk of the Wolrd Tree (Laeradr), going up and down to exchange insults between the inhabitants of the top and those living in its roots. He also lies and likes to deceive, and some say his jokes will cause the end of the world when the Beastlings, angered at each other, will battle among themselves to death.
• Skvader, Rabbit Lady: goddess of spring, of fertility, of hares and rabbits, associated with Ostara/Easter traditional celebrations. She was so fleet-of-feet that the birds became jealous of her, and began insulting her. She challenged the birds to a race, and if she could win, birds of all kinds would give her feathers to make herself wings, but if she lost they would be able to skin her. She won the race, and the birds had to make wings for her, and that’s why the goddes of rabbits is a winged rabbit. She, as a trickster goddess, also stole the antlers of the Hart, and that’s is why it falls yearly and has to grow again.
• Skinfaxi, Mare Lady: the goddess of the Sun, her mane shines so bright that she has to mantain distance with the world or she will burn it altogether. She is the beautiful Mare, and is said to be the patroness of raiders and protector of foals, and she brings daylight and warm with herself.
• Hrímfaxi, Stallion Lord: the god of the Moon, he is a elegant white stallion that travels across the sky every night. He is said to have been almost as shining as her sister in the past, but the Raven stole his radiant fire to give it to mankind. He is proud and strong, and is also said to be a god of the night winds.
• Fafnir, Serpent Lord: he is a great serpent who usually is imagined protecting the treasures of the gods. He is mysterious and silent, living underground, and is considered very greedy, hoarding mountains of gold and silver. He is imagined as a serpent eating his tail forming a ring, and is seen as a god of fortune, of riches, of the treasures underground, of snakes and murky caves.
• Grindalokkur, Spider Lord: the hierarchy of the insect world considerers that the chief among insects if the Spider, whose hability to weave its nets is seen as showing his mastery over weaving, secrets, lies and deceit. He is very mysterious and silent, and he set traps to catch its prey, specially flies.

Sky Beastling Tribe:

• Vedrfölnir, Eagle Lord: he is usually considered the lord of the birds of the world, seated on the top of the World Tree watching at averything that happens in the sky. He is silent and mysterious, and is said to descend from the tree only when he wants to take something form the world. He is so big that his wings cause eclipses, and when he flaps them he causes powerful winds. He was the guardian ofthe Fire of the Gods, but he fell asleep out of boredom, then the Raven stole it. Since then he was cursed by all the Beastlings to look directly at the sun without blinking.
• Hábrok, Hawk Lady: she is the swift goddess of the sky that descends from the top of the World Tree, where she sees besides his husband, the Eagle, and she takes preys with herself to feed her husband. She is seen as the most beautiful bird goddess, goddess of beauty and elegance that taught the other birds the secrets of flight.
• Vidopnir, Gullinkambi and Fjalar, Three Rooster Lords: these three birds are considered to represent the Sun at Dawn, at Midday and at Dusk, as they crow each at its respective moment every day. Gullinkambi, with his golden crest, is said to shine brightly, traveling mounted on the Sun Mare’s back, and the three of them are seen guardians of the Fire of the Gods.
• Gullveig, Owl Lady: traditional wife of the Bear, she is a goddess of death that takes the dead with her into the forest, that can warn when a death is close, and that knows the secrets of man and the night. Her reyes see through the darkness of the world and thus she is considered the goddess of wisdom, but she also watches the behavior of the Hearthlings and if the rites are correctly exercised.
• Hladgud and Hervor, Swan Maidens: to the north of the world, it is said that a pair of swan maidens protect the vase from wich all the water of the world flows into the land forming innumerable water streams. They are called the waterbearer goddesses and are usually considered the goddesses of rivers and fresh water.
• Hrafnáss, Raven Lord: the trickster companion of the Wolf Lord, he likes to repeat words and he travels the world to spy onto the life of Hearthlings to go and tell the Wolf. He is mischievous and traitorous, he likes lies and jokes, and travels the world searching for the dead. He was once white, yet he stole the fire from the gods to give it to the Hearthlings who were freezing to death in a long Winter. The gods were angered, but as they had thick furs covering their bodies, they just laughed at the Raven cause he was burned in the travel and his feathers became coal black.
o Linnunrata: flock of magpies said to form the Milky Way as a “path of birds” traversing the sky from one end to the other. These magpies are considered to be the maids of the Bird Gods that inhabit the skies.

Sea Beastling Tribe:

• Lyngbakr, Whale Lord: he is the father and lord of the surface of the sea and all the sea mammals that inhabit coast and beach, even those that play in rivers, like beavers and otters are seen as his sons. All these beasts travel to him and tell him the secrets of the land and sea, and he watches for the sailors, fishers and hunters to properly conduct his rites. Although he fights constantly against the Octopus, he is not seen as better than he is, because he can unleash his sons, the Illhveli, if he considers that someone has insulted him.
o Illvehli: marine monsters that only can be commanded by Lingbakr, their father, who can free them out of ther prison at the bottom of the sea to punish those sailors that do no show him proper respect.
 Sverdhvalur, Sword Whale
 Skeljúngur, Shell Whale
 Taumhvelur, Bridle Whale
 Katthvalur, Cat Whale
 Nauthvelur, Ox Whale
 Hrosshvalur, Horse Whale
 Raukembingur, Red Crest Whale
 Bloejuhvalur, Veiled Whale
 Mushvelur, Mouse Whale
 Trollvhalur, Troll Whale
 Zyffhvalur, Beaked Whale
• Hrossmara, Walrus Lady: it is commonly said that the wife of the Whale is the Walrus, goddess whose domain is ice and the rocky coasts. It is told that in the past she had hands, which she used to take ships into the depths, but a man, prepared to face her, took with him an axe and when she was going to take his ship into the waters he cut her hands (or her fingers). Since then, walruses don’t have hands. She used to posses a trident made with walrus tusks, and she is said to be the Herder of seals. Marmennill: mermen that inhabit the sea’s depths, usually they posses characteristic of seals or walrus, they have prophetic habilities.
• Kraken, Octopus Lord: monstruous god of the sea’s depths, usually considered enemy of the Whale, they fight terrible battles that seem just like storms to the sailors and fishermen. He is greedy, lord of the sea’s depths, and usually extends its long arms to the surface to catch vessels and to sink them into his watery abodes. It is said that those that die drowned in the sea are taken into his realm.
• Lodurr, Salmon Lord: it is commonly said that the most revered of the fishes is the saber-tooth salmon, whose father is associated with fire and wisdom, considered a trickster among the Sea family. It is said that when the gods became aware that they had lost the fire, they began to search across the land. The Raven came to the Salmon and asked him to hide it, so he took it and ate it, and the gods didn’t thought it would be hidden in the water. As a result, the Salmon became crimson red, and after that he and the Raven gave the fire to the Hearthlings.
• Trjónukrabbi, Crab Lord: he is the lord of crabs, guardian of the palaces of the sea gods, and their treasures too. He is completely covered in armor, and he guides all crabs into battle. He is said to have had an afair with the Pearly Lady, and a constant enmity with the Spider, with whom some believe he disputes his domain.
• Hafnýra, Mother-of-Pearl Lady: she is considered the goddess of the treasures of the sea, of coral and pearls, of mirages, whose fumes and vapors create illusions of ships and islands when there are not. She is seen as a goddess of beauty, her fleshy body enclosed in between hardy shells, adorned with collars of pearls, and it is said that she has a throne in the depths, carved out of a single giant pearl.
• Hafgufa, Eel Lady: she is said to be the mother of fishes, lady of fishermen and the rivers and sea currents. She is though to be big as the Whale, if not bigger, surrounding the whole world with her body and gnawing her own tail. She is mysterious and called beautiful, even though she is considered hideous, because she can retain her fishes in her watery abode and see the fishermen starve to death in retribution. Margygur: mermaids that inhabit the sea’s depths, they come out to the surface to tempt sailors and fishermen.

• Laeradr, World Tree: among the gods and spirits of the world, it is sais that old places and even old tres have specially powerful spirits and gods living inside them. As everything has an spiritual or divine presence, older means more powerful. Among the trees, the oldest tree is “Laeradr”, the World Tree, whose roots extend deep into the underworld and its branches reach the sky. Laeradr is seen as a talking tree on whose braches every fruit and every bird sings, and the world revolves around it, as it acts as some kind of celestial pole.

This is my not so short list of things that I would love to see implemented into the game in the future. Of course I know some things, like animals, are relatively easy to implement, while others, like a whol world terraforming may require a world reset, and I hope that doesn’t occur too son, as I am yet developing in the actual world. This is not a must do list, on any form of way, but a list of proposition and ideas, and ítems can be added freely. I have left aside a lot of possibilities too, those that seemed too redundant (like variosspecies of passerine birds). Some of these systems are proposals, and I don’t know anything about “mechanics” and programmation to differentiate into a scale of progressive difficulty of implementation. That is sad, cause I would love to help developing games like these. I hope you don’t read this as a list of things that are “lacking”, but as a list of things that can be added to the game to make it more complete, more compeling, more natural. I know it is easier said than done, and I really like the game, but diversifying it to further limits would make it even more immersive. If anyone reads this list, I would be glad to discuss it, to cross out those things that are not necessary, but I can also add things that are important enough and I forgot while formulating the list. Discussing mechanics and “systems” would be interesting too, as a way to explore how these systems could be implemented into the game.

Excuse my posible grammatical faults and typos, English is not my native language, but I think it can be read without major problems. For those that would read to this points, I hope you find this list complete enough.

[MagicManICT]

Moderator note: Split this topic off from its original thread: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=59685. The subject should be discussed on its own apart from a group of smaller ideas and suggestions for flavor objects. I think the subject has come up before, but it's been a while if it has, and may have been lost to the forum migration disaster of '15.

[viznew]

since i seem to be drawn to wolfs

• Hrodvitnir, Wolf Lord: solitary god of the night, the Woods and wolf packs, he’s lost an eye, and is usually accompanied by ravens (as they are seen together in battlefields). He is a god of war, of hunger, of the moon, and it is said that his perpetual hunger will make him devour the sun and the moon in the end of time. Úlfhédnar: Wolf Warriors that use wolf pelts in battle and know the “Secret of the Wolf” to use it against their enemies.

hunts at night, can't see very far, and ravens flys around him, when thay are near something thay make noise and draw the deadly beast closer to something edable, he can sense when a hearthling is hungry and is able to "see" them sooner




• Hyrrokkin, Wolf Lady: she is said to be the mother of wolves and snakes and the lady of witches, a goddes of the night, of the forest, of wolves howling in the dark. She is said to be the wife of the Wolf, but she likes to travel the forest in the middle of the night, all alone. She also has a liking for snakes, as she uses them as collars and usually has one of them in her hands or her mouth


also hunts at night , howls every night very loudy can be heard for a great distance almost like a warning to her soon to be meals, her bites is like that of an adder and theres always adders close behind her

[jorb]

A for effort post, son.