The Enlightened Pantheon greatly influence the culture of Sakhar, which was shaped by the Law of the Loregiver— It provides a set of common values including honor, hospitality and the importance of one’s family that date back to the Loregiver’s teachings. Altogether this is called enlightenment. They differ from other deities, as they do not have a precise portfolio, nor alignment. Instead, each exemplifies a single characteristic or trait important to Enlightenment. They stand above the classifications of alignment, as these traits could be found in good and evil folk alike. Greatest among the Enlightened Gods are Sarenrae, Kor and Vataqatal, who set the tone for the whole of The Land of Fate.
A number of other deities, known as the Common Gods, are worshipped alongside the Enlightened Gods, although they are seen as partizan, and tolerated rather than accepted as part of the true pantheon of The Land of Fate. Many common deities are only worshipped locally, in specific areas or regions, while others only have a small number of followers. Most people, in the Land of Fate, will only make occasional prayers or sacrifice to the Common Gods, and though the Enlightened Pantheon are seen as a part of everyday life.
Other gods are seen as either savage (opposed to enlightened) or ajami (coming from outside), or perhaps both. However, see The Temple Of Ten Thousand Gods, below.
Besides the deities, almost all Sakarans believe in the power of Fate. It is not seen as a god and not worshipped, but Fate is believed to influence mortals and deities alike. Because of this, Fate is often paid homage, and sometimes called on during times of great peril. The whole of Zakhara is called the Land of Fate to signify its importance. Some sages speculated that Fate is an Overgod.
While the Enlightened Pantheon are revered a group, they have individual temple and priesthoods. |As with all religions, you will find slightly different interpretations of a deity’s philosophies in different towns and cities. However, all seem to be pleasing to the god, as the priests retain their powers and abilities. The nine Enlightened Gods are:
The common Gods are seen as partizan, and are tolerated rather than revered on a regular basis, and there are few Sakharans who will abandon the Enlightened Pantheon for one of the common gods. That said, you can find temples dedicated to these deities in some towns and cities, and you can nearly always find a representation of them in a temple dedicated to The Ten Thousand. Common Gods have alignments and specific portfolios, rather than the broad areas of interest found among the Enlightened Pantheon.
Of interest, however, is the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods which is an unusual faith in Zakhara. Its adherents believe in the enlightened gods, but hold the opinion that they, and each deity represented there, were only facets of one supreme divine being. The credo of the Ten Thousand also includes that there was a divine spark in every creature, and that the variety of mortals also reflected the theme of diversity in unity. The ideals of the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods are therefore tolerated and accepted. Its symbol is a nautilus shell.