Deities of Karnorthe

	The Major Deities The world of Karnorthe boasts many beings which may be termed deities. It is an indisputable fact that these deities do exist and upon occasion take an interest in the affairs of the various peoples of the world. Over the centuries there have been numerous well documented accounts of the various deities not only taking an interest in the affairs of the people of Karnorthe, but also on occasion taking an active part in their lives. Although there are many "beings" which could be classed as "deities" of one form or another, only some of the principle ones are mentioned in the sections that follow. These are the ones most likely to be of interest to the majority of the world's peoples.
	Karno	Karno the creator. Karno is no longer believed to exist as a distinct being, and is not generally worshipped, although Karno's memory is revered. According to belief Karno destroyed his own form, and in so doing brought the universe as it now is into existence. Karno's still beating heart became the heart of the world, Karnorthe. Everything else brought into existence by the self-sacrifice of Karno partakes to varying degrees of his essence mixed with that of the primordial chaos.
	The full pantheon of Karnorthe contains many members, the exact number is uncertain. First amongst all however are those who form the council of twelve. These are listed as follows;
	Tilanor	Tilanor, also called Tilano and T'lano, is the king of the gods. He is also known as the law bringer, and is the ruler of the heavens. He is popular amongst rulers and nobility.
	Iteria	Iteria, the spouse of Tilanor, is the queen of the gods. She is also the patron of women and the goddess of motherhood and wifehood.
	Alkurax	Alkurax is the god of the major sun, and is the twin brother of Vankurax who is god of the lesser sun. Alkurax is also known as the lord of enlightenment.
	Arriol	Arriol is revered as the goddess of the sky and ruler of birds. Arriol is somewhat fickle and when in an ill-temper sometimes provokes storms. As a result both farmers and sailors attempt to placate her with offerings.
	Arillan	Arillan is the queen of the dead. All who die are supposed to enter her realm, In practice some souls, good or bad, go directly before Tilanor for judgement. Others may be taken by Sharkan, Urmash, or necromancers. Arillan as a result is a bitter enemy of Sharkan and Urmash. Arillan also has a special place for necromancers though she rarely acts directly against them for she is patient.
	Ayan	Ayan is the goddess of love and beauty and as such is worshipped by women throughout the world. Ayan is also a patron of the arts and many painters, sculptors and bards may receive inspiration via Ayan.
	Desiran	Desiran is the pale goddess of the major moon. She is not worshipped to any great extent. Desiran is believed to be one of the greatest foes of Sharkan and his works. It is also believed that Desiran is the guardian of the three weapons of power. Desiran is also a goddess of lycanthropy, some forms such as werebear, wereleopards and werelions being classed as gifts or blessings from her.
	Karinak	Karinak is the patron of warriors and valour in arms. He is prayed to by many warriors before they engage in combat. Karinak does not usually take sides in a combat in an overt manner, but it is widely believed that he will support a favoured cause or hero. This can be done covertly by producing visions and dreams relating to tactics, by granting the gift of courage and the strength to endure adversity. Sometimes overt aid arrives in the form of one or more of his clerics. When such an occurrence takes place great deeds are likely to follow.
	Nastur	Nastur is the goddess of the harvests and seasons. Because of this she is held in great esteem by farmers and others close to the soil. Several great festivals are held in her honour at both planting and harvest times. Nastur probably has more churches and shrines than all the other deities combined, though most are very small.
	Siloth	Siloth is the smith of the gods and is the patron of craftsmen, especially those who work with metals. It has been suggested that Siloth or an avatar of his, created the three great weapons of power.
	Sirian	Sirian is the fickle ruler of the seas and as such is prayed to by sailors in an effort to placate him and obtain fine weather and smooth seas. Sirian is however engaged in an on again off again battle with his brother Urmash for mastery of the oceans. The results of these battles often produce huge storms.
	Taraskar	Taraskar is the sage of the gods and is the god of wisdom, sharing some duties with Alkurax. Taraksr is a patron to knowledge seekers, magic users, physicians etc.