Sinhàdranha

The Sinhàdranha is the primary pantheon and namesake of the Sinhàdranh faith, primarily practiced in Veria and Galemòr. It is headed by the Divine Triarchy (Àthaic: "Triarchachd Dhiadhaidh") of Turasùr, Caraìth, and Iomaidhr, the deities representing wisdom, innovation, and exploration respectively (among other aspects). While none of the divine three reign supreme, they are traditionally believed to vie for influence in a great game of godly politics; their power fluctuates with the actual popularity of their sect among worshippers. The Sinhàdranha is comprised of nine members, seven of which have their origins in the stone tablets of the Adrah-Sinh, the first written and codified example of early Verian faith.

As depicted in the first tablet of the Adrah-Sinh, the ancestor-gods of the Sinhàdranha are traditionally believed to rule over the divine traveling city of Cladachòrail, the ultimate destination for all mortal souls in the Sinhàdranhic afterlife. Because ancestor-gods are elevated to divinity by belief in their cause after death, the members of the Sinhàdranha would have made the pilgrimage to Cladachòrail as mortal souls, achieving godhood upon their arrival at one of the great inward gates of the Golden City.

List

Turasùr

Turasùr the Mage-Queen is the patron goddess of scholars, philosophers, and all who pursue knowledge. One of the Divine Triarchy, she represents wisdom, insight, magic, and the drive to learn. She is depicted as a dark-haired woman wearing the robes of a scholar over traditional lamellar plate armor, a lantern in one hand and a sword in the other. Turasùr is especially notable for beginning the standardization of popular Verian religion during her rule of the Kingdom of Mòrrùn, instituting reforms that would directly lead to the creation of the Adrah-Sinh after her death.

Caraìth

Caraìth the Smith-Lord is the patron of smiths, scientists, and craftsmen, and is the second god of the Divine Triarchy. He represents logic, security, and innovation. Usually depicted as a bearded man in the armor of a feudal warlord, the most recognizable and constant part of Caraìth’s appearance is a circlet forged from molten metal, and his eyes are also said to glow with the heat of the forge. Once thought to only be part of the Divine Triarchy by tradition, Caraìth was the least popular of the three greater ancestor-gods until the advent of the Verian Renaissance, which saw him rise to popularity comparable to Turasùr and Iomaidhr.

Iomaidhr

Iomaidhr the Wayfinder is the final god of the Divine Triarchy, and the patron of sailors, cartographers, navigators, and all those who are lost and in need of guidance. He exemplifies exploration, curiosity, and courage in the face of danger. He is depicted in two alternative aspects; the guise of the hunter and the guise of the mariner. The hunter is clad in furs and heraldic tartan robes, bearing a longbow, while the mariner wears the coat of a ship’s captain, holding a compass aloft in one hand.

Tanhàghan

Tanhàghan the Brilliant is the goddess of light, Herald of Cladachòrail, master of sun and storm alike. She is the patron of the righteous and zealous, and her followers are widely regarded as the most fervent in their worship. Serving directly under the Divine Triarchy, she is passionate and quick to anger, mirroring the countless holy warriors that fought in her name. Depicted as a haloed pale-haired woman in the white robes of a priest, a pair of wings radiate from her back, each one a glimmering collection of golden swords. Her eyes shine with the fury of trapped lightning, and she carries a great spear of fire with which she casts down the unfaithful.

Esàrdha

Esàrdha is the goddess of the harvest, trade, prosperity, and abundance, and is the patron of farmers, ranchers, cooks, and merchants. She is depicted as a dignified trader wearing a golden laurel while bearing a warhorn and a set of scales. The Temple of Esàrdha is notably sponsored by the great Guilds of Veria, rather than by tax collected under the crown, as the guilders claim her as their patron goddess.

Gulbaran

Gulbaran, sometimes called the Lord of Fools, is the ancestor-god of lies, trickery, and betrayal, but also represents luck and truth. Historically he has been known as the patron deity of gamblers and clowns, but as part of a publicity campaign the Temple of Gulbaran has recently added politicians to the list as well. He is depicted as a king’s jester, wearing interchangeable masks that represent the myriad falsehoods spread by his followers. To gaze upon his visage unmasked is to know only the truth, and it is said he appears to only his most devoted in this form.

Ubhàn

Ubhàn is the goddess of music, art, and beauty. She is most commonly depicted in elegant operatic dress, bearing either a set of bagpipes or an ever-changing tapestry. In older examples she is typically vain and self-serving, though these flaws are rarely shown in depictions presented by the Temple of Ubhàn itself.

Èsihr

Èsihr is a younger goddess, formerly part of the Sen-Craìgh, the militant guards of Cladachòrail. She represents victory, morale, and conquest, and is the patron of warriors and mercenaries. Elevated to the Sinhàdranha alongside Mòrchail following the Cogadiathan, she personally exiled the disgraced god of peace, Keladh. Represented by a red-haired warrior in full panoply of war, her holy icons are the blade and the rifle, the latter a more recent addition alongside the advent of gunpowder in Veria.

Mòrchail

Mòrchail the Shepherd was one of the old gods, elder deities worshipped before the rise of the Sinhàdranh, but persisted through the fall of the majority of his peers. Widely considered the most spiritually powerful of all gods, he rose to the ranks of the Sinhàdranha after siding with Iomaidhr in the Cogadiathan, replacing the disgraced god of peace, Keladh. Mòrchail represents balance, humility, and righteous judgement. He is the patron of shepherds and kings alike, and favors those worthy of leadership whether they choose to lead or not. Popular depictions show him as a kindly older man in the garb of the highland shepherds of Veria.

Former Members

Through death and disgrace, two members of the original nine that made up the Sinhàdranha as depicted in the Adrah-Sinh are no longer considered to be part of its ranks by the vast majority of Sinhàdranhic temples. After their removal they were replaced by the two younger members of the Sinhàdranha, who were in turn elevated from lesser pantheons of Cladachòrail.

Càslenn’s revolt started the Cogadiathan, a war between the gods themselves. The original myths behind the Cogdiathan likely arose in the ages of internecine warfare between the petty lords of Veria, as the breakdown in historical peace was the main reason for Keladh’s treachery in the realm of gods.

Càslenn

Càslenn was the god of nobility, marriage, and the ownership of land, the patron deity of lords and nobles of any rank and station. Alongside his ally Keladh and an army raised from disgruntled lesser gods, he launched a coup against the Triarchachd Dhiadhaidh in an attempt to install himself as the one ruling God-King of Cladachòrail. Despite almost achieving victory, he was killed in single combat by Iomaidhr outside the gates of Cladachòrail’s central palace.

Keladh

Believed to be the main organizer and instigator of the Cogdiathan, Keladh was once the god of peace and discourse, patron of messengers, diplomats, and advisors. Alongside the traitor Càslenn and a group of lesser gods he betrayed his own divine ideals, breaking the peace of Cladachòrail, and was thusly exiled into the endless forest realm of the Sior-Choille as punishment when Càslenn’s gambit for absolute authority over the Sinhàdranha ended in failure. He was replaced by Mòrchail, who had learned of his treachery in advance and came to warn the younger gods.