THE NINE GODS OF ELDER CALIMSHAN

The ancient Calishites worshipped a pantheon of deities they called the Nine:

Anachtyr: justice, retribution, law, judgment, analysis, philosophy, order, wisdom

[weathered old fighter in battered armor, who could stand firm against any force or striking attack; stern, had the power to teleport any weapon into his open bare hands, and the power to shatter or mend any weapon, in a momentary flare of radiance; tireless, dogged, inescapable in the end; terse, calm, and implacable, never angry; the grandfather figure among the gods]

Bhaelros: god of storms, natural destruction, wild beasts, hunting, impulsive spontaneity

[tall, thin, restless, constantly-moving man with calf-length wild hair that was also always moving of its own volition and in all directions, like questing snakes, was naked but clad in washes of crawling, snarling lightning over roiling smoke; often burst into rages and raged about, shrieking and cursing, and his oaths were in Urhabra, the ancient tongue of magic and incantations; feuded with the other gods, seen as rash, reckless, and contrarian; he went naked in all weather, could cloak himself with the winds, which gathered at his will into a purple to gray smoke behind and around him, and hurl lighting bolts from his hands]

Chassaura (pronounced “Chass-AWE-rah”): agriculture and natural bounty, herblore, medicine

[sister of Bhaelros, and was also tall and thin with calf-length animated tresses of hair, hers being orange to copper red; her naked body was always cloaked in green leaves and growing vines; she could by silently bending her will make all leafy plants grow at astonishing, entangling, stone-splitting speed and force, but spent far more time banishing blights and purging withering; by her grace, desired wild plants would glow momentarily when someone was hunting them in darkness or in great need; she fought by making nature overgrow and choke things at terrifying speed, or bringing huge trees crashing down to flatten foes]

Haruk (pronounced “Harr-OOK”): fire, the sun, war, gold (the Calishites of old believed that gold was the blood and souls of the violently slain twisted by fire to transform lead into gold)

[had a beard and moustache of black hair that could catch fire at his will, not consuming it or harming him, but igniting others and all substances not worn or carried by him; proud, loud, grand of manner, charismatic and dominant, usually clad in golden armor that flew apart at every impact to reveal his skin a-crawl with raging fire beneath, only to reform as full armor encasing him a moment later; could shout in a fluting chord, like a fanfare of trumpets (Calishites believed that warhorns were fashioned to try to sound like him), and speak Power Words of great force and damage; willful, wanted to get his own way and to conquer]

Ilmater: suffering, self-sacrifice, pain, endurance and perseverance, punishment, healing

[short, homely but kind-faced man with twisted limbs, so limped and walked with a shuffling gait, but could walk and stand on empty air as if it was solid ground, often seen barefoot and clad in tatters, his tread leaving smudges of blood that healed what it touched as it vaporized; was the smallest and weakest-seeming of the Nine, but could survive the worst mistreatment, and come trudging doggedly out of wrack and ruin, “keeping on;” seen as the peacemaker among the gods, gentle and caring in manner but not—quite—servile]

Jaristra: trade and travel, means of transport, taxation, wealth, logistics/storage/preservation

[sometimes male, sometimes female, and sometimes in beast form, usually as a ‘great cat’ or pegasus, but always beautiful and with large eyes rimmed with very dark and thick, continuous black lashes, Jaristra was clever and eloquent but often liked to speak cryptically or pose riddles, and could work out margins and probabilities and other mathematics such as judging volumes, heights, and distances at a glance, in mere moments; could conjure up wheels or axles or reins out of nothing to aid a stricken traveler, and raise or lower the temperature markedly in a small immediate area, for as much as a day—and so, provide warmth in a gale or blizzard, or refrigeration on a hot day, or to dry out soaked fabrics or firewood—and always worked for freedom of travel, and light taxation and law enforcement, to encourage innovation and independence: often gently clashed with Anachtyr in this regard]

Mraethra: goddess of hearth, nurture, the home, family, love, friendship, mothering and training

[always seen as a maroon-robed tall, buxom woman, warm and with the flickering radiance of a hearthfire glowing from under her skirts and up and down her arms; she wore her ankle-length purple-to-ruby-red hair like a great shell around her, and her face was usually in shadow, with only her eyes and ready smile gleaming out of it; her voice was soft and soothing, her manner friendly and caring, and she was fearless, standing up to anyone and everything; known for protecting children against their own folly and misadventure, and teleporting entire families to safety in the nick of time when disaster threatened, like a raid or a house fire; by her grace, forgotten names would be called to mind, and she had the unique talent among the gods of being able to edit the memories of mortals, to soften hurt and grief and hatred]

Nalanrune(“Lady Moon”): night, darkness, mystery, the moon, thievery and trickery

[graceful, swirling, curvaceous, yet usually seen only as sinuous movements, magnified by a swirling black cloak of soft shadows, her face always hidden except in moonlight, save for her dark but surrounded by moonglow eyes; low and purring voice, flirtatious but steely resolve lurking just beneath; known for vanishing only to reappear an instant later in quite another spot, and also known for fomenting intrigues among mortals, spreading information and disinformation and even illusions to manipulate mortals, and tirelessly adding awe, wonder, and mystery to mortal lives but NOT to foster or fan chaos and unrest, but rather to make individuals intrigued and questioning of their convictions and aims and understanding of what is true and right and should be striven for; some called her “the Turner” for her role in making people change their beliefs and allegiances and the directions of their lives]

Qistarr(pronounced “KISS-tar”): magic, both divine and arcane, but not “of nature”

[sometimes male but more often female, always wearing a dark star-shot (as in, stars twinkle in it, and shooting stars occasionally flash across it) half-mask (covering the upper face), this mask being her temple-symbol and seen hovering in midair above her altars; soft and gentle of manner and speech but swiftly deadly if crossed, in the form of precise and very powerful magical attacks, usually beams of concentrated deadly force; speaks seldom, and sometimes cryptically, can twist or stop or boost all magic, including the magic of the rest of the Nine, and so can walk unscathed through the raging fires and lightnings and explosions spell-sent by wizards; acts as a guardian angel to gifted individuals who can create new spells, and who experiment with magic and teach magic to others, and slaps down rulers and others who try to coerce, imprison, or legally restrict the wielders of magic; on rare occasions grows restless and unleashes wild magic into the world in specific locales, where all sorts of “odd” things happen for a short time, in a Wild Hunt-like racing, spreading path of spontaneous magical effects that have the side-effect of recharging nearby magical items, making existing gates glow and open, leaving behind magical energy in pools and ruins here and there, that glow a deep blue, fitfully, and so on]

Ancient Calishite Mortals Who Worked With The Nine:

There was a powerful high priest—representing all of the Nine—who held great secular power for much of his long lifespan (80-some years), an authoritarian of short stature, fair hair, and little humor, by the name of Meritor. He preferred to use the title “Exalted Servant,” and wore a tall oval headdress around which many magical gems orbited (ioun stones? History can’t confirm) and bore an ornate staff twice as tall as he was, that could emit battle magic in the form of glowing rays.

Meritor’s humorlessness and pomposity led to him being known mockingly as “Meritor the Magnificent” by the enemies and trading rivals of Calimshan.

At least one satrap (secular ruler of a Calishite region, somewhere inland in northeastern Calimshan) achieved military success, renown, and increased influence by working with the gods and winning their favor; his name was Hamnur. He had many children, by multiple wives, and his bloodlines (albeit far from Calimshan and any high rank) survive today.