FAITH:

Men of Hyperborea are wont to glorify otherworldly beings, alien entities, animistic and ancestral spirits, and other mysterious forces of deific power. In Hyperborea, the Xathoqquan orthodoxy is doubtless the most prevalent, its practice transcending both racial and species boundaries. Regardless, men typically serve powers that accord with the ethos of Law, Chaos, or Neutrality, beseeching or praying to deities that (in their perception) share their personal philosophy; however, some worship to appease divine beings they fear. Many men will supplicate one principal being of worship, whilst others will venerate deity pairings, such as Apollo and Artemis, Xathoqqua and Kthulhu, or Ymir and Ullr. As a component of faith, some religions seek to organize through the establishment of fanes and temples. Others will erect menhirs and megalithic stone circles; others still perform sacred ceremonies in tree rings or sites of historical significance: perhaps the location where a star stone fell from the firmament, or where a great king perished in battle, and so forth. Some will make offerings at the foot of a mountain, or even the mouth of a volcano. Priestly raiment varies according to religion from simple to elaborate; too, variety is found in holy symbols, mask-wearing customs, incense use, holy oils or waters, and so forth. Traditions are limitless.

DEITIES:

The deities of Hyperborea do not comprise a pantheon; rather, they are a disparate group whose connexions to one another vary. Some are reputed to have dwelt in Hyperborea since an age when Earth was a steaming morass of primordial soup, whilst others are said to have risen to prominence before and during mankind’s ascension from the lowly depths of apedom; furthermore, other deities watch from outré dimensions and nether places afar, or planetary bodies in (relatively) close proximity. The gods are not without their conflicts and struggles with one another, but these scarcely involve mankind. The deities are oft esteemed to be loosely aligned with Law, Chaos, or Neutrality, and thus they are presented with such attributions, but most men of learning agree that the moral strictures and principles of mankind (right and wrong, Good and Evil) are largely alien to them; in sooth, even the attributions of Law, Chaos, and Neutrality may well be dubious distinctions. Each deity is associated with shapes, forms, states, events, and other sundries. These associations are neither exhaustive nor exclusive. Individual cults and religions will have unique interpretations of deital agendas; so too will opposing races of men and the various subhuman and inhuman species. Chief amongst objects of worship is Xathoqqua, whose faith reassumed prominence in the aftermath of the Green Death. Kthulhu is likewise significant, for his Chaos cults flourish as the centuries dwindle and the cold, scarlet sun deepens and swells. Although most men of Hyperborea worship Xathoqqua, this overarching orthodoxy does not preclude the veneration of other deities in lieu of or in addition to the toad god. For example, the Esquimaux may chiefly worship Kthulhu, but when dog-sledding across the frozen Plain of Leng, they might pay tribute to Ythaqqa so as to (hopefully) spare themselves of his hunger. Vikings almost always pay tribute to both Ymir and Ullr. People who worship Artemis will oft worship Apollo, too—except for the Amazons, who are said to mock Apollo. The following deities do not comprise an exhaustive list. Other divinities are worshipped in various corners of the realm, some derived from Old Earth, whilst others are of alien or extra-dimensional origin. Dæmon worship is also known, though typically manifesting in the form of a clandestine cult. Of course, not all deities are tangible entities that provide gifted adherents with sorcerous powers. Indeed, savages have been encountered who will venerate a stone, an idol, a tree, or a mountain; too, some will view their king or chieftain as divine.

Apollo:

This deity of Law is associated with light, the sun, healing, archery, swordsmanship, music, and poetry. He is the twin brother of Artemis and is said to walk amongst men, oft feigning mortality as a golden-haired youth whose wont is to join the ranks of common soldiery. When depicted with bow in hand, Apollo is identified with death, distance, terror, and awe; when depicted with the lyre he is identified with music, poetry, and dance. Some scholars posit that Apollo has taken many mortal women as his lovers and that his demigod progeny are scattered about Hyperborea. Typical followers: men (any).

Aurorus “The Shining One”:

This deity of Chaos is associated with auroræ, stars, meteor showers, comets, sorcery, and witchcraft. Aurorus is reputed to be a formless goddess who typically manifests as a swirling, sparkling mist. The belief that Aurorus dwells within the most shimmering of auroræ that fill the Hyperborean sky is commonly held. Three-faced effigies are carved to represent Aurorus, but these are nothing more than imagined representations. She speaks with a tripartite female voice and grants knowledge in exchange for animal and human sacrifice. Typical followers: men (esp. Hyperboreans), men of Leng, abominable snow-men.

Artemis:

This deity of Law is associated with hunting, forests, hills, chastity, fertility, and independence. She is said to manifest as a regal warrior-woman and is reputed to favour huntsmen and matriarchal societies. As the twin sister of Apollo, Artemis is said to dwell amongst the forests of Hyperborea, especially those of New Amazonia and the Floating Island of Paradoxon. Some believe she watches Hyperborea from Phobos, the smaller of Hyperborea’s moons. Typical followers: men (esp. Amazons).

Azathoth:

This deity of Chaos is associated with confusion, entropy, infinity, insatiable hunger, madness, vibrations, ceaselessly beating drums, and haunting f lutes. Azathoth is reputed to exist outside the ordered universe, a blasphemous, amorphous blight of bubbling Chaos. He is said to dwell at the centre of infinity, beyond time and space, ever gnawing, ever hungry. The wise speak not his name, except in hushed whispers, for Azathoth represents mindless, unspeakable horror and is believed to infect with madness the psyches of those who invoke him. Notwithstanding, certain bards and shamans tap into mystical vibrations associated with this Sultan of Chaos through use of percussive instruments and flutes; these techniques are oft learnt from the enigmatic men of Leng. Typical followers: men (esp. bards, shamans), cave-men, men of Leng, spore-men.

Boreas “The North Wind”:

This deity of Chaos is associated with arctic blasts, the North Wind, blizzards, and captivity. Boreas manifests as a bearded, massively built warrior swathed in swirling winds and wielding a spear. Legends say that he is cursed and controlled by Yikkorth, “The Ashen Worm”, though some Amazons say he was slain by Artemis and now exists as a mindless entity of perpetual wind. Boreas is believed to dwell within the confines of the North Wind, whipping about the perimeter of Hyperborea in an hexagonal pattern, though once he dwelt in the Hyperborean Mountains which at length came to be called the Spiral Mountain Array. Boreas might be glimpsed by those who journey to Hyperborea from elsewhere, or those whose ships are about to fall off the Rim of the World, pulled by the inexorable Rapids at the End of the World. Typical followers: men (any; rarely worshipped, usually scorned).

Helios “The Sun”:

This deity of Neutrality is quite literally the sun. Helios is associated with light, warmth, f ire, rebirth, righteousness, blood, and power. He is oft depicted as a scarlet-skinned giant with a beard of fire, and in artistic renditions he is also portrayed as riding a golden chariot pulled by a team of flame-hoofed horses. Some sages posit that Helios is but another aspect of Apollo, though Helios’ mystery cults reject this notion. Others suggest that Helios (cold, scarlet, and bloated) is a dying god, whose fate is dictated by forces he is powerless to command; of course, his followers reject this, too, for they believe Helios will one day assert his power and consume all in his unquenchable fire. Typical followers: men (any).

Krimmr:

This deity of Chaos is associated with horses, volcanoes, smoke, ash, courage, bloodlust, iron, and steel. It is told that Krimmr is a gigantic, bearded warrior with massive thews of stone and eyes that bleed lava. He is said to dwell in a magma-filled hall of stone and deigns to shew himself only to those followers who have been slain in unwinnable battle. Krimmr favours the bold and despises the weak; those who beg his favour are either ignored or levied with a curse. Kimmerian prophecy speaks of Krimmr one day mounting his enormous steed of black granite to battle insurmountable foes. Typical followers: men (esp. Kimmerians, blacksmiths).

Kraken (Khalk-Xu) “The Dimensional Dweller”:

This deity of Chaos is associated with extra-planar travel, outré dimensions, cosmic hunger, energy absorption, human sacrifice, time travel, illusion, duality, and reincarnation. Kraken dwells in a negative dimension and is said to manifest as a colossal octopus when invoked by his high priests. When a human sacrifice is chained to Kraken’s altar, a mauve tentacle reaches forth from otherwhere to touch the sacrifice, at once absorbing it. Frighteningly, Khalk-Xu might in sooth be one of many Krakens, an entire race of deific extra-dimensional beings whose worship may have been introduced by the Yakuts. Typical followers: men (esp. Esquimaux, Vikings).