The Pantheon of Bennick
(*Ze, zem, zir, etc. are all gender neutral pronouns, which can be used for any gender, but I chose to use them specifically for the gods with non-binary genders. Feel free to use them in modern conversation.)
Beficks - God of The Forge and Tamed Flame (Lawful Neutral)
Elice - Goddess of Shadows and Secrets (Chaotic Neutral)
Eliza - Goddess of Undead and Necromancy (Lawful Evil)
Fotex - God of Time (Lawful Neutral)
Hazza - God of Plague (Chaotic Evil)
Ion - Genderless God of Weather (True Neutral)
Kesi - Goddess of Spirits and Rebirth (Lawful Neutral)
Kirim - Goddess of Nature: Animals and Plants (Chaotic Neutral)
Lilliah - Goddess of Healing and Traditional Goodness (Neutral Good)
Lunessta - Goddess of Night, Galas, and Moonlight (Lawful Neutral)
Ova - Mother Goddess of Family and Mankind (Lawful Neutral)
Phera - Intersex Goddess of Love (Neutral Good)
Prothmere - God of Order and Law (Lawful Good)
Sekri - Goddess of Chaos and Disorder (Chaotic Evil)
Sol - God of Day, Festivals, and Reveling (Chaotic Neutral)
Sordine - Gender-fluid God of Music, Melody, and Harmony (Neutral Good)
Under - God of Trickery and Thievery (Neutral Evil)
Valkyr - God of Honor and Strategy (Lawful Neutral)
Xin'To - Genderless God of Revolution and Civilization (True Neutral)
Ylph - Genderless God of Knowledge and Magic (True Neutral)
Zhou - God of Bloodshed and War (Chaotic Neutral)
Beficks - God of The Forge and Tamed Flame (Lawful Neutral)
- Symbolized by a massive metal golem, carrying a large molten forge on its back. His weapon of choice is a massive version of things that a smith would likely forge, including hammers, spears, swords, etc.
- Rarely worshipped, but known throughout Bennick. Many smiths craft an idol of or for the god as the progress through their apprenticeship.
Elice - Goddess of Shadows and Secrets (Chaotic Neutral)
- Symbolized by hundreds of black threads forming a woman's shape. Her weapon of choice is a shortsword paired with a small crossbow.
- Worshipped in secret, but spoken of in daylight. None know the strange worship techniques but her disciples. Her name is usually used in sealing promises and important secrets.
Eliza - Goddess of Undead and Necromancy (Lawful Evil)
- Symbolized by a skeleton made of obsidian, with rubies for eyes. Her weapon of choice is a one-handed mace, her free hand swirling with dark energies.
- Usually worshiped in secrecy and private, but when worshipped in the open, it is for sanctuary from the dead or to help put those fallen in battle to rest.
- Worshippers of Eliza bury dead animals under their homes, so the spirits of the beasts will rise and protect the devout's belongings, as well as keep the house to solely worshipers of Eliza. Occasionally, worshipers of Kirim or Kesi will attempt to dig up these animals and bury them in the wild.
Fotex - God of Time (Lawful Neutral)
- Fotex is actually rarely depicted throughout history, or at least not depicted linearly. He changes appearance with every image, and only does his name remain the same, following him like a faithful hound. His weapon of choice is avoidance, maneuvering about his enemies until his magic can tear them or the environment around them to shreds.
- His devout struggle to pray to him due to the language barrier, and can only do so through intense meditation. It is impossible to tell if your prayer has been heard, but as many of Fotex's worshipers proclaim, "Only time will tell."
Hazza - God of Plague (Chaotic Evil)
- Symbolized as a writhing swarm of locusts, scarabs, and roaches. His weapon of choice is the virulent swarms that fester on his body.
- Frequently worshipped to ward plague and pests, but some of his followers prefer to attract them.
Ion - Genderless God of Weather (True Neutral)
- Worshipped to ward storms and the like, as well as to bring water to crops, bring sunlight to herds, and other such things. Xyr weapon of choice is a metallic staff, echoing with thunder.
- To pray to the Thundercloud God, it must be storming in some way or another, for only in Ion's fury may your words be heard. Xyr devout will strip to only the bare essentials and embrace the storm, allowing their god's emotions to wash over them.
Kesi - Goddess of Spirits and Rebirth (Lawful Neutral)
- Symbolized as a few dozen iridescent songbirds forming the shape of a woman. Her weapon of choice is a sickle, used for harvesting souls.
- Her worshippers have taken not only a life-long vow of chastity, with permission to only bear one child, but they also fast one day a week, to align their spiritual aspects as well as their health's.
Kirim - Goddess of Nature: Animals and Plants (Chaotic Neutral)
- Symbolized by a white elk with branches for antlers in the winter; in the spring, she is a flock of robins in human form in the spring; in the summer, she is a swarm of fireflies, forming the shape of a woman; finally, in fall she is a whirlwind of autumn leaves, that condense to form the image of a woman. Her weapon of choice is the weapons of nature: claws, talons, beaks, teeth, etc.
- Rarely worshiped outside of the forests and jungles of Bennick, but commonly referred to by farmers and ranchers for hope she will bless their crops and livestock.
Lilliah - Goddess of Healing and Traditional Goodness (Neutral Good)
- Symbolized by white orchids, lilies, fruits, and herbs, but never depicted as something that interacts directly with people, for her holiness is only something people embrace. Her weapon of choice is a flail, she can inflict wounds just as well as she can mend them.
- Her worshipers are sworn to an oath of pacifism, only turning to violence when they are seeking the enemies of their goddess. They must pray if they are ever to break their oath for any reason aside protection, unless the creature they strike has committed some kind of atrocity.
Lunessta - Goddess of Night, Galas, and Moonlight (Lawful Neutral)
- Symbolized by an owl with moons for eyes that leaves a trail of stardust, and as a cat with star shine for eyes and fur like the night sky. Her weapon of choice is a pair of slim longswords.
Ova - Mother Goddess of Family and Mankind (Lawful Neutral)
- Ova is the only goddess depicted as merely a humanoid, occasionally with elegant wings and sometimes with hair that reaches for a hundred or so feet. She is the only pacifist, with no weapons or armor.
Phera - Intersex Goddess of Love (Neutral Good)
- Phera is traditionally symbolized by zir harp. It is elegant and made of gold, with strings of pure emotion and feelings, and ivory inlays among the beautiful instrument. Zir weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.
Prothmere - God of Order and Law (Lawful Good)
- Rarely depicted as anything but a man in heavy, pearl-like armor, with a hammer larger than he is.
- He is married to Sordine, the god of music, and together they forge order and harmony, though occasionally discord and unalignment from their clashing ideas.
- His devout pray by drawing the Primum Mobile on the ground, then sitting within the center of their illustration, showing their god that they are under his control and seek to remain in order. Many clerics and priests of his name carry embroideries of the illustration to sit upon, so they don't have to draw all the time.
Sekri - Goddess of Chaos and Disorder (Chaotic Evil)
- Depicted as black and crimson lightning, taking the shapes of people, usually women. Her weapon of choice is spiked chains that extend out of her back.
- Several cults follow in her name, and fight as well as aid others for the strangest of reasons, adding extra chaos to be thrown about in the world.
Sol - God of Day, Festivals, and Reveling (Chaotic Neutral)
- Usually symbolized by a hound with orange fur and glowing white eyes. Sometimes depicted as a wolf with flaming teeth and a snapping maw. His weapon of choice is a shortspear.
Sordine - Gender-fluid God of Music, Melody, and Harmony (Neutral Good)
- Ze is depicted through all things musical, though typically through only through the most masterfully made instruments. Zir weapon of choice is weapons that involve movement similar to dancing, such as fans or ribbon knives.
- Ze is married to Prothmere, and together the create harmony and order throughout Bennick, but occasionally clash and create sour notes.
Under - God of Trickery and Thievery (Neutral Evil)
- Depicted most frequently as a man simply wearing a black cloak and donning a black mask, a wicked smile smeared across it. His weapon of choice is a single wicked dagger.
Valkyr - God of Honor and Strategy (Lawful Neutral)
- Symbolized by a phoenix with the crest of a shield on its chest. His weapon of choice is a sharp lance, typically paired with a round shield.
- Highly honored in many temples and most of Bennick.
Xin'To - Genderless God of Revolution and Civilization (True Neutral)
- Depicted by a shattered blade crossing a warped and broken shield, simple and easy to recognize. Zir weapon of choice is a double-sided bastard sword.
Ylph - Genderless God of Knowledge and Magic (True Neutral)
- Represented by various abstract ideas, usually nothing more than wisps of colors. Zir weapon of choice is a staff that contains some sort of magical power.
- Zir worshipers rarely actively pray to the god, since ze is relatively all-knowing and is already aware of their prayers. However, when in times of great need, his devout will pray as they read, reciting zirs name, then reading a line of scripture.
Zhou - God of Bloodshed and War (Chaotic Neutral)
- Symbolized by a large crow with blood red wings, its eyes glinting like the freshly drawn juices over battle. His weapon of choice is quite literally anything that can be used to draw blood, so he shies away from bludgeoning weapons.
- His worshipers are known to revel in all bloodshed, not merely of their enemies. If their allies, or even their self is harmed to the point of bleeding, they see it as Zhou's will to make them stronger.
- To pray to their god, worshipers of Zhou are known to cut the parts of themselves (or others) that they use most in combat, typically a hand or bicep, before they mutter anything to their god. It is a common practice since many believe that he sees and hears through blood, and their prayers would be unheard if there was no blood present.
Thank you, both Rose and Doom for helping me name all of these guys! You both are LIFE savers!