Faiths of Sublanarya: Elephants, Snakes and the Moon (Shakti, Heramba, Kali, Manasa, Murugan, Thoth-Khonshu, Aubi)

Heramba is a famous and well-loved god in much of Raj-Hamut. Heramba is the god of the common man due to his virtues of perseverance, good-humor but also his role as a problem solver. He is popular and his worship is widespread with temples across the land. He is called the "remover of obstacles" and is a humble, flawed but clever god. His life began one hot summer, a long time ago...

The goddess Shakti was lonely in the home of her husband, the all-powerful Shiva, who was busy aboard. She was shaping clay into objects for her home and she had an idea: to form a child, a boy, out of the clay. As she did so, she was enamored with the handsome little figure and so, with the boundless love and power of the motherly goddess, a power that was a match for even Shiva, she gave it life and called her son Heramba.

Heramba had a mighty hunger and so, telling Heramba to guard the palace until she returned, Shakti went to the jungle to find food for him.

Shiva returned to surprise his wife and found a handsome youth blocking his entry. He told the boy to let him pass but the boy said that no one could enter without his mother's permission. Not realizing that the boy was his own son, Shiva fought the boy. He was surprised by the boy's courage and strength but none can resist the destructive power of Shiva. He beheaded the boy and went inside his palace.

When Shakti returned, she was mad with grief at the sight of her fallen boy and transformed into her most terrible form, Kali the Annhilator.

Even Shiva fears Kali; she is his equal in power and purpose but guided with a righteous ferocity that is a horror to behold. She set upon Shiva, beating and berating him for his callous act of violence against Heramba, until the mightiest of gods was forced to relent and beg his wife for forgiveness. He called out to his servants and told them to find his son a worthy replacement for his head-- and fast to placate his wife's fury.

The first creature they found was an elephant and, in their haste, this is how Heramba was given his iconic appearance and wisdom. Kali reverted to Shakti and Shiva welcomed his son into heart with open arms. But this was not the only story of Heramba. The other is of how he lost one of his tusks...

Heramba had two siblings: Murugan the Divine Spear, the handsome, swift and proud warrior god, and Manasa the Green Physician, the beautiful serpentine goddess and divine doctor. Manasa was known to play her two brothers against each other in contests since Murugan was cocky and Heramba was stubborn. It often made for an amusing contest between the two brothers but none was more famous than the "Cake Race".

Manasa was making cakes. Murugan and Heramba both wanted the cakes but Manasa decided to make a game out of it. She said that they were wedding cakes and that the first brother to get married would receive the cake. They set-up a challenge that the first brother to encircle the world would be the first to be married and therefore get the first slice of cake. Murugan took the bet out of pride and Heramba took it more out of desire for cake.

Manasa immediately took off on his peacock and shot off across the sky. Heramba did not leave the palace. Instead, he found his parents and embraced them seven times. He had put into practice the idiom: "He who circles his parents in his embrace, circles the world in his arms". Before Murugan could make it to the horizon, Heramba had already crossed the world and won the bet.

Heramba was married and got to take the first slice of cake. Unfortunately, Heramba's weakness is food. The god could not control himself and, after tasting the first bite of the cake, gobbled the rest of it down. The gods were furious and chased him from his own wedding party. He escaped on the back of his loyal mouse steed Kroncha.

Manasa was madder than the others and decided to punish Heramba by sending one of her snakes to cross his path. The snake startle Kroncha and Heramba was thrown from his perch. The god's belly split wide open and the cake tumbled from his belly. The cake formed the Ondon mountains. Wounded, the god grabbed the snake and wrapped it around his belly to seal the wound, showing his ingenuity. He climbed back atop Kroncha when he heard laughter from above.

Thoth-Khonshu the Moon Counselor to the gods of Ptah-Hamut laughing and mocking him. Heramba broke off one of his own tusks and, with a force like a hurricane, threw the tusk with such force that it split the moon into three pieces. Raj-Hamutians say this is why there are three moons in the sky.

Thoth-Khonshu's wife Aubi the Scribe is said to use the tusk as a quill so he never forgets diligence and restraint again.

SHAKTI THE MOTHER OF MANY

Title(s)

The Divine Cow, The Triumvirate Goddess, The Forgiver, She of Three Sides, The Supreme Chakra

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Greater Deity

Alignment

Neutral Good

Symbol

A heart framed in a cows horns

Portfolio

Love, creation, destruction, forgiveness, energy

Domains

Life

Worshipers

Mothers, healers, midwives, women, shepherds

 

Favored Weapon

Trident

HERAMBA THE GENTLE GIANT

Title(s)

The Remover of Obstacles, Leader of the Group, Humble Headed, One-Tusk, The Elephant God

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Neutral Good

Symbol

An elephant's head

Portfolio

Prosperity, Peace, Perseverance, Cunning, Animals

Domains

Nature, Protection

Worshipers

Druids, haathraji, beastfolk, elephant herds, common folk

 

Favored Weapon

Swords

KALI THE ANNHILATOR

Title(s)

The Destroyer Goddess, The Unforgiving, The Fury, The Dark Mother, The Horned Dragon

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Greater Deity

Alignment

 Chaotic Evil

Symbol

A bleeding skull

Portfolio

Destruction, annihilation, violence, assassination, rage

Domains

Death, War

Worshipers

Assassins, witches, demons, warriors, women

 

Favored Weapon

Sickle

MANASA THE GREEN PHYSICIAN

Title(s)

The Snake Goddess, The Divine Doctor, The God's Physician, The Python Queen, The Wisewoman

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Neutral Good

Symbol

A python curled around a lotus scepter

Portfolio

Snakes, poison, medicine, healing, forests

Domains

Life, Nature

Worshipers

Healers, doctors, wisewomen, druids, yuan-ti

 

Favored Weapon

Dagger

MURUGAN THE DIVINE SPEAR

Title(s)

The Peacock, The Warrior of Heaven, The Proud and Handsome Son, True-Of-Aim, The Battle Dancer

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Neutral

Symbol

A peacock clutching a spear

Portfolio

War, battle, courage, victory, fury

Domains

War

Worshipers

Warriors, bachelors, athletes, princes, lovers

 

Favored Weapon

Spears, Bows

THOTH-KHONSHU THE MOON COUNSELOR

Title(s)

The Ibis, The Loremaster, The Lunar Prince, The Wisest Son of Yasar, The

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Greater Deity

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Symbol

An ibis and a quill

Portfolio

The moon, history, wisdom, justice, education

Domains

Knowledge

Worshipers

Judges, advisors, teachers, loremasters, scholars

 

Favored Weapon

Darts

AUBI THE SCRIBE

Title(s)

The Writer, The Author, The Spotted Goddess, The Knower-Of-Knowledge, The Ink-Spotted

Pantheon(s)

Hamutian

Power Level

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Neutral

Symbol

Cheetah with a palm leaf

Portfolio

Writing, scribes, astronomy, learning, poetry

Domains

Knowledge

Worshipers

Scribes, catfolk, assistants, writers, bards

 

Favored Weapon

Swords