Mythology of Krynn

AD&D (1e/2e) Rules

by Simon Lipscomb

Notes: The mythology of Krynn has, to me, suffered from the AD&D method of creating gods - simply give each god a sphere of influence, a colour, a symbol and a set of spells and leave it at that. But myth is more than this. There is a recorded cosmology for Krynn, but only one, and I like lots of conflicting ideas (the idea that every single culture on Krynn believes that the world started the same way just doesn't seem right to me!).

My initial source was from DL5 (Dragons of Mystery) and the Dragonlance Adventures hardback book. DL5 lists the gods, but it also lists alternative names given in other cultures. If you tabulate these (see below), you will see patterns emerge in who has names for what (for example, Tarsis and Icewall have names for Mishakal and most of the evil gods, but no others; elves and kender have names for the same set of gods).

From this, I made the assumption that these cultures only worshipped the gods for whom they had names. The grand list of 21 gods (7 of each from good, neutral and evil) was a later compilation by someone wanting to produce a grand unified religion. Number one suspect for this would have to be those masters of hubris, Istar. Since the Ergoth names are closest to the "official" names, it seems (although I've never seen it explicitly mentioned) that the official names are Solamnic. What may have happened is that when Istar and Solamnia merged, Istar was greatly impressed with Solamnia's gods and adopted them for their own (and later decided to "improve" them too).

However, there are no neutral gods listed for Ergoth. Where do they come from? Reorx is obviously a gnome/dwarf god, and Zivylin (the World Tree) fits very nicely into elven mythology. I think that Istar probably bundled all the gods that didn't fit elsewhere into the label of "neutral".

Sometimes the fit isn't perfect, which shows that the Istarin tried to force a square peg into a round hole. Some gods, such as Majere/Manthus and Habbakuk's appearance in the elven pantheon, cause particular problems. Sometimes Istar equated gods on the basis of their spheres (such as the elven god E'Li and the solamnic god Paladine, both patriarchal sky gods) and other times by their exhibited powers or symbols (such as Manthus and Majere, who both have the rose as a symbol, and exhibit rebirth qualities).

The other element to remember is to include historical/mythical events that caused wide-scale change. In Earth mythology, the Flood is a commonly recurring motif which may have some historical root. Before the Cataclysm, Krynn did not have any such events, but it did have a number of early Dragonwars, a time of magical chaos and the changes wrought by the Greystone of Gargath. Of course, the "Greystone" story is probably just one such version of many tales that tell of the origin of dwarves, kender and other new races. Very important for Krynn, of course, is the origin of Dragons.

What the Lore-Keeper told me - Dwarven Wisdom

Where did the world come from?

The world was made by Reorx upon His anvil. As He struck the forging blows the world slowed and time began. The stars are the sparks thrown up by His hammer.

Where did I come from?

We were made as Reorx's special children. He allowed other races to populate the world but we remained hidden beneath the mountains until such a time as Reorx decreed that we should go forth and help the other races. When dragons roamed the skies and all looked bleak for the world, that is when Reorx saw the need for strong, brave warriors and that is when dwarves first walked the face of Krynn.

Why am I here?

You are here to preserve the old ways, for through them we continue our link to the past and to Reorx the Founder. The caverns of Thorbardin must be maintained constantly, and so too must the spiritual walls of the world. The first you do with your body, the second with your soul.

Why do we die?

Nothing lasts forever - even stone wears away over time. That is the way that Reorx made things and we must not question it. However, there are evil forces in the world, set free by the other races, that can make things wear out faster than Reorx intended. They are the powers behind rust, illness, metal fatigue and so on.

What happens after we die?

After we die our bodies are taken to the Valley of the Thanes to be lain in state. The greater a dwarf you are, the greater your tomb. Greatest of all is the joint tomb of Derkin and Kharas. Your soul will go to Reorx where He tends his forge. There you may work and rest as you please, and drink ale in the cool caverns of His home.

How do I do magic?

When you build something, if you approach the task with a clean mind and clean hands, with purity of purpose, then you may sometimes reflect a tiny portion of the magic that Reorx did when he created the world, and what you make will be special in some way. Maybe it will never break, under any circumstance. Maybe it is twice as effective at whatever it is supposed to do than, perhaps someone using it will never tire. Also, if you are a good dwarf, sometimes your prayers to Reorx may be answered, but this is never in the way we expect.

Once, long ago, the Sorcerers taught us their magic in exchange for craft knowledge. This turned out to be a bad deal on our behalf, because we cannot use their magic without dire consequences. When used by dwarves, the magic of the moons twists their minds and bodies. The Theiwar and the Daergar show you what can happen to a dwarf who uses lunar sorcery. They are no longer true dwarves, they are now more "derro" - the degenerate ones.

I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me about...

• Elf gods? The elves worship the sky and trees as gods. Reorx is everywhere and nowhere. You cannot find him by looking at the world around you, only the world within.
• Old Gods? Humans worship so many different gods that it is plain that they are not satisfied with them and continue searching for one whom is true and noble. They are so busy searching that they do not see that the search itself is what leads us to Reorx. Reorx is the search for the truth, as well as the truth itself.

Dwarven Gods

• Reorx. The one and only true dwarven god. Reorx is represented as living deep underground, and is worshipped in the form of shafts drilled down into the earth. This is merely a metaphor, however, that Reorx is in fact deep inside every dwarf. The hammer, representing Reorx's creative power, is also an important symbol for dwarves. All dwarves worship Reorx in one form or another, and consider all other gods to be misdirection.
• Thak. This is the dwarven name for the elven god E'Li (from the dwarven word meaning "sky"). When the dwarves first appeared on Krynn, both elves and humans attempted to teach them their ways. The dwarves absorbed the teachings but did not change their belief in Reorx, although it has resulted in a markedly different belief system to the Gnomes, with more religiosity. Thak is not considered a true god to be worshipped by dwarves.
• Kijo. Kijo is the dwarven name for the senior male human god (named after Kiri-Jolith). Again, it is not a god for dwarves, or even a true god, but merely what the humans worship.
• Mesalax. The senior human female goddess (from Mishakal). See notes above.
• Gods of Evil. Like the gnomes, dwarves believe that bad things happen due to evil demons that somehow insinuated themselves into Reorx's perfect creation. These entities are responsible for things wearing out. They are Tamex the False Metal, Sargonax the Bender, Morgax the Rustlord, Khemax (who brings illness) and Bhezomiax.

What the Aloristaran say. The teachings of the Speakers of Gods.

Where did the world come from?

E'Li, by his will, called into being Zivylin, the World Tree that forms the cosmos. Its branches are in the Upper Realm, Its roots are in the underworld. Zivylin grew a fruit, and in that fruit was Quen, a beautiful goddess. E'Li fell in love with Quen and married her. From their union came the people of the world. In the roots of the tree, there was a worm that grew and gnawed at Zivylin. This was Kinis, and he was jealous of E'Li and Quen.

Where did I come from?

We are the first born of E'Li and Quen. Our people awoke before there was night, in a time when the light of E'Li was always in the sky. Through their son, Astra, E'Li and Quen taught our people how to love and laugh and sing.

Why am I here?

Only E'Li knows your true purpose, but we know that an elf must dedicate himself to shaping the world. The first elves learnt the ways of turning stone and wood into constructs of great beauty, and these were pleasing to E'Li and Quen. They asked our people to transform the raw material of the world, to enhance the inherent natural beauty of the forests, rivers, mountains and plains.

Why do we die?

At first, people did not die. In his desire for Quen, Kinis created a terrible she-demon called Takhis. He hoped to swap Takhis for Quen, so gaining Quen for himself and letting Takhis kill E'Li. However, Takhis was smarter than he was, and she fought her creator and made him her slave. She then set out to rule the Middle and Upper Realms for herself, but she was betrayed by Matheri, a lowly spider from the Lower Realm, who climbed Zivylin to warn Quen and E'Li. Takhis sought out Matheri for revenge, but Quen turned him into a rose and when Takhis grabbed him the thorns cut her. Where her blood fell a new race, the goblins, were spawned. Takhis cut down the rose, but when she had gone the bud opened and Matheri crawled out as a praying mantis.

We die because Kinis and Takhis brought death into the world.

What happens after we die?

Our bodies are placed in stone tombs and venerated. Our souls return to E'Li amongst the stars, to watch over those that come after.

How do I do magic?

Astra brought the secret of magic from E'Li during the darkness when E'Li was fighting Takhis, to help our people survive. It is the power of E'li that flows through Zivylin and into everything. By following the ways taught by E'Li, you can draw upon this power to help you.

I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me about...

• Seekers? These are humans who do not see that E'Li is above, that Quen is below and that Zivylin is within. They think that because E'Li does not grant them shallow miracles that he is not a true god, and so they search futilely for another. They do not see that life every day is a miracle.
• Plains gods? The plains gods worship Quen by a different name, but they turn their backs upon E'Li. They know part of the truth, but by denying the other half they may as well believe nothing.
• Reorx? This is a god that the Dwarves worship. They say that he taught them skills and crafts, and so perhaps this is the name by which the dwarves worship Astra. We have tried to teach them the true way of things, but the dwarves shun the sky, and so shun E'Li. Like the humans, they shut themselves off from the whole truth, preferring only to see a part of it.
• Old Gods? Before the Cataclysm there was a human empire called Istar. They had no gods of their own, so they took gods from other people and tried to make them their own. They enforced these views on others, persuading them that theirs was the right way. Although they knew the names of many gods, they did not understand their hearts. They worshipped with their voices but not with their souls. They were empty vessels, mouthing insincere platitudes to artificial gods. Because of their folly, they weakened E'Li and allowed Takhis and Kinis to break the Middle World. E'Li and Quen stopped them before the Middle World was destroyed, but it was severely damaged. Luckily Istar, and its false priests, were destroyed and with them went their lies.

Elven Gods

• Zivilyn is the World Tree, a metaphysical construct used to describe the form of the cosmos. The elves envision the "realms" - the Upper Realm is the domain of sky, and it is where the souls of elves go when they die, to form the Thon-Astarin, the River of Stars. The Middle Realm is the domain of mortals, and the Lower Realm is a dry, dusty place where the dark powers of the universe live. Zivylin is most important amongst the Kagonesti, who see it as the most important of their gods. The Silvanesti place Zivilyn below E'Li, but use its structure as a metaphor for their rigid caste system. Amongst the Qualinesti, Zivilyn is left as a concept only of use to philosophers and clerics.
• E'Li is the Sky Lord (Aurilithalas). He is the ruler of the Upper Realm, and maintains all the machinery of the sky - he is responsible for the sun (said by the Kagonesti to be his face), for weather (especially the life-bringing rain) and the stars. Once, there was always day but ever since the war with Takhis, there is night as well. E'Li is the husband of Quen. He is often depicted as the sun, or a pine tree (as these grow the closest to the sky).
• Quen is the Queen of the Middle Realm. She is an Earth Goddess, bursting with fertility and life which is activated by E'Li's energising rain. The Silvanesti see Quen as subservient to E'Li, but the Kagonesti see the two as equal partners. She is commonly represented by flowers, especially blue flowers like iris.
• Kinis is the Lord of the Lower Realm. His realm is dry and barren, and because of these is always striving to steal Quen as his own. Kinis created Takhis as part of a plan to win Quen and destroy E'Li, but his plan back-fired. Kinis is considered to be the god of the Ogres by the Elves, and is thus often represent as a vulture, like their god. He is also seen as a grub that eats the roots of trees.
• Takhis is a terrible demoness created by Kinis. She proved stronger than him, however, and now she rules him and he is her puppet and slave. Takhis seeks nothing more than to rule all three realms for herself, and she is constantly battling Quen and E'Li for this. These battles are the cause of night, and of winter.
• Astra, known as Astarin to the Silvanesti. Astra is the son of E'Li and Quen, and he is the closest to the people of the Middle Realm. During the darkness when E'Li was fighting Takhis, Quen and the people mourned for him, for all was dark. Astra heard this and went to find E'Li, who gave him part of his power to bring back. Astra scattered this light in the sky to form the stars, so the people below would see them and know that E'Li was always with them. He is also responsible for teaching the first elves how to do magic, and how to make music. Astra is considered to be a link between the Middle and Upper Realm. He is represented as a star, or as a squirrel, reflecting his ability to climb to the upper branches of the world tree.
• Matheri is a complex figure, more symbolic than worshipped. He was originally a small spider who lived in the Lower Realm, but overheard Takhis and Kinis making their plans. So he climbed up Zivilyn to warn Quen and E'Li. Takhis realized that she had been betrayed and came after him. Quen turned Matheri into a rose to hide him in her garden, but Takhis found him. When she tried to grasp him, she was pricked by the thorns, and where her blood fell sprang the race of goblins. Takhis cut down the rose, but when she had gone the bud opened and Matheri stepped forth, reborn as a Mantis. Matheri represents a link between the Middle and Lower realms, just as Astra is between the Middle and Upper. He also represents rebirth and transformation.

Ergoth Mythology

Introduction

Any study of Ergoth mythology is obfuscated by the fact that, as a culture, Ergoth is dead. Ever since the Rose Rebellion Ergoth has been in decline, and don't forget that this has been a period of two thousand years. Over that time the Solamnic view came to dominate, then the ascendancy of Istar caused a further decline in Ergothic culture. Finally, the Cataclysm rang the death knell for Ergoth, and so consequently finding records and accurate information is extremely difficult.

The details presented below are fragmentary at best, but represent the most reliable information gathered so far:

Cosmogeny

The Zenol people of Southern Ergoth seem to be a living fossil of the pre-Empire people living in the western part of Ansalon, and study of their culture gives us an insight into very early Ergoth mythology. It appears to be based on a fairly mystical view of a universe formed from dualistic forces.

The creation of the universe is brought about by a nameless being known as the Great Dragon. This entity voluntarily dismembers itself to form the world. It becomes three separate creatures; the Celestial Dragon, the Earth Dragon and the Sea Dragon, each of which is fact made up of two equal and opposite halves. Each of these two halves represent opposing forces, but they in fact cannot exist without the other to oppose. They cycle in dominance over each other, and this cycling provides creative energy that drives the world.

The Celestial Dragon (Draco Celestine) is in fact comprised of Draco Paladine and Draca Takhisis. These two represent day and night, kingship and queenship, light and dark, heat and cold, sun and moon and other sky-based traits.

The Earth Dragon is formed of Bran and Rann, representing the gentle and dangerous sides to nature, summer and winter, life and death, fertility and barrenness and so on.

The Sea Dragon is formed from Mishas and Aeleth, and these represent the different facets of weather, the sea (calm and storm) and also have control over health and illness.

All of these six forces were considered necessary for the functioning of the world, even if the "dark" half of each Dragon was not always welcome. It appears that dealings with the gods was limited to a priest class who did all the required divinations and sacrifices designed to keep the world order running correctly, in exchange for support from the people.

The Twins Cycle

Our next piece of Ergoth mythology comes from a later time, and relates to the formation of the Empire. Reliability is difficult, since the legends vary with locality, and seem to have undergone quite a few changes through Solamnic re-writing. In any case, there are underlying details that remain the same.

The first Emperor is, strangely, unnamed. More correctly, many different names are put forward but most seem to be motivated by local politics (one name that comes up a lot is "Ackal Ergot", but this seems to be a corruption of "Acht al Ergoth", meaning "Ruler of Ergoth"). In most accounts, however, this First Emperor is a strong warrior who subdues his neighbouring tribes, but becomes a cruel ruler. His wife becomes pregnant and gives birth to twins and in many versions Paladine or Mishas play a role in the conception. Believing infidelity or fearing a challenge to his rule from his children, the First Emperor orders the twins to be exposed to the elements, but they are rescued by a kind-hearted nursemaid. These twins then grow up unaware of their heritage until they, unknowingly, kill their father. Only then does their mother realise who they are, and they are then given their birthright of the Empire under the blessing of the gods. These twins are Corij and Habbakuk, also known as the Daltiri (Holy Twins). They found the city of Daltigoth (City of the Twins) which becomes the capital of Ergoth.

The Death of Habbakuk

It seems that Corij and Habbakuk rule jointly for a while, and perform a good job of expanding and consolidating their Empire. Corij is described as being strong, active and headstrong whereas Habbakuk was more thoughtful and had a great empathy for the natural world. However, the two were very fond of each other. At that time, there was a king who was the enemy of Ergoth, known as Argon. He and his wizardly advisor, H'Rar, plotted the downfall of the Twins. Knowing the bond between them, and recognising Habbakuk as the weaker of the two, they came upon the brother when he was watching gulls in the sea and threw him off a cliff. When he hit the water and died, however, the gods looked down and turned him into a kingfisher. Reborn, Habbakuk flew out of the water and up into the heavens.

Corij was both distraught and furious at his brother's death. He vowed vengeance on Argon and H'rar but without his brother's wisdom all he could do was fight one futile battle after another whilst Argon and H'rar outwitted him time and again.

The Quest of Corij

At some point Corij vows to undertake a quest to the afterlife to find his brother's spirit. The reasons for this aren't clear, but it may be that he sought his advice for defeating Argon and H'rar. Another variant tells how plague and famine (sent by H'rar) were sweeping Corij's lands and so Corij needed his brother's experience in the natural world to counteract this. Yet another variant has Corij as the one responsible for killing Habbakuk, and so the motive for his quest was guilt and atonement.

The exact details of the quest are again fragmentary. There appear to be wizardly advisors to Corij - Solin and Luin - perhaps as counterparts to H'rar. Corij undergoes a long journey to the afterlife where he meets his brother's shade. Habbakuk tells him that to defeat Argon and H'rar, he must die himself.

Corij returns to the land of the living and fights Argon in one last great battle. During the battle, Corij is mortally wounded and where his lifeblood pours onto the ground it is revitalised and the famine caused by H'rar is ended. From his blood springs his son Manthus who becomes a just and wise ruler.

There are suggestions here that Ergoth had a "year king" custom, where a ruler would reign for a certain time before being sacrificed to ensure the prosperity of the kingdom, although there is no historical evidence to support this.

Some accounts make Corij a rather brutal ruler himself, although these may be Solamnic in origin since Manthus, the good and wise ruler who succeeds him, is represented by a rose and the links to the Rose Rebellion are obvious.

The battle between Corij and Argon probably represents early wars between Ergothic tribes and ogres.

What the Storyteller says. The folk wisdom of the Kender.

Where did the world come from?

Sky Blade, the mighty eagle, laid an egg. The egg hatched and out came the other gods - Sky Mistress, Sky Master, Song Master and Dragon Woman. They were given the job of forming the world, but they argued about it. Dragon Woman bit Sky Master in half, and his blood poured out and formed the First Sea. His top half was still hanging onto the sky, and he grew hot with anger - this is the Sun. His bottom half fell into the sea of this blood. Sky Mistress leaned over from the Sky and pulled up Sky Master's bottom half by his private parts. However, they snapped off in her hands, but the rest of his body floated on the surface of the sea and made land.

Where did I come from?

Now that the world was formed, the four children of Sky Blade then argued over who should make the people. Sky Mistress made the elves, who are very serious and take great care of the land. Dragon Woman made the ogres, who are very angry and hate the land. The top half of Sky Master made the gnomes, but because there was only half of him, the gnomes were half the size of the elves and ogres. Because they were made by a broken god, the gnomes are always trying to fix things. Sky Mistress accidentally dropped Sky Master's private parts on the ground, and they formed the humans. As this happened, Song Master was trying to create his own race but when he saw the genitals grow legs and begin running around he laughed out loud at the moment of creation, and so the kender were born, who are full of laughter and joy.

Why am I here?

Of the children of Sky Blade, only Song Master made a race with a sense of perspective about life. The others all take things far too seriously. We are here to show them how to have fun.

Why do we die?

One day, Dragon Woman told the humans, dwarves, elves and kender that she had found an marvelous thing, that would make their lives so much better. They went to see what it was, and it was fire. Dragon Queen had gone to Sky Master, who was still hanging from the sky and burning with rage. He shouted in anger at her, but as he was holding on to the Sky he could do no more. She tickled him under his nose and made him sneeze, and what he sneezed out was fire. So she gathered up the droplets of fire and hid them. This is what she now showed the people.

But, she said, they could only have the fire if they went into her secret cave and got it. In her cave were her own special children, that she hadn't told the other gods about. These were the dragons, and they ate all the people of Krynn. Because Dragon Queen hadn't sent her own people, the ogres, into the cave, they were all safe and had the world to themselves.

One kender, who was lame and couldn't get to the cave with the others, saw all this. He asked Song Master for help, and Song Master went to Dragon Woman's cave. Songmaster disguised himself as a salamandar and ate all the droplets of fire. This is why the salamander has fire on its belly. Then he called each dragon in turn out of the cave and tricked them into eating him. Once swallowed, he let the fire out and it burned the dragon from the inside out. The people trapped inside escaped and fled home, but whilst they had been trapped inside the dragons they were dead and so would have to die for ever more. Song Master gave each people fire as they ran home.

Then, Dragon Woman woke up, and saw her precious dragons burnt to a crisp. She ran at Song Master, her eyes glowing white, but he popped one of them out with the end of his hoopak. This is the White Moon. Dragon Woman became so angry that her remaining eye glowed red, but Song Master poked this one out too, and it became the Red Moon. Dragon Woman was blind, but she could hear Song Master. "Here I am, come and get me!" he would call out and she would lunge for him but always miss. Song Master grabbed the end of Dragon Woman's tail and called out to her. As she lunged he threw her tail into her mouth. Thinking she had caught him, Dragon Woman swallowed the tail down in one, and in so doing turned herself inside out! Her insides spilled everywhere, and that is what formed the stars.

What happens after we die?

We go on a great adventure, across the sky and to wherever we want to go.

How do I do magic?

As the gods walked the face of Krynn, they did many deeds on their journeys, of which I have told you but a few. Where they did these deeds they left some of their power, and knowing the stories of these deeds allows us to borrow some of the power.

Kender Gods

• Sky Blade is the kender Creator god. He is pictured as an eagle, but generally once he has created the world he has little to do with it.
• Sky Mistress is the creator of the elves, and goddess of fertility. In kender tales she is usually the kindest and wisest of the four children of Sky Blade, and may be pictured as a dove.
• Sky Master is the creator of the gnomes and both a sky and an earth god, sometimes at the same time. Often in kender tales he is portrayed as being maimed in some way, and is nearly always full of anger and rage but impotent to act on it.
• Dragon Woman is the creator of the ogres. She is sly, always seeking to entrap the other children of Sky Blade and make herself dominant over them and the world, but she is usually defeated by an amusing trick.
• Song Master is the creator of kender. He is the most jovial of the four children of Sky Blade, and the friendliest to the mortal beings that walk upon Krynn. Song Master is one of the main Trickster figures in kender mythology.
• Balif is a legendary kender figure, who the kender claim was a great friend of the elves and who taught them many kender arts like music and laughter. The land of Balifor is named after him. Many of the early historical deeds are attributed to Balif.
• Uncle Trapspringer is another kender Trickster figure. An enormous body of kender folk tales has grown up that tells of his exploits in outwitting his enemies with guile and agility.
• Trickster figures feature heavily in kender myth, and a close study shows that Song Master, Balif and Trapspringer stories have commonly recurring motifs that suggest that they are simple re-tellings of the same myths. Song Master occurs in tales that tell of the formation of the world, and where things happen on a grand scale. When events occur on a grand, but mortal and historic scale (such as wars and empires), then Balif is the central figure. Trapspringer tales are smaller scale still, using metaphor and character substitutions for the figures in Song Master and Balif myths (the Old Hag, for example, seems to be a Dragon Woman figure).
• The Wanderlines. The kender practice of Wanderlust has led to tales of the folk heroes being spread across Krynn, and one can track the subtle changes in myth and folk-tale when traveling across Ansalon, as though following a vast game of Whispers. As a result, there are many local variations of the same tale, and the kender also hold a belief that the four Children of Sky Blade traveled across the face of Krynn creating things as they went. The paths that they took often match the changes in kender folk-tales, and these paths are considered sacred and magical to kender. Along the way, one encounters myths about local geographical features and how they were created by the peripatetic gods.

What the Shaman told me - Totems of the Khur

Where did the world come from?

The Great God, whose name we do not mention, called into being Chislev, the spirit of nature, and Sirrion, the spirit of fire. These two great spirits sang a melody that interwove and created great themes, and from these themes came the world, and the skies, and the many lesser spirits.

Where did I come from?

When the world and lesser spirits had been sung into being, the lesser spirits joined their voices to the melody that Chislev and Sirrion sang. When the voices of the greater and lesser spirits were joined in harmony plants, animals and people were formed to populate the world.

Why am I here?

The greater purpose of life is a secret known only to the Unnamed God, to be revealed only to those who have achieved sufficient wisdom. By following the way of the totem spirits we believe we become closer to the Way set down for us by the Unnamed God.

Why do we die?

Death is but the transition from an earthly state to a spiritual state. No-one who dies is truly gone. They become a part of Chislev, a part of Sirrion. This we believe to be part of the plan of the Unnamed God.

How do I do magic?

We shamans can commune with the totem spirits, ask them for aid and to teach them secrets of the Sightless World. Some of the lesser secrets we can pass on to those who do not have the shaman's Talent. There are some Holy Men - hermits and dervishes - who have travelled further on the Sightless Path than us shamans. They commune with the moon spirits or even Chislev and Sirrion. They know many great secrets of the Sightless World, and they are closer to the will of the Unnamed God.

I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me about...

• Ogre gods? The Ogres of Kern are a strong people who worship Sirrion by a different name. Because they come from the desert they favour fire above all else, and so they ignore the works of Chislev, and do not hear the voices of the totems. They will know a part of the Unnamed God's will, but never its entirety until they open their eyes. The Ogres to the south, in Bloten, are a wicked a degenerate people who have turned from their noble ancestors to worship false idols and twisted spirits of their own making.
• Elf Gods? The elves to the south are a secret people, who hold Chislev sacred above all else. Like the ogres, they cut themselves off from ever knowing the full will of the Unnamed God but they are a wise and noble people nonetheless.
• Dwarf Gods? The dwarves are more secretive than the elves, and we have not seen them since the Cataclysm. They worshipped stone without the life of Chislev, and enslaved fire without respect for Sirrion. They were a strange, barren folk without spirits. Perhaps they have become stone themselves.
• Kender Gods? The Kender are a flighty people, akin to thieving children who steal even when there is no honour debt. They are, however, full of the joy of life and so we believe that they are beloved of Chislev. Because they were made by her alone, without the aid of Sirrion, they lack courage and honour.
• Old Gods? The city-builders of Istar are gone, destroyed by fire and flood. They worshipped false gods and were destroyed by the will of the Unnamed God. Their purpose in life was as a lesson to us all to listen to the totems and not to gods of our own making.

Khurman Gods

• General. The Khur acknowledge several "great" powers that are mostly above human affairs - Chislev, Sirrion and the moon gods. These are abstractions and powers, inaccessible to all but initiates of great secrets. Instead, everyday transaction with the spirit world is conducted via the totems. There are seven of these, one for each tribe. This particular ordering was put together by the first Khan, Khur, as he arranged his new nation after the Cataclysm. In doing so he merged several older tribal totems, combined some myths and legends. The system works, though, and perhaps surprisingly there was little dissent even in the early days.
• Chislev. Chislev is nature incarnate. She is the goddess of the earth and all things that live and grow upon it. The Khurman consider it impossible to represent her, except that she is within the whole of the totem poles which they carve. Chislev is served by Wolf-Bear and Earth-Bison.
• Sirrion. Sirrion is the lord of the flame, master of the sky, the life-giving power of the sun and, coupled with Chislev, provides the spark of life for all things of Krynn. He is seen in all fires, from the sun to the campfire. Fire consumes wood, and new plants grow from burnt lands, thus Chislev and Sirrion exist in harmony. Sirrion is served by Sun-Hawk and Fire-Lion.
• Moon Gods. The moon gods (and the Khur know of the existence of all three moons) are seen as movers and shakers, arbiters of change and directors of the raw creative potential of Chislev and Sirrion. Of the "greater" gods, they are lesser in pure power to Chislev and Sirrion, but because they are closer in nature to humans they also have more freedom of action. They are (collectively) the masters of Silver Fox and Moon Stag. The Khurman do not attribute morality to the different moons, unlike Sorcerers and the Istarin/Solamnic philosophy. Instead they are seen as having different spheres of interest - the white moon governs thought and invention, the red moon governs body and evolution and the black moon governs magic and illusion.
• Sun-Hawk. Sun-Hawk is the fiery sky totem of the Weya-Lu tribe. She is a proud and honourable, the carrier of the sun, guardian of the sky. Sun-Hawk is a fast flyer and makes her home in the mountains. Her colours are scarlet and black.
• Fire-Lion. Fire-Lion is the totem of the Mayakhur tribe. She is the guardian of the desert, and of fire used in the hearth, the forge and the kiln. She is strong and brave, but she can sometimes be cunning, and her enemies underestimate her if they think her straightforward. Her colours are yellow and brown.
• Wolf-Bear. Wolf-Bear is the totem of the Mikku tribe. He is large and ponderous, a gentle healer by nature who can be roused to great strength and anger by harm or injustice. Wolf-Bear is found in the forests, and his colours are black and white. (Wolf-Bear probably refers to the wolverines found in eastern Ansalon).
• Earth-Bison. The potent totem of the Tondoon, Earth-Bison is headstrong but mainly placid. He roams the plains, and rivers spring up where he stamps his hooves. Earth Bison is an implacable foe when he fights to protect his family. His colours are purple and green.
• Moon-Stag. Moon Stag is the totem of the Fin-Maskar. He is agile and swift, protector of the hunt and master of illusion. Moon-Stag's antlers have the magic power to change a person into an animal (or vice versa) at a touch. His colours are blue and black.
• Silver-Fox. Silver Fox is the totem of the Hachakee. She is sly and cunning, a trickster and an inventor. Silver Fox can prove a tricky ally as her help can sometimes backfire. She is a mistress of hiding, her realm is starlight and shadows. She knows many secrets and her knowledge of magic is the deepest of all the totems, although others outstrip her in raw power. Her colours are blue and silver.
• Storm-Serpent. Storm Serpent is the totem of the Khur tribe, the most powerful of all the totems. Storm serpent has the strength of Earth Bison, the speed of Sun Hawk and the magic of Moon Stage. Storm Serpent can be ill-tempered and arrogant if he is not shown the respect that is his due, and can bring terrible floods or dreadful droughts. Storm Serpent is the servant of none of the higher powers, and straddles the divide between god and totem. He is of all colours and none, usually represented by the rainbow or by white.

What the Guild of Astrologers says. The beliefs of the Gnomes.

Where did the world come from?

Reorx made it from many different parts as a great machine. Because it is such a complex machine many of its parts think that they are special in themselves, rather than because of their role in a greater entity.

Where did I come from?

After Reorx made the world, he discovered that the demons CrackShaft and ShornGear had hidden inside it, and were part of it. So he made the First Gnomes StraightShaft and True Gear to find CrackShaft and ShornGear, and repair them. The First Gnomes did so, but the demons split themselves up into smaller parts -the gremlins. So, the First Gnomes split themselves too, into the gnome race.

Why am I here?

The children of CrackShaft and ShornGear still live within the world, and still cause Reorx's plans to go awry. It is our duty to repair the damage that they cause, and to prevent them from causing more.

Why do we die?

Because of the demons, everything wears out sooner or later. We are blessed with long life, and we can pass our knowledge on to our apprentices, but like everything else we wear out in the end.

What happens after we die?

Well, you know how if a machine breaks we can use it for spare parts? It's the same with gnomes. Our bodies will be turned into fertilizer for the agriculture terraces, so you see nothing goes to waste. Our thoughts will live on in the inventions we have made, or in the plans that we have not yet started to build, or in the knowledge that we have passed on to our apprentices.

How do I do magic?

You don't! Not the magic that comes from the moons! Once, long ago some foolish gnomes tried to experiment with magic when it was new to the world. I think the elves invented it first, or it could have been the dragons. Anyway, there were all sorts of glitches and mishaps and things going awry and not being in their proper place, before the elves and humans got things under control again. I don't think Reorx allowed for magic when he made things, and so we aren't equipped to handle it. From that day onwards no gnome has ever tried to build with magic, because it's too unreliable.

What the Kernashi says. Words from the Ogre Priest.

Where did the world come from?

It was called into being by Argon, by His will. It was created as a testing ground for his followers, so that He could weed out the faithful.

Where did I come from?

When Argon created the world, He made all the ogres that there should be, but then when the wicked elves began to kill our people, our numbers dwindled. So Argon sent the Irda to us, and told the ogre Harzuram that within the elves forests there grew a sacred bush - the Cham'mich. Harzuram rescued the Cham'mich from the elves and gave it to our people. When the ogres of old ate of the Cham'mich they became fertile and could bear children, by Argon's Will.

Why am I here?

Argon made the world for His own purposes, and it is not for us to know His plans. It is enough to place our faith in Him and to know that what He does is right for our people, His Chosen. The Kernen is His voice here in the mortal realm, and you must obey the will of the Kernen for it is the Will of Argon.

Why do we die?

Before the elves came, our people did not die. We were perfect and everlasting, our role was to be shaped by Argon as He willed. But the elves stole the Sacred Fire of Argon Raam, which was the source of our eternal life. Because of the wickedness of elves, we die. Since we stole the Cham'mich plant from the elves and learnt to reproduce, it is necessary for some to die so that others may be born, as there has and always will be the same, perfect, number of ogres in the world, by Argon's will.

What happens after we die?

Our bodies are laid out on sacred platforms so that the vulture - the sacred bird of Argon - may reclaim our bodies and return them to Argon. There, he can fashion them into the ogres yet to be born.

How do I do magic?

Magic is the manifestation of Argon's will, and it is blasphemy for any but the Sorcerer-Priests of Argon Raam and Argon H'Rar to practice magic. They are His Chosen, and are permitted to use His power. Other sorcerers, like humans and elves, are thieves that Argon H'Rar will surely punish.

I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me about...

• Elf Gods? The elves turn their back on Argon, calling Him wicked and barren. Instead they try to shape His creation to their own will. Their blindness will bring them ruin, for it is the Will of Argon.
• Reorx? The dwarves shun Argon, but they fight with us, His people, over dwelling places. The dwarves, like the elves, seek to make the works of Argon in their own image. Their folly will bring them ruin, for it is the Will of Argon.
• Old Gods? The humans of Istar sought to enslave and kill our people. They called us impure and evil, but it was they who were evil. Their prejudice brought them ruin, for it was the Will of Argon.
• Bloden Gods? The ogres of Blode were once our cousins, but they fell to degenerate practices that weakened their minds and their faith. They turned from Argon and worshipped false gods in depraved and obscene ceremonies. Their weakness will bring them ruin, for it is the Will of Argon.

Ogre Gods

• Argon is the One True God. Ogres, especially Kernish ogres are highly monotheistic. They believe that Argon and Argon alone is the only god, although He has many faces which some lesser people worship as gods in their own right. The basis of Ogrish belief is that Argon makes life hard so that people can learn and grow through their struggle to survive. This tends to be interpreted as a justification for the strong to rule the weak, although ogres also consider themselves one people linked by a common destiny. Ogres would much rather fight outsiders than another ogre. Argon is a desert god, Lord of Desolation. He is never personified as the ogres believe that to do so would belittle His magnitude, although He is sometimes depicted as a vulture, His sacred animal. Ogres say that to look into the face of the sun in the burning desert is to look into the face of Argon.
• Argon H'rar is Argon's face he wears when taking vengeance upon the enemies of His people. According to the ogres, it was Argon H'rar who cast the burning mountain onto Istar, and who sent the Dragons after the elves during the first Dragon War. One of H'rar's favourite visitations is plague, hence his later association with Morgion.
• Argon Raam is the face of Argon when his people go to war. Argon Raam is a sacred fire that is said to burn within in the breasts of all ogres to sustain their courage as they march out to battle. It is as this form that the ogres have welcomed Takhisis.
• Argon Corij is a variant worshipped by the western ogres who were defeated by the Empire of Ergoth. It is a face of Argon used to punish his own followers who have become to proud, and to remind them that they are subject to the Will of Argon.
• The Kernen, ruler of the ogre land of Kern, is worshipped by the ogres of that land as a demi-god. The Kernen is the Voice of Argon, and as such his proclamations are considered divine writ. The original Kernen forged the land of Kern after the cataclysm, following a divine revelation from the Irda.
• The Irda are worshipped as angelic figures, intermediaries who carry out the Will of Argon on a day to day basis. Ergothic ogres believe the stars to be the chariots of the Irda.
• Bloten Gods. During the wars with Istar, the ogres were accused of cannibalism and human sacrifice amongst other things. Some ogres, as revenge for their persecution or simply as a means to survive, turned to these very perversions. They learnt magical rituals to gain power from these atrocities, and formed a rudimentary religion around them. It may be that they based it upon the ogrish funeral ideas - if vultures ate ogres to take them back to Argon, perhaps if ogres ate other races they could "steal" them from their gods. These ogres were cast out by the Kernish ogres for turning away from Argon, and formed their own community - Blode. Amongst their known gods are Blood Moon, Bone Moon and Dark Moon.

What the Shaman says. Wisdom of the Abanasinian Plains.

Where did the world come from?

The Earth Mother created it, from Her own body, as a place for all life to flourish.

Where did I come from?

The Earth Mother created thinking beings so that someone could see and appreciate the world that She had made. Each time She made a people, they lost sight of Her true nature. The ogres sought only to feed their own hungers and took more than the Earth Mother could give, the elves sought to re-make the natural world the way they thought proper, the dwarves tunneled the body of the Earth Mother and quarried Her bones out of avarice, other humans turned their eyes to the skies and worshipped them. Only our people can see the true way of the Earth Mother.

Why am I here?

You are here because the Earth Mother loves all life. You are here to live your life to the fullest, for by doing so you will please the Earth Mother by appreciating the gift that She has given you.

Why do we die?

So that we better appreciate life. If any moment could be our last, it encourages us to enjoy life while it lasts. Also, death is never the end, but merely a point in the great cycle of life.

What happens after we die?

Just as your body is recycled as the grass on the plains, so your soul is recycled as other souls. It will not be the same, but each soul is a unique mixture of those who have gone before.

How do I do magic?

The body of the Earth Mother is rich in Her power, and we can learn to use that power if we are respectful. We can eat the crops She gives us, but we must ensure to plant more. Likewise, we can harvest the magic that She produces, if we do not use it carelessly.

I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me about...

• The old gods? The people of Xak Tsaroth worshipped gods taught by a corrupt empire, and this empire was eventually destroyed by the Earth Mother for its crimes. Some of our ancestors were persuaded by the city people to worship their gods, and they were destroyed in the Great Cataclysm. Those of us who remained pure to the ways of the Earth Mother were spared. The old gods are merely lies, used by the corrupt empire to ensnare people.
• Elf Gods? The elves are closer to the Earth Mother than many humans, but they deny the total authority of Her, instead watering down Her power by worshipping a sky god as Her equal. Thus, they deny themselves true wisdom.
• Reorx? The dwarves also worship a form of the Earth Mother, and they acknowledge the existence of the hungry demons from the Otherworld. However, like the elves they place another god above the Earth Mother and so deny true wisdom. Reorx is their god, and he exploits the bounty of the Earth Mother with forges and borrowings. The dwarves seek to enslave Her with iron shackles and chains of steel.
• Seekers? These are the descendants of the people who made Xak Tsaroth and survived its fall. When they realised that the old gods were empty, they began searching for true gods. They are like people who are so busy looking at a distant mountain that they do not notice that they are trampling crops. They do not see that there is one true god, and that She is all around them.

Gods of the Plainsfolk

• The Earth Mother is considered by the Plainsfolk to be the creatrix of all life, to be the physical substance of Krynn and the source of creative energy. She is rarely depicted, since everyone and everything contains Her, but flowers or crops are often used symbolically.
• Ancestors: The ancient Plains dwellers, the first people to truly worship the Earth Mother, are venerated as it was they that discovered the correct ways to do things - how to hunt, what plants had medicinal properties, how to propitiate local spirits, how to use magic. The plainsfolk believe in a non-localised re-incarnation - their soul is broken down and the pieces of it are divided out and mixed with the parts of souls of others to form new souls of those yet to be born. This means that everyone has a tiny piece of the Ancestors within them. Shamans le
arn how to access the knowledge and wisdom within the Ancestral part of their soul.
• The Demons: Bad things that happen in the world are caused by a pantheon of demonic creatures that come from the Otherworld - a place outside the sphere of the Earth Mother. They are jealous of the good things created by Her and so seek to destroy from within (by making people do evil) and without (by bringing in disease and decay, for example). The demons are of an unknown number, and names vary wildy with locality and tribe, but amongst those known are Mai-tat, Misal-Lasim, Morgil and Zyr.

What the Seekers say. The philosophy of the Theocrats.

Where did the world come from?

This is not a meaningful question. The world has always existed. Knowing its origins will not help you become a better person, and will not help you survive.

Where did I come from?

People have always been. First there were elves, then ogres and then humans. We are the last of the Naming Folk, and the best. You were born from a union of your parents, a result and a cause of their joy.

Why am I here?

You were born into a world of fear and doubt and pain without asking for your fate. There is no great purpose to person's existence, other than that which they find for themselves. You are here to make yourself a better person, and to make the world a better place for others.

Why do we die?

Only the gods are immortal. They are selfish and keep their secrets to themselves, and so they made it so that we who walk the surface of Krynn must die, often young and innocent.

What happens after we die?

After death there is only sweet oblivion, and a release from the struggles of life.

How do I do magic?

There is magic all around us - in rocks, in streams, in trees, especially in living things. Sometimes we can attune to that magic, and make it work for us. All things are imbued with a purpose, and we can sometimes use that purpose for ourselves. For example, a rock found in a stream can help us find water.

I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me about...

• The old gods? The old gods are those who were worshipped long ago by our ancestors in the city of Xak Tsaroth. They brought death and ruin on our people because they were jealous of how much they had achieved. Their names are cursed now, and should not be spoken. They are long gone from the world.
• Plains gods? The plainsmen worship their ancestors as if they were gods, but they are deluded. Their ancestors are only ghosts, shades of former lives. They do not have the power of True gods. They also worship an Earth Mother, but she does not answer their prayers and so we can tell she is not a True God.
• Elf Gods? Some elves claim to be old enough to have known the Great Cataclysm first hand, and so claim to know the names of True Gods, but I have never seen an elf who can call upon the powers of their gods, so I can only surmise that their gods, too, are false. I understand that they worship trees, so perhaps they are confusing spirits for True Gods, like the Plainsfolk.
• Reorx? Dwarves call upon this god, but he does not answer, so he is not a True God. The dwarves are more cursed than we are, having been shut out of their ancient homeland by their brethren, and yet they continue to call upon a deaf and uncaring false god. Well, you know how hard it is to make a dwarf change his mind!

The development of Solamnic mythology.

Ergoth to Solamnia - the Darian Heresy

In its early years, of course, the land now known as Solamnia was the Eastern-most province of the Empire of Ergoth, and worshipped the same gods. Far from the centre of power, the Easterners developed their own culture and were greatly influenced by the ideas of the central plains folk, especially the notion of opposed forces of good and evil.

For the common folk of the Empire, the Ergothic concept of duality where good and evil were both necessary was hard to understand, and it was of no comfort to them when facing flood, starvation or illness that their gods considered it necessary.

Instead, they latched onto the Plains concept that the world itself is inherently good, and that all bad things are the result of outside agencies (in the shape of demons). This meant that they could actively guard or fight against bad or unpleasant events, rather than passively accept them. The incorporation of these ideas into the established Ergoth religion led to the separation of the three Ergoth dragon gods (previously thought of as good and evil within one whole being) into two entities each - one good and one evil. The names of the evil halves were more akin to the Plainsfolk demons than to the dark halves of the Ergothic gods. Thus Aeleth became Morgion, Rann became Zeboim and Draca Takhisis became Takhisis, losing her title and equality with Paladine.

These ideas originated in Dargaard and became known as the Darian Heresy. Another important factor in the Darian heresy was that the gods were brought down to the level of the common folk. Ergoth maintained a hereditary priesthood that alone could interpret the signs of the gods. Under the Darian Heresy, Paladine, Mishakal, Branchala, Kiri-Jolith, Habbakuk and Majere could be called upon by anyone.

Naturally, the Ergoth priesthood reacted to this threat to their position by calling for a crusade to end the heterodoxy, but Darianism was too heavily rooted to expel by fire and sword. The harshness of the Ergoth administration was a fan to the flames of rebellion, and the Darian Crusade was one of the causes that led to the open revolt by the Eastern provinces that Vinas Solamnus was called in to quell. When he switched sides, Vinas himself converted to Darianism.

The Influence of Istar

The Istarin had their own faith when they first encountered Solamnia, but they were so taken with the Solamnic faith that they took it up with a zeal far out-reaching that of the Solamnians themselves. The Istarin married their own gods (including Shinare, Sirrion, Gilean and Hiddukel) into the Solamnic pantheon, as "neutral" deities (except for Hiddukel who, as the main source of evil in the Istarin pantheon, naturally "sided" with Takhisis and her minions).

As Istar grew, taken with their own cleverness, they sought to "prove" that all peoples in fact worshipped the same gods as they. Where they could, they equated other gods with their own (such as matching E'Li to Paladine, the Plains Earth Mother with Mishakal) and where this proved to difficult, they wrote the gods into their own pantheon, usually under the "neutral" banner (Reorx and Zivylin are prime examples of Istarin inclusion).

Although Solamnia, as an ally of Istar, accepted these modifications, as a rule they have continued only to pay attention to the gods that evolved from the Darian Heresy.

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