The Okterians (IPA: /ɒkˈtɛɹiənz/) are the eight patron gods of Lokren, where they are worshipped almost exclusively, to the (often aggressive) exclusion of foreign gods.
The Okterians are a diffuse and quarrelsome pantheon, with little real co-operation between the gods and no small amount of conflict. Unlike the gods of the Sukalad, the Okterians are unrelated to each other by bonds of family or even friendship, with each seeming to exist almost entirely independently of the rest, except when friction or strife between them occurs.
This autarky extends to the priesthoods of the Okterians in Lokren, with eight separate and wholly-independent temple branches. It is often the case that a given settlement in Lokren will have a temple to only one of the gods (who is held to be the settlement's patron), though larger towns and cities tend to maintain temples of multiple denominations. Only Mevron has a temple to each of the eight gods, found in the Plaza of the Eight Winds.
Unlike the often-tempestuous relationships between the Okterians themselves, the temples enjoy relatively cordial relations with each other, with only rare instances of inter-denominational fighting. When a new settlement is founded within the empire, the Symbol decides which temple shall be built there, based ostensibly on the location and (to an extent) the will of the settlers. It is illegal for a different denomination to build in the new settlement for a period of twenty years, and even then, any new construction must be approved by the Symbol. Unless the settlement under consideration is substantial, most such applications will be rejected out of hand, owing to a tradition which holds that the presence of more than one of the gods generates conflict and interferes with the affairs of the settlement. Of course, this is apparently not the case if the settlement is large enough to support a less superstitious population whose loyalties might be divided between two or more of the gods, so it is widely held that the temple "franchises" are largely political enterprises to balance the control and influence of each of the eight temples, who may wield considerable power in the lands that lie within their purview. It is also the case that each temple's territory is scattered piecemeal across the empire, preventing any single priesthood from exerting exclusive influence over a broad swath of contiguous temple-land.
The Okterians are:
Andhan, god of luck.
Aphas, god of law, death, and the afterlife.
Ariel, the Lady of the Sea.
Blakas, mad horned god of the night-forest.
Ebor, god of the forge.
Hielyr, goddess of healing.
Legali, the Lord of Travel.
Nerwenye, the Lady of Love.
Last edited by theblacksorcerer, October 08 2021 12:13:40. Secured game article. You most log in to contribute.