Elves, like many races of the Known World, have their own pantheon of deities they worship. The elves refer to this pantheon as the Celestial Bureaucracy, a widely populated but highly organized collection of deities, spirits, immortals, and even mortals, that dictate the path of the elven nation.
The elven religion is known as Shinto, a literal translation into the Common Tongue is "the way of good spirits," which is not -- at least to most non-elves -- a very accurate description of the religion. Shintoism is a naturalistic religion in which the forces of nature and, to a lesser extent, ancestors are deified.
These forces are called "kami," which is an extremely difficult concept to translate. The kami are split into two groups, the Amat-su-Kami ("Spirits of the High Heavens") and Kunit-su-Kami ("Spirits of the Earth" or rather the kami native to the Known World). In the most basic, and easily understood, concept the kami exist somewhere between a god and a spirit (or outsider). An elf might describe them as "the venerated," or as "the awe-inspiring," or the "beings more highly placed." Anything which deserves to be revered or dreaded for its extraordinary powers (especially those possessing a magical nature) deserves to be called "kami." A god, a majestic mountain, and the august personage of the emperor are all kami. Not surprisingly there are numerous kami among the Celestial Bureaucracy -- eight million of them, to be precise.
Only animals of a magical nature or origin would have a kami. Thus, dragons, unicorns, ki-rin and lycanthropes would all have a kami; bears, griffins, and kobolds would not. As a general rule creatures with the "dragon," "elemental," "fey," "magical beast," and "outsider" type have kami (though evil outsiders are considered oni). Further, there are some exceptions, such as the aforementioned lycanthropes having a kami, but they are of the "shapechanger" type. If in doubt, consider whether or not a creature has any magical abilities or magic resistance; generally, those that do have kamis, the others don't.
On the Known World, kamis can be found in anything, from beautiful waterfalls to majestic mountains to oddly shaped rocks. All are worshiped as fervently as other cultures worship their gods, and when walking through the elven empire, one is likely to come upon a small shrine to one of these kamis at any time -- beside a quiet pool, at teh base of a great cliff, or deep within a peaceful glade.
Most of the kamis described here are of the Amat-su-Kami. These kamis correspond more closely to conventional concepts of deities. They are the gods of the sun and moon, the beings responsible for storms and fertility, the ones who created the land and populated it with elves. These kami, the Amat-su-Kami, reside "in the sky" (any of the upper planes). The Known World is said to be linked to the sky by the Ama-no-Hashidate (the "Floating Bridge of Heaven" -- the ethereal and astral planes). This allows the kamis free and easy access to the Known World.
Beneath the earth lies the kingdom of the dead, the "Land of Darkness" or Yomi-tsu-kuni (the lower planes). It can be reached via a winding road that begins in the Akita clan province of the elven empire, Tengoku no Niwa, and leads underground. The Land of the Dead can also be reached via the bottomless abyss which engulfs all the waters of the sea. It is pictured as an ugly, foul land filled with the repulsive corpses of the dead. (It is believed that the Drow clan were attempting to reach Yomi-tsu-kuni when they descended into the Underdark).
Elven divine spellcasters -- shugenja, shaman, and sohei -- do not worship individual kamis, or gods, the same way western cultures do. Instead they revere the Celestial Bureaucracy as a whole and beseech the blessing of individual kami when they are needed. As such, the deities do not offer individual advantages to garnering worship such as divine domains or favored weapons. And symbols are only used to represent the most powerful kamis within the Bureaucracy, such as those listed as deities. (Note then when saying "elf" this also includes the other eastern races as well, such as the hengeyokai, the spirit folk, and the vanara).
Eastern mythology begins with a generation of unnamed, and unknown, divinities that were born at the same time as the Heavens and the Known World. They were then followed by several more unnamed generations of divinities, until finally the seventh generation, containing Izanagi and Izanami, was born. Izanagi and Izanami created the Garden of Heaven (Tengoku no Niwa), then descended to the Known World from the sky to live there. There, in many different manners, they began giving birth to many other kamis.
This process continued until Izanami gave birth to Ho Masubi, the god of fire, a very difficult delivery which resulted in her death. After Izanami went to the Land of Darkness, the other kamis continued to procreate. Nevertheless, Izanagi missed his wife and went to retrieve her, but Izanami was furious when he saw her in her decayed form and chased him away. Afterwards, as Izanagi washed himself, he created the gods of the sea and, when he washed his left eye, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun (it is in her honor that Tengoku no Niwa is called the "Land of the Rising Sun").
Amaterasu became pregnant and gave birth to the grandchild of Izanami and Izanagi, the first elf. Bearing the three heavenly symbols of the curved jewel, the sword, and the mirror, this august grandchild descended to the Garden of Heaven and established the elven land. The descendant of this grandchild would be Tayio Tenno, the first emperor of the Elven Empire and founder of the Sun clan. Since the founding of the first clan, only the imperial family has been permitted to have a clan kami, in this case it is the sun kami, Amaterasu herself.
The emperor of the Elven Empire has always been the elves' divine leader as he is seen as a direct descendant of the kami. Whenever an emperor dies, the imperial prime minister, the highest ranking shugenja, chooses which prince will be the next emperor (unlike most elves, the emperor is expected to have multiple offspring to ensure there will be a successor to the throne -- the emperor must always be chosen from the Sun clan).
Although individual emperors might be dethroned or even murdered, the imperial family has never been displaced. Because of the line's religious significance, only an authentic descendant of Tayio Tennu (and therefore the sun goddess Amaterasu) could become emperor and intercede with heaven on behalf of elves. That is why, after nearly 5,000 years, the current emperor of Tengoku no Niwa belongs to the same clan as the first.
(Note that below the words "god" and "goddess" are used interchangeably with the word "kami," and for ease of understanding, they are still being listed as "greater deity," "intermediate deity," etc, but keep in mind that all listed below -- with the exception of Lolth -- are kami).
Izanagi
Greater Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Creation
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, the spirit folk, the vanara
Izanagi is one of the two seventh generation divinities that became the first of the Celestial Bureaucracy. He is credited with the creation of the Garden of Heaven, Tengoku no NIwa, when stood on the Floating Bridge of Heaven and used his yari to mix the ocean. It was here that Izanagi and his sister, Izanami, decided to live. After a time, Izanagi and his sister married and set to giving birth to the other kamis of the Celestial Bureaucracy.
Their first child, Ebisu, was a misshapen creature -- at least by their standards. He was pale and pasty of flesh, rotund with a round head and small, rounded ears. Interestingly enough he resembles a portly human with near elven eyes, and a thin mustache. Izanagi put him on a raft and set him out to sea. Despite being exiled, Ebisu became one of the seven kamis of happiness, and the patron kami of fishermen.
Izanagi and Izanami re-married and this time their offspring became the kamis of the Known World. Among them was the fire kami, Ho Masubi, whose birth was very difficult and resulted in the death of Izanami. In his loss and rage, Izanagi sliced Ho Masubi in half and cast the kami out.
After time, Izanagi's sorrow grew over the loss of his wife. He took it upon himself to enter the Land of Darkness and attempt to bring Izanami back into the light. He found her within the underworld, but his attempts to bring Izanami back failed. When he returned to the surface, he commanded that the dead are impure and tainted, and so grew the elven belief.
Hachiman
Intermediate Deity
Hachiman was born Tayio Ojin, son of the Empress Jingo. According to legend, Empress Jingo became pregnant while leading a military expedition against the orcs. In order to delay the child's birth, she swallowed a rock. It is no wonder that, born of such an elf-ko, Ojin grew up to become a cunning and mighty warrior in his own right. In fact, his victories were so great that the Amat-su-Kami granted him immortal status and made him the kami of war named Hachiman. Hachiman always knows the location, strength, and readiness of any army. He also has the power to read the thoughts of any military commander. In his true form Hachiman is a splendidly armored samurai.
When battle occures, Hachiman is always watching. There are stories that tell of Hachiman appearing to rescue elven warriors who do not flee when outnumbered by more than four-to-one. Before a battle, elven military commanders offer prayers to Hachiman for insight into the enemy's strength, location, and plan of attack. Hachiman hates cowardice.
Amaterasu
Intermediate Deity
Nature Symbol: The sun
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: The sun, light
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, the spirit folk, the vanara
Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the Land of the Dead. She is the kami of the sun and rules the sky -- the plane of Heaven. Through one of her children, the imperial family is descended directly from her. In addition to being the kami of the sun, Amaterasu is the weaver of the kamis' robes. She has the power to light the world (or any part of it), to make plants grow, to cure diseases in elves, or to destroy anything she wishes with her brilliance. In her true form, Amaterasu is a tall, beautiful elf-ko with pale, porcelain-like skin.
Amaterasu is the patron kami of Tengoku no Niwa and watches over its welfare carefully. If the land is seriously threatened, she may beseech aid from her fellow kami in order to protect it. She also watches over the imperial family, and will never aid those who bring harm to one of its members. If the existence of the clan itself is threatened, she will not hesitate to send what aid she can. Omens from Amaterasu take the form of solar eclipses.
Tsuki-Yomi
Intermediate Deity
Nature Symbol: The moon
Home Plane: The Known World, the moon
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: The moon, night, time
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, the spirit folk, the vanara
Tsuki-Yomi was born when Izanagi washed his right eye after returning from the Land of the Dead. He is the kami of the moon, whose function is to count the passing of the months. As the counter of the months, Tsuki-Yomi has the power to control time, making it pass more slowly in one place than in another, stopping it altogether, or speeding it up. He also has the power to light the darkness. In his true form, Tsuki-Yomi is a handsome elf with light blue skin.
Tsuki-Yomi's primary concern is the orderly progression of time, so that season change and crops mature properly. He is generally benevolent to those who rely upon and respect the cycle of nature. When sending omens, Tsuki-Yomi sometimes manifests his own handsome blue face in an expensive mirror.
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: War, the samurai
Worshipers: Samurai, bushi
Susanoo
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Known World
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Storms
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Susanoo is the kami of storms. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the Land of Darkness. Susanoo immediately began causing trouble, pestering his father for permission to go to the Land of Darkness and visit his mother. Eventually, Izanagi grew tired of these petitions and sent his son away. So Susanoo went to see his sister Amaterasu in the Heavens, playing such a cruel trick on her that she rushed into a cave and hid, depriving the world of light. In punishment for his terrible acts, the other kamis shaved Susanoo's head, pulled out his fingernails, and ejected him from the Sky. Susanoo has the power to deprive any being of flight for up to one week. He can also send a 10d10 point lightning bolt to strike any being on the Known World. In his true form, Susanoo is a hairless man with a fierce aspect and no fingernails.
Susanoo is very unpredictable. Sometimes, when he creates storms, the result is not so terrible, but on other occasions, he savages the land from end to the other, ripping up trees, destroying homes, and flooding crops. He sometimes sends his lightning bolts to strike down those who have offended him. Sometimes, in fact, he sends his lightning bolts to strike someone down for no reason at all.
Raiden
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Thunder, arrow-making
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara, fletchers
Raiden is the kami of thunder and the patron of fletchers. A constant companion of Susanoo's, he loves nothing better than beating his drums while the storm kami rages. When he wishes, he can beat these drums so loudly that they can act as drums of panic. Raiden is fond of eating elven flesh, and receives a meal any time an elf is slain by an arrow. He can send an 8d10 lightning bolt to attack any being on the Known World. In his true form, Raiden has a horned, grotesque head and long, vicious looking claws.
Raiden is a rather petty and jealous kami. If not properly venerated, he will convince Susanoo to unleash a terrible storm on a village so that he can beat his drums and frighten the people. As the patron of fletchers, he grants every arrow-maker the power to create 10 arrows of slaying during his lifetime. The fletcher never knows when he has created such a weapon, but does realize that he has been unusually successful in creating the arrow. Omens from Raiden take the form of dry thunder, arrow shaped clouds, and lightning bolts.
O-Kuni-Nushi
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: None
Home Plane: The Known World
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Medicine, sorcery, the land.
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
The son of Susanoo, O-Kuni-Nushi is the kami of medicine, sorcery, master of the land, and patron of heroes. He has had a great many adventures, and has always confronted danger bravely and with a certain amount of cunning. He is able to identify and converse with any kami, and he has the power to cure any living animal of disease or completely heal it of its wounds. As master of the land, O-Kuni-Nushi can speak with any living animal. The fact that he often uses his powers to heal injured animals has earned him the undying loyalty of all nature creatures. They will do as he commands, even if it means death. In his true form, O-Kuni-Nushi is a samurai with a quiet, gentle manner and a ready smile.
O-Kuni-Nushi has a special fondness for heroes of good alignment. When such a hero is in grave danger, there is a chance that O-Kuni-Nushi will aid the hero. He does not take kindly to those that are unnecessarily cruel to animals, and such individuals will find that they heal much slower. Omens from O-Kuni-Nushi are usually delivered by a talking animal.
Amatsumara
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Neutral
Portfolio: Blacksmithing, mirror making
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
When Amaterasu hid in the cave and plunged the world into darkness, and infertility, it was Amatsumara and Uzume who lured her back out. Uzume danced to amuse the other kamis of the Celestial Bureaucracy, Amatsumara helped to entice her with a magical mirror that he forged, drawing her forth with her own reflection. Had it not been for Amatsumara, the Known World may still be in darkness.
Amatsumara is the kami of blacksmiths and mirrors. He has the power to create raw materials, such as iron ingots, charcoal, and leather, out of thin air. Using these materials, Amatsumara can forge any type of normal weapon in a single hour. Magical weapons take longer, though any magical weapon forged by him possess their own kami (which means it is automatically intelligent). In his true form, Amatsumara is a huge, elf-like being with one eye located in the center of his forehead (not unlike the cyclops).
Amatsumara favors blacksmiths and weapon forgers. When he notices a weapon forger taking special pride in his work, he often rewards the effort by investing the weapon with a kami and, thus, making it intelligent.
Inari
Intermediate Deity
Nature Symbol: Rice plant
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Rice
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
At one time the patron of smiths who forged swords, Inari has since passed that duty to Amatsumara so that he can spend more time in his other calling, that of the kami of rice. He watches over the sowing and reaping of rice, as well as the preservation of the crop after it has been harvested. He can control the flow of waters, the growth of plants, and all insects. He can also turn water into saki (rice wine). In his true form, Inari is an old elf, but often he takes the form of a fox.
Inari is generally a beneficent kami who does his best to help the people feed themselves. However, if his efforts go unappreciated, he has been known to neglect his duties. When peasants or farmers are threatened, he often sends his messengers to harass their oppressors.
Omens from Inari are usually delivered by a fox. Sometimes, however, elves mistake his messengers for the kami himself and worship foxes as the rice god.
Ho Masubi
Intermediate Deity
Nature Symbol: Wild boar
Home Plane: The Known World (Mount Atago)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Fire
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Ho Masubi is the kami of fire. When he was born, he caused the death of his mother, Izanami. His father, Izanagi, was so distraught that he chopped the child in two, creating two kinds of fire: kiri-bi, fire made by the friction of wood, and uchi-bi, fire made by striking sparks from steel and stone. Despite being so energetically disjointed, the fire kami made his way to a mountain called Atago in the Inoshishi province of the Boar clan, where he established his home. He is one of the most feared gods in Tengoku no Niwa, for he is a swift destroyer of houses made from wood and paper.
Although destructive by his very nature, the fire kami is not evil and does what he can for elfkind, providing them with light, warmth, a means of cooking, and the heat for forging weapons and tools. If a village affronts him be neglecting his worship, however, he has been known to burn it to the ground.
Ho Masubi appears as a large elf with flame red hair and yellow orange skin.
Nai No Kami
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Earthquakes
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Nai No Kami is the kami of earthquakes. For a long time, his worship was completely neglected, to the point that the elves did not even include his name in their lists of the Amat-su-Kami. For a long time, Nai No Kami patiently endured this insult, sending tremors from time to time to warn the elves of their error. But, after centuries of neglect, he finally grew angry and demolished much of Tengoku no Niwa with a series of violent earthquakes. Since then, the elves have never neglected Nai No Kami again. In his true form he is a large, powerfully built elf wielding a tetsubo. Often times he assumes the size of a hill giant.
After his long neglect, Nai No Kami is a touchy kami. Omens from Nai No Kami usually come in the form of tremors or moving earth.
Uzume
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Joy, happiness, dance, drums, mirth
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Also known as Ame-no-Uzume-no-Mikoto, Uzume is the kami of joy and happiness, mirth and revelry. She has a light and effervescent personality. When Amaterasu, the sun kami, was scared by her brother and hid in a cave, she plunged the world into darkness when she took the sun with her. All the kamis pleaded with her to come out but she refused. Uzume had an idea. She placed a mirror that was forged by Amatsumara outside the cave and turned over a tub, which she then danced upon. This dance was so comical and bawdy as Uzume took off her clothes and revealed herself, causing the kamis to laugh and cause a ruckus. At this, Amaterasu's curiosity got the best of her and she went to the entrance of the cave. From the entrance she caught sight of her brilliant reflection in the mirror and was lured out. Amaterasu was cheered by all the laughter and revelry and was happy to stay outside.
Wherever there is mirth and joy and revelry, there is Uzume. In her true form she appears as a lovely elf-ko with long raven black hair and sparkling blue eyes and a bright smile.
O-Wata-Tsu-Mi
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Known World (The Tobu Sea)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Ocean creatures, tides
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Also called Shio-Zuchi ("old elf of the tides), O-Wata-Tsu-Mi is the greatest of the many kami of the sea. He was created when Izanagi washed in the sea after returning from the Land of Darkness. He is the ruler of the fishes and all living things in the sea, and controller of the tides. He has the power to command any creature that swims in the sea (including elves while they are in the water), and to move the waters of the ocean at will. In his true form, he is a tremendous serpentine dragon green in color, be he is equally comfortable as the form of an old elf with gills. O-Wata-Tsu-Mi lives in a great palace at the bottom of the Tobu Sea.
Generally, O-Wata-Tsu-Mi is a benevolent deity. He moves the tides in an extremely regular fashion so that elves may predict their action and avoid being stranded, flooded, or drowned. When someone comes to his palace, he is known to be a gracious host. Omens from O-Wata-Tsu-Mi are generally carried by his messenger, a sea monster named Wani, but they also take the form of violent and unusual tides.
Kura Okami
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Rain and snow
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Kura Okami is one of the many rain kami. He provides a more or less steady supply of rain for the crops grown. During storms, he can get caught up in Susanoo's fury and send too much rain, causing the streams and rivers to overflow their banks and flood the countryside. He is also somewhat forgetful, as he sometimes allows many weeks to go by without sending his life-giving waters. However, most of the time he is a kind and efficient kami, imparting his blessing in beautiful, gentile rainfalls. Kura Okami also has the power to send snow, which he often does in the winter in order to beautify an otherwise drab landscape. IN his true form, he is a translucent old elf with a kindly (if somewhat vacant) expression. There are several other rain kami, including Taka Okami, who dwells in the mountains, and Taki-Tsu-Hiko ("Prince Cataract"), who is a rock located to the west of Mount Kaminabi.
Kura Okami is a rather befuddled and absent minded deity, but a kindly and gentle one. He enjoys seeing the sights of Tengoku no Niwa and has been known to cross the Floating Bridge of Heaven to wander the land. Sometimes he becomes so caught up in this activity that he neglects his duties. Omens from Kura Okami usually come during a morning or evening mist.
Shinatsu-Hiko
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Winds
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Shinatsu-Hiko was born from the breath of Izanagi and is the kami of the winds. He is not the only wind kami, however. There are several more who control certain types of winds. Among them are Shinatsu-Hiko's daughter, Shina-To-Be, who blows away the morning mists; Tatsuta-Hiko and Tatsuta-Hime, who bring fresh air to the fields to aid in producing good harvests; and Haya-ji, the god of whirlwinds. While these kamis are personifications of certain types of winds, Shinatsu-Hiko is in charge of all the winds, and so is superior to them in the same way a shogun is superior to a daimyo. Shinatsu-Hiko has the power to control the winds anywhere on the Known World, and can use this capability to bring hot, dusty conditions, pleasant rains, terrible storms, and so forth. In his true form, Shinatsu-Hiko appears to be a well appointed elf lord.
Shinatsu-Hiko is unpredictable and capricious. One day, he may be perfectly contented with the homage paid to him in a certain village. The next, he may find it woefully inadequate and use his power to rip the roofs from all the houses. Omens from Shinatsu-Hiko usually take the form of words whispered in the wind, but it is not always possible to make out the meaning of his speech.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi
Intermediate Deity
Home Plane: The Sky
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Evil, trickery, mischief
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the "august star of Heaven," is the kami of wickedness and mischief. Also known as Ama-no-Kagaseo, the "brilliant male," he sees and sanctions all things done under the cover of darkness. He has the power to look into the hearts of elf and elf-ko, and, if he finds too much evil there, to make them his. Because most elves are basically good, Amatsu-Mikaboshi is not particularly powerful. But he is cunning, and has gathered more into circle than elves suspect. In his true form, Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a dark shadow of an elf that can never quite be seen.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi gathers his minions the old fashion way: he entraps them. After finding a potential worshiper, Amatsu sends his avatar to tempt the victim -- usually with power, money, lechery, or whatever the subject desires most. The kami then creates a situation in which the victim can fulfill this desire by committing one wicked act. If the victim performs the act, he becomes permanently in the thrall of Amatsu-Mikaboshi and finds himself to take part in a never-ending series of foul plans.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is not a kami of true evil -- that reign is reserved for another -- but rather he is a kami of wickedness, trickery, and deceit.
Lolth
Lesser Deity
Nature Symbol: Black spider
Home Plane: The Land of Darkness
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Underworld, spiders, oni
Worshipers: Drow clan of elves
Lolth is unique among the elven divinities for a number of reasons. First of all she is not actually a member of the Celestial Bureaucracy and operates outside their laws. She can do this because she is not actually kami, she is oni. The oni are wicked creatures that hail from the Land of Darkness, vile beings that exist for evil's sake. Other cultures would call them demons or devils. And Lolth is their queen.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is the kami of evil, but his schemes are to infect certain elves with his wickedness. By comparison his designs for the elven race are small. Evil, true evil, was introduced to the elves by Lolth, as was fear and cowardice. Lolth is why the elves are afraid of the dark, she is the reason they fear the night. She is credited with poisoning the elven spider clan, the Drow clan, with her evil and turning them into a clan of oni-worshipers. The Drow are considered a legend, a bedtime story to scare elven children. There is doubt among many clans that they actually exist. Lolth, however, does.
Lolth's plans for the Known World are the same as the oni in general. The spread of evil, the domination of her kind, and the extermination of the kami. Lolth is known as the Oni Queen and alternately the Oni Queen of Spiders, and she dwells in her own domain within the Land of Darkness, a realm called the Oni Web Pits. In her true form Lolth appears as an ebony-skinned being with the torso, arms, and head of an elf-ko, and the lower body of a great black spider. She has also been known to take on the form of a Drow shugenja of impeccable beauty. Omens from her come in the form of spiders in the night.
Shichifukujin
Lesser Deities
Home Plane: The Known World
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: As listed for each one individually, happiness collectively
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
The Shichifukujin are the Seven Kamis of Happiness. Sometimes referred to as the Seven Kamis of Luck, they come from various origins. They include Hotei (god of happiness through fortunate chance), Jurojin (god of happiness through long life), Fukurokujo (god of happiness through good health), Bishamon (god of happiness through good cheer, he also looks after the elves during war), Benzaiten (goddess of happiness through love), Daikoku (god of happiness through wealth), and Ebisu (god of happiness through food, he also presides over fishing and honest dealing). Each of the kamis oversees a particular aspect of life. To be truly happy, an elf must worship all seven kamis in the proper balance. Each kami can grant worshipers the particular aspect of happiness that he or she embodies. In their true forms, these kamis have the following appearances: Hotei, a man with a huge stomach; Jurojin, an old elf with long white hair; Fukurokujo, long narrow head with a short stocky body; the smiling Bishamon is always dressed in full armor (to ward off war); Daikoku, a portly, balding elf; Ebisu, an elderly elf; and Benzaiten, a beautiful elf-ko.
The Shichifukujin respond to their worshipers as individual kamis. Thus, a man who pays a great deal of attention to Ebisu and none to Benzaiten is likely to have plenty of food but no wife to share it with. They do not send omens, although the degree of happiness in a person's life might be perceived as one.
Kamis
Lesser to Intermediate Deities
Nature Symbol: Varies, if any
Home Plane: Varies
Alignment: Varies
Portfolio: Any
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
As stated before, there are many, many kamis involved in the Celestial Bureaucracy other than those listed here. Eight million of them to be in fact, and they all control different aspects of the Known World, the natural world. These "common," nameless kamis are the spirits that represent and inhabit all the greatness and beauty of the everyday world. They represent the dragons, the ki-rin, the kitsune, the foo creatures, the volcano, the stars, there are SIlvercrest and spirit folk shaman that insist Thunder Rift itself has it's own kami.
These kamis are the ones most often prayed to by the shaman, the ones that are closest to the earth and the living of the Known World. Their appearances varies, but most often they take on an appearance the creature they represent, or something that represents their material manifestation. Such as a mountain kami would appear as a powerfully built elf wielding a tetsubo or similar weapon.
These "lesser" kamis are too numerous and widely varied to list in detail here.
Shinigami
Quasi-Deities
Home Plane: The Land of Darkness
Alignment: Neutral
Portfolio: Death, the dead
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, spirit folk, the vanara
The Celestial Bureaucracy does not have a god of the dead or death as most other pantheons do. Izanami is associated as a kami of death and the dead, but her duties are specific to the ancestral spirits. The shinigami however, are old spirits, spirits that perhaps predate the seventh generation of divine beings from which bore Izanagi and Izanami. They are wardens and escorts of the dead, they usher the dead spirits of the elves into the after life, much like the valkyries of the Keldon belief (elves, and most races associated with them, do not believe they have souls, but rather spirits).
The shinigami are also the wardens of the Land of Darkness, and protect the spirits of the dead from Lolth and her oni followers. They keep the spirits of the dead within the Land of Darkness and are greatly angered when one is called back to the Known World in the form of the undead, or worse, a resurrection spell. Once a spirit has dined on the food of the shinigami, they are forever a resident of the Land of Darkness.
The shinigami are not kami and as such are not prayed to by the elves, but they are revered. The shinigami appear as dark figures with black and gray skin and hair. They have vaguely elfin features, with sharper chins and flat noses.
Izanami
Greater Deity
Home Plane: The Land of Darkness
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Creation, death
Worshipers: Elves, hengeyokai, the spirit folk, the vanara
Izanami was one of the seventh generation of divine beings, and the first generation of divine beings that would become important to the elves. After creating the islands of Tengoku no Niwa, she married her brother kami, Izanagi and gave birth to their first child, the deformed kami known as Ebisu. It is believed that Ebisu was a deformity because the marriage ceremony was conducted improperly, Izanami spoke first during the ceremony. After the birth -- and subsequent banishment -- of Ebisu, the kamis were rejoined and this time during the ceremony, Izanagi spoke first and the ceremony was conducted properly.
Izanami began giving birth to numerous children that became the kami of the Known World. When it came time to give birth to the fire kami, Ho Masubi, the delivery was too much of her to bare and she died during childbirth. Izanami was the first being to die, she was the first lost soul to find the Land of Darkness. When she journeyed there she found the shinigami, the wardens of the dead. They convinced her to eat the food of the land, and thus sealing her fate.
Much time passed and eventually Izanagi came to find her to bring her back to the surface. When her husband came for her, Izanami wept, for she had already eaten of the food of the dead and therefore could not leave the Land of Darkness. The couple then petitioned the shinigami to allow Izanami to leave, and so they allowed her under one condition. That Izanagi could not look upon his wife until they were under the light of the sun again. They agreed and so the couple began their trek back to the surface.
When the couple stopped to rest, Izanagi struck a fire and used the light to peer through the shadows and look upon his sleeping wife. What he saw was her flesh rotted and ridden through with maggots. Izanagi screamed and ran. Her husband's cry awoke Izanami and she took chase, following him all the way to the cave entrance that was the opening to the Land of Darkness. But when Izanagi emerged, he took hold of a giant boulder and placed it in front of the cave entrance. Izanami beat her firsts upon the rock and pleaded with Izanagi to release her, but Izanagi deemed her tainted and unclean.
"If you do not release me, I shall take 1,000 lives every 1,000 years!" She cried out to her husband. "And then I shall create 1,500 lives every 1,000 years!" Izanagi cried back. Thus the elves were blessed and cursed all at once; blessed with their extended lifespan, and cursed with their relatively low birthrate.
Though the elves have no true kami of the dead or death, Izanami is often associated with the dead and the Land of Darkness, and is viewed a warden of the dead along with the shinigami.
Ancestral Spirits
Quasi-Deities
In addition to prayers offered up to the kamis, it is not uncommon for the elves, the hengeyokai, the vanara, and even the spirit folk to venerate and pray to their deceased ancestors for guidance and good fortune. While their influence and power does not extend nearly as far as a kami, but they do hold some influence over their own clans and can grant prayers and favors to them (as with the Ancestor domain and a samurai's ancestral weapon). An ancestral spirit's power cannot influence someone who is not related to it, aside from a shaman casting spells.
Ancestral spirits do not have the power to manifest themselves to their descendants, but those who pray to them can feel their presence. Ancestral spirits use the shinigami to channel their blessing through to the Known World.
Sun (Tayio) Clan
Non-Deities
The Sun clan of elves are direct descendants of the sun kami, Amaterasu, and as such are part of the Celestial Bureaucracy, and they are the only clan of elves that have such status. As direct descendants of the kami, the Sun clan is seen as divinity in flesh and rule over the elven empire by holy sanction. Every emperor of Tengoku no Niwa has been of the Sun clan, the emperor is the divine representative of the kami to the elven nation and is their holy leader. The emperor is seen as a kami, a god, among mortals and is considered the mouth of Amaterasu. Despite this divine connection, the emperor is not prayed to -- though he is venerated -- nor can he grant spells to the shaman and shugenja.
The lowest members of the Celestial Bureaucracy, the spirit folk are half-kami members of the Tengoku no Niwa, mortal beings who have kami blood running through their veins. Some kami, especially those of the natural world, nature kami, take on mortal form and walk among the elves, interbreeding with them and thus was created the spirit folk. Spirit folk have no divinity, no areas of influence, nor do they receive worship from the elves. And even if they did, they could grant no powers or spells.
Spirit Folk
Non-Deities
The Celestial Bureaucracy and the Planes
Within the elven cosmology, the Celestial Bureaucracy, the universe is divided into three separate worlds; Takamagara, the Sky, or the "Divine Heavens," ruled by Amaterasu, Umihara, the Known World, ruled by the Sun clan, and Yuro no uso Kuni, the Land of Darkness, ruled over by Izanami and the shinigami.
How this compares to the cosmology of Known World is somewhat vague, but it is generally believed that the Divine Heavens is a catch-all for the Outer Planes, mostly the upper and middle planes. This is the upper world. The middle world is the Known World, and many, many kami of the Celestial Bureaucracy dwell on the Known World.
The third world, the lower world, Yuro no uso Kuni, the Land of Darkness, is a bit of an enigma. Western cultures and those who are outside the Celestial Bureaucracy view the Land of Darkness as much the same way others view Hell or Hades, but this is not very accurate as the Land of Darkness is not a realm of eternal punishment, it just simply is where the dead go. To further compound the comparison is that the Land of Darkness is where Lolth and the oni come from.
Also, there is much debate as to where the Land of Darkness actually is. With kami living upon the Known World -- it is no secret that some kami are even known to reside in specific places, such as Ho Masubi living in Mount Atago. There is some question as to whether the Land of Darkness is another plane of existence such as the Divine Heavens, or if it exists on the material plane with the Known World. There are even some scholars that contest that the Land of Darkness and the Underdark is one and the same.
The Celestial Bureaucracy and Symbols
Unlike most religions of the Known World, the Celestial Bureaucracy does not have individual symbols for the kami. Instead, those who worship the kami of the Bureaucracy use one symbol for the entire pantheon of kami. It is called the torii.
The torii represents a passage, or a gateway, between the material world and the divine world, the world of the kami. In many holy scriptures and scrolls, and the shungenja ofudas, the torii is inscribed upon them all to signify their holiness. Many elven divine spell scrolls are marked by the torii as well.
Further, the torii is not just a symbol to be used upon the written page. The torii is a structure as well, a structure that the elves build either at the entrance of a kami shrine, or within. It represents the passage from the mundane to the divine.
Some kami, especially those associated with nature, do have symbols in nature that are associated with them. Some examples include Amaterasu and the sun, Ho Masubi and the wild boar, and Lolth and the spider. These are typically not used during worship or in script, but they are venerated by the elves as holy (or unholy) icons of the kamis. For those few kamis that do have a nature symbol, they are listed in the descriptions.
Kami and Thunder Rift
Thunder Rift, like much of the Known World, is ripe with spirits of nature, many of which are called "kami" by the elves, and venerated as such. Those shaman that believe the Rift itself has a kami are correct. A spirit of the land has taken residence within the Rift, an entity that predates even the orcs and dwarves of Thunder Rift.
Over the hundreds of years that people have inhabited the Rift, the spirit, the kami, have aided those of a good heart within the Rift, answering the prayers of druids and shaman. (The spirit of the land grants shaman the Nature domain).
The spirit of the land, whom no one knows it's name, is old and stronger than most of it's kind, and has a leaning towards good, whereas most spirits of the land don't take up the concerns of morality. No one knows where it comes from, or why it is there, but Thunder Rift is it's home. When it manifests, it does so as an earth elemental.
Celestial Spirit of the Land, Huge Fey (Incorporeal): HD 20d6+200; hp 270; Init +1(Dex); Spd 60 ft, fly (perfect); AC 16 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +7 deflection); Atk none; SA Spell-like abilities; SQ All-round vision, elemental manifestation (earth), fast healing 10, incorporeal subtype, darkvision 60ft, natural invisibility, telepathy, SR 34, acid resistance 20, cold resistance 20, electricity resistance 20; AL NG; SV Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +16; Str --, Dex 13, Con 30, Int 20, Wis 19, Cha 25; CR 25
Skills: Animal Empathy +14, Concentration +23, Diplomacy +9, Knowledge (nature) +16, Listen +15, Perception +15, Sense Motive +18, Spellcraft +18, Wilderness Lore +18
Feats: Cleave*, Dodge, Expertise, Great Cleave*, Improved Bull Rush*, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip*, Mobility, Power Attack*, Sunder*
*: Only accessible when the spirit is manifested.
Earth Elemental Manifestation Changes: AC 19 (-2 size, +1 Dex, +10 natural); Atk +14 melee (2d6+6, x2, slam) and +14 melee (2d6+6, x2, slam); SA smite evil (+20 damage, 1/day); SQ +1 melee when touching the earth, DR 30/+3; Str 23
