History

When humans first migrated into Amol-Kalit, it is said they still followed the religion of Celestialism. Archaeology suggests that temples to the Celestials were present when cities were first constructed. With the appearance of the Annunaki and constant exposure to their more palpable displays of existence, Celestialism inevitably lost its following.

Minor cults to Celestials can be found in Amol-Kalit to this day, but the pale in comparison to the veneration received by the Annunaki.

Theology

The primary residence of the Annunaki Pantheon is known as the Astral Valley. It is said to be a lush and beautiful paradise, reminiscent of the river valleys that dominate Amol-Kalit. Yet the weather is permanently pleasant, the river never floods, and the harvest never fails. There is no disease.

Scattered throughout this otherworldly realm are an assortment of palaces, each belonging either to one of the Six or their most loyal mortal and divine followers. As one might expect, the most expansive palace belongs to Annuk himself. The size of Annuk’s palace is said to dwarf the size of Amol-Kalit's largest cities.

It is said the Astral Valley can only be accessed in death, though theologians and sorcerers alike have attempted to gain access through magic. If any have found success, they have not returned… Perhaps a testament to the pleasures and bliss that await there.

In contrast, the Pit of the Earth is the seat of the Three. It is a prison, a repository for the souls that the Six have no want for. It is a barren and bleak place, composed entirely of black, jagged rock. In their exile, the Three and their lesser followers have carved palaces of their own out of the rock. What joys, if any, they indulge in these places are unknown.

When a mortal follower of the Annunaki dies, one of the Six will typically lay claim to the soul. Which deity gets which soul is, to some degree, up to the life choices of the mortal. The souls of valiant generals and wise kings enjoy their afterlife in the palace of Annuk, for example, while the souls of prosperous merchants join the court of Munnun.

If one of the Six does not want the soul of a mortal for any multitude of reasons, it is shunted into the Pit of the Earth. The souls are left to wander the miserable landscape, where they may either be taken into the courts of Tabin-Ur, Bel-Ayya, or some other minor infernal, if they happen to be useful. Souls that are of a particular annoyance, or that invoke the wrath of one of the Pit’s more powerful residents, are thrown into the chasm that Hissut resides in.

Hissut then devours the soul, obliterating it forever.

Those mortals who end up in the Pit of the Earth by way of worshipping the Three (or some other entity cursed to reside there) are said to enjoy a marginally more comfortable existence. But only marginally. For every mortal that ends up in the Pit, the power of the Three grows… And with it, the likelihood they may eventually break out.

Lore

Interpretation of the Annunaki Pantheon’s mythos is varied among Amol-Kalit's cultures. When humans first began to settle Amol-Kalit, Annuk made himself known to them and the first cults began to form. Many more deities - who would come to make up the Annunaki Pantheon, would follow soon after.

Why Annuk and the other deities made themselves known to the humans, but not the Sand Elves or other populations of Amol-Kalit, is a much debated subject by theologians. What prompted their appearance has been shrouded by myth and speculation as well. All that can be said definitively is that the deities of the Annunaki Pantheon grow in power proportionate to their mortal following.

After several centuries, Annuk declared the First Ordening, organizing the scattered deities of Amol-Kalit into a unified pantheon. Many of the Annunaki submitted to him, and those who did not were destroyed - their mortal worshipers either giving up or following suit as well. This war in heaven was short and brutal. By the end, the nine deities with the largest mortal followings had all recognized Annuk’s supremacy.

Centuries later, a Second Ordening would occur. Three malcontent deities - Bel-Ayya, Tabin-Ur, and Hissut - led their followings in an attempt to unseat Annuk. Whether they sought to replace him or remove him from authority is unclear, but ultimately they lost. As punishment for their treason, Annuk and his allies cursed them. They, along with their supporters, were flung from the Astral Valley and into the Pit of the Earth. Here they have remained ever since, festering with resentment in their eternal prison. Except for Hissut, who was brutalized so fiercely as to become near-comatose.

The Six

The six are not the only deities in the Anunnaki, but they are the most powerful and commonly praised. Temples to the six can be found in every major city, and the divine powers wielded by their priests tend to be the most powerful of their sort in the region.

The Six and their divine servants reside in a plane of existence called the Astral Valley.

Annuk, God of Conquest and Governance
Annuk's name is on the lips of every would-be conqueror in Amol-Kalit. Kings also plead for his blessing in maintaining the foundations of their rule. His symbol is presented as a chariot of iron, usually set ablaze.

Narmaka, Goddess of Art and Beauty
Narmaka is invoked by artists, bards, and writers - most often when they have trouble coming up with their own inspiration. Narmaka is similarly invoked to bless marriages... Or cure ugliness, depending on the supplicant. Her symbol is a purple lily most commonly seen growing in the Baal-Duru delta.

Iasimu, Goddess of Storms and Might
To see a dust storm rolling through Amol-Kalit is to see the work of Iasimu. Grand strategists and rulers will pray to Annuk, but Iasimu is the matron of the common soldier. Career soldiers and mercenaries will invoke Iasimu's name for anything from courage, to strength, to the hope that the volley of enemy arrows will miss them completely. Her symbol is a pair of curved swords crossed over one another.

Naspar, God of Scholarship and Magic
The most reclusive of the six, Naspar is the patron of scribes and sorcerers throughout Amol-Kalit. He is a keeper of secrets and a weaver of magic. For Naspar, knowledge of both the arcane and mundane is to be used as a path to enlightenment - something that often requires seclusion and reflection. Devout followers of Naspar are rather reclusive. His symbol is a scarab.

Munnun, God of Trade and Artisanry
Pious merchants and craftsmen hoping for a prosperous trade season will pray to Munnun. But piety does not move Munnun - only honesty and ethics in the marketplace. Munnun's symbol is a pair of scales, perfectly balanced.

Maskat, Goddess of Agriculture and Health
It is said that Maskat blessed the early humans with knowledge of the flood cycles of the Baal-Duru and Baal-Ashar, and worked with Naspar to give human sorcerers the ability to manipulate the waters themselves. Farmers worship her with fervent adoration as a result, and she has continued to bless Amol-Kalit with bountiful harvests for their efforts. Her symbol is a sheaf of wheat.

The Three

The three are considered evil, terrible gods by much of the population. Whether that reputation is unfairly given is up to debate. Even in those few places where their worship is not explicitly outlawed, they are venerated only in secret.

The Three and their divine servants reside in a plane of existence called The Pit of the Earth.

Bel-Ayya, Goddess of Black Magic and Power
Bel-Ayya is said to dabble in the profane magic Naspar discourages his followers against. In many ways, Bel-Ayya is the antithesis of Naspar. Where her rival represents the use of study and research as a path to enlightenment, Bel-Ayya views it only as a path to power.

Tabin-Ur, God of Deceit and Greed
Tabin-Ur is , the patron of charlatans, slavers, and criminals throughout Amol-Kalit - whether they know it or not. He is the antithesis of Munnun. Where Munnun embodies fair and honest work as the path to wealth and luxury, Tabin-Ur believes only in the acquisition of more and more wealth, by any and all means.

Hissut, God of Destruction and Disease
Hissut is the antithesis of Maskat. Where that goddesses represent deliberate acts of creation and life, Hissut represents aimless, pointless destruction. Hissut has no agenda or ideology. Many theologians speculate he is barely conscious.

The Hundreds

As previously mentioned, the Six and the Three are not the only objects of worship in the Annunaki Pantheon. There are many lesser cults dedicated to smaller figures that feature in Amol-Kalit’s theology. Demigods, heroes, or even lesser servants of one of the Six or Three may have their own mortal followings. For their numerousness, these figures are collectively referred to as “The Hundreds”, though the actual number may even be higher.

Over time, “the Hundreds” has also come to encompass many of the minor folk religions popular among non-humans that predate the arrival of the Annunaki Pantheon.

Abtatu
Of all the minor gods with domains in Amol-Kalit, the deity of the Sand Elves is the most well-known. Abtatu is formless and genderless. Some tribes even consider it more of a “concept” than an actual divine entity. In any event, Abtatu represents enlightenment through seclusion and solitude. Abtatu’s teachings also support self-sufficiency and living in harmony with nature.

In their legends, many populations that predate the human and Annunaki arrival in Amol-Kalit mention a God-King or God-Queen of the Sand Elves, guiding them to supremacy in the region.