Baltans recognize three pantheons of seven deities each: the Aroira, the Tairra, and the Kezra. Much can be drawn from these three pantheons about the Baltan psyche. The Aroira, the highest pantheon which rules over the universe, is composed of scientists whose knowledge allows them to command, control, and predict all things. The Tairra, the middle-ranking pantheon, is composed of deadly ninjas whose martial prowess allows them to rule and guard the hells. And the Kezra, the lowest pantheon, represent the elements of the natural world—they are massive, powerful, fearsome-looking creatures, but unfailingly loyal and subservient to the higher pantheons.
The universe is believed to be an experiment carried out by the Aroira, while all mortals are the experiment's variables. The Baltans believe themselves to be the 'favored' variables of their gods, but also believe the gods prefer not to interfere with mortals at all lest they contaminate their experiment; the interaction of these two primary tenets of faith is the heart of most Baltan religious philosophy. One of the most common beliefs is that the shinori are the control group by which all other variables are to be judged, but this is far from universally held.
The Aroira
As the highest pantheon, the Aroira exist on some separate plane as outside observers of the Great Experiment. They are depicted as seven identical robed humanoids of indiscernible (if any) gender, only differentiated by the colors they wear. All the Aroira are perceived as emotionless, though certain myths indicate they have emotions, they've simply perfected subordinating those emotions to logic.
The Aroira theoretically rule over certain domains, but in practice Baltans usually define them by their roles in overseeing the Experiment.
- Aktyos - Leader of the Aroira and god of judgment. Aktyos is the final arbiter of the Experiment, and orders any necessary adjustments. Wears gray.
- Mezzatik - God of creation, known as the Introducer of Variables. Wears black.
- Kazyensa (kah-ZYNE-sah) - God of destruction, known as the Remover of Variables. Wears white.
- Gyressin - God of the future, responsible for hypothesizing about the Experiment. Wears red.
- Lasaktos - God of the present, responsible for the logistics of running the Experiment. Wears brown.
- Valaktar - God of the past and scribe of the gods, responsible for recording the Experiment's results. Wears green.
- Atava - God of authority and leadership. Atava is the Aroira liaison to the other pantheons, taking direct command of the Tairra and Kezra when necessary. Wears blue.
The Tairra
Like the Aroira, the Tairra exist on a separate plane, in their case a pocket dimension that consists of three overlapping hells. What exactly constitutes a hell-worthy sin is a matter of debate in Baltan theology, given the perceived indifference of their gods; the meaning of the names of the hells is likewise debated. The most popular theory holds that the hells are where torturous experiments are conducted on the dead who are judged as unworthy, and the names of of each represent the types of experiments carried out there.
The Tairra are depicted as truly emotionless, and like the Aroira are identical: they appear as armored ninjas and are only differentiated by their weapons. Ancient legends say they were once employed to battle other gods, but modern Baltans tend to scorn this idea.
- Chasat - Leader of the Tairra and overall warden of the hells. Carries a katana.
- Nakrolak - The gatekeeper of the hells, who turns away the souls they find worthy of rest. Though emotionless, Nakrolak is thought to be merciful in practice; the gods have reason to give their variables some room for error. Carries twin knives.
- Takotra - Judge and sorter of souls, who sentences the unworthy to the appropriate hell. Carries throwing stars.
- Kavsor - Jailer of the first hell, the Hell of the Mind. Known as the Unthinkable Shadow. Carries a kusarigama which allows them to disrupt or cull any thought.
- Sorvenor - Jailer of the second hell, the Hell of the Body. Known as the Untouchable Shadow. Carries a longbow which allows them to strike even through cover.
- Komi - Jailer of the third hell, the Hell of the Soul. Known as the Unbearable Shadow. Carries a spear which allows them to pierce the spirits of their target.
- Yashirja (yah-SHEER-zha) - Jailer of the Hellcore, the place where all three hells overlap. Carries a chain whip which in some literal sense is connected to the chains of the Hellcore's prisoners.
The Kezra
The Kezra are the lowest pantheon, and the only ones who deign to enter the mortal plane, which makes them by far the most invoked within Baltan culture. In stark contrast to the higher pantheons, each Kezra is distinctive, and each is represented as both monstrous and graceful. Though they primarily rule the elements, each is also associated with an emotion or character trait. (Note that while the seven elements the Kezra represent are considered an exhaustive list, the emotions they represent are not.) The seven Baltan castes were originally religious orders dedicated to the seven Kezra, and each caste's associated god still colors their culture to an extent.
The Kezra command legions of lesser elementals, which carry out their bidding in all but the most dire circumstances. These elementals may appear in either bestial or humanoid forms; the Kezra themselves are believed to have the same capability, but are rarely represented as such.
- Dalzeran (dahl-ZAIR-an), the Panther Queen - Goddess of darkness, deception, and cunning. Dalzeran is the leader and greatest warrior of the Kezra, though she is explicitly seen as the first among equals. Due to Baltan elemental theory she is associated with battle, and often invoked in mantras of protection.
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- Darkness elementals - Panthers, known in elemental form as kajkyra and mortal form as adrasta. Baltan panthers are shaggy black felines capable of teleporting between shadows.
- Zalet, the Phoenix King - God of light and courage. Due to Baltan elemental theory, Zalet is also associated with death, and is the only Kezra represented as not wearing armor. His phoenixes carry those spared from the hells by Nakrolak to their peaceful rest.
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- Light elementals - Phoenixes, known in elemental form as atrokyra and mortal form as jakti. Baltan phoenixes are crane-like birds alight with gold and silver flame, capable of regenerating from any wound so long as a spark of light is present.
- Kyenzan (KYNE-zan), the Dragonlord - God of wind and love (romantic and otherwise). Baltan elemental theory also associates Kyenzan with life, and the Baltan medical symbol—a star made of six stylized wings—is meant to represent him.
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- Wind elementals - Dragons, known in elemental form as tazikyra and mortal form as sechari. Baltan dragons are six-winged, serpentine, and translucent. They have four limbs which begin halfway down their bodies, causing them to somewhat resemble winged giraffes when standing.
- Gaisa, the Scorpion Guard - God of earth and hope. Due to Baltan elemental philosophy Gaisa is also associated with creativity; it is unknown whether this is the cause or effect of Balto's primary art form being stoneworking, but there is definitely a relationship.
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- Earth elementals - Scorpions, known in elemental form as reskyra and mortal form as sinvali. Baltan scorpions are sleek, spiked creatures with two massive front pincers and a stinging tail. (They're really barely close enough to scorpions to merit the name, but nothing else fit any better.)
- Madrion, the Sea Serpent - Goddess of water and fear. Due to Baltan elemental theory she is also associated with wisdom, and she is thought to be the oldest and wisest of the Kezra. Madrion is not seen as malevolent or even unusually frightening in her own right. Rather, the fear she rules over is a gift that encourages caution, pragmatism, and deeper appreciation for the gifts of her brethren.
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- Water elementals - Basilisks, known in elemental form as kyrikyra and mortal form as vanori. Baltan basilisks are crested iridescent serpents whose voices can turn those hearing them to ice.
- Senakra, the Triune - God of fire and joy. Due to Baltan elemental philosophy, he is also associated with rage, creating a dichotomy similar to that of flame itself. Likewise, his three heads represent flame's triple nature as a source of destruction, safety, and healing.
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- Fire elementals - Chimeras, known in elemental form as mekyra and mortal form as irrasa. Baltan chimeras are saurian creatures with three heads, three tails, and scales resembling candle flame. Their heads share a single unified consciousness, but their mood and mission impact which head is the primary at a given moment.
- Chorin, the Black Jackal - Goddess of lightning, remorse, and forgiveness. She is the youngest of the Kezra. Baltan elemental theory associates her with technology, making her perhaps the most commonly invoked Kezra outside of her own caste. (Chorin's title may be more accurately translated as Night Jackal—she is copper and silver, not black—but Black Jackal has become standard in Common for aesthetic reasons.)
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- Lightning elementals - Jackals, known in elemental form as chalkyra and mortal form as metaria. Baltan jackals are quick-witted canines with metal plates bolted directly onto their skin. Their claws are capable of draining energy from anything they pierce.
The Akyani
Though the Baltan gods are known, their deeds are largely thought to be unknowable (and not particularly the business of mortals). The exception to this are the stories of the Akyani, or Primordials: these beings were failed early creations of Mezzatik that were not properly removed from the Experiment, and each is responsible for originally teaching a Kezra of their corresponding emotion. Each then entered the service of the Kezra, becoming roughly equivalent to demigods.
The names of the Akyani are common Baltan words, and may be more equivalent to honornames than given names.
- Desrashi (Deceiver) - An elusive creature hunted by Dalzeran's panther legions, displaying a mastery of shadows even the darkness elementals could not match. The Panther Queen herself was forced to intervene and outwit him, learning to actively use cunning and deceit for honorable purposes.
- Taberya (Fugitive) - Taberya is the only being in accessible Baltan myth to have ever escaped the hells. Zalet was sent to retrieve her from the mortal plane. Rather than hide, she faced him willingly, and was granted mercy out of respect for her courage.
- Kitenya (Beloved) - A beautiful creature Mezzatik could not bring himself to destroy; she was imprisoned and slowly went mad, becoming a menace to everything nearby. Kyenzan sent his most trusted lieutenant to dispatch her, but in piercing her isolation the dragon instead discovered love.
- Lashat (Unbroken) - Unlike the other Akyani, Lashat was condemned by the Aroira themselves. Even when cornered by Gaisa's scorpion legions he fought with all his strength, and his refusal to surrender against overwhelming odds taught the Scorpion Guard the power of hope. Though the Aroira refused to spare his life, the Tairra released his spirit to enter Gaisa's service.
- Shalenya (Harbinger) - A sadistic creature who haunted a geyser field, boiling anyone who entered alive. Madrion's basilisk legions subdued her, but not before several were grievously injured and discovered fear for their lives. In Madrion's service, Shalenya is not considered evil, but instead teaches the lesson of fear to particularly arrogant variables.
- Gaiveshi (Reveler) - A trickster being who lived in a volcano, known to kidnap anyone who approached; though not malevolent, her pranks usually resulted in the death of her captives. After losing several of his chimera lieutenants tending to the volcano, Senakra himself came to face Gaiveshi, only to find amusement and joy in her trickery.
- Ilsashi (Atoner) - Ilsashi was not originally a failed experiment, only a creature Chorin found interesting. But when she sent a lieutenant to study him, he struck the jackal down in a panic. He immediately realized his error and expressed his remorse in no uncertain terms, submitting himself to whatever sentence she deemed just. Though she could not justify it logically, Chorin was moved by his regret and offered him forgiveness and a place among her elementals, where he could atone for what he'd done.
—Source: Alliance Cultural Database: Shinor (Balto), 2410 Revision
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