Khoyesa is a melting pot of cultures, but the most dominant religion in the city - and indeed, throughout the entire Khivalon Empire - is the worship of the Pantheon. Made up of Nine Bastions, each represent an aspect of life in the Empire. Citizens, tradespeople and clergy alike are free to take up a Bastion as their Patron, or worship the Nine Bastions equally.

The Creator The oldest of the Bastions, the Creator represents the creation and protection of all life. Khivalonian myth tells of a being born from the primordial chaos of the universe, alone and drifting in the dark until They formed themselves into a being through pure determination. The Creator learned to put the world together, and with time, created the other Eight Bastions to safeguard and protect the multitude of worlds They had built.

The Guide The first-created of the Creator, the Guide represents the sun, life, and renewal. Traditionally given masculine aspects, the Guide is the Bastion who serves as the beacon for all life, illuminating the strange and the dark for those who need to find their way. He is served by the Ten Beacons, messengers who convey His will to the world. Legend holds that He mourns His sister, the Merciful, after the Great Sundering, and that His will ever since has been difficult to hear.

The Merciful The second-created of the Creator, the Merciful represents darkness and the nocturnal. Traditionally given feminine aspects, the Merciful is called upon to deliver souls to rest - and to avenge the wronged. She was served by the Ten Daughters, priestesses who convey Her will to the world. However, legend holds that the Merciful fell in battle to the Recreants in the Great Sundering, along with her Ten Daughters, and is biding her time to return.

The Fierce The third-created of the Creator, the Fierce represents nature and the wilderness. Traditionally given female aspects, the Fierce is both guardian and destroyer, reflecting the volatility of Nature. After the Great Sundering, legend holds She has retreated to the most extreme places in the wilderness, causing her followers to take regular pilgrimages through dangerous terrain to win her boons.

The Enlightened The fourth-created of the Creator, the Enlightened represents wisdom and knowledge. Traditionally given androgynous aspects, the Enlightened is most predominantly followed and revered in scholastic circles and academies. Legend holds that They give counsel to those who seek it - regardless of whether the knowledge is orthodox or forbidden.

The Welcoming The fifth-created of the Creator, the Welcoming represents love, home and hospitality. Traditionally given feminine aspects, She has been denoted as the Emissary between mankind and the Bastions. As such, She is the patron of homemakers, families, and diplomas alike. Legend holds the Welcoming was the first to convince the Creator and the Created not to abandon mankind for their part in the Great Sundering.

The Righteous The sixth-created of the Creator, the Righteous represents fairness, justice and equality. Traditionally given androgynous aspects, They are the judge and jury, responsible for holding mankind in balance and maintaining order. They were the most ferocious in their defence against the Recreants, and legend holds They still simmer with fury against those who have murdered the Merciful. Thus, They are also traditionally associated with war, reflecting their volatile nature.

The Adept The seventh-created of the Creator, the Adept represents resourcefulness, cunning, and beauty. Traditionally given masculine aspects, He is associated with arts, crafts, music and trade. There are, of course, some criminal elements who also take the Adept as their patron, given His associations with cunning and sleight of hand. But for most part, artisans and writers alike pray to Him when they have a particularly bad bout of writer’s - or creator’s block.

The Beacon The Beacon stands out as not being born of the Creator, but of the seven remaining Bastions forming Them out of their collective knowledge and essence. Traditionally androgynous, the Beacon represents the pinnacle of mankind and what they should aspire to become. Legend has it They shattered into seven shards in the final battle to seal the Recreants away, and that They are reincarnated in seven people whenever the world has need of a defender. They are also associated with virtue, aspiration, and protection.