Holy Symbols of the Shards

Avashek, the Blade Mandala: The most common symbol of the Golden Templar Knights is the Blade Mandala, a circle of swords decorated with the Eye of Vigilance upon each sword’s crosspiece. The Blade Mandala is the holy symbol of Avashek, the principal divine force that guides the Golden Templar Knights. Another symbol of Avashek is the faithful mastiff.

Avasha, the Bounteous Palm: a palm flanked by two curving wheat stems. In many rustic communities, a carved wooden palm is erected at each farm and the best sheaves of wheat (or whatever the local harvest is) are placed next to it during harvest time to ensure a good harvest in the following year.

Chaltis, the Burning Fist: A mailed fist within a ring of fire. The knuckles of the fist are sometimes spiked, especially on those symbols worn by the Paladins of Chaltis. The chaltean metals used most commonly when fashioning these symbols from metal are copper, brass, and polished steel or silver; they are woven together to create the ring of fire, as well as the fiery edges of the clerical skullcaps of the Bloody Goddess.

Thyrang, the Dragontooth Necklace and the Eye of Doom: The baleful red eye of Thyrang is a reminder that death comes to all. It is often fashioned from a ruby, or red enamel. Some frame it within a circle of lightning. It commonly hangs around the neck of a priest on a necklace of carved obsidian dragon’s teeth, and for this reason dragon teeth are seen as a symbol of the dead. At funerals, small-carved dragon’s teeth are sometimes tossed into the graves of the dead, to gain the Storm Dragon’s favor. This is said to aid the passage of the soul of the departed. Priests of Thyrang presiding as burials wear only the dragontooth necklace without the Eye of Doom.

Gulmé, the Eye of the Sea: A sphere of glass (or fashioned from a precious gem) containing Gulmé’s holy water.

Tieruval, the Book of Law: A book bound in gold. Some cleric in larger cities carry large books, while travelling clerics carry smaller versions about their necks. The book holds Tieruval's laws, though the smaller books may only hold the most important ones.

Ilifinsata, the Eye of the Sky: A circle of silver, the metal sacred to Ilifinsata. Though some prefer simple circles, others, notably the ælven, prefer ornate braidwork circles. Circular objects or things without defined beginning and end are associated with the White Witch. The Eye of the Sky is meant to be the adept’s window into understanding and enlightenment. Through it, the unseen can be viewed, it is said.

Grimnél, the Sash and Steel: A triangle of steel, upon which is etched the symbol of a draftman's compass as well as units of measure inscribed about the edge to make the symbol useful to the cleric. It is not uncommon for clerics of Grimnél to modify the Steel to make it useful in their chosen craft. Some sharpen the lower edge, others taper the points for use as awls, and so forth. The Steel hangs from a white sash. This sash is the cleric's blindfold, which is worn when in meditation, when conducting rituals and service, and as a headband when working or crafting. The Dreaming Smith expects her followers to have blindfolds soaked with honest sweat. The most devoted clerics embroider the goddess' sutras upon their sash. Grimnél’s sacred animal is the bee.

 

Malvorn, the Un: Pronounced "Oon", this is a cord fashioned solely of animal bones and teeth and rough clay beads. These teeth must be of animals the cleric has respectfully slain and eaten, for Malvorn allows no other type of death to his beasts. The cord is allowed to hang from a belt, but never to be tied as a fetter or collar itself. When whirled in the air above the cleric, the cord gives off a sound akin to a bullroarer that strangely only alarms domestic animals. Followers of Malvorn take pride in having teeth from many different beasts upon their Un.

Marthayn, the Secret: Clerics of Marthayn carry a small leather pouch around their necks. The cleric fashions the pouch himself, and gradually fills it during apprenticeship, though the contents are never revealed to anyone. Clerics of Marthayn are known to have had pouches containing copper pieces, diamonds, bits of hair, gravel, and other strangeness. If the pouch's contents are ever emptied out or revealed, the holy symbol looses its power, and the cleric must create a new one. Legend says that if a cleric's symbol is reveals seven times (some say nine) it loses its power forever, and the cleric falls from Marthayn's favor.

Eimag Solær, the Solar Harp: A solar disc surmounted by a gold or white harp. Cleric of Eimag Solær who worship him in his aspect as the Divine Host and patron of Entertainers and Bards have been known to work the solar motif and the god's colors (Red and Yellow) into their instruments, which can serve as holy symbols. If not an instrument, Eimag's holy symbols are expected to be works of art themselves, and are often fashioned of precious metals and gems. Yervenick, High Priest of Eimag Solær during the Dark Summer War, was said to have had his holy symbol enchanted to play music by itself.

Oêmag: Oêmag’s clerics are for the most part druids, and so those trying to resurrect the Dead God’s worship often use those things sacred to druids. Mistletoe, raw earth, and so forth are all connected to Oêmag.

Madragat, the Mother's Visage: a scowling medusa face with its tongue extended, akin to a gargoyle; the eyes of these are often rubies or other precious stones. Alternatively, among primitive demihumans, such as goblins, who worship her as Magara, she is represented with a 'venus of willendorf' type clay or stone figure with tentacular arms and a rough impression of snake-hair.

Larger versions are often made for worship.

Hastur, the Grim Mandala: a circle composed of black scythes. The blades make up the outer edge, while the handles of the weapon point inwards. Where the hafts of the scythes meet, in the center of the mandala, is mounted a skull. Some underlander worshippers of Hastur have fashioned enchanted weapons out of their holy symbols, wherein the scythe blades slide outwards upon command so that the weapon may be thrown. Intelligent versions of these weapons are wielded by the High Priests of Hastur and Hastur’s Reavers; some say the skulls actually house the souls of the dead high priests, and that they possess the bodies of lesser adepts.

The Beneath: Those few deranged people who worship the Beneath traditionally carry a polished circle of obsidian, or a bottle of black smokey air, which is opened when undead are rebuked. It is said that this inky blackness is the stuff of the Beneath itself, or the soul of one of the cleric's victims (or perhaps, some whisper, it is the soul of the cleric himself, corrupted more and more as the bottle grows more full) ... Regardless, the bottle never empties, and their origins are shrouded in mystery.

Many divine spells of the Beneath involve the bottle in their special effects.

Note: Some of the kageshin of the various gods have their own symbols.