Loas/Gods, The Zandalari Pantheon

[Kenyeni]

We include two kinds of spirits in our pantheon: Loa and Elawi.

The Loa are for the most part official WoW lore, coming either from in-game sources or from the tabletop gaming book "Warcraft RPG: Magic and Mayhem." The Loa have been broken down into three subsets, following the Voodoo traditions on which Troll faith is based. These are Rada, Petro and Ghede.

The Rada Loa, known collectively as the World-Smiths, are generally older and more benevolent spirits.

The Petro Loa are more fiery, occasionally aggressive and warlike. They represent particular aspects of life.

The Ghede are the spirits of our ancestors and have been developed to help ourselves role-play. As a family, they are loud, crude, sexual and usually a lot of fun. Because they have lived already, they have nothing to fear, and act accordingly. It would make sense that different Troll subraces and tribes might have their own Ghede, though we only have the Zandalari Ghede at this time.

The Elawi are not official lore. We know that besides Voodoo, Trolls also practice Shamanism, and that belief system includes other kinds of spirits. The Elawi are modeled after the conventional elemental lords found in many ancient religions.


The Loa

Rada Loa

• Hir'eek
"Bat"
The Wisefather of the Pantheon who guards the ages and the path of fate. Stoic and honorable, he leads the Rada Loa and guides their works. His totemic avatar is the bat.

• Shadra
"Spider"
The matron of life, known as the Heartweaver. She works to safeguard all living creatures within the world. Due to her wisdom and compassion for all life she is greatly honored. Her totemic avatar is the spider.

• Bethekk
"Panther"
The Lorekeeper and guardian of knowledge, the guardian of Trollic history and traditional rituals. Some say he is also the guardian of magic. His totemic avatar is the panther.

• Shirvallah
"Tiger"
The Forger who shaped Terr'ah (Azeroth). He embodies the strength of the world and all non-living things. His totemic avatar is the tiger.

• Hethiss
"Serpent"
The god of blood and of secrets, known as the Spiritblade. He rose to godhood after the fall of Hakkar, taking the former god's place among the World-Smiths. His totemic avatar is the snake.

Petro Loa

• Legba
"Monkey"
He is master of speed and swift motion, so fast that he can deliver messages of the gods and interpret their will. He is the lord of destiny and is also the intermediary between mortals and the Loa.

• Mueh'zala
"Jackal"
The Tablet of Theka calls her The Night’s Friend. She is the goddess of death and also fertility, alluding to the close symbolic link between death and life.

• Ogoun
"Raptor"
He is the god of war, a crafty spirit capable of defeating his enemies with hexes and curses. Sometimes Ogoun comes to the help of his followers, but he is not a very reliable Loa.

• Dambala
"Viper"
He is the lord of trickery and treachery, and behaves in a truly devilish way. Possessions induced by him are so violent that spectators are advised to keep their distance.

• Lukou
"Dog"
The goddess of healing and respite, she is benevolent and innocent. Lukou does not communicate exact messages. Instead she seems to radiate a comforting presence that sends a general spirit of optimism.

• Samedi
"Vulture"
God of cemeteries and restful sleep. The undead are an abomination in his eyes. Though frightening in appearance, he is actually a gentle soul.

• Shango
"Thunderhawk"
He controls the realm of storms, and guards the secrets of lightning and mayhem. One of the oldest Petro Loa, he is so sacred that he does not speak, but expresses himself through hissing and rumbling sounds.

• Kimbul
"Lion"
The Tablet of Theka calls him The Prey’s Doom. He is lord of the jungle and hunting. He is fierce and uncompromising, feared as much as he is admired.

• Ezili
"Dove"
The goddess of love, beauty and ideal dreams, she is the most attractive and sensuous Troll in the pantheon. She is the ability to conceptualize, the artistic ability to create.

• Geres'tek
"Tortoise"
Guardian and keeper of time and the cycle of life, he assists Hir'eek. One of the oldest Loas, he moves slowly and carefully, but steels himself against opposition. He is also said to be the Loa of aging.

Ghede Loa

• Zanza
The great father. His concern is for his family's prosperity. Zanza was a Zandalar Troll, great in life, passed up a chance to become a Petro Loa in favor of a more direct influence on his descendents. He appears in Zul'Gurub as an ethereal form within one of the many temples. The Zandalar respect and venerate Zanza, and pray to him to grant power to their heroes. He acts as the chief of the Ghede Loa. He knows all secrets. He is strongly dedicated to the welfare of his people, and uses his hidden knowledge and influences to protect them. His strength is surpassed only by his secrecy, such that no one really knows how strong he is. Rogues often pray to him above all others.

• Ibli
Mama Ibli is Zanza's wife. She is the ground that hides his secrets, the trees that throw his shadows, the wind that brings him news. She is the Great Serpent, the eldest of the Ghede Loa. She is the heart of Stranglethorn Vale, and mother to all Trolls. She can bring a good harvest, lush fruits and warm nights, or barreness, floods and catastrophe. She uses her influence to help her children or to punish them, and Shamans are her hands. Some say she is also the mother of the Elwai.

• Kwiicho
With his twin, Choki, the youngest of Ibli and Zanza's six children. Quite the little scamp, he loves making trouble for those around him. He's too adorable to punish, though. Kwiicho runs rings around Tonga, outsmarting and taking advantage of him. Most everybody, especially Rachi, find his antics hilarious — until he shifts his attention to them.

• Choki
Kwiicho's twin brother. When Kwiicho was born, Choki rose out of the birthing blood. He likes to follow Kwiicho around, sometimes impersonating him to Kwiicho's supplicants. No one likes Choki. His family keeps him as far away as possible. His sense of humor is brutal and destructive, his methods sociopathic. He loves making trouble as much as Kwiicho, but unlike Kwiicho's light-hearted mischief, his pranks bring pain, misfortune and anguish. Tribute is paid to appease and fend him off more often than to ask favors. It's tricky, though: By ignoring him, you risk angering him, but by paying tribute you attract his attention.

• Tash
Another of Kwiicho's siblings, Tash gets along well with his mother. He spends all of his time in the wild places. He never comes into the village, but he often sits in the branches of trees nearby and watches the activities. He loves to bring meat to his family, to feed and protect them, but he rarely speaks to them. If he raises his one hand, he is so strong and fierce that no animal can defeat him. If he raises his other hand, he is so young and brave that animals come and lay their heads in his lap. They are always honored to die for him. Tash represents the balance of eating and being eaten. Pray to Tash for success in hunting.

• Rachi
Her father's baby. Her reach is secret and strong, and her will is great. She possesses much secret knowledge, and dispenses it to those she deems worthy. She has tremendous arcane power and uses it to protect her family. She's pretty sure she knows better than anyone except her father what's good for the family, and she's not afraid to manipulate her tribe to further those ends. Patron of mages.

• Tonga
Brother Tonga delights in the physical. He loves fighting in all its forms, eating and drinking. He spends all his time at war games, or on the warpath. He is strongest of the Ghede Loa, although not necessarily the most puissant. Tonga doesn't have much use for complex thinking, but his battles are masterpieces. The only tribute he accepts is the blood of an enemy and the joyous war cry of the berserk.

• Onaba
The oldest of the siblings. Onaba was gone by the time the others were born. She travels ceaselessly around the world, seeking adventure and new sights. Onaba has no fixed body. He can be old or young, male or female, short or tall, and of any description. Her siblings always know him, though, by her feet. Onaba’s feet are on backwards. You can follow her trail to see where he's going to be. Next to Zanza, Onaba is first among heroes, as she represents the urge to leave the home place and test oneself abroad. He often acts as a messenger among the Ghede Loa.

• Uaban
Uaban, like Zanza, says that he forsook a place in Petro Loa. Kwiicho says he just got lost. Either way, he now spends his time wandering the world, healing people. He feels very holy and humble about the whole thing. He wears a white robe and carries a begging bowl as he wanders the paths. If you treat him well, he responds in kind, but if you refuse him, he lectures you endlessly on the virtues of generosity. The other Ghede Loa, especially Kwiicho, think he's kind of a stuffed shirt, but that doesn't stop them from going to him for help. Uaban can heal any wound, if you can get him to shut up long enough to do it.

• Azalo
Azalo is an adoptee into the tribe. Unlike Uaban, who is still essentially an outsider, Azalo has been accepted into the system of life-and-death protections a Ghede Loa maintains. She is the most beautiful of the Ghede Loa, with long, sharp tusks and eyes like heart's blood. Beauty follows her, and she drops grace like flower petals in her path. Azalo is a great listener.


The Fallen Loa

• Hakkar
The former god of blood and of war, known as the Soulflayer. It is said that at one time Hakkar worked alongside the other World-Smiths, but that he became corrupted in his search for power and is now the enemy of the Pantheon. His totemic avatar was the snake, and though the Atal'ai claim that it still is, the Zandalar grant him no avatar.


The Elawi

• Agwe
"Tidehunter"
The elemental spirit lord who rules over the domain of water. A favorite of the Gurubashi, whose empire was surrounded on three sides by ocean. The Tidehunter's power waxes and wanes as the fortunes of the Trolls themselves.

• Agni
"Firelord"
The elemental spirit lord who rules over the domain of fire. He is rash and passionate. Quick to love and quick to hate, his primal essence is change.

• Terrea
"Stonemother"
The elemental spirit lord who rules over the domain of Terr'ah. She is steady and true. Ever constant, the Stonemother loves the land itself above all and works to preserve the way the world was.

• Ik'uh
"Windmaster"
The elemental spirit lord who rules over the domain of wind. He cares little for the fortunes of living creatures but has the most power to affect them. When the Windmaster's attention can be gained, great power may be granted to he or she who earns it.

[Kazulin]

ooc:

kenyeni has been kind enough to give me administrative power over this topic, which is one that i hold dear. the above list is not intended to be comprehensive or restrictive. if you know of any other loa, or if your character "discovers" more spirits during the course of his/her adventures, please let me know and i will do my best to add them in a consistent and appropriate manner.

also, the ghede loa are the spirits of our zandalar ancestors and belong to all of us. as such, i would like for all of us to have a hand in thier creation. if you have any ancestors that you would like to add, or ideas of how our ancestral family should be represented, please post here or send me a private message.

respect!

[Zisszinthek]

OOC:

I was suprised to hear you all don't use Ogoun as the Loa of War. I know that in both Real life and in the WOW RPG war is one of his attributes. Is there any reason for this other than personal choice?

[Kenyeni]

I believe the main reason we have it that way, is that Hethiss (who is a Rada Loa) is the god of Blood and War. Ogoun (Petra Loa) is a smaller god, if you will. Not nessecarily less important, but a younger god, and so Hethiss already has a hold on the Blood and War market. If there is something you think is incorrect lets figure it out!

[Zisszinthek]

OOC:

From what I can find in official lore, Hethiss, Dambala and Ula-tek are different flavors of the same Loa. I know that Hakkar's place was taken but I always figured another loa took the empty slot, but did not take on hakkar's aspects. So Hethiss' domain should be more along the lines of secrets treachery and such going along with the rest of the serpent pantheon.

Ogoun is normally a Loa of war, smithing and hunting. He uses magic to bless warriors and Hexes to weaken enemies. His personality is spot on however.


However this is how I see it and I will go along with whatever you all decide.

[Kenyeni]

(( I fixed them, taking a little of each side and made it kinda work both ways without being out of control. Let me know whatcha think! ))

[Mahnmut]

(( below is a "family tree" i created for the troll loa that we zandalari recognize.

now, as you will see, it includes the different subraces of troll and their respective loa, which is not to say that the subraces themselves spawned the loa; it's just a visual way to see which loa originated within the religion of each culture. hope that makes sense. i also included a couple of "oddities" like dire trolls and gahz'rilla because i saw some greek god genealogies that did this with titans and monsters and thought it added an interesting twist.

as always, this is not intended to overrule anyone's individual RP views and backgrounds for their characters. it's just a tool to help enhance your RP if you choose to use it. i'd be delighted to hear any feedback you have, good or bad.

of course, some of the loa overlap between subraces. the dotted lines mean that the loa may be aspects of the same god and/or share spheres of influence. ))

[Julzasta]

Alright at Kenye's urging, I've created a new Loa

-Geres'tek-
"Tortoise"
Guardian and keeper of time and the cycle of life, he assists Hir'eek. One of the oldest Loa's, he moves slowly and carefully, but steels himself against opposition. He is also said to the Loa of aging.

[Mahnmut]

(( added to the original list under the petro heading. unfortunately, i can't change the "family tree" image because i had to use a custom program, and i no longer have access to it. however, i think it's a great addition to the pantheon. thanks, jul'zasta! ))

[Mahnmut]

NEW AND IMPROVED LOA PANTHEON!

Now with Ghede Loa!

Be sure to check out the newly updated Zandalari Pantheon and the new Ghede Loa. These are the gods closest to us mortals and are easiest to contact and call upon. Use them in you RP, or risk their anger!

[Ash Eye]

((I noticed in the family tree that Gahz'ranka is not included.
Is this because he is considered "a different flavour" of Gahz'rilla?
Either way, I figured he deserved a mention.

This thread is made of pure awesome, by the way.
Ash believes in many of the same loas/primal gods and has his own hierarchy in mind.
Still, it is quite interesting to see how some of the other Zandas see the same deities.))

[Zuul'grum]

OOC:
Just to clarify, is the reason you haven't included the Lao found in Zul'Aman because they are lao of the Forest Trolls? I saw them listed in the little "family tree" diagram, but for the sake of being thorough, I'm refering to:

Nalorakk, the Bear Lord
Akil'zon, the Eagle King
Jan'alai , the Dragonhawk
Halazzi, the Lynx Lord

I also found it somewhat amusing that some trolls also see the Shadow Ascendants of the Foresaken as lao (Shadow Ascendants are generally members of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow who have reached a state of being that transcends both death and undeath, becoming one with the Shadow. The Forgotten Shadow teaches that such beings are nigh invinvible. Their corporeal bodies fade away, and they become soul-beings, who's form looks somewhat like their old selves, yet with no discernable features. They have odd powers, such as the ability to suck the life-force from beings through absorbing the person's shadow. To the superstitious trolls, it's not overly surprising that they see these former Foresaken as lao).

Finally, I curious as to the source of most of that tree! I'm trying to learn as much lore (troll or otherwise) as possible =P

[Kenyeni]

ooc- yes, these are mostly for "our tribe". Like, the ones we would be worshipping. The Amani forest trolls would be a little outside of our realm at the moment, and so their gods are actually othernames for gods we already do. I believe they correspond somewhere.

The tree was made by a member of ours, who took much time, effort, and research to make that.

Its pretty close to lore, and even if it deviates a little, its because we have to have something in stone. And we do march to our own beat. So this is what we came up with.

[Julzasta]

((
in regards to the Zul'Aman bosses, if you read it, those aren't their gods. As it says in the lore intro to the instance, they were the greatest Amani warriors who were chosen by Hex Lord Malacrass to be infused with the spirits of the animal gods. Said animal loa of the Amani are not named, it's only the names of the warriors we are given.

So Nalorakk, Halazzi, etc. aren't the gods. They're just really powerful trolls...on mojo -AND- crack.
))

[Zuul'grum]

(( Oh, I know they are trolls infused with the lao's, but the question we don't know is if, once infused, they used their troll name, or their lao name. Sort of like people who feel like they are all powerful say things like, "I am God!"

Something that has always interested me is how there can be literally THOUSANDS of spirits and lao worshipped by various trolls. That's one of the reasons that some trolls worship the Shadow Ascendants. Though there are several main gods, there's no limit to the number of spirits (both good and bad) that can have an impact. Thus the practices regarding ritual sacrifice, head shrinking, cannibilism, blood letting, etc. Most of them are efforts to attract or repel various spirits.

If a priest wanted, they could claim to constantly have a spirit with them to help and guide them, or, if the person preferred, plague and annoy them. ))