The Chapel of Silence: ideas for a Mystaran pantheon
by Demos SachlasMost of you are probably aware of the short adventure "The Chapel of Silence" by Mollie Plants, from Dragon magazine issue 50, written for Basic D&D during the Holmes era...
I've always thought this would make a great adventure to situate somewhere in Karameikos or northwestern Thyatis - it has a proto-Karameikan feel to it.
Interestingly, this adventure contains a rudimentary cosmology for D&D - that of a Dark God in opposition with a small pantheon of good gods. These are described as a warrior, a merchant, a seaman, a farmer, a hunter, and a beautiful woman. Which Mystaran immortals might these represent?
The Dark God could of course represent Thanatos.
The warrior is depicted with a sword, his talisman is an ivory horn. If using a Karameikan setting, this could represent Halav. (Alternately Ixion?)
The seaman is depicted with a trident, his talisman is a model ship. An incarnation of Protius immediately comes to mind.
The farmer is depicted with a pitchfork, his talisman is an iron plow. Not sure which Mystaran immortal would be the best fit here.
The hunter is depicted with a spear. If using a Karameikan setting, this could represent Zirchev.
The merchant is depicted with a leather bag of coins. Asterius is worshipped in Karameikos and would be a good choice.
The woman possesses healing abilities. Her talisman is a gold thimble. If using a Karameikan setting, this could represent Petra, a patroness of craftsmen. (Alternately Valerias?)
This adventure slots very nicely into the wider world of Mystara. I would be very interested to hear other thoughts on framing this pantheon in Mystaran terms...or whether anyone recognizes the pantheon from any real-world cultures.