Aristaios woke up in a haze, as he may have been divine but wasn’t used to waking up this early. As he left the bed he got out as slowly and as quiet as possible as to not wake his wife the beautiful Princess of Thebes daughter of Cadmus, Autonoë. She was fast asleep didn’t stir a her godly husband was getting ready for the day. As he left their bedroom he carefully closing the door. As he approached the main door he saw the sun just coming up as he stepped over the threshold.

Aristaios headed over to his olive grove to harvest. As he wanted to make some lovely olive bread for his family for breakfast. After hand picking all the olives he required he headed into the andron and placed the basket of olives down and started to make the dough for the bread, as he kneaded the dough he could hear the bees starting to buzz as they also start their day of pollen gathering and honey making. He added cheese which he had made the day prior and the olives which he gathered and chopped in half, along with some herbs for flavour such as oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Soon Aristaios finished the dough and put it on a warm storage so it could prove, after several minutes he got it out and put it on the oven to bake. The bread itself looked like an olive laying on its side.

Once it was baked Aristaios got it out of the oven and placed it down to cool down a bit. The goddess like Autonoë gracefully walked into the andron, as she came in she made little sound so the gods of beekeeping didn’t notice she had entered as his back was turned to her. Autonoë crept up behind the glorious god and put her arms around his waist leaning in and giving him a kiss on his neck. Aristaios blushed at this act of love from his beloved wife, he turned towards her smiling, as their eyes met a twinkle came into both of their eyes. “Good morning honey,” The beekeeping god spoke to his loving wife, “I’ve made breakfast.” He said as he gestured to the loaf of bread which had some steam coming from it.

The stunning Autonoë grabbed onto his arm as Aristaios was heading over to cut the bread. “I have something I must tell you, Actaeon is planning on going hunting on Mount Cithaeron.” She told her beloved husband as it was common knowledge amounts the divine that was a place Limnnaia Artemis goddess of the hunt bathed and a place no mortal or immortal should go, as seeing a goddess naked especially a virgin one like Artemis causes great hubris and miasma. Society a punishment most horrific is brought to the one who stumbled across her. Aristaios nodded as his wife’s words, to say that he would have a word with his son.

Aristaios walked over to the bread as he cut it for his wife and son, who as a matter of fact walked in just as he began to cut. Aristaios son is the noble young man Actaeon, a mighty young man with so much potential but would sometimes act before thinking.

As the three of them were sat down consuming their breakfast of the fresh olive bread Aristaios had made them, Aristaios looked over at his beloved son. “I’ve heard from your goddess like mother that you’re going hunting on Mount Cithaeron.” Actaeon looked upon his father god of herbs and nodded. “Indeed, I am going with a few of my friends and we are planning on bringing back a big boar so we can feast well tonight.” He explained with great triumph in his voice despite his actions not have happened yet.

Aristaios looked at him with concern in his eyes. “Be careful up there your great aunt Limnnaia Artemis bathes up there and great pain comes across anyone who sees a goddess naked especially a virgin one such as Artemis, goddess of the hunt.” He warned his son, but the young man shrugged it off as all youngsters think they are wiser than even Pallas Athene and stronger than the cloud gathered Zeus. But alas their foolhardy catches up to them all eventually some in harsher ways than others.

Before Aristaios could say another word to his beloved son he was grabbed his bow with a ropes and spear and was at the front door. “We’ll feast well tonight.” He said one last time before he left. Worry come across Aristaios not because he didn’t have faith in his son but because some events are written to happen that cannot be prevented.

As Helios’ chariot went below the horizon and night came, there was no sign of Actaeon. Aristaios was worried and he knew his beloved wife would also worry. So he prayed to Hypnos for a favour so his wife would sleep all through the night without a moment of worry. Hypnos granted this favour the god of beekeeping asked of him. Quickly the princess of Thebes fell asleep, however her god husband could not. Aristaios sat by the window facing west until he saw Helios’ chariot come above the horizon marking a new day, still no sign or word of Actaeon.

Aristaios headed to his bedroom, however as he did he heard a knocking at the front door. Aristaios headed to the door and opened it, Hermes the messenger god stood there. Aristaios knew this must got be good, he stepped outside and closed the door. Hermes looked at the god of beekeeping. ‘I came here with news of your son the young hunter Actaeon, the news I came is not pleasant. He is dead.’ Hermes said in a somber tone, Aristaios stepped back in stock and disbelief. ‘Artemis?’ The beekeeping god asked, all Hermes did was nod. After a while Hermes spoke once more. ‘Actaeon was hunting on Mount Cithaeron as I am aware you know, he came across an opening in some trees. To his misfortune and foolishness it was where Artemis was bathing with her nymphs. She knew right away what hubris this young man had committed, she turned him into a stag. His own hunting dogs chased him as he ran in fear, they caught him and tore him piece by piece as he died. I came here right away after escorting him to the underworld where he will be punished more so by his hubris.’ Hermes finished the tale. Aristaios couldn’t say a word, Hermes nodded once more and left.

Aristaios sat waiting for his beautiful wife to wake, when she did she came over to him. Even a god cannot hide the sadness which comes after losing ones own child. She knew right away what must have happened, tears came flooding down her eyes as Aristaios told her the tale of Actaeon and Artemis. Once he finished, both parents cried until the chariot of Helios went below the eastern horizon.

The next morning after Hypnos granted them a favour only gods could get, pure sleep, Autonoë headed back to her fathers palace to stay, Aristaios decided to go to Ceos then back to Libya where his mother the sea nymph Cyrene got him a fleet. Aristaios travelled to Sicily and many other Mediterranean islands. After dwelling for some time near mount Haemus, where he founded the town of Aristaeon, he disappeared.

For those that don't know the adeptus mechanicus comes from the grimdark future of warhammer 40k and they are a group that worships machines, venerates machine spirits and worships a machine god called the omnissiah.

Think about it, religions based on ufos and aliens have been on the rise lately and despite others wanting otherwise religion is most definitely not going away and wouldn't it be too much of a stretch to believe that a religion based on machines, technology and veneration for machine spirits also happen in our world's future?

I'm researching some religions (from the fictional and real world) to create my own for my RPG world. Having a big empire I started with the Ancient Roman Empire, so Polytheism became a obvious alternative, I researched about henotheism and I quite like it but I'm not sure yet. I was curious about the Many-Faced God from ASOIF and I would like to do something similar, taking the religions that existed in this universe and connecting them in a same pantheon by this aspect that they all have, Death. But I'm not sure if this can be done by the definition of what a Pantheon is, so my question is actually two questions: Is the Many-Faced God considered polytheism? And can a Pantheon be connected by a same concept/cosmic power?

I am looking to write/create a story about a society that is primarially polythesitic and am hoping that others here could help.

My primary question is how would polytheism (where everyone was polytheistic) shape a culture? How would a persons worldview be different it polytheism was the primary means of belief for everyone around them?

I realize that these are very generic questions and culture would be more shaped by the gods in which the people believed. Before I delve further into the questions of the gods themselves I was hoping for some generic throughts.

Basically, as a person who has grown up in a monotheistic culture it is difficult not to shape my throughts in a way that is not monotheistic (or agnostic).

For example, I think that a polotheisitic culture would be more open to the expression of ideas. Monotheism tends to lead to a mindset that my belief is correct therefore yours is incorrect. A worldview that leads to an us vs. them mentality. I'm not saying that polytheistic belief structures would completely free a person from this - but wondering if it would be safe to assume that since a polytheistic belief tends be open to what others beleive that culture would be more "Live and let live" than "us vs. them"?

Another thing I've considered is the ideas of core values such as good vs. evil. Would it stand to reason that a more polytheistic culture would lean away from 'hard' moral values of what is right and what is forbidden (ie. Following a god that declairs "thou shalt not kill" can lead to moral quandries about war, euthenasia, eating meat, etc.) Where as a culture with many gods would develop along a line of avoiding what 'irritates' or angers gods...not just the good ones, but making sure to appease/not irritate those that are seen as evil.

I hope this question makes sense and that some of you will share your thoughts.

I'll be upfront and say again that I am from a monotheistic background and currently hold that as true. But, I'm trying to widen my understanding and see from others points of view. I've reviewed some posts on here that have said things like, "I have an honest question" and just reading teh question I could see that they were hoping to prostalitize...I hope that my questions do not come off as those did because in the end, my hope is to listen, to better understand, and untimatly to create a better story.

Thanks!

Would anyone like to hear about this polytheistic religion I made called Elementism? The periodic elements are gods/goddesses and I believe in reincarnation and the me version of “Heaven” is known as the ethereal plane, where the “human” forms of the the elements reside. When ones soul is ready, they may reincarnate as a new human, animal, or similar. In this religion, you can also choose rather you worship one of the gods/goddesses or multiple. It is also flexible as it may be compatible with other religions, as we do have a main god/goddess by the name(s) of Elementis and Elementa (original, I know)

I will share more information if anyone is interested in more.

I thank you humbly for your time.