Faiths and Pantheons
Of the World's Creation, and Birth of the Gods
In the beginning Elhim summoned the twin gods from the Source and they likewise did summon companions and kindred spirits and allies to aid them in the creation of the world. They built The Dome of Heaven to cover the world and the Walls of the World to protect it from The Void. They set the world in the midst of the Sea of Mana and created the Ethereal Gate that the gods would have passage from the heavens and to the earth. Elhim set Creation into the world and the gods and their people built many homes and dwelling places about it and within this Gaea.
However, though they created the world in unison, Maugrim began to resent the free will of man. Believing Ea's races were formed for servitude, he began to resent the influence of his brother, Daeus. The Void's whispers fueled his madness and thus, the twin gods, who were the divine rulers of the world, fell to war against each other and their conflicts spilled forth to the other gods and then to the mortal world.
From the Void's whispers and immortal greed were created many fallen gods who joined Maugrim's side. Their original purposes twisted, they became as horrors to this earth. As the war wound to a close, dwelling places for them were made by them as well as prisons for them among which, The Iron Hells is chief as is The Abyss and the Pale World. The legend of the creation of the world and the war of the gods is recounted in The Legendrium known as The Eidolon Hymn.
Now these great beings that come from before the world was made are known as the Gods and Elhim is their Father and God of the Heavens and from the Source did they emerge. They are known as the Holy Order of the Constellations and the Holy Order of Ea. Those who most desired it entered into the world and forged the world but then strife caused the War of the Gods and the age of sorrows and thus did they nearly undo what they created... They have many names among sildanyari, khazad, and giants but among the men their names are legion and men often tell strange tales concerning them...
- - Sage Orum
The Pantheon of Gaea
Twenty-one major gods exist amid Gaea, who are also known as The Undying and The Powers. Click on a Pantheon header (Gods of Good, for example) for more information about those groups. Or, click on a deity entry for more information about a specific god. Though more implied than mentioned, there are often differently gendered versions of each deity, both in reality and folklore. This is especially true of Tarien and Diemos.
| Gods of Good | |||||
| Deity | AL | Embodies | Domains & Inquisitions | Relations | The Devoted |
| Althea, The Foundation | NG | Compassion, Family, Protection | Good, Healing, Protection, Community | Wife of Daeus, Mother of Eluna, Tarien, and Gilead | Altheans |
| Angoron, The Athlete | CG | Valor and Competition, Childbirth, Freedom | Good, Strength, Luck, Chaos, Liberation | Competitor of Kor, Traveling, Lover, and Boasting Companion of Tarien | Angorites |
| Daeus, The Knight | LG | Justice, Good Governance, Protection, Good Dragons | Glory, Good, Law, Sun, Nobility | Husband of Althea, Father of Eluna, Tarien, and Gilead, Brother of Maugrim the Fallen | Daeusites |
| Eluna, The Seeress | NG | Magic, Dreams, and Wisdom | Knowledge, Magic, Good, Rune | Daughter of Daeus and Althea, Sister to Gilead and Tarien | Elunites |
| Gilead, The Hunter | NG | The Hunt and the Wild | Animal, Community, Good, Plant | Son of Daeus and Althea, Brother to Eluna and Tarien; The imprisonment inquisition ability refers primarily to his abilities as a trapper, and capability to capture evil or aberrant aspects | Gileans |
| Serriel, The Soldier | LG | Honor and Civilization, Advancement of Society | Good, Law, War, Protection | Birthed after the death of Animus, Unknown, Lover of Vardama | Serrielites |
| Tarien, The Trickster | CG | Luck and Travel, Talespinning | Good, Chaos, Trickery, Luck, Travel | Son of Daeus and Althea (the middle child), Traveling and Boasting Companion of Angoron (lover of the same), Father of Deimos (according to legend), Reminds Kor to Have a Sense of Humor (failure so far) | Tarienites |
| Gods of Neutrality | |||||
| Deity | AL | Embodies | Domains & Inquisitions | Relations | The Devoted |
| Ceinara, The Artist | CN | Artistic Inspiration | Charm, Luck, Fire, Chaos, Liberation | Daughter of Dana and Reos | Ceinarans |
| Dana, The Earth | TN | The Forces of Nature (She is also known as "The Green Word") | Air, Animal, Plant, Water, Weather | Wife of Reos, Mother of Ceinara | Danan |
| Kor, War | CN | War and Chaos, Conflict | Chaos, Glory, Strength, War, Destruction | Competitor with Maugrim and Serriel over the dominion of War, and Angoron like that brother you never wanted | Korites |
| Navos, The Historian | LN | History and Self-Perfection | Healing, Knowledge, Rune, Strength, Law | Once close friend of Daeus, distanced now with His new role among the Twilight and loss of Compassion | Navosians |
| Rada, The Trader and Sailor | TN | Sea and Travel, Trade and Wealth | Weather, Water, Nobility, Travel | Glub. Glub glub glub. | Radan |
| Reos, The Craftsman | LN | Craftsmanship, Artifice, Engineering | Artifice, Earth, Law, Rune | Husband of Dana, Father of Ceinara | Reosian |
| Vardama, The Crone and Mortician | LN | Death, Inevitability, and Prophecy | Community, Healing, Knowledge, Repose, Law | Once wife of Thul, Lover of Serriel | Vardaman |
| Gods of Evil | |||||
| Deity | AL | Embodies | Domains & Inquisitions | Relations | The Devoted |
| Caracoroth, The Nightmare | CE | Nightmares, Monsters, and Madness | Evil, Chaos, Animal, Madness | Mad son of Maugrim, Harries Eluna across the sky | Caracorothans |
| Deimos, The Betrayer | NE | Betrayal, Secrets, and Corruption | Luck, Trickery, Evil, Charm | Rumored son of Tarien | Deimosan |
| Gunahkar, The Destroyer | CE | Chaos, Disaster, and Wrath | Chaos, Destruction, Death, Weather, Evil | Gunahkarans | |
| Illotha, The Scourned | NE | Murder, Poison, Envy and Loss | Evil, Death, Knowledge, Rune | Illothans | |
| Maugrim, The Tyrant | LE | Tyrrany, Slavery, Pride, Evil Dragons | Evil, Law, War, Strength, Destruction | Husband of Taara, Brother of Daeus | Maugrimites |
| Taara, The Avaricious | NE | Cruelty and Greed, Avarice | Evil, Darkness, Magic, Destruction | Wife of Maugrim, Lover to Thul | Taarans |
| Thul, The Cannibal | LE | Gluttony, Undeath, Contracts and Cannibalism | Death, Evil, Strength, Trickery, Law | Maddened husband of Vardama, now divorced, Sometime lover of Taara | Thulites |
History of the Gods
The origin of the world and its races begins its origins to the war between two brothers who both sprang from the will of the creator God known as Elhim.
Maugrim and Daeus had been known as Twin Dragon Gods. Together, this unified pantheon created the prehistoric world, struck down their rebellious first-born children, the Scions, and bound the Wyrms (Dragons) to allow lesser races to thrive. At some point, however, one of the two of the mightiest of the gods grew hungry for additional power. Maugrim resented the free will of the mortals and believed that all were created to serve the gods. For a while this corruption stewed quietly, though after receiving a prophecy from the Fates, Maugrim attempted to turn it to his own will and the seed of corruption blew wide. He made war against his brother then, and sought to crush the will of mortals, and gods, beneath his boot. His actions incited a devastating civil war known simply as the War of the Gods.
This war ended with the newly crowned gods of evil being either imprisoned or bound. The rest of the world reeled from the resulting devastation, growing dark and chaos-ridden. The remaining gods were forced to craft anew. Despite their efforts, the gods could not fully heal the world and remnants of the ancient conflict remain to this day. Leftovers from this era of chaos and devastation create a number of different phenomena that still saturate the world. In the aftermath of this new creation, the remaining gods retreated to the heavens and retired to their holy city, which lay beyond the reach of all save a blessed few. The departure of the gods would bring about an end to the early prehistoric ages and usher in the rise of the mortal races as the dominant forces in the physical world.
Today, the gods are known in many guises and worshiped in different ways. They are frequently known by different names, and honored by a variety of traditions.
Many Ways of Viewing the Gods
The Holy Order of Ea
The Holy Order of Ea is one of the most recognized pantheons within the world. It is led by Daeus and Althea at its head. Most of the world follows this tradition in one guise or the other, though individuals may favor one god over another, depending on preference and many are known to honor whichever best suits their needs at the time.
The Holy Order teaches the history of the gods in a similar fashion as laid out by Sage Orum's excerpt (above). It further divides the deities into pantheons of Light, Twilight, and Darkness. The deities of Darkness are seen as in rebellion and twisted from their original purpose.
The influence of The Order is profound though largely symbolic, and this model, though modified locally by race or culture, permeates much of civilization and beyond. While each individual deity maintains their own order and religious following, the Order of Ea seeks to reconcile the differences between like-minded faiths and to provide some unity overall. The de-facto leader is the Chosen Prophet of Daeus who also is the spiritual leader of the Church of Daeus. In practice, he or she leads as a spiritual guide and guardian rather then attempting to impose edicts upon other faiths: this is the foundational difference between himself and his brother, the respect of the free will. To state it more simply, Daeus guides as Maugrim conquests.
The Order of Ea headquarters' lay in The Holy See, which is in the Myrrish nation of Ecclesia. Here, they shelter a number of temples, shrines, religious orders and teachings while also acting neutrally on matters of politics and national affairs and as mediators when conflicts between the various faiths arise.
The Green Word
The Green Word is a primarily druidic faith dominant among races of the wild and less urban areas. The Green Word refers to the Voice of the World, which is a combination of worship of Dana as the Wild, Gilead as Hunter, and with a lesser nod towards Vardama, who represents natural Death. They are opposed by forces such as Caracoroth and Thul.
The order is loosely organized, and its followers are primarily druids, clerics, barbarians and rangers. Within the larger faith are a number of smaller sects and denominations that have different goals and agendas and at times they come into conflict with one another. However, it is taught that this is the way of the world.
Members of the Green Word recognize the existence of other deities, though they are not their primary focus.
See the Various Practitioners of Divine Magic for more information.
Maiden, Mother, and Crone
The Maiden, Mother, and Crone is a way of viewing the gods which places an emphasis on Eluna, Althea, and Vardama, respectively. Navos is depicted in a female form, and is known to visit the house of the three main goddesses, as a well-beloved friend. The other gods exist with varying roles inspired by their outlooks and dogma. Followers tend to be primarily female, though not exclusively.
Through this cultural lens, Eluna is seen as the Maiden, a woman beginning her life. She is known for her visions, though is unsure how to interpret them. She travels across the sky, driven by her curiosity and ideals.
Althea is the Mother, practical and a guardian of Hearth and those in need. She teaches compassion and hard work. She works with, but stands opposite Vardama, the two of them representing also symbols of life and death.
Vardama is the Crone, who brings wisdom and also the passing of years. She interprets Eluna's visions, and is seen as the wisest of all three.
Clerics and similar classes will tend to follow a particular aspect of the pantheon, though this may change over time as they age. Indeed, aging and the transition of what followers term as the Wheel is part of the study of this pantheon. Gilead also features, though takes a minor role as the Kindly Hound who sometimes ventures alongside Eluna in Her travels.
The Dragon Gods
The dragon pantheon is an old way of viewing the gods, though is followed by fewer and fewer these days. Wizards who do so are eyed with suspicion by its followers, as the hunger for dragon blood by some wizard kind is well-known among them. After the fall of Dragonier, its followers are mainly dragons themselves, the sith-makar, some llyranesi, and refugees of Dragonier.
This view of the gods is largely dualistic, with Daeus on one end, representing goodness, truth, and nobility, and Maugrim, representing betrayal, force, and tyranny. Other deities are honored in differing guises, though all possess a draconic form of some kind or another. For example, Tarien might be seen as a slight, silver dragon known for his equally silver tongue, and Vardama appears as a lean, elderly dragon who sings the souls of the dead to sleep.
Within this view, actual dragons are seen as servants of the gods and though this affords them some general respect, it is far from absolute, as each dragon is their own individual. Being dragonblooded itself is no special thing, either, given the number of dragonblooded in the world, or those who would claim it.
Others
The above represent aspects of larger and more influential faiths, orders, and ideas on Gaea but by no means represent them all. For example, though the gods of light loosely agree upon their affiliation within the Order of Ea and accept veneration as part of this Order, each one maintains individual churches and orders and some deities are known by countless names in other cultures far off. Each deity is also an embodiment of a concept or many concepts; it is only natural they would possess many guises and means of worship.
Non-Deities
Non-deities are entities on Ea and in legend that possess a role in the greater cosmos, but who do not accept worship, grant spells, abilities, or powers of any type, or possess temples dedicated to them.
The Fates
Three goddesses who represent the past, present and future, they, as a rule, do not interfere with the doings of the world but simply observe, comment on and occasionally offer guidance to mortals and gods alike. The Fates have no religion tied to them and have no mortal followers although some who wield magic consider themselves under their wing.
Scholars believe that debate whether they represent aspects of Elhim Himself or that they are gods removed from The Order of Ea who did not come to the world in the beginning of the Great Making yet instead remained apart from it all to observe history. Thus, they are outside of history while the Order of Ea is bound to the world and history. The Fates are known of and often used in conversation as part of daily culture; ie “The Fates must be playing a cruel joke on me.” And so forth. Belief in destiny, fate, pre-ordained events varies from culture to culture but as Eas is a mythical world, prophecy, destiny and the power of vow making and the spoken word is a tangible thing.
The Void and the Source
Elhim and Lachesis stand as opposites of one another. Distant and far removed from the doings of Ea, Elhim is responsible for the Source and Creation, while Lachesis embraces Destruction. Worship of them is rare, and they do not grant clerical powers. Many of Ea have only a passing reference to them, and the two remain highly distant. Elhim has only been known to intervene in such epochs as the War of the Gods or similar efforts, and then indirectly.
Character Page Badges
Want to show off your character's Faith on your Character Page? Use the following wikicode! (More badges here!)
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{{Badge-Title|Faith PC Badge}}
{{Badge-Entry|Faith}}Name of your deity or pantheon
{{Badge-Entry|Temple}}Name of your local Temple (It's probably something like Althea's Temple in Alexandria)
{{Badge-Entry|Role}}Your role
{{Badge-Entry|Landmarks}}What landmarks have you achieved? Are you a mentor? Do you have a squire or assistant?
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