The Ascendants

"When the world was young, Magic was overflowing and bountiful, allowing for Miracles that one could not dream of in this time. Land could be made with a thought, monstrous beasts could be brought to heel with a word, and mere mortals could become Gods."
The Ascendants is a religious pantheon based on key figures of Atalantan history, or at least the shadows they left behind, who Ascended to Godhood after succeeding key tasks of legend. Much like most major religions in Edda, the most well known ones are those that represent power over the 12 Major Domains, but many others exist. The pantheon of The Ascendants is as follows:

1. The Giving One - Not a deity that's directly worshipped much, but credited with giving the other Ascendants the ability to ascend to Deity status. Portrayed as a large, fur-cloaked figure with ever-expanding Deer Antlers.
2. The Strengthened - The Ascendant of Combat, and Honor within Battle. Portrayed as a large male figure, with as many hands as there are weapons to wield. Rules over the War Domain.
3. The Quickened - The Ascendant of Safe Travel, and The Forests. Portrayed as a lithe androgynous figure, with the ability to move through the air, earth, and sea at any pace as if merely walking. Rules over the Nature Domain.
4. The Dauntless - The Ascendant of Good Health, and Alchemy. Portrayed as an elderly woman in a flowing dress, with many pockets from which all medicines and ingredients can be procured. Rules over the Grave Domain.
5. The Cloistered - The Ascendant of Kept Secrets, and of Rebellion. Portrayed as a mysterious figure, hunched and covered by a long cloak, with knowledge of past, present, and future, and insight into the minds of mortals. Rules over the Knowledge Domain.
6. The Wizened - The Ascendant of Uncovering Truth, and New Invention. Portrayed as a androgynous figure in fine clothes, wearing glasses with an ever-growing amount of lenses, and eyes to match them, with the ability of peering into the truth of the world to provide answers and guidance. Rules over the Trickery Domain.
7. The Charmed - The Ascendant of Love, and of True Expression. Portrayed as a fluid being, whose appearance shifts and changes to beguile and influence all minds, with the power to fill one with Love and Desire, no matter the type, even to the point of death. Rules over the Death Domain.
8. The Seeker - The Ascendant of Record Keeping, and of New Discovery. Portrayed as a small, impish figure with a fishing pole, who can hook anything with their pole and trace the line to it's source. Rules over the Arcana Domain.
9. The Inspired - The Ascendant of Creativity, and of Individuality. Portrayed as a pair of lovers, typically both masculine figures, adorned in a Smiths Robes and a Knights Armor respectively, with the ability to breathe unique life into any creation no matter the origin. Rules over the Forge Domain.
10. The Reborn - The Ascendant of Healing, and of Medicine. Portrayed as a nude androgynous figure shining gold, with a fur pelt covering their lower half, with the ability to restore and rejuvenate what was lost. Rules over the Life Domain
11. The Divided - The Ascendant of Chosen Family, and of Assassination. Portrayed as a tall, lanky figure, whose limbs seperate and float freely at the joints, and is filled with knives within their back, with the ability to sever and tie together bonds and fates, but cannot create them anew. Rules over the Order Domain.
12. The Voyaging - The Ascendant of Distant Journeys, and The Sea. Portrayed as a shifting entity, staying humanoid but adapting to animal-like features depending on their environment, with the power to call or clear storms wherever their "feet" have landed. Rules over the Tempest Domain.
13. The Weaver - The Ascendant of Forging Bonds, and Item Creation. Portrayed as a kindly woman, with many arms from which thread falls off the finger tips, with the ability to create new bonds and weave together a tapestry of fate. Rules over the Unity Domain.
14. The Teller - The Ascendant of Prosperity and of Performance. Portrayed as an androgynous, spectacled individual, with the ability to know ones life story at but a glance, and judge the worth of their soul. Rules over the Fate Domain.
15. The Horologist - The Ascendant of Time, and of Diligent Dedication. Portrayed as an elderly and curmudgeon man, with arms made of steel with delicate precision, with the ability to manipulate time to a finite degree. Rules over the Time Domain.
16. The Sailor - The Ascendant of Safe Sailing, and Fishing. Portrayed as an aquatic humanoid, with waves following even as they walk on the land, with the ability to render the water as still as they desire, and call sea life to them. Rules over the Twilight Domain.
17. The Decorator - The Ascendant of Artistic Endeavors, and Inspiring Curiosity. Portrayed as an extravagant individual with endless braids made of needles and yarn, with the ability to create new lights of inspiration out of their dreams. Rules over the Space Domain.
18. The Abandoned - The Ascendant of Mystery, and Inevitable Returns. Portrayed as a half-rotted body with vengeful eyes and claws, they're the closest thing the Ascendants have to an enemy, as they're portrayed as baneful of their immortality. They have the ability to shroud objects in mystery, and rejuvenate that which has died. They rule over the Light Domain.

Structure

There is no concrete structure to The Ascendants, as many will find faith in their own way throughout their lives. However, for those that do prefer an organized way of prayer, independent institutions have arisen for those who desire faith, typically led by an Archpriest with several Bishops and Priests following their word.

Culture

The main draw of The Ascendants is their philosophy of personal growth, that devoting ones self to their innate skills and talents is the path to righteousness, no matter what those talents may be.

History

The first hard record of The Ascendants and their original scripture, merely titled "The Ascendant Tome" first popped up around 8,000 years in the past. It began as a small cult, and many theorize it was an offshoot of the ancient Dark Elf religion in Atalanta, before they were forced to what we now refer to as The Underdark from their ancient cities.  It was outlawed for the longest time, until Atalanta became it's own territory, as the powers that be had decreed that it promoted too much self individuality and would incite riots and rebellions.  Now, it has flourished and gained in popularity, due to it being a less dramatic and oppressive faith system, that allows for individual worship rather than a unified collective.

Mythology & Lore

All who are knowledgeable on Edda know that the world was formed via the collision of magic and its products, a cycle of convenient mixing and colliding, and that the unknown event of The First Cataclysm created Mortal Forms, material bodies piloted by clumps of mana, and lastly that The Second Cataclysm, the arrival of The Tower, turned those materials and clumps of mana into the mortal races that exist today.
But, many debate what exactly happened in the interim years between The Towers departure and recorded history.
Some say that the energy of faith and desire fused with Mana in a conceptual birth, giving way to The Giving One to be born. As they walked, and learned, and experienced, they used the abilities to see into the hearts of the newly formed mortals and asked them a simple question:
"What is your desire?"
They didn't always get an answer, but the question being asked spurred many to develop skills and test new things in this unfamiliar world.
Eventually, with the richness of Mana, The Giving One saw that there were individuals with energy much like their own, and observed their traits.
Inside of them, The Giving One would plant a seed of potential Deification, and if they truly strove at their skill and worked at it with unparalleled devotion, they too would ascend much like The Giving One did.
This continued on this path for many eons, and Millenia, gifting the power to mortals to achieve their greatest goals.
Then, came the shattering.
An arcane ritual held by overzealous fools shattered the pure energy of Magic into the 10 sections that many know to this day, but as seperate pieces Magic did not have enough power to create gods once more, or sustain The Giving One. As such, they had to flee to a plane of their own creation with those they had chosen to ascend, and persist there, watching from on high.

Tenets of Faith

Each individual person or conglomerate will have their own ideals and tenets, but in general the only preached Tenets of Faith are to keep your eyes on the road to greatness ahead, and not to interfere with the progress of others.

Worship

Worship of all kinds to the Ascendants is done via chant or song. This can be anything as complex as a full ballad devoted to a Deity, to a house-spouse whistling a tune while they work, to a person making a nervous chant while they await results. Dance is also a way to show prayer and devotion, but most ritualistic dances have been lost over time and elven oppression.

Priesthood

As there is no formal structure to the faith, Priesthood really is a first-come first-serve, although people can attest to their faith by showcasing powers granted by their respective gods.

Grow Evermore

Founding Date

7,230 BC

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Church of Potential, Éternité

Demonym

Ascendites

Leader

Senator Illios Pajawo

Deities

• The Giving One

Divines

• The Giving One

Location

Pajawo

Notable Members

• Paiste