The Orufenzu Pantheon
The Origin
The pantheon was said to be born from when the celestial Iblis (With the help of Xaaraan) slew Old Gods known only as Mother and Father, the parents of the 8 Orphans as well as other celestial entities. Xaaraan, daughter of Aqoon, The Orphan of Knowledge, helped Iblis escape the throne room, a feat that would grant her the ire of nearly all of her family. When the family demanded that Iblis and Xaaraan be brought before them for trial their demands were met with a declaration of war. Iblis had rallied forces of jealous celestials who wanted power they didn't deserve. The family and other celestials rallied themselves and prepared for the conflict that would shake the multiverse. They formed a pantheon, which is said to have been nothing more than an alliance of the children of Mother and Father at the time. They named themselves The Orufenzu, celestial for "The Vengeful Orphans".Rise to Godhood
In the initial stages of the war Iblis and his forces, called Devils, were winning the conflict. Duufaan, The Orphan of Tempest had managed to rally many celestials to their side, such pantheons as The Immortal Forces, and The Arbiters taking up sword and shield against Iblis, but these forces were not enough. There were even pantheons from different worlds, but it still seemed to not be enough. Soon the tides of war turned in such a way that it was beginning to seem like the Devils would win. The 8 Orphans, were troubled by this and sought an advantage to change the tides. Dagaal, The Orphan of War suggested they forge more weapons, Duufaan, The Orphan of Tempest suggested they bring lesser beings from the material plane to help fight, Aqoon, The Orphan of Knowledge suggested they use magic. It was Nolosha, The Orphan of Life who suggested that they combine all the ideas. What happened next is unclear, but soon Nolosha returned with a magic forge from Mystra the Titan of Magic, The All Spark, that would allow them to create weapons and objects of power. When worshiped by mortals the celestials would become stronger, and in return mortals who bore replications of the symbols and had favor with the celestials could receive some of their divine power. Those who forged symbols and received divine sparks would become among the New Gods, a race of creatures born from the power and magic of the Titans.The War in Heaven
The war wasn't won yet, but the playing field was evened. Not all celestials underwent the process, and many who did end up dying, their very essence consumed by the forge. The Orufenzu participated in battles that happened across all of existence. While the followers on other worlds were destroyed, the ones on Iskudar held strong. This base of followers boosted The Orufenzu, who spearheaded the counteroffensive. Dufaan proved herself to be a powerful god and leader, forging strong laws and codes of the pantheon and its followers. Because of The Orufenzu the tides changed, the 8 Orphans personally killed many of Iblis's generals, and the writing was soon on the wall. The war was coming to a close, no side seemed to be the sure-fire victor, but neither could continue the war for much longer. A final, climactic battle was brewing, and the fate of the multiverse lie in the balance.The End of The War
Khiyaanada, The Orphan of Trickery was reluctantly requested by Dufaan to help aid in a trick that would lure the majority of the Devils into a battle that could end the war. Astral Point, a piece of Jannada that jut out above the astral sea was chosen as the location. The Devils, including Iblis, were tricked into placing their backs towards it and were ambushed by the celestials. While the battle raged on, and Iblis was distracted by a duel with Nolosha, Aqoon and other gods used great power to break The Astral Point from the upper planes. It's said that Iblis looked up at Nolosha as his army fell and screamed a wail of defiant rage, swearing that he would win one day, and achieve "justice" for his people. With this, the followers of Iblis and his traitors were destroyed, and worship of the Orufenzu took hold in Nomdia, the land Dufaan claimed as belonging to her people. General Overview In the time of the 5th Era, The Orufenzu pantheon has grown quite significantly, being the largest worshiped pantheon on the continent of Ocular. Its gods are revered and respected, and they are active though not in the way many would expect. Most gods avoid the material realms, as their divine presence disrupts the natural world in such a way as to alter reality. Still, some often make their presence known by directly communicating with followers, or sending avatars into battle (as many gods did during Scions heresy). The 8 Orphans however have not sent avatars to the material plane in a long time (except one notable exception Lftiin, The Orphan of Light). Their dreams are cryptic and hard to understand, and a follower will never hear the voice of their god speaking to them. Still, the pantheon has many devout followers, and they still do answer the prayers and blessings of the people of Iskudar, sending angels to do their bidding and using their divine power to alter the world. Why they seem so distant is a mystery to be sure. The way most people worship the gods is by performing prayer, a sacrament, or giving an offering. Sometimes all of these things are performed, like when villages towns, and cities gather for worship. The prayer can really be anything and to any god. The sacrament is particular to each god; a certain type of herb is thrown into a brazer and an action, prayer, or thought is repeated until the scent of the herb is gone. The offering is supposed to be personal, something of the importance of great value to the person offering it. A blacksmith offers their best weapon or tool, a farmer their best crop, and a merchant a portion of their profits. These offerings are placed at an altar or statues of the god they are being offered to. Priests and clerics will say the gods aren't picky and don't favor some offerings over others. The common folk however believe different, and will often give their offering to which god they think will like it best. Most offerings are left at the altar or statue, churches (known as Authicaries) gathering tons of various goods over the centuries they've been in place. Offerings of money are taken and used to maintain the church, and offerings of food are left until they begin to rot. Although rare as it may be, offerings will sometimes disappear from the altars and statues without a trace. This can happen as soon as someone places it down, or years after. Many believe this to mean the god has taken your offering to their realm. The power of the pantheon is unquestioned, and with multiple wars with other pantheons ending in stalemates or flat-out victories, it's clear to say The Orufenzu pantheon will be around for many more years.Orufenzu Family Tree
Salvation lies in the children of the righteous
Founding Date
During the 2nd Era
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Alternative Names
The 8 Orphans, Relgion of the 8, The Orphans
Demonym
Orufensians
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Related Species
Related Ethnicities
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