Elven Pantheon
The main elven pantheon is made up of seven gods, some exclusively worshipped by elves. Ketephys, Findeladlara, Yuelral and Alseta are elven gods, rarely paying any attention to those of other races, with Yuelral being one of few to accept half-elves. Desna, Calistria and Nethys comprise the other three, being far more powerful and widely-worshipped.
They are each linked to the cycle of time by their elven worshippers, with each deity being considered to represent a specific aspect of the day.
Ketephys (dawn) -> Yuelral (morning) -> Nethys (midday) -> Calistria (evening) -> Findeladlara (dusk) -> Desna (night) -> Ketephys (dawn) ad infinitum.
Alseta, goddess of transitions, stands between each to ensure the cycle remains consistent and unchanging.
Other gods still find their faithful among the elves, but are considered to not belong in their pantheon or their cycle. Pharasma is one of few significant exceptions - she is respected as the goddess at the end of their journey, but is generally not actively worshipped. Few wish to risk upsetting the goddess of fate, particularly when they could pray to Desna for luck instead.
The pantheon has not always been this small, nor has it been unchanging. Yuelral was formerly the Herald of Seren, the goddess of Crystals and Light. Seren was hailed as the original progenitor of the elven race, an immensely powerful goddess who blessed them with their eternal lives. Where these aspects of life and light exist, however, there must always be their opposites - darkness, and death. Marvaeth, god of Corruption and Darkness, embodied the accursed in all their forms, ever wreaking destruction on all elvenkind.
Seren and Marvaeth, whilst immortalised in legend and revered (or feared, in the latter's case) throughout history, rarely grant power in the modern day - and neither is able to grant power without the other's interference. For in Seren's darkest hour, Marvaeth successfully broke through her barriers and shattered the crystalline goddess. She had expected this, and used her remaining power to entwine herself with Marvaeth - restricting his reach and corrupting herself irreversibly. The now-twin gods have taken few actions since, and due to the recent (in elven terms) theory that it was their dual nature that spurred on the curse of the elven homeworld, are no longer worshipped by most elves in fear of what might happen. Some drow, however, delight in this story and often give offerings to the duo, in hopes of encouraging Marvaeth to taint Seren's creations further.
Other deities worshipped by elves vary depending on their familial line and upbringing, and not all are considered 'true gods' - the list varies from empyreal lords and their neutral or evil counterparts to elemental lords, fey eldest, and other strange divine beings that defy categorisation.
Some choose to replace Desna with Arianthel, a little-known deity of Air, Time, Moon, Reincarnation and Retribution. Others whisper to Caeloch, summoning the Grandmother of Disease to spread her blight upon their enemies. Macha, so-called deity of cunning, death, and war, watches over certain families through her raven servitors. Grianaineth, sun-god of the druids, is often invoked as a patron by druidic orders across the world. The link between elves, fey, and their home plane has spawned a long and varied list of deities and beings that bless elvenkind in various ways. Many are shared with the gnomes and other fey beings, though their names may differ. More scholarly shamans and witches note many similarities in these less-common deities and their own patrons.
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