The first deer of each hunt is left to Wealdmær, god of the hunt, as thanks for sparing our lives one more year. To forego this ritual is to turn his eye in your direction. — Northern Druidic Teachings
There exist many powerful creatures in the multiverse, whose abilities go beyond any spell or trick that mortals might be able to summon. There are fire elementals who carry with them the spark of the first lightning strike, and dark shadows who split from the first nightfall.
But as powerful as these things are, they are not gods. Gods are aspects of the universe made manifest, whose very existence would cease if they were ever to stray from their ways. Their minds do not work the same as mortals, for every aspect of their being must be serve their domain.
It would be a betrayal of their very being for a god of fire to allow a rainstorm to save even their own temple from burning down.
Pantheons
Meta
Each god has their domain, through which they view all things. Each one uses a unique power, their divine right, to further their goal. Mortals tend to associate them with a concept, a place, and a people.
The First Gods
While gods are powerful, they are as ants to The First Gods. It is said that these four created the whole of existence as we know it, and the extent of their powers is not truly understood.
Ebium created existence itself. It decided to exist, and with it came the universe.
Etione created time, the infinite array of points of the past, present, future, and the unknown.
Aldt created the systems by the universe could be experienced. Decay, growth, and thought were among his many inventions.
Qamara took the systems created by the others, and spread life across the universe. She is said to continue her work from the center of the Great Forest, surrounded by her fey creations.
The Eight
The Eight are a pantheon of gods who are commonly worshipped on the continent of Aisoa. There exist others that are worshipped on the continent, but the following are known wherever one travels.
Apara, The Pale, is a god of death. He is associated with souls, graveyards, and undead. He uses his power of soulcraft to keep souls from passing on to
eternity.
Batu, The Collector, is a god of artifacts. He is associated with architecture, cities, and merchants. He uses his power to build to create vaults to store the valuables of the world.
Cezlios, The Ponderer, is a god of knowledge. He is associated with philosophy, libraries, and scholars. He uses his power of scrying to learn the lost facts of the universe.
Curatsvo, The Healer, is a god of healing. She is associated with disease, meadows, and doctors. She uses her power to bring out the best in something to help fix what is broken.
Suriel, The Warmother, is a god of war. She is associated with weaponry, battlefields, and angels. She uses her power of invulnerability to fight against demonkind.
Poeli, The Storyteller,, is a god of storytelling. They are associated with prophecy, theatres, and wanderers. They use their ability to lie to create more interesting events in the world.
Tiegalaan, The Mad, is the god of madness. He is associated with disease, mazes, and gnolls. He uses his power to create artifacts to share divine knowledge with mortals.
Northern Druidic Gods
The long history of civilizations expanding have weakened the druidic gods in many places on the continent. In the far north, the spirits of nature still hold great power and are worshipped as their own pantheon. Other druidic gods exist, but tend to be more regional - gods of lakes, rivers, and valleys, for example.
Guðrún, the caribou god of healing and life. She is the caretaker of all creatures in the forests, prey or predator.
Wealdmær, the wolfen god of death and predators. He is said to have hunted his sister Guðrún since they were born, and would bring great strife should he ever catch her.
Kerh Tam, the stone god of trickery, is a fickle god of the forests and mountains, and quick to topple fledgling settlements that stray too far from their druidic roots.
Hjálmarr, the owl god of the sun and sky, is said to both protect the world from dangers from the sky as well as keep mortals imprisoned on the planet. They guide the worthy souls of the dead to explore the stars.
Assorted Gods
Ilvesha, The Deep One is a god of the sea. She is associated with lost items, deep waters, and sailors. She uses her immense size to defend her realm of the Deep Dark.
Demigods
Demigods are creatures with vast powers on a similar level of full fledged gods, but tend to be somewhat more 'human' in their ways of thinking and have much narrower domains. Some are the children of gods, some achieve their powers of their own volition, while others came into existence as they are now.
Vurais, Herald of Eternity, is a demigod associated with undeath. They are said to have achieved godhood through the creation of the perfect
soul vessel, and are a servant of Apara.
Gods of Life and Death
Though the Ancient Ones do not answer the calls of mortals, Aldt is oft worshipped as the being who created the systems of life and death. Without guidance from their god, his worshippers tend to be extremely varied in their outlooks.
Vurais, Herald of Eternity, is a god of undead and liches. She is the herald of Apara, but long ago achieved full godhood herself as well.
Matay, the Ferrymother, is a god of death, tragedy, and suicide. Few worship her - those who do tend to dedicate their lives to easing suffering in the world. Unlike most cultures, her priests are comfortable with performing mercy killings on those who are soon to die, or who request such things. For this reason, many cultures demonize Matay.
Gods of Creation
Malthet, Sorrow Queen, is a god associated with art, suffering, and love. Prayers to her are primarily to evoke some supernatural artistic skill. She is demonized by sentient golems and constructs due to her uncaring creation of the gods
G'shos and
Nyt.
Gods of Knowledge
These gods are most well known for their knowledge, or otherworldly intuition.
The Kanemi is a hive mind god of knowledge and communication. They dwell among mortals across the world and beyond, acting on vast plans.
Patron Gods
Gods that are closely tied to a particular people, or location.
Nazunth, The Black, is the massive god of dragons. He once dwelled on the mortal plane where his size was compared to the mountains themselves. He left for an unknown plane long ago.
Wytris is the patron god of Lenif, a goddess of the nighttime. She has protected the now flourishing nation for several generations.
Curae is a god of love, romance, and fertility that has long been worshipped in the region of
Ammalion. He and his children form the
Eosian pantheon, with
Siher most notable among them.
Admien is a minor god responsible for the creation of the
centaur species, an act he accomplished while very inebriated.
The Trocair are a trio of gods that watch over the repentant, and guide them towards salvation - or death should they fail to improve.
G'shos is the god of sentient constructs and golems, and is said to have been the first sentient construct ever created. He dwells on the material plane, in a deep fortress in the desert. Few pray to him other than artificers and constructs.
Assorted Gods
Nyt is a minor god of constructs, puppets, and lies. It is said to be the brother of G'shos, and the second son of Malthet - whom he hates with a deep passion.
Demonic Gods
Demonic gods are those that are closely tied to the
Abyss and the
Demon Hierarchy. While not all are born of the planes that make up the Abyss, most make it their home.
Most important of the demonic gods are the
Demon Primacy, seven demon gods that were created when the great beast Tazan, The Ravenous One, was slain.
Demonic Primes
Lumex, Blood of Tazan, was the first demonic prime to come into existence. Though the others came shortly after, Lumex declared herself the rightful leader of them. She is closely tied to the goddess of battle,
Suriel.
Arvok, The Bloody King, is known for magical prowess, forming pacts, and accumulating power. Many consider Arvok a 'lesser' evil compared some of his siblings, thanks to a supposed history of honoring deals.
Astratha, Lady of Blades, is related to revenge, ambush, and trickery. She is said to have been slain nearly three hundred years ago, but her forces still fight on her behalf out of fear of reprisal should she return.
In Kura, The Heartless One, is the patron god of assassins and contract killers. It appears to be the least interested in waging war against its siblings, or in gathering souls at all. It seems to have very few emotions, interests, or long term goals at all.
Saggon, The Golden Prince, is the demonic god of greed, wealth, and deals. Of all of the demonic primes, he has the greatest sway among mortals.
Vorozol, Devourer of Souls, is associated with mindless violence, demonic hordes, and soulcraft. Despite the chaos of his forces, Vorozol has shown to be of keen intellect, and a master at the soulcraft that creates demons.
Sor'zaa, Dawn of Chains, is associated with slavery, order, and subservience. There are few things that could be called true 'cities' in the Abyss, but the closest things are invariably controlled by her.
