Celestial War

When the Gods first came into being, they were immaculate - life from nothingness. With their arrival, each carved out their own contributions to existence from pure thought.
Over time the Gods created more of themselves through coupling with one another. As more and more celestial beings, with titanic powers of their own came into being, a power struggle eventually arose. The Children of the Gods bickered as to which domains should be theirs. During this time, life was growing and developing around these Gods. Gaia made them and Hephestus taught them how to build. Those who would not listen remained dull and mindless.
Out of those whom Hephestus had blessed with knowledge and sentience, the Gods found their champions and blessed them with their favours. Some even found those languid creatures without, worthy or interesting enough for their blessings.
The God Mammon, then a minor God with no domain, walked alongside a god with no shadow in the land they shared. It was a barren and lifeless desert, where Ouranos allowed nothing to thrive. The Shadowless God spoke to Mamon


“Tell me Mamon, where is your Kingdom? I wish to look upon your works and peoples.” And so Mamon showed them to where they had worked for the past year “You mean to tell me this is your domain? It is but stone and dust! The wind could sweep it away, if it so wished.” “That is all this land has,” Mamon replied. “If I must build my kingdom from rubble and dust, then so be it. Hephestus has done more with less” “I have looked upon Hephestus’s works. He has shaped Continents and forged nations. Nothing so insubstantial as this.”


Mamon did not respond to this. He knew of the others' ambition and did not approve, and yet he could not hide his own jealousy. He had so little whilst other gods had so much and were still unsatisfied. They had fertile land, possessed wondrous powers, loved and were loved in return. Yet for all of this, they still bickered and struggled with each other. He deeply admired the elder gods like Hephestus, but did not understand why they continued to bless the undeserving. Mamon pledged to never become like those he hated.
The Shadowless offered Mamon a deal. He would grant a boon that would make him as powerful as his forebears and in exchange they would rule over what he would create, together. This, he thought, was good. In unity they would overcome the petty squabbles that plagued his family. He agreed and in that moment, Mammon had taken on the domain of doom.
He spoke to those gods that would listen. He told them of what he envisioned and how they could achieve it. Most turned him away. Some joined him, understanding that alone they could never match the glory of their progenitors. This group, who followed under Mammon, began calling themselves Nephilim.
After the first celestial war, coupling was forbidden between the gods. The dead gods were placed far away from the mortal eye and hell was created to keep them from returning. Locked but not able to be fully sealed, hell fights a battle to keep these dead gods from rising again. The remaining Nephilim were sent to guard them. Both wardens and prisoners, their role is to ferry the dead and protect the living.
Those children that did not rebel or took their parents' side in the fighting were given their own land to live in and shape as they pleased. Their influence would remain in the world and they would have their champions who would act on their behalf, but they could no longer act as they pleased.
When the war had finished, those chosen would become pivotal figures in the emerging age of heroes, and most would go on to ascend to saints after they had passed. They would hunt down those blessed by the dead gods and the monsters that they had left in the world, or simply work as their patrons avatars.