Religious Terms

The Dremoran Pantheon

The spirits of the pentheon have been known, throughout all of history, to establish favorites among mortals... and to single out those who have violated their tenets or have invoked their ill-favor. Individuals who have garnered the attention of the pantheon – whether it be good or bad – are easily identified throughout historical text and still can be identified on the continent of Dremora today. While much of it is symbolic, there are often benefits (or pitfalls) of getting the attention of one of the 12 Spirits.

Blessed

Any individual that has earned mild favor in the eyes of a god or goddess, their Court, or a member of their clergy. Blessed are welcomed among the communities of the Spirit that has blessed them. All members of religious clergy (priest, priestess, acolytes) are considered part of the Blessed. However, other individuals can fall under the Blessed of a god or goddess should they regularly participate in worship, make appropriate and suitable offerings, excel at upholding relgious tenets, or complete the trials of a god or goddess' temple. It is possible to be Blessed of one or more gods and goddesses. Those who are Blessed can expect to have an Afterlife Court to enter upon their death.

Chosen

While many mortals will become Blessed of a god or goddess in their lifetime, few will ever claim the title of Chosen. Such individuals have been elevated in standing in the eyes of a single god or goddess either through particularly exceptional worship or by undertaking heroic acts that fall within the tenets or interest of the god or goddess. In turn, Chosen often receive boons, abilities, and other privileges, some more tangible than others. The most note-worthy examples of Chosen are any High Priest or Priestess, the Executioners of Ah'Shal, the Oracles of Caliban, the Coliseum Champion in Ragna, and many of the five-braided Hunters of Elios. Exceptional service to a single god or goddess is required to earn this title, though Chosen may still honor and worship other gods and goddesses.

Champion

A subset of Chosen may be further elevated. Throughout history, very few Champions have arisen, the total tally varying across the members of the pantheon. A Champion is selected from among the Chosen and gifted a fragment of divine spirit, claiming pseudo-divine status for a short time. Champions possessed exceptional abilities, channeling the pure unbridled divine force of their god or goddess. Such gifts did not come without risk. A Champion is a vessel for a fragment of the divine. Should they perish while serving in this fashion... it is possible that a piece of the divine is lost. Champions, as expected then, are rarely chosen and only during times of strife, war, or crises.

Ire

While Blessed and Chosen claim the good graces and favor of a god or goddess, those who invoked Ire... have done the opposite. Those with Ire have angered a god or goddess through an act of blasphemy or other horrendous act that violates associated tenets, pillars, or domains. An individual that invokes Ire can generally avoid the consequences by fleeing to another region, escaping the direct grasp of the one they have angered. However, there are some amidst the Dremoran pantheon who are clever. There are some with anger that boils hot. Merely drifting to another region may not be sufficient to avoid divine acts of vengeance and retribution.

Beloved

Every member of the Dremoran pantheon has a mortal "other half"; an individual that is reincarnated over and over again. These souls were specially selected by The One. Upon their death, they are denied the joys of a peaceeful Afterlife in a Court and, instead, are returned to the land of the living. To some, Beloveds are a reminder to the immortal Spirits of the frailty and brevity of mortal lives. To others, the existence of Beloveds is simply a curse whereby gods and goddesses must watch their loved one die over, and over again.

Greater Deities

Distant and more removed from mortal affairs, there is not a range of traditional terms that have arisen to assign mortals to various bins of religious association for Greater Deities. However, with the re-emergence of The Void and the re-establishment of Primus One on the Dremoran continent, there is one important title.

Tether

Born of the broader cosmos, Greater Deities were not meant for the realm of mortals. Their existence is not as easily bound to the rules and restrictions of the material plane, which often poses issues for True Deities that wish to reside at a singular, tangible point in the cosmos for extended periods of time. For Greater Deities not directly bound to a world through the act of creation, they must seek out another means to tie the essence of their being to the world... or they will be expelled and pulled back to the broader cosmos. In Dremora, few are capable of serving as the binding point for a Greater Deity, a tether. For every mortal is bound to the world by the soul they possess. Should a Greater Deity intertwine themselves with the soul and the chosen soul proves resilient enough, then a suitable tether is established and the Greater Deity remains. While the tether gains access to the knowledge, longevity, and power of the bound Greater Deity, far few tethers have existed in the world to ascertain the full scope of positive... and negative ramifications.

Related Organizations

• Greater Deities
• The Dremoran Pantheon

Notable Chosen

1. Ah'Shal – Oksha Ah'Shal, Diavolo the Executioner, Angelos Dun'Mar, Thyron Ah'Shal, Ah'Shivan Ah'Shal
2. Caliban – Yue, Dysis Caliban
3. Carmenthia – Azrail, Dr. Stefano Corvinus, Dr. Rolan Conway
4. Elis – Pekk Nozhawk, Jhaxton Jae, Rhosstan Elis, Altan Elis, Nina Elis
5. Lark – Zephus Hevego, Cyrus Lark
6. Nacheevi – the Judges
7. Oshozi – Osoosi Oshozi
8. Parvathian – Hithvessa
9. Ragna – Brigita Ragna, Leon of Ragna, Venya the First Elect
10. Tel'Rhea – Ladies of Life
11. Therarask – Tayanna Therarask, Lucille
12. Varoona – Calypso Valdove, Thalassa Varoona

Notable Champions

1. Ah'Shal – Newt Von'Della
2. Caliban – Moira Caliban, Ayumi Caliban
3. Carmenthia – Maritza Alvarro
4. Elis – Rhovahk Elis
5. Lark – Rani Al-Himma
6. Nacheevi – High Judge Isocrates
7. Oshozi – Yemaja, Vadaz
8. Parvathian – Xanthe Parvathian
9. Ragna – Noel, Warrior Queen Ralla
10. Tel'Rhea – Queen Eleté
11. Therarask – Declan the Sixth
12. Varoona – Ambarra

Notable Tethers

1. Holoki – tethering Primus One
2. Judas – tethering The Void
3. Dysis – tethering The Void
4. Ghilani – tethering Primus One