Sylfaodolon

Sylfaodolon are deities who live within the bounds of Elthessera.

hand by Zhikov Dimitrov at Pixabay; landscape by structuresxx
creation of Elthessera

In this document:

All artwork by Shade Melodique unless otherwise stated

Originators

Aseris studied worldbuilding intently, as she wished to create a sphere and populate it. Ceaque and Martaek became intrigued with her work, and Saeotheroil joined the project due to Ceaque's influence. Leivanthallisie, Aseris's closest friend, stood by her side and helped during the entire process. Thus Velvynis, then Elthessera, were born.
Other sylfaodolon call them the Originators. Mortals tend to refer to them as the Great Sylfaodolon or the Five Creators. All five, while part of their sphere because they used their power to create it, are also outside it, so transcend its boundaries while their creations are bound to it.

History

When Aseris created her first sphere, she populated it with immortal beings she called sylfaodolon. They, much like she, had the gift of magick and immortality. She told them to explore, gain knowledge, find themselves. Not all enjoyed the gift of exploration she gave them, and resented the learning involved.
This anger broke Velvynis asunder and destroyed nearly everything within. Heartbroken, Aseris reluctantly agreed to create another sphere, though she pondered what to do about sylfaodolon.
After she and the other Originators finished the new sphere, named Elthessera, Aseris again created sylfaodolon, but only a handful. While she gifted them with magick and immortality, she also gifted them with restrictions, the most important one being sylf natures.
Lumin Illu, survivor of the first sphere and the Mother of a Thousand Sylfaodolon, watched, listened, asked questions, and created sylfaodolon with those restrictions in mind. She, too, had learned, and despite the belief that the most effective way to gain knowledge was to learn it through experience and exploration, she provided a springboard foundation for her children. She provided the example, but not all followed it when they created their own sylfaodolon.

Among the Great Sylfaodolon are the five Originators, and very old sylfs such as Lumin Illu, Seleyoun, Naether Mendim, Ossuhnnu, Abdhuniva.
A sylfaone may petition to be considered a Great Sylfaone. They perform great feats, then visit other deities to enlist their support for the bid. A vote is taken among all interested deities, and those who receive a majority of the vote are welcomed into the Great Sylfaodolon ranks. Most fail in their endeavor.
Very powerful sylfaodolon see little need to slap 'Great' in front of their name, and rarely bother with the effort, leaving the self-impressed and desperate as aspirants.

Mortals tend to think of the deities they follow as Great Sylfaodolon, especially if their order spans several countries and counts millions among their adherents.
Sylfaodolon such as Erenik Zantar, Jhodi and Ahdioh are considered Great Sylfaodolon, though other deities do not officially recognize them as such.
Great has also been applied to Gada Kiore because the dragon is considered the avatar of the Earth Mother (Aseris), and therefore, something of a deity. Many sylfaodolon accept this, despite her mortality.

Sylf Life

Sylf Creation

A sylfaone is created by another sylfaone, or, more rarely, born of them. Not all sylf creations have the magickal power to be considered a sylfaone, leading to a large community of immortals that some humans might consider deities, but the sylfaodolon do not. These immortals find homes on Elthessera rather than in Arberiss, for living among humans is more comfortable than trying to navigate around sylfaodolon in the deities' realm.
An intricate spell requiring great power creates another sylfaone, which limits who can be a creator. The most proliferate is Lumin Illu, who began creating sylfaodolon on the first sphere. Leeina Maitree and Eval Larkentral follow her lead.
The more powerful creators enjoy the act of creating and guide their creations into understanding who and what they are. They teach them the fundamentals of magick, and relate the rules governing their existence. They introduce them to other sylfaodolon and tour Arberiss and the Abysses with them.
Far more often, sylfaodolon create weaker beings they see as servants rather than equals, and expect loyalty for the act of bringing them into existence. Many do not even tell their creations they are sylfaodolon. These beings, whether chained to their creator or wandering Elthessera, are lost, spiritually and magickally, until they realize their divinity. This can take hundreds of agonizing years. Fury tends to ride the realization, as the sylfaone internalizes what they consider a cruel deception. Sylfaodolon in this stage of development need loving care and delicate handling, for one wrong thought from a human can bring destruction to them and all they know.
Few sylfaodolon chose the second method, to bear children. These children share all the same traits as created sylfaodolon, with two exceptions; they have childhoods, like mortals, and are able to be killed. Instead of returning to an Abyss to reform after their physical form is taken, they remain there as a spirit, just like those of other intelligent beings.
Due to this, Ceaque has issued a proclamation; no deity who is born will be killed by another deity. To do so will bring pain upon pain and their ultimate unmaking, with their memory scattered to the celestial winds--forgotten and unmourned. This has not halted aggressions towards born sylfaodolon, since they tend wield greater power than their parents, and therefore, are seen as a threat by others.

Some Sylf Rules:

• Sylfaodolon are their natures, magickally. This means they have weaknesses other sylfs may exploit if they become a danger to Elthessera.
  
• Sylfaodolon must retreat to an Abyss and use those magicks to reform after their physical shell is taken. If they neglect to use Abyss wells, their recreated shell will be weak and easily destroyed.
  
• Sylfaodolon must help wayward mortal spirits into an appropriate Abyss.
  
• Sylf magickal wells are not infinite. While one may change a landscape or two, they no longer have the ability to decimate an entire world.
  
• If a sylf is caught tampering with the Abysses, Ceaque will unmake them. No deity wants to press their luck in this regard.
  
• Sylfs should avail themselves of the Olethriallian or the Khitarallian for judgments if they have issues with other deities.
  
• Invading another's demense is prohibited unless Aseris or Ceaque has ordered it due to threats against Elthessera.

As one might expect, humans are not privy to most of the restrictions placed upon deities.

orig. image by IvaPhoto, Envato Elements

Beauty and power are beacons for mortal beings, and sylfaodolon who have them in abundance have the largest, and normally the strongest, orders. The strength of the order reflects the strength of its sylfaone, and to become stronger, the sylfaone must attract even more followers.
They can spend millennia on their physical attributes, molding their form into a highly pleasing shell in an attempt to lure as many to their cult as possible. They assume, rightly and sadly, that sheen is more important to many humans than any other quality

Growth

Most sylfaodolon discover themselves by themselves, which takes up most of their early years. Even with guidance, it is difficult for the newly created to realize their divinity, especially when they have weaker magickal abilities. When they finally accept their odd circumstance, their learning tends to accelerate, and they soak up knowledge. Even with this acceleration, it takes a couple thousand years for most sylfaodolon to learn enough of magick and their natures to leave the influence of, or, more often, throw off the shackles of, their creator.
It is usually not long after their realization that they begin to meddle with their visage with the explicit goal of enticing followers into their cult. Even the most repulsive sylfaone presents in a way potential followers find pleasing. They can take any form they choose, from tree stump to purple-skinned woman to hovering ball of light, but when they display eyes, they remain odd, distinct from human or dragon or twilight eye. They can have plaid eyes, multi-colored eyes, horizontal gradient eyes, flower-shaped eyes, square eyes, etc. No one knows why Aseris decreed this, and she has kept her own council on the matter.
Sylfaodolon, once they have the glimmerings of a following, found a demense in Arberiss. They manipulate the area to their satisfaction, usually creating a home that is compatible with their nature; e.g., a Greenroot sylfaone will design a living space with many plants. Once their bit of Arberiss is ready, they search for a space in the sunlit and/or twilight realms to create a platform. Platforms are transitional spaces that use the twilight mists to cushion mortals' travel to the demenses. These can be vast temples, a pond, a cave, or whatever strikes the sylfaone as appropriate.

Retreat
A sylfadolon who pulls back from Elthessera and resides in Arberiss for an extended period of time is known to be on retreat.
It is supposed to be a time of reflection, but many just while away the years complaining about the fallible natures of mortals, ignoring their own hand in their cult's demise.

orig. image by Isidora BanovicBelic, Adobe Stock

The more sylfaodolon interact, the more they come into conflict with one another.
Illuminators are judges of sylf disputes. They are either members of the Olethriallian Council of Judges or the Khitarallian Adjucation Assembly. Membership on these councils was once highly selective, before Abdhuvan Sheanoubhu declared herself High Illuminator of the Olethriallian without appropriate approval. No one protested so she made the most of it, tarnishing the Olethriallian reputation in the process.

Followers

Political power, prestige and influence in sylf circles directly relate to the size of their following. While some gain recognition and respect without a cult, most need their backing.
Some sylfaodolon enjoy handing down precepts and knowledge gained from thousands of years of existence. These sylfaodolon tend to interact more with their orders, which leads to larger followings. Even so, sylfaodolon interactions with mortals are restricted, usually by their order's leaders. These leaders hand down decrees that have nothing to do with a sylf's desires, but rather with their own want to retain power and wealth by being gatekeepers. This can cause great conflicts between order hierarchies and their deities, and has led to more than one sylfaodolon dissolving their cult and retreating to Arberiss for a time of reflection.
Not all sylfaodolon are powerful enough to attract a following, and some simply do not want one. These sylfaodolon either spend their time in Arberiss in retreat, or form loose-knit communities with immortals in the sunlit or twilight realms.

To soften sylf outlook towards mortals, Aseris created the concept of companions and mirrors. Companions are followers who are very close to their sylfaone, sometimes even sharing intimacy. They offer advice without the threat of retaliation.
Mirrors are meant to reflect the sylfaone, both the good and the bad. They pave the way for introspection. While companions are popular, mirrors are not. Sylfaodolon see no need for them; those who disregard them usually need their services the most.

Change

Sylfaodolon, as immortals, are slow to change, but they can and do alter their physical form as well as their natures.
Since sylfaodolon are created, they can manipulate their forms at will. Some will stand before a mirror for years, altering their nose or their mouth until it is perfect. Others have a more drastic transformation, and become small fairies or large wolves and such. Sylfaodolon often have several appearances, though they favor one over the rest.
They also change natures. This is usually a very slow, sometimes painful process. Sylfaodolon find that another aspect of their magick calls to them, and it becomes their focus. A Greenroot sylfaone, for instance, may feel a pull towards Water, and decide that their nature more closely matches with it rather than plants. The change can have a devastating effect on followings, and deities often abandon them and start over with new cult members.

Taking Forms and Unmaking

Since sylfaodolon are created, their physical form can be rent apart and their essence sent to an Abyss to draw enough energy from the wells there to reform their physical shell. This is called 'taking their form'. Normally other sylfaodolon accomplish this, whether through battle or the judgment of courts, but dragons, sfinckses and large followings have done so, though rarely. See The Nine Abysses for more info.
They can also be unmade. This is a dire punishment only Ceaque has ever performed on Elthessera. The sylfaone was torn apart, their physical body obliterated by sylf power, and their essence burned into non-existence. Their platform and demense collapsed into ash afterwards. To be forgotten is the ultimate retribution, for beings meant to live for eternity.
The ultimate punishment--and one modern sylfaodolon think does not apply to them.