Gods
All gods represent fractions of a whole picture. By virtue of existing, the gods reveal something about the world, though there is a hierarchy in the prime deities. Some prime deities hold convictions that are smaller, less important pieces of the large picture, this means that the beliefs that grow from these less important piecess are more flawed.
Greater deities serve as amendments and expansions on their prime counterparts. There are those who consider the teachings of entire pantheons rather than the single interpretation of any god. Some greater deities bridge gaps between pantheons. Gods can ascend as amendments to greater deities as lesser deities, and it is possible, though uncommon for gods to ascend under lesser deities.
Though the power of the gods is infinite, it is channeled through divine creatures and mortals. The gods do not physically manifest, but may send visions and feelings to their followers. Sometimes these visions might be of representations of themselves as they once were or as they are believed to look like. Some gods are strict about how they show themselves.
One cannot hold a conversation with a god on the mortal plane. Even if one travels to a god's plane of existence, they would not be able to speak to the god unless they were spiritually connected to the god, and very powerful, otherwise the person might be destroyed. Only divine beings may attempt to understand and converse with gods without issue, as they are made from the will of the gods. When souls separate from their bodies, they more easily connect with gods.
When gods manifest aspects of themselves on their plane, the effect is less of a physical embodiment of their power, but rather the image one would get by pointing a strong telescope directly at the sun. Or in other words, something immensely powerful that is painful to behold even in the smallest of fractions.
There are 5 categories of divinity, infernal, abyssal, celestial, absitian, and unovscient, which do not follow the pattern of 9s. Each of these divinities has a relationship to mortality and morality. The infernal gods seek to corrupt mortals through corrupting their beliefs and rationality. Abyssal gods call mortals to succumb to their emotions. Celestial gods seek to uplift mortals, and improve their lives. Absitians abstain from engaging in morality to create structures for all to use. Unovscients do not see themselves as moral or immoral, but just powers, like forces of nature.
Ascensions
Each god was once a mortal who in their life, discovered or embodied some fundamental truth of the cosmos. Each ascension has a different story
1752
Death, Life, Destruction, Absurdity, Hope, Order, Justice, Slaughter, Vengeance
2859
Humility, Trade, Greed, The Mother, Crafts, The Consumer, Innocence, The Trickster, The Drowner
3293
The Unbreakable Will, The Watcher, The Great Game, The God of Forges, The Dark Wager, The Reviver, The Invisible, The Cheater
4252
The God of Mystery
4430
The Safeguard, Decay, The Vile Hunter, The Messenger, The Tale Weaver, The Silhouette, The Tamer, The Nature’s Breath, The Mad Beast
5383
The Blessed, The Imbued, The Cursed, The Bargainer, The Titan, The Scavenger, The Light in The Dark, The Explorer, The Trapping Maw
5968
Destiny, Fate, Doom, Husbandry, The Studied Divine, Subjugation, Favours, Lucks, Lies
6174
The Chosen, The Prophet, The Challenger, The Radiant Equilibrium, The Ultimate End, The Hungering Mass, Patience, The Signs, Suffering
6175
The Leader, The Servant, The General, Peace, The Chronicler, War, Truth, Betrayal, Manipulation
6296
Planar Reward, Planar Transmutation, Planar Discovery, Planar Punishment, The Navigating Stars, Equanimity, Rage, The Healing Light, The Wanderlust
6399
Stewardship, Endurance, Blight, Forgiveness, Knowledge, Pain, Fortune, Secrets, Taking
6990
The God King, The Noble, The Usurper, The Defender, The Martyr, The Unholy Assassin, The Jester, The Fool, The Mindless
7500
The Cathedral, The Sanctum, The Pit, The Purifier, The Caretaker, The Defiler, Safety, The Nomad, Helplessness
7586
Honour, Acceptance, Shame, The Teacher, The Contemplator, The Propagandist, The Believer, The Boundless, The Nihilist
8067
Mercy, Imprisonment, Torture, Welcome, The Lost, Dangers, Performance, Vanity, Apathy
8850
The Redeemer, The Written Word, The Corrupter, The Guides, Wizardry, Schemes, Kind Acts, Riddles, Cruelty
9468
Protection, Tactics, Violence, Alliance, Change, The Corpse God, Love, The Divine Substance, The Feral God
9828
Nunya Business.
Domains
Life
Ithiisia
Ithiisia(ith-EE-zya) is a celestial deity who cares for mortal life in all of its forms. Her followers are likely to take a stranger in on a rainy night, provide care for those who cannot care for themselves, and find joy and celebration wherever they can.
Ithiisia was among the first gods to ascend, and her worship has since allowed mortals to build healthy and prosperous communities and kingdoms.
A Celestine of Ithiisia will have silvery white skin and silvery white eyes.
Ithiisia teaches her followers empathy, care, and love. She empowers her followers to heal wounds and diseases of the body and soul. A follower of Ithiisia will know happiness and peace, and their greatest challenge will be battling woes that do not belong to themself or their people.
Followers of Ithiisia, and the cultures that emerge under her worship find places for every soul. No person with the capacity for good will be turned away. No person will yearn for food or drink, and every home is welcoming.
A stranger will find themselves forgetting about their woes and worries in the company of Ithiisia's followers, perhaps finding their first good night's rest after a long journey, only to find these same followers ready to stand with them against whatever may be causing harm.
Her symbol is the light within, usually a light emitting from a humanoid's torso. In more refined holy symbols their may be a reflective gem placed in the chest of a depiction of a humanoid. The light within is meant to represent the potential of the soul to become good.
Ithiisia can be felt in gentle rains and in the radiance of daylight. She is sometimes known as the spring goddess, and the season is said to even belong to her.
Followers of Ithiisia will find themselves in Sithriya when their souls pass from the material plane. It is a place ever in the sunlight, with warm fields and quiet joys to be found everywhere. It is a place of calm, happiness, gratitude, reflection, and love. It is a place to share stories of life, and how deeply it had been felt, there is no better place to be in the cosmos.
Death
La’iya
La'iya(la-EE-ah) is a celestial deity responsible for all mortal souls who pass beyond the material plane. Her followers are somber and stand-offish, but kind at heart. La'iya was amongst the first gods to ascend. Her worship has done the most to keep mortal lands safe from any kind of incursions.
A Celestine of La'iya will have midnight black skin and eyes like the night the sky.
Destruction
Dolgoch
Hope
Garagoth
Garagoth(GAIR-ah-gawth) is a celestial deity who seeks to inspire his followers. His followers are leaders, bards, storytellers, caregivers, and anybody who seeks to brighten another's day.
Garagoth was among the first gods to ascend, though his worship has not shaped the course of civilizations like other gods, it has certainly made many places brighter.
A Celestine of hope will have shimmering yellow/gold skin and eyes.
Garagoth teaches his followers to understand and uplift those around them. They learn to imbue hope with stories, dreams, and deception if necessary. Hope serves as veil between good and evil. The worship would keep the innocent optimistic in the face of doom.
Followers of Garagoth are deceitful, usually in service of good, usually. They are joyous and bright, but there are times where joys are fleeting, hollow, and unfulfilling. Hope is something that becomes chased and unattainable.
His symbol is the burning dawn, a depiction of the rising sun representing the passion for life.
Garagoth can be felt in the dawn, sunshowers, and sunrays breaking through clouds.
Followers of Garagoth will find themselves in Tenigel when their soul passes from the material plane. Tenigel is a place of ever morning, with misty fields and peaceful villas. It is the fulfillment of a hopeful life.
Absurdity
Wyllynaer
Wyllynaer(WILL-in-air) is a celestial deity who reflects on the nature of being and other deities. His followers are largely philosphers and advisors.
Wyllynaer's ascension into the pantheons during the first ascension has, by all accounts, been met with mixed emotions.
A Celestine of Wyllynaer will have shimmering pale green skin and eyes.
Wyllynaer teaches three schools of thought, observation, analysis, and humour. His followers are not meant to be self serious, the true nature of the pursuit of the worship of absurdity is to let go of certainty, and see the absurdity in the world. Through the observing, and analyzing of things as they are, and not as one wishes to see them, the teachingss of Wyllynaer guide his followers to understand a complete lack of sense to the cosmos, and that in and of itself is a little funny.
Wyllynaer teaches his followers to seek paths of self actualization, and self determination, while also seeking wisdom in those external from the self. A wise follower of Wyllynaer might search for core truths in other gods.
The teachings of Wyllynaer are complex and abstract, each individual's path to enlightenment is different. Some would say this encompasses the beauty of the religions that emerge from it, others would disagree, and other others would ask; is beauty real?
Many students of Wyllynaer's teaching fail to reach the intended conclusion, but those who do are wise and intillegent. They are well rounded, honest and trustworthy individuals who seek the betterment of the people and places around them.
Wyllynaer's symbol is the branching paths, a depiction of a barren tree whose roots and branches are indistinguishable from one another, with a single path etched from one end to the other when a follower believes they are ready. The symbol represents the many paths of understanding, and a choice to find peace.
Followers of Wyllynaer will find themselves in Caliandra, the woods of early morning, when their souls pass from the material plane. It is a plane of whimsy and philosophy, it is both peaceful and adventurous. It borders the wilds of faery, and is nicknamed the quiet side of the fae.
Slaughter
Gjalld
Justice
Zotharuus
Zotharus(zaw-tha-ROOSE) is a celestial deity of righteousness. His followers are warriors and knights, found in the company of kings and nobles.
Zotharus is among the first gods who ascended:
A Celestine of Zotharus will have shimmering blue skin and golden eyes.
Zotharus teaches his followers strength, martial prowess, and vigilance. His followers learn to stand together in service of kings and causes as long as they ar just. They value unity and loyalty above all, often creating tight knit family like units.
A people who worship justice will have a large and strong military. They will seek to forge alliances and expand their kingdoms and countries. They view themselves as protectors of the innocent, and keepers of good.
The most important mission of followers of justice is to rid infernal and abyssal presences from the lands they watch over.
The symbol of Justice is most often a depiction of a knight. Knights have always been instruments of justice, and represent the values of strength, power,and vigilance.
Order
Rilletchwued
Rilletchwued(rill-ETCH-woo-ed) is an absitian deity whose domain provides structure to the very nature of the gods. His followers take inspiration from the divine laws and attempt to bring order to their lands.
Rilletchwued was among the first gods to ascend, his power creates a set of fundamental rules obeyed by all divine beings.
Followers of Rilletchwued immitate their god, trying to create clear order amongst mortals. His followers are dilligent, careful, and tedious. A kingdom that follows order will have an answer for every logistical problem, and yet be bereft of any moral guidance.
Order is not mindful of morality, and those who wish to lead under order must find guidance from somewhere else. Order is most often a tool, it can be engaged with more casually than celestial forms of worship. Those who are truly devout will bring order to anyone under any moral alignment.
His holy symbol is the order spiral, a nonagonal shape that repeats any pattern in 9 parts reaching toward the center, getting smaller on each iteration. This represents the structure of order in the cosmos.
Rilletchwued's realm is the Pillars of Order, a place where all divine information is recorded, from names of devils, gods, and mortals, to divine contracts, pacts, and deals. This plane is not an afterlife but a resource. Each pillar is the size of a skyscraper with many layers. More pillars are created as more information grows.
Vengeance
M’deius
The Consumer
Suguthoth
Greed
Saeph
The Unbreakable Will
Torruduth
The Binding Wills
Letra and Tura
The Watcher
Medrick
Forges
Debinor
Mystery
Huh?
The Vile Hunter
Priiluze
The Tale Weaver
Al’en’Ihn
Al'en'Ihn(ahl-AY-neen) is the celestial god of stories. Their followers are poets and playwrights. Storytellers who use their gifts to spread messages of goodness, and inspire the uninspired.
A Celestine of Al'en'Ihn will have bright orange red skin and white eyes.
Al'en'Ihn teachess their followers to use stories to impart lessons. They help inspire the mortal plane to search for meaning in things. The Tale Weaver provides a path to make mortal life more profound story by story.
A follower of the tale weaver may spend days listening to people before their first story. They understand the importance of listening, timing, and tact. It is a powerful wisdom that not every story is ready to be heard. For somebody to find meaning they must be ready for it.
Followers of the tale weaver believe answers are always in front of us, and sometimes they just need to be presented in different ways. They often learn of the guiding philosphies of other gods to help tell their stories. A devout follower of the tale weaver may know much more about the rest of the gods than their own followers.
Al'en'Ihn's symbol is the woven chord. A piece of string made up of at least three colours representing the subjective weaving of stories. Often worn around the wrist, though the woven chord can be made up of many strings and even be big enough to wear as a sash.
Al'en'Ihn can be felt in spaces where there is community. Often times when people recieve visions from the tale weaver it will be as they are amongst community, fading in and out seemlessly from
The Titan
Haruv
The Explorer
Bibiune
The Studied Divine
Eldruem
Eldruem(EL-drew-em) is an absitian deity of understanding, learning, and the pursuit of knowledge. He createss the structures of divination through which mortals find information outside of their usual means.
Subjugation
Tolivitch
Lies
Edebol
Patience
Leadara
Pain
Rodax
Forgiveness
Ohmun
Ohmun(oh-MOON) is a celestial deity of forgiveness. They are also the gold dragon progenitor.
Ohmun ascended in the middle eras, their worship has hindered the corruption of mortals.
A Celestine of Ohmun will be born with platinum scales and have golden eyes.
Ohmun teaches their followers empathy and patience. The lesson of forgiveness acknowledges the failures of mortals and permits them to move on. They confront the pains of the world and attempt to bring internal and external peace.