Her lesson learned, she returned the light to Gath, which embraced her once again. Now, Cealist, no longer prideful, realized she would need aid to create her world, so she created two younger gods: Aborum and Shanaktra. Aborum, to create indiscriminately, and Shanaktra to judge her creations and maintain the proper balance of things.
To aid Aborum in the creation of her waking world, Shanaktra brought forth Mordigan, who would bring to physical life all that he heard in Aborum's dreamsongs.
Once created, Aborum realized the largeness of her world, and brought forth Nephele to serve the mortals that she dreamed would populate this world that they had brought to life. He was to ease their travel across her vast world, and to help and heal them when they were in need of it. Nephele agreed to this, though he would not make life simple for these mortals he was to aid. His first aid, which came in the form of horses, would not be mere servants but would have minds of their own. Those who they served would have to respect them, and as a result, him. If he were borne to serve the mortal world, he decided, he would do so on his own terms. The mortal world, he claimed, would also have to serve him, in the form of entertainment. So for this he created ale and drunkenness, which he himself fell victim to all too often as well.
Together Shanaktra and Aborum created Gorivosh and Elios, the twin gods to rule over the natural world on which mortals would reside. Out of the constant need for equilibrium, where Elios would care for the production of elemental life, allowing the flowers to grow and the animals to feed on one another in a balanced manner, Gorivosh would rule over storms and natural disasters, indiscriminately taking life away as was neccessary. Though over time, Elios became a much praised god, and Gorivosh became much feared, they are both extremely noble in all their doings. Unlike Nephele, Gorivosh does not cause the waking world trouble out of spite or the desire to play a joke, but because it MUST be done. And though the elves and dark elves do not get along well, brother and sister are rather inseparable. Though they are gods, they seem to have an innate connection to the largeness of Gath, moreso than the other gods(call it intuiton or whatever you want). Gorivosh rarely speaks, he would rather make his point known by his actions (and Elios is quite the same), but before causing any sort of storm or natural disaster, he often says, "a storm is brewing in my heart, sister," shortly afterwhich he will organize the weather to do his bidding.
Later, from Nephele and Mordigan came Damagi, the destroyer god. In a fit of humor, Nephele decided that the birth of Damagi from Mordigan would be a splendid joke for Mordigan, the universe builder. He thought it would be splendidly funny for Mordigan's own son to destroy all that he creates. And once well drunk on Nephele's latest god-wine, Mordigan was easily convinced that he would much like to have a son. Mordigan crafted Damagi with his own hands, but it was Nephele's image of the new god that was created. Once the realms were created, each god retreated to their own haven in the Celestial Realm: Mordigan to Celestial Forge, Aborum to Verholen, Shanaktra to the Halls of the Celestial, Nephele to the Anborean Plains, Gorivosh to Vipermond, Elios to the Sacred Grove, Damagi to Ciperela(when he actually decides to go there), and Cealist into the fiery heart of Gath.
Mordigan (the Great Bear) - God of the Dwarves. Creator of the Dwarves and Forger of the world. Resides in the Celestrial Forge.
Once the creation of the world was complete, the gods began the task of populating it. First came the plants of the fields and forests. Next the gods filled the seas with all manner of swimming and crawling creatures. Then they created the animals of the air and the ground. Finally, when all was ready, each house of the gods created beings to have dominion over the world. The elves, the minotaurs, the humans, the pegataurs. Each was set upon the world and given free will to develop as they would. In the Celestial Realm, the Valerns were created as the messengers of the gods. All was complete and the gods were satisfied with the works they had wrought.
All except Mordigan, Forger of the gods. Mordigan was displeased. He had created the world and the Celestial Realm, but wanted to have a race to worship him, as his fellow gods had followers. Because he had created so much, the other gods had decided to leave him out of populating his creation. Mordigan waited with infinite patience for the other gods to be distracted with their petty feuds. Before long, as gods measure time, he saw his opportunity. Calling the Valern to assist him, he reached down and took up the bones of the world: the very bedrock that anchored creation. Carrying it back to the Celestial Forge, the Valern aided Mordigan in forging a hardy race, forged from the very stones. Then, again with the help of the Valern, he placed his new creations into the very caverns that the bedrock had be taken from. He called his new followers Dwarves and instructed them in the mining of stone and metal. He showed them how to forge and create, in imitation of his own works. Each forge was as much a temple as it was a workshop, each anvil an alter. He also warned the Dwarves to remain hidden in the hollow of the world so that the other gods would not discover them.
For many centuries the Dwarves followed Mordigan's command and kept themselves hidden, but as it so often happens, the secret was finally revealed when a curious Dwarf ventured into the light of the surface. The gods were displeased and demanded an explaination. Mordigan appeared before the houses of the gods and admitted that he, with the help of the Valern, created the Dwarves. After all, he said, he had created the world. Why shouldn't he be able to create a race of followers as the other gods had? The other gods agreed that he was entitled to this and decided to allow the Dwarves to continue to exist. However, the Valern had been created to serve all the gods, not just one, and were not to keep secrets from any of the gods. It was decided to punish the Valern. Some gods wanted to destroy them entirely, some wished to cast them into oblivion, but others argued that the Valern had as much right to exist as did the Dwarves. That decided the matter. The Valern were cast out of the Celestial Realm and made mortal. They were stripped of their semi-divine powers and placed in the world to strive and exist with the other races.
Felona (the Black Cat) - Goddess of the Wiccans. Little is known of her, except that she is not one of the original gods of creation. Felona is said to have origin in the birth of the universe itself, that she is the essence of the residual divine energy of creation entwined with elemental chaos left over from the act of creating order out of entrophy. She has little dealings with the mortal realms, except through her gifts to those called Wiccans, and no contact with the other gods and demigods.
Felona's gifts to her Wiccans are randomly bestowed, following no known pattern. There are no clerics of Felona and she grants no clerical powers. Felona is a Goddess that can be seen as good, and as evil. She greatly supports healing, but also revenge.
Gorivosh (the Wolf) - God of the Dark Elves. He has domain over storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters. Resides in the Vipermond.
Dark Elves worship the god Gorivosh, whose symbol is the living flame. Each household has a shrine that contains a small fire that is never allowed to die. Each temple has a flaming alter that is attended to by the priests. The god Gorivosh is thought to reside within the Sacred Flame of the alters and shrines. Dark Elven priests draw their divine spells from the Sacred Flame. At the death of a Dark Elven priest, powerful mage, warrior or noble, the body is consigned to the Flame, and as it is consumed, the soul joins with all the others who have gone before. The joined souls dwell in the Sacred Flame, their knowledge and memories eternally present. Living priests can call on that knowledge from the Sacred Flame. Thus no knowledge is ever trully lost, unless the body is not consigned to the Sacred Flame. A priest that allows the Sacred Flame to be extinguished is immediately tortured to death, the broken body tossed to the wild beasts. On the rare occasion that the Sacred Flame dies, the entire region goes into a period of mourning, until a torch lit from another Sacred Flame from another Temple is brought to light the extinguished one.
Nephele (the Fox) - God of the Pegataurs. Has dominion over the sky and wine. Pegataurs were born into the world long ago, shortly after humans. They were created by Nephele, and some humans joke that he created them by mistake when he was drunk. This statement is mostly true.
A horse and it's rider were galloping across a grassy field, unaware that Nephele was high above them, more drunk than he ever was before. In his eyes was a blurred picture of a man, connected to a horse's body. Nephele was so amazed in his drunken state, that he wanted to create more of these strange creatures. So he did. He gathered about humans and horses together, and then one by one, changed them all into this mystical creature, known as the centaur. It wasn't until he woke up in the clouds much later that he realised what he had done. It was too late to undo the changes, for if he did, the men would talk about it amongst themselves and all come to ridicule the god. So instead he decided to make them enjoy this new change, but how? He thought about this for a long time, and it wasn't until he saw a lone hawk circling in the sky near him that he decided to give them wings. So he did. The former centaurs were grateful, and soon decided their life was much better than it was as humans. But they also knew that humans would ridicule them, and they must stay clear of the cities. It wasn't long before they decided that glades and pastures on mountains were the most wonderful places they could live in.
Cealist (the Raven) - Controller of stars. Cealist was she who first created of Gath, she who provided the energy that first fueled life. Some theologists theorize that the other gods stemmed from the burning and bright energy of gath. They say that from the single bright and fiery orb were released all the planes of energy, and from this focus the whole universe became manifest. Others claim that she simply looked down upon a dim world and said "Let there be light" for ancient texts often speak of "the great darkness" though it is contested whether this was an actual darkness or rather a period of bleak and fateful humanity. In fact Cealist is a creator, an artist among gods, who paints in stars and sculpts in flame. She chooses to stay out of the realms of mortals, but she tends to lend her creative spirit to any who thus seek it. She resides, oddly enough, within the fiery center of Gath itself.
Shanaktra - (the Eagle) Called by some the great lich. He is the reaper of souls, the ender of life, and the guardian of death. Some would call him lord of the underworld, save that there is no underworld. When he arose from the slumber of the gods he was given the task of creating such a place, but instead chose to fate the dead to reincarnating the souls into new lives. His name is feared by many...by most in fact. It is thought that he is responsible for death, though he is not, he simply guards the doors of life to prevent any dead from returning to the realm of the living, before their Judgement prior to reincarnation or elevation. He is in fact quite benevolent. To those whose lives are truly worthy though he does allow admission into the Halls of the Celestial, an ephemeral palace where Shanaktra himself resides. Those elevated cease to be reincarnated and enter the Halls of the Celestial as Demi-gods.
Aborum (the Lioness) -patron of creation. Imagining that without a spirit of creation, a world would be unbalanced, a world simply of destruction, the Houses of the gods brought Aborum from Beyond and gave her dominion over Creation and Creativity. She is the creator of the Humans, and is patron of bards.
Damagi (the Ram) - God of Minotaurs. Damagi is the destroyer of the gods. He pulls down all that is old and outmoded to make room for the new, which Mordigan builds.
In a fit of humor, Nephele decided that the birth of Damagi from Mordigan would be a splendid joke for the universe builder. Yes, he thought, it would be splendid to have Mordigan's own son destroy all that he creates. And once well drunk on Nephele's new god-wine, Damagi had decided that he would much like to have a son and was quite willing to begin the project. Mordigan crafted Damagi with his own hands, but it was Nephele's image of the new god that was created. In the early years, Damagi was quite the joke that Nephele intended, but much beyond his own hopes. In fact, Nephele found Damagi rather too much to handle, so he asked his mother, Aborum what he ought to do. She laughed. "It seems your best tricks, beautiful Nephele, are those you play on yourself," she told him. And then she told Nepehele to bring the child-god to her; she would sing him her latest dreamsong. But Nephele was not to be present, she claimed he was perfect as he was and she did not desire to ruin him. After the song, Damagi grew a much graver god and often scolded Nephele for his "flippancy", as well as his lack of "honor" and "fair-play", words and concepts he created after hearing Aborum's dreamsong, though the song itself he never spoke of. Damagi was given his own home among the Celestial Realms, in Ciperela, though he spent most of his time in Celestial Forge with his father. He now would only destroy a thing to make room for a new thing, so for the first centuries, he was a rather useless god. It was when the mortal races were created that it was realized that there was a use for him. Damagi, the ram god, has eyes forever looking forward. The future is his only concern and history holds no reign on him.
Kalistia (f): She is the demigodess of war. She is not wicked in any way, she's more of a total strategian. And although she's been known to start wars, she never started one that she couldn't finish. That, she leaves to the mortal world, as they are better at creating conflict then she would ever be. Warriors and soldiers often pray to her for guidance and aid, but she chooses her own side in battle regardless of tribute or prayer.
Varasha(f): She is the demigodess of medicine. She is the endower of healing powers onto plants and herbs, but she is also the endower of poisons on plants and herbs. Long ago, she taught the first clerics all the neccessary information and mostly lets the mortal realm take it from there.
Halcylon (m): He is the demigod of luck, good as well as bad. The mortal world often associates him with good luck, but one cannot pray to Halcylon for luck alone and expect that all will turn out well. He often endows both at once, creating a run of bad luck followed by good luck, or just as often, quite the opposite. No prayer to this god comes without it's price.
Xanthus (m): Xanthus is the demigod of love, but he is very specific. He cares only for those in a true, soulful love and not those who desire a bodily love. They can handle that one on their own for all he cares. He will often aid lovers of the star-crossed variety as this is a great joy for him. A big softy really. But at the same time, he may strike down love when it comes to easily, so that it won't be taken for granted. Even in this though, he often repents and brings the lovers back together once they've learned his lesson.
Phraes (m) : Phraes is the demigod of wisdom. He does not much care for mortal concerns and considers them mostly to be buffoons who aren't worth his time. However, any mortal who shows a desire to learn, he is more than willing to aid in that quest, and with adequate prayer and reverence, he will send a worthy teacher their way. This does not only relate to book knowledge, but also to knowledge in woodworking, or in any field of study.
Galactica (f): the demigodess of chaos. She brings about change, but she has a way of making everything in her wake tumble over in the process. Everything she does always turns out exactly as she plans it, but she is not one to pull any punches.
Atraeu (m): Atraeu is the demigod of justice. He doesn't even consider prayer or tribute, and as such, most mortals forget about him altogether. However, he adores and pities mortals, and is more than willing to help them at whatever cost there may be to himself (the other gods don't approve of such open aid and the higher gods often punish him for his doings, though eventually he is forgiven). He believes in fair play entirely, so evildoers are not high on his priority list.
Damagokus (m): Damagokus is the demigod of serenity. He is one of the more present gods on the mortal plane and can be said to be heard in everything from the song of a bird to the patter of rain on a sturdy roof. He has no place in conflict and never fights with the other gods. He seems to think that silent meditation and prayer is the solution to everything, which tends to irritate the other gods, but they shrug it off as he is only doing his job.
Thrae (f): The demigodess of courage. She praises strength and a willingness to take risks above all else and loathes stealth in any form. She would be one to rush head first into everything without thinking much about it, and often, Kalistia has to bail her out of a jam. Still, she grants courage to any who are in need of it, if they pray to her and give her tribute.
Synnovea (f): She is the demigodess of endurance. This is endurance in any form, from torture to enduring the inlaws. She doesn't care about how small a thing seems. People have to get through all sorts of things. For example, when Atraeu is punished by the gods, even if she is angry with him, she often encourages him and tries to help him in whatever way she can.
Thelassa (f): Thelassa is demigodess of restraint, and extremely stubborn. Anything she puts her mind to, she accomplishes, often causing damage to herself, those around her, and the mortal coil. Once her task is accomplished, she leaves the mess she's created for others to clean up and moves onto her next project.
Luerian, Theria, and Kulian
The three moons are named for their Immortals.
Luerian, Theria, and Kulian are sexless. They are guardians of the moons, and those that test mortals in the conclave of the
house of gods. There are four tests, one performed by each immortal, and the fourth is given by all three, in the presence of Shanaktra himself.
The first test will be in discarding the body, the second in discarding the mind, and the third in forgetting the spirit....the fourth stage is facing the god in the essential naked form of what remains when all three have passed.
Kulian stands at the first gate, Theria at the second, and Luerian at the third. To pass each of the tests, the dead person has to leave something of their past life behind. The testing can take days or it can take centuries. The person remains essentially the same through the tests, but to enter the mortal world again, they must forget the life they have passed from. At the end of the three tests, Shanaktra decides into what circumstances the person will be born (i.e.--rich or poor, species, etc.) but what the person does with what they are given is their own concern. If Shanaktra deems the person worthy of demi-godhood, he brings them into the Halls of the Celestial where they wait while the decision is made among all of the gods. If they agree with Shanaktra's choice, the person is made a demi-god and sent to Regarula. If it is not agreed, they are reincarnated and sent again to the mortal world.
Though the three immortals have no solid form, they do have physical shape, unlike Gath. Like shadow, they cannot be touched, but seen. The first, Kulian is shaped in the golden form of a child pegataur and has the soft voice of a young boy. The second, Theria, is made of pale blue light and shaped like an elf with long, flowing hair. It's voice is that of a young woman. The third, Luerian, is the glowing silver form of a minotaur with a deep male voice.
The known planes of existence are:
a. The Mortal Realm, comprising the world.
b. The Celestrial Realms:
1. Celestial Forge
2. Verholen
3. Transareia
4. Halls of the Celestrial
5. Regarula
6. Ciperela
7. Anborean Plains
8. Vipermond
The Gods have aspects of both good and evil. The gods and goddesses exist for themselves, they created the races as worshippers, because they draw power and substance from worship, thus, the more worshippers, the more powerful the god.
