Deities
Abaris
Goddess of Magic
The Enscribed
The mysterious and aloof goddess of magic, Abaris is revered and sometimes feared throughout the three continents. Worship of Abaris is strongest in the Magocracy of Lun Dorak, where the Grand Mysteriorum of the Seventh Carnation lies as the central temple of worship and library of Abaris. Unlike most churches, priests of Abaris are not divided by major schisms or different views of orthodoxy. That said, the church hierarchy is also substantially less controlling than most ordered deities, existing more as a means for exchange of mystical information than a means for controlling its priesthood or laypeople.
Adrasteia
Goddess of Rivers and Streams
The Handmaiden
One of the primary daughters of Betshaba, Adrasteia is the goddess of rivers and streams. Those few priests who worship Adrasteia directly are typically attached to the nearest Temple of Betshaba, working as servants and handmaidens to Betshaban priests, as their deity works as handmaiden to Betshaba herself. Despite her subservient role and small priesthood, Adrasteia is often called upon by those who rely on fresh water, including those who participate in shipping via river, subsist off of fresh water fish and in dry areas where agriculture relies irrigation fed by rivers. Though riverside shrines are not uncommon, true temples to Adrasteia are extremely rare.
Alcina
Goddess of Drought
The Withered Hag
The cruel goddess of droughts and daughter of Dagon, Alcina is more often appeased with self-flagellation in dry regions to avoid her wrath or ritualistically defeated by followers of Orestea. Her extremely small clergy considers itself an integral part of bringing destruction to creation by preventing Orestea's rains and withering Podalirius' crops. Alcina captured Evander and forced him to lie with her in the hopes of begetting a son she could shape into an ally in pain. Ophion was the result of this union, but the youthful god rebelled against his mother, released Orestea from the prison he was intended to guard and took up the responsibility of carrying Lord Ptharos' Light of Truth across the heavens each day. Despite his betrayal, there is no special hatred between Ophion and his wicked mother.
As the goddess of despair, she is given the souls of those who die by suicide by Cthos and the living will sometimes pray to her to release these souls to a more friendly resting place. Her extremely small clergy follows Alcina as Ellesar of Many Wonders, concentrating on pain-induced visions and deceptive illusions that lead their enemies to despair and, hopefully, suicide.
Alcyoneus
God of Youth
The Yul
Alcyoneus is the patron and protector of children and the young. Offerings are given to him primarily by parents to insure that their children grow strong and healthy. As Bonny Billy, he is something of a mischief-maker who plays pranks on adults who mistreat children. As Father Yul, he is a grand toy-maker who annually sneaks into the homes of children who have been good, leaving toys behind for them to enjoy. Of course, parents who desire Alcyoneus' good graces are typically the ones who place the presents at the foot of the children's beds at the Winter Solstice, but sometimes a present will appear without the assistance of mortals. In those cases, it is usually a warning to the parents to avoid miserliness when they should be focusing on generosity. Alcyoneus is also the Patron of Spring and is invoked in ceremonies on the Spring Equinox, where gift-giving is also encouraged.
It should be noted that Father Yul, for all his generosity and skill at carving, is a poor painter. Tradition holds that his wife, Thea, paints the toys that are to be given to children on Yul's Day. If a toy appears at the foot of a child's bed that is painted horribly wrong, it is said that the child is particularly blessed for the next year. It is Aridnus who provides a list of the children that have been good for the previous year, though Alcyoneus sometimes adds a few names if he feels that Aridnus has been too harsh in judgment.
Alecto
Goddess of Pain
The Scourge
Alecto is most often appeased to avoid pain, particularly a painful death, but she is also the patroness of torturers. Alecto is known to be a merciless goddess, so the prayers of those trying to avoid pain are typically ignored. Her small clergy is generally hated, even in the vilest of lands, where they are employed in times of war by the local rulership to exact information from captured enemies and suspected spies. Her priests believe that she grants visions to loyal followers who inflict pain upon themselves.
Alecto often assists allied deities in inventing new ways to increase the pain involved in each of their spheres.
Amphitritus
God of Greed
The Goldmiser
Amphitritus, as the God of Greed, has a fairly strong clergy in those nations which permit the worship of the malign deities. Priests are often heavily involved with the local Thieves' Guilds and often exert a great deal of political clout. In these regions, competition with the church of Britomaris can sometimes turn violent, but the two churches do not oppose each other on an ideological basis.
Amphitritus is also a patron of adventurers, particularly those who seek lost (or not so lost) treasures of times past.
Aridnus
God of Judgment
The Fair
The clergy of Aridnus are a fairly influential group, but it is rare that they exert that influence in the political arena. In some regions, the local government relies on the clergy to officiate in trials and in most areas they are at least associated with the judicial system (if there is one). Aridnus is also the patron of scribes and, often, is associated with oversided bureaucracies by his critics. It should be noted that temples solely dedicated to Aridnus are rare... his clergy usually inhabit the same structure as those of Fides, Majestas and Meliboea.
The clergy of Aridnus are also often called upon by Guilds to construct weights and measurements for their use and most people know that measurements issued by the clergy of Aridnus are some of the most precise to be found.
Baelthor
God of Earth
The Stonehands
The stern and stalwart god of earth is the son of Lord Ptharos and, along with his sister Betshaba, one of the Triad, the creators of the world. As creator of the dwarven race, he is almost universally worshiped as the primary deity by dwarves. He is worshiped throughout human cultures as a patron of smithing, construction and strength and symbolizes the mind and intelligence. Among humans, worship of Baelthor is strongest in the former Great Empire, where he is worshiped along side Betshaba and Lord Ptharos in temples of the Triad.
Baelthor's clergy is usually closely aligned with other Baelthoric deities (excepting Gyges, who is exiled from his father's presence both in celestial and temporal spheres). His greatest enemy is Enosigaois, the offspring of Dagon created to oppose Baelthor and ancient wars between dwarves loyal to their creator and those traitors who fell under the sway of Enosigaois are legendary among the dwarves.
Bellona
Goddess of Wealth
The Collector
Bellona is a cold, calculating deity who encourages her worshippers to do whatever is reasonable to increase their personal wealth. A number of merchants who find her son, Minos, to be too moralistic pray instead to Bellona. Though dispassionate, Bellona is accepted in many regions that otherwise prohibit worship of the descendants of Dagon. Her clergy is small, even in regions where worship of Bellona is popular. Applicants to her clergy must prove their ability to amass wealth and be able to prove this ability throughout their careers. The followers of Bellona often find themselves in opposition to those who worship her sister, Britomaris, Goddess of Thievery, and the rivalry between the two gods is the subject of more than one apocryphal story.
Followers of Bellona do not actively oppose the clergy of Clementia, Goddess of Mercy, but Clementia's followers often place themselves in direct opposition to the desires of the followers of Bellona.
Betshaba
Goddess of Water
The Wavequeen
Daughter of Lord Ptharos and sister to Baelthor, Betshaba is one of the creator deities that compose the Triad. Betshaba is the heart and passion of the Triad, beneficent to those who pay her homage and cruel, even heartless, to those who cross her. As goddness of water, she is universally accepted as the Wavequeen, Queen of the Oceans, opposed in her regency only by Taltos, Dagon's offspring created to oppose her. On Aurea, Betshaba is typically worshiped as part of the Triad, but elsewhere she usually has her own dedicated temples, particularly in port cities. Her church hierarchy tends to be well-organized, though individual Wavemothers tend to have a great deal of autonomy within their domains.
Though Betshaba opposes all of the Dagonian deities, she stands most ardently opposed to her uncle, Dagon himself, who attempted to rape her soon after Creation. She was rescued by Vortumnus and thus her clergy has something of a soft spot for followers of Vortumnus, even those who follow the Koramian Heresy. Though Taltos was created to oppose her, its generally believed that Betshaba long ago won the war for her domain and most of her faithful consider followers of Taltos to be an annoyance, at best.
Britomaris
Goddess of Thieves
The Rogue
The clergy of Britomaris are typically a secretive lot, even in regions where the worship of Britomaris is not frowned upon. The clergy tend to operate very closely with any organized crime element in the society they are in, typically providing divine support to their criminal activities. Britomaris encourages criminal organization as well as the freelance rogue, acknowledging that there are many methods by which people liberate goods from others.
Britomaris is something of a trickster goddess and rarely encourages her worshippers to kill their opponents (though leading them to their deaths is perfectly acceptable). As Traugott the Brave, she is depicted as a lovable rogue who is the patron of bandits and rangers. This aspect of Britomaris almost approaches a Benign Ethos, as redistribution of liberated wealth to the needy is encouraged. Harbona of the Streets, however, is depicted as a cut-throat murder who has no issue seducing men and stealing their gold, typically slitting their throats in the process. In this aspect, Britomaris certainly approaches a Malign Ethos, even though those who are killed are typically cheap and the murder is punishment for not giving to the poor. Guilded thieves almost never pay homage to these lesser aspects of Britomaris.
Britomaris is considered a fool by many of her darker brothers and sisters. Even Mormo, God of Deception, treats her like a naïve child. Though she is not as accepted as Kratos or Bellona, the worship of Britomaris in and of itself is rarely proscribed on religious grounds.
Cardena
Goddess of Lust
The Whore
Cardena, as the Goddess of Lust, is the patron of illicit liaisons, courtesans and even rapists. Worshippers of Cardena feel that only through the ecstasy of sexual intercourse can enlightenment be gained and seek to bring others to the same understanding. Cardena's temples are surprisingly common and are typically hidden in the brothels of large cities, but her priests carry little direct political influence. Worshippers have no qualms, of course, with using their art to influence politicians and officials. The tenants of Cardenan worship demand personal physical satisfaction, even at the expense of non-worshippers who are unwilling to enjoin in the sexual act. It is believed that Cardena even protects successful rapists from capture and punishment. Needless to say, worship of Cardena is abhorred in most lawful regions and her priests often find themselves persecuted, if not outright killed, for their beliefs.
Cardena and Erato are the most dire of enemies and their worshippers often find themselves in conflict.
Cebren
God of Music
The Piper
Cebren is one of the most-liked gods, even in cultures that encourage the worship of the descendants of Dagon. As the patron of troubadours and bards, he is considered to be the source of inspiration in his aspect as the Spirit. His divine clergy tend to be small in number, despite his popularity, and can only be found in major cities, but his followers can be found almost anywhere, roving in bands or wandering as individuals. Cebren promotes spreading the joy of music wherever possible and encourages troubadours and bards to travel, thus his close association with Pavor, God of Travel. Cebren is also the patron of town criers and it is said that the only time he takes vengeance on criminals is when one of his criers is murdered.
Despite having been tricked into an affair with Mania, his most hated enemy, and producing Furinus, God of Wine, from the union, Cebren and his first wife, Thea, are on good terms.
Clementia
Goddess of Mercy
The Dove
The worshippers of Clementia are few, but the number of priests compared to this population is high. As the goddess of mercy and peace, even worshippers are prohibited from raising a hand against an enemy and instead attempt to use passive resistance to change how society works. Clementia herself is known to often sleep on the doorstep to the palace of Betshaba, her mother, who Clementia feels is too harsh with those who use the sea.
Outsiders often view followers of Clementia as a joke, until the faithful decide to take up a cause and protest the evils of the world. Most of the enemies of the church are listed as such because they are often the subjects of church-sponsored protests and there are many stories about Clementia opposing these deities directly. Clementia only has true hatred for Tisiphone, Goddess of Vengeance, but even that hatred is tempered with a hope that Tisiphone can be made to see the error of her ways.
Cottus
God of Lightning
The Archer
Cottus has a very small clergy and almost no direct followers, though many archers will pray to him for good aim, particularly on the battlefield. Cottus' only real enemy is Gyges, who warns people of his coming during storms.
Cthos
God of the Underworld
The Doomsayer
Lord of the Underworld, it is silent Cthos that sits in judgment over the dead from the Palace of Nugarath, sending the souls of the faithful to serve their deities and the hypocritical or faithless to their final doom. Though Cthos' clergy isn't particularly massive, it is fairly pervasive, as Cthos' executioners serve significant roles in the judicial processes of most urban areas. Though worshipers of Cthos tend to be fairly dark and morose, at best, worship is accepted in most regions as a necessity, particularly since most of his priests and worshipers consider themselves professionals, above such petty concerns as vengeance and hatred.
Cthos tends to be extremely neutral, both in mortal and entital politics, but his greatest enemy is Tethys, goddess of undeath. It is only when opposing the clergy of Tethys (and her undead minions) that Cthos' own followers fight with an often devastating, blind religious zeal.
Dagon
God of Fire
The Adversary
Brother to Lord Ptharos and patron of fire, Dagon is the ultimate adversary, not only to the gods, but to the mortal world as well. His dictates demand nothing less than the total destruction of Creation. His worshipers believe Creation to be inherently flawed, rife with suffering and pain inflicted on mortals by the Triad itself. Their purpose is to destroy what the Triad created so that Dagon can recreate everything in his perfect image.
Despite his destructive and rebellious dogma, priests of Dagon are surprisingly pervasive. Few cultures have gone more than a decade without discovering a secret cabal of his worshipers quietly working in their midst to bring chaos and destruction to the world. Of Dagon's various children and creations, only Pelactere, his queen, has ever displayed any true loyalty as an ally, despite Dagon's periodic dalliances with Cardena and Alecto.
It is notable that, in the Aebasan Orthodoxy, Dagon is depicted as more of a trickster and punisher of the damned than the central adversary of the faith. Though he is still depicted as the King of the Damned, he is seen as much less an evil than that represented by Phlegethon, god of tyranny.
Drames
Goddess of Fertility
The Many-Sheaved
Drames is typically associated with her father Podalirius, God of Vegetation and shrines to her are typically included in the construction of temples to her father. Those few priests who serve her directly are also typically associated with the church of Podalirius, so much so that they are almost treated as beloved "junior members" of Podalirius' church.
Symbolic sacrifices of seed or gold are given to Drames in the hopes that she will make plants grow in the fields and humans conceive children.
Empusa
Goddess of Poison
Lady Death
Empusa is worshiped primarily as Lady Death, patroness of assassins. Spiders figure prominently in the worship of Empusa and there is much enmity between Empusa and Nelestrix because of this. For obvious reasons, Laestrygones, God of Health, is a prominent enemy but her greatest enemy is certainly Sarpedon, God of Guardians.
Empusa's temples are typically hidden affairs, often laden with poisoned traps. Snakes are also significant to Empusa and, along with over-sized spiders, are used regularly as temple guardians. Empusa tends to be a very urban deity, though there are some remote enclaves of worshipers who focus on her interest in arachnids.
Enosigaois
God of Earth
The Vile Roarer
Enosigaois is one of the Inimicures, one of the three gods created by Dagon in his attempt to defeat Lord Ptharos, Betshaba and Baelthor. He was created primarily to oppose Baelthor under the earth and the two arch-enemies have fought ever since. In his aspect of Enos, Enosigaois once had sway over many of Baelthor's dwarves, but the Earth-War that ended almost nine millennia ago saw the extinction of the dwarven followers of Enos and Enosigaois never recovered his dwarven worshippers.
In the sunlit world, however, Enosigaois has a surprising number of priests, most of which are involved in warfare. Whereas Baelthor has an interest in construction, particularly in stone, Enosigaois is the patron of siegecraft and most of the best artillerists in any mercenary company worship Enosigaois. Strangely, Enosigaois is also a patron of rebellion as well as tyranny. Typically, this results in individuals calling upon Enosigaois to help them overthrow a just king or democracy to create a dictatorship under their rule.
Epimetheus
God of Floods
The Drowned Wyrm
Epimetheus is typically depicted as a wingless dragon that spouts water from his huge maw. He is a merciless, uncaring god who is more than willing to drown his own followers as well as their enemies in sudden floods. Epimetheus is not a popular deity, but is often appeased by those who live next to rivers that are given to sudden flooding. Strangely, Epimetheus promotes a cyclical belief structure that highlights not only the destructive attributes of a flood, but the renewal that follows. The destruction that Epimetheus encourages is for the purpose of rebuilding something better than it was before.
Erato
God of Love
The Redheart
Erato is the god of love, but more precisely he is the god of courtship. His priests counsel lovers and protect those accused of committing crimes in the name of love (which is permissible by his tenants, as long as the act is truly out of love... murder and rape are acts of violence and do not qualify). Erato is also a god of courtesans, though worship does not focus on the physical aspects of love. Homosexuality is actively supported by the clergy, wrongly suggesting that Erato is interested solely in sexual pleasure. Erato's greatest enemy is Cardena, goddess of lust, and his priests are commanded to root out and destroy any nests of Cardena that they can find. Other than their almost unreasoning hatred of the worship of Cardena, Eratan priests are incredibly open-minded and are often called upon to assist in negotiations between vastly differing cultures. As the god of enchantment, Erato encourages the responsible use of Enchantment spells, particularly the Charm spells.
Evander
God of Gates
The Vaunted One
Evander is the god of gates and fortifications and is most often called upon during the construction of buildings, particularly castles. Worship of Evander is surprisingly widespread, particularly among masons, military engineers and their workmen. Evander demands respect from those who would call upon him, requiring sometimes-lengthy rituals to ensure his beneficence, but he is stalwart in his opposition to the forces of evil.
Evander is perhaps most strongly aligned with his son with Majestas, Sarpedon. Worship of the two is almost inextricably linked among castle guards. Evander's greatest enemy is Enosigaois, particularly in the latter god's aspect as the god of siegecraft.
Faunaros
God of Hunting
The Mongrel
Faunaros is often depicted as a noble rider prepared for the hunt. He is a protector of civilized places and as such is known to roam the wilds near Vitulus' home, protecting the Celestial City from intruders. As Bidari the Warmaster, he is the god of Evocation and serves Abaris as one of the Dukes of Mystery with domain over Evocation spells. As Godwin Goodfellow, he is the patron of cooks, particularly professional cooks in the castles of nobles and protects those who pray to him from preparing bad food. As the Mongrel Lord, he punishes those who mistreat dogs, typically by trapping them in the wilderness and hunting them until they die of exhaustion. Faunaros can be a cruel deity, but his aim is to protect civilized lands from the depredations of Polydorus, his most dire enemy.
Fides
God of Oaths
The Oathbinder
Fides, the Oathbinder, is invoked whenever a contract is signed in the hopes that he will both dissuade and strike vengeance upon anyone who seeks to violate that contract. In the legends, he is often depicted as quarreling with his wife, Meliboea, who is often more interested in justice than the letter of an oath. Fides does not encourage active oppression of other deities, including those that are his foes. When the worshippers of those deities cause an Oath to be broken, however, his priests are often that much more merciless in punishing the transgressors.
Lying is a deadly sin to the followers of Fides, particularly in matters concerning a contract. Thus, priests are often called upon to witness the signing of an Oath and in many lands their word on the state of a contract that they've witnessed is considered appropriate evidence in trials.
Fraus
God of Winter
The Hyemal Lord
Fraus is primarily the god of winter, though he is also one of the few descendants of Dagon concerned with the processes of law. In his aspect as the Hyemal Lord, Fraus is the patron of law for the sake of law and is disinterested in mitigating factors such as justice. He does not often work well with his brothers and sisters because of the chaotic nature of his family and is truly despised by his brother Stheno, God of Decay. Fraus has a strong following among barristers and judges in more oppressive lands, but few others call upon Fraus for any reason other than to appease him during particularly bleak winters.
Furinus
God of Wine
The Liberator
Furinus is a god who loves to be entertained and encourages his worshippers to lead a hedonistic life of celebration and revelry. Well-liked by many gods, Furinus typically ends up on the bad side of other deities more by accident than anything else. His one true foe, however, is Mania, the Goddess of Madness and his own mother. Whereas Furinus is the god of the gentle simpleton, his mother is patron of the raving madman and often strikes down his own worshippers out of spite. The only thing that will truly enrage a priest of Furinus (other than forced sobriety) is the worship of Mania.
Melpomene, Goddess of Clouds, is neutral towards Furinus, despite being tricked into lying with him to produce Hypnos, Goddess of Dreams.
Galea
Goddess of Victory
The Triumphant
Galea is a deity who is often called upon to intercede in matters of war or finance, but tends to have a small and established following. In many lands, when Galea grants a victory that ends a war or conquers a nation, it is expected for the victors to construct a temple to her (in the Great Empire, it is traditional to construct this temple out of the disassembled stones of the conquered king's fortification or home). Galea is fairly neutral in how she grants victory, but can be very fickle when those she benefits ignore her contributions. Regions that remain unsettled even after being conquered are said to be rebellious because the victors have fallen from her favor.
Gyges
God of Thunder
The Herald
Gyges has an extremely small clergy, but most heralds and messengers worship him as their patron; even a number of rangers call upon him for wisdom in the wilderness. Gyges' primary responsibility as a deity is to call out a warning when Cottus, God of Lighting, is rampaging in the mortal realms.
Himere
Goddess of Poetry
The Poet
Himere is the patron of poets, singers and lovers (particularly female lovers). She is the sometimes consort of Erato, God of Love and the two usually have no trouble sharing domain over the matters of the heart, though there are some wonderfully interesting stories of the fights that erupt when the two of them disagree. Himere is chaotic in the extreme and encourages her followers to compose for a purpose, typically to illustrate in as effective a way as possible the cracks and foibles of society. Her priests tend to vary wildly in their political associations and activities and there is no real hierarchy within the church itself.
Though Himere has few foes among other deities, she particularly despises Phlegethon and the one situation in which her followers tend to work well together is fomenting dissent against the Lord of Tyranny.
In the Aebasan Orthodoxy, Himere has a seat on the governing Celestial Council, placed there at the request of her father when he chose to refuse the seat himself.
Hypnos
Goddess of Dreams
The Phantasm
Hypnos is the goddess of dreams and inspiration. The laity to interpret the portents or messages carried in dreams often calls upon her priests, where they are commonplace. Her lay worshippers are relatively few and often are composed solely of illusionists who find Mormo or Alcina to be too harsh for their tastes. Her greatest enemy is Zephyrus, God of Nightmares, who seeks to pervert the messages that she tries to impart upon sleeping mortals.
Innus
God of Friendship
The Shem
Companions and partners often invoke Innus as the God of Friendship, though his priesthood is extremely small. Most of his priests focus on researching abjuration spells and tend to be scholarly, if friendly, in nature. As Delaranos, Innus is often invoked in the functions of merchants’ guilds, along with Minos. Innus dislikes those deities who attempt to interfere in friendship, but is in opposition to Megarea, the Goddess of Jealousy, most often.
Kratos
God of War
The Steelhand
Kratos, the Lord of War, is the patron of weaponsmithing, loyalty, courage and, most prominently, the act of war itself. Despite having sprung from one of the wounds of Dagon at the conclusion of the First Battle, Kratos is accepted as a grim necessity in most human cultures and tends to only be prohibited in regions where the worship of Vortumnus, his rival, is dominant.
Kratos is a deity of great dichotomies. He encourages great passion among his followers, but also demands strict discipline. He is a bloody god of war, yet also serves as patron to those who create weapons of war. Despite demanding the deepest of loyalties from his followers, he does not discourage his warriors from fighting in the name of other deities, even those he stands in opposition to. He does not encourage war for its own sake and recognizes the need for periods of peace... though typically this is viewed more as a time to prepare for future wars rather than a lasting state.
Ladon
God of Work
Stronghands
Ladon is the deity of workers and is worshiped by those who perform physical labor, particularly poor urban craftsmen and slaves. It should be noted that Ladon does not support the concept of slavery directly, but is rather the deity of the slaves themselves, giving them the strength and will to persevere and complete the tasks that they have been designated for. He is also known to punish overseers and owners who grossly mistreat their slaves without cause. Ladon has an unusual relationship with Minos, alternatively an ally and opponent of the Merchantlord. Followers of Minos often pray to Ladon to ensure that their workers work hard and produce well, but Ladon’s priests often harshly oppose those merchants who over-work or otherwise mistreat their workers and denounce those who hoard gold while those who made them the money go hungry. Ladon is also a patron of the poor but, unlike Clementia, he opposes the concept of direct handouts. His priests encourage businesses and guilds to train the poor in a craft to help them make money themselves through, of course, hard work.
As Borvald the Builder, Ladon is a god of construction and is worshiped by architects and builders alike.
Laestrygones
God of Health
The Healer
Laestrygones is the patron of physics, chirugeons and healers in general. Though he encourages the use of spells to aid in healing, he also promotes scientific investigation into the causes of disease and harm. His priests tend to be somewhat aloof, often requiring a payment to the church in return for their healing services, which has lead many to accuse the Laestrygonites of being uncaring. Ruminus, God of Disease, is Laestrygones’ archenemy and, despite his call for his priests to do no harm, they often encourage others to assist them by outlawing and attacking Ruminide priests.
