The Great Almanac of the Gods

[Roja]

The Great Almanac of the Gods

 

*Note on the (race) of the gods labeled: These were the gods' original forms. The gods can assume any form they want, however, and will often times take the appearance to be of the same race as their worshipers. For instance, Mortos appearing to the orchans will himself look like an orchan because they wouldn't trust or want a "human" god. Their races are not necessarily known by the mortals, but they are written here for you, the story writers, just so you know.

Some gods would not appear to their subjects at all and others may appear in a very "ethereal" like form, full of light and a loud voice meant to shock and impress people. So they can appear in many different ways.

 

 

----Greater Gods----

Aluwen (Elf)

The Goddess of Defense.

 

A strong believer in goodness, truth and the intrinsic worth of all living things, she constantly strives to heal the sick or wounded. She has a tendency to choose diplomacy first and foremost and violence only as a last resort. Her race, the elves, have inherited her love of nature and the sanctity of life. She also believes that there is an order, a purpose, to all living things and spends much of her time striving to influence that purpose toward the ultimate good. As such, she is constantly at odds with her evil counterpart, Mortos, and fights constantly with him to determine the direction of the Lands, Good or Evil. For a long time she held Mortos at bay and kept peace in the lands. The Great War brought destruction and the curse of the undead to the minions of the dark god, however, and the lands are now in turmoil once more. Yet Aluwen is ever patient and learned from the war. She continues her endless toil to nurture life and kindness among the races, attempting to avert conflict whenever possible.

 

To follow her path is to defend the innocent, bring life to the wounded, and speak the truth of the heart.

 

 

Elandria (Human)

The Goddess of Alchemy.

 

The patron of lovers and families, she is well-loved for her kind, protective nature and is the most popular goddess to invoke during marriage ceremonies. Elandria is a god most often for the humans, a race that is well-known for their inventiveness in overcoming difficult problems. Elandria delights in shaping nature's gifts into useful things. She was the first to capture the pure essences of nature and to be able to concentrate that into physically solid or magically bound forms. Thus was the birth of the art of Alchemy.

 

Elandria values Home, Love, and Invention and will do whatever she can to protect those values. Therefore she hates the destruction visited upon cities and their inhabitants by nature and hence constantly strives to invent new ways for the races to protect themselves form the chaotic forces in which Lucaa revels.

 

She, even more than Aluwen, doesn't want the horrors of impermanence - particularly war - in the world, so continually assists the races in building structures of strength and longevity. However, she can be a bit loose with nature, which causes the over-harvesting of materials for building and provokes Lucaa. Of all the deities, Elandria is perhaps most involved in the races' day-to-day life - leading some of the gods to accuse her of being a bit too meddlesome at times. Gentle and fair, she is always prone to chose the fastest and safest route to peace and believes in balance among the gods and in the world.

 

To follow Elandria, you must open up your heart to all those surrounding you.

 

 

Galienne (Draegoni)

The Goddess of Tailoring.

 

Worshiped among all races, Galienne is often overly self-righteous. She is still a kind and good goddess, though she can be excessively obsessive regarding the pursuit of perfection. During the early days of the world, when Vias began to fade from the worship of most, the keeper of souls selected Galienne to take her role as the goddess of fate. At that time, Galienne was a master tailor. After she became lost in a blizzard and was believed dead, her husband, an accomplished tailor himself, began offering thanks to her spirit when he made clothes. He would thank her by name for inspiring his work as one would a god. The godlike reverence that her husband treated her with was soon taken up by other mortals. This expression of adoration convinced some gods to follow Vias's will and promote the draegoni to godhood. Eventually, Galienne, still alive and lost in the snowy lands, was accepted as a deity.

 

She quickly became a revered goddess to the races of Draia and a patron to all tailors. Some cultures worship her as the goddess of ice, believing she used the power of the blizzard to make herself a goddess. Most often, though, she is simply the goddess of inspiration, perfection, and fate.

 

To follow Galienne is to inspire others and strive to achieve perfection in your craft.

 

 

Glilin (Dwarf)

The God of Manufacturing.

 

Originally a master smith of the Dwarves, Glilin values craftsmanship and discipline. He marshaled his race during the War of the Gods and was elevated to Divinity during that time by rash desicions of the gods; he remained as a deity, however, despite the regrets of some. Although he fought on the side of good in that war, Glilin is not primarily predisposed to it, still maintaining dwarven practicality and neutrality. He is the patron of all manufacturers, from the simplest blacksmith to the highly skilled weapons and armor smiths, who pray to him to grant them skill in their work. With the wisdom gained from a long life as a mortal, he is a little more inclined to think about the quality and type of people involved, rather than the number. A stern, yet merry god who doesn't take his divinity too seriously, he delights in the invention of new things and often has many discussions with Elandria and Jayden about the properties of different materials and elements. A strict disciplinarian who believes that hard work is the way to achieve any worthwhile goal in life, he tends to favor those that are willing to follow the system rather than the eccentric geniuses that Zarin prefers. Logical and hardworking, he often believes that longer roads yield more results and supply better discipline.

 

To follow Glilin's path is to bring true craftsmanship into the world.

 

 

Jayden (Human)

The Goddess of Potion.

 

Originally a master potion-maker, she caught the eye of both Zarin and Unolas. Although Unolas would more than likely view potion-making as his domain, Jayden pictured potion-making as an art form with its own form of beauty. This caught Zarin's eye. This approach to potion-making caused tension between Unolas and Zarin. To add to the strife, Mortos and Selain secretly appealed to the other gods and so was Jayden elevated into godhood.

 

Jayden takes a position of neutrality when it comes to the forces of the Gods. She values Mixture, Reason, and Patience. She is not easily manipulated by others and has proven to be quite a challenge for Mortos and Selain. Some even fear or hope that it is Jayden who will find a way to reverse the curse of Mortos.

 

The followers of Jayden tend to keep to themselves. Their studies give them little time to be involved in daily life on Draia, but the clergy promote that Jayden's path is the only way to salvation. It is the only way to obliterate the curse of Mortos.

 

To follow the path of Jayden is to show patience and reason and not accept the quick solution to complex problems, else the mixture will fail.

 

 

LaForge (Gnome)

The God of Engineering

 

In time long gone, LaForge was a mortal gnome. He was elevated to godhood for his skills as an engineer. His knowledge and abilities surpassed that of most mortals and many of the gods desired his skills to be among their own ranks. So he was elevated to godhood and oversees engineers and masters of science and technologies. His architectural knowledge influenced the creation of many great monuments and cities, though through war and conflict many have fallen into ruin and LaForge has withdrawn his oversight from most such creations.

 

Often fond of neutrality, he will abandon that position for the sake of progress and new invention. Because of the dual nature of destruction and creation in war, LaForge both loves and hates it. It destroys great works of architecture, yet drives mortals to produce more innovative and amazing weapons and tools. He is the patron of technology, production, and collaboration.

 

To follow LaForge is to create and engineer items and concepts that stretch the concept of of the world and advance the knowledge of science.

 

 

Lucaa (Elf)

The Goddess of Harvesting.

 

As old as gods such as Aluwen and Mortos, Lucaa is by all practical definitions, insane. Her only care is nature and she guards it fiercely, often lashing out against mortals who dare to meddle with her creations, yet her sporadic and senseless personality shows her to also be gracious and giving at times. Despite these things, she also manages to show constant intelligence and support for her loyal followers, for the most part. Typically considered a good god, and known to be gentle at times, her warped mind makes her believe that even her harmful cruel actions are for a good purpose. And her true standings on any matter are naught but her passing whim, for few matters but those of nature concern her.

 

She has little care for the day to day lives and matters of mortals focusing instead on the slow and patient life of nature. Her followers are often outcasts and commonly possess personalities akin to her own. However, many are also good people and have the same loving attitude Lucaa has for plants towards people as well. Lucaa is known as Mother Nature, or the Queen of Nature, by commoners across the lands.

 

As the Queen of Nature, Lucaa is also a goddess of the sea and patron of sailors. Her wild personality is perhaps best reflected in the raging and ever changing waters of the oceans. Many sailors pray to her to gift them with safe voyages and even the most lowly fishermen will beg her to grant them good harvest.

 

To follow Lucaa is to love and embrace the wild forces of nature and live by the whim of its queen.

 

 

Mortos (Human)

The God of Attack.

 

Self-centered, arrogant, and power-hungry, Mortos is by far the most widely recognized patron of evil and destruction. His lust for power led him to actions that began The War of the Gods and brought destruction and death to Draia. After the war he nursed his hatred of the other gods and all living things. Now he seeks death for all that live and give beauty. Crafting wretched creatures that mock the beautiful races of the other gods, he leads hoards of evil against the innocent. Though the Great War taught him lessons of the balance the world needs, he still delights in the suffering of all who are good. Immediately after the end of The Great War, he placed the curse of the undead upon his monsters, allowing them to forever return to plague mortals.

 

Even though he is seemingly void of compassion, or even any manner of a conscience, Mortos has been known to grow fond of mortals and even do a rare good deed. However, he would never admit to any of these things and they are rare events.

 

To follow Mortos is to delight in evil, death and destruction, and to be the herald of the end of life.

 

 

Selain (Dark Elf)

The God of Summoning.

 

Selain came from a rough mortal childhood and, perhaps more than any other God, understands the realities of a harsh life. He constantly seeks to better his position and power in any given situation, always lusting for wealth, corruption and vice. He worked his way up the mortal social ladder showing a complete lack of scruples before achieving godhood, aided and abetted by Mortos, shortly before the War of the Gods. Although his initial efforts in the War involved only simpler manipulation and mind-control, throughout the long centuries, Selain has become a master in his field, twisting the thoughts of mortals to suit his own designs and manipulating minds in ways only he can fathom. He is the patron of all merchants and criminals and the developer of Summoning and Shapeshifting. Upon developing a way to extract life essences from the very substance of the Lands, he was able to summon animals and monsters to mock Aluwen and Zarin, whom he dismisses as extremely naive goddesses pursuing ridiculous goals. Scheming and intelligent, he has an intellect to rival Unolas, but is often blinded by his own lust for power.

 

To follow the path of Selain is to dare to seize opportunities; to be wealthier, smarter, and better than all other beings.

 

 

Unolas (Draegoni)

The God of Magic.

 

Having attained his godhood through the guidance of Mortos who then forced him into The War of the Gods, Unolas now strives to remain aloof and throws himself into the pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and mastery of magic. Following his initial acts of evil upon his initiation as a god, Unolas has become a more peaceful god. However, his fascination with knowledge and wisdom can lead him to grow fond of dark things if they are shrouded in a guise of magic and learning. As a mortal draegoni, he was acknowledged as the brightest among his race and even as a god, his knowledge soon exceeded all the other deities. He is the patron of teachers and mages.

 

Often the first to detect disorder in the world, he strives to keep the gods together. If not for the dutiful actions of Unolas, The Great War could have brought far more destruction and change to the land than it did and lasted far longer. He believes strongly in balance among the gods and the equal representation of good and evil, yet even a god's knowledge is limited and he is enraged by things he cannot explain.

 

To follow the path of Unolas is to seek what is beyond the concept of logic and the mind of magic.

 

 

Xiao (Dark Elf)

The God of Ranging

 

Seemingly care-free and loving if you're on his side, Xiao more often has evil tendencies. His warm nature only extends to his followers, which he cares for and protects greatly. Any other mortal is worthless in his eyes and any god who stands in the way of his people is an enemy. Though once a mortal, he cares little for the affairs of the world or the other deities and barely ever spends time among them. The most famous of his followers are the notorious Nightshade clan of Tirnym, assassins who work only for themselves and the highest bidders. Because of his detached attitude toward Draia and the other gods, he is not always grouped among the evil gods, for he has been known to do acts of good. He is also not often inclined to do spontaneous acts of hate and evil against other races, but prefers to ignore them and to let them go about their lives, unless of course they threaten his followers.

 

Those who follow Xiao have a fierce loyalty to each other and despise the outside world. Blessed by their god, they are often the most deadly archers in Draia and know foul secrets of poisons and deadly concoctions.

 

As mortals, the gods Xiao and Selain were twin brothers. Xiao shares his brother's cunning and duplicity. He is known to take guises of other figures and pose as more than one god. His most well known form is Izet, god of the sands. Once a powerful patron god of Matajin, Izet lost fame following the destruction of the Majini empire in the Great War, but still has many devout followers among the tribes that wander the Tahraji. The majority of these followers have no idea that Izet is in fact Xiao under a different guise.

 

To follow Xiao is to have true aim, kill swiftly, live secretly, and honor those of the clan.

 

 

Zarin (Human)

The Goddess of Crafting.

 

 

Zarin is, in her own way, one of the darker gods. She cares far more for appearance and material wealth than for faith and good deeds. Full of lust and vanity, her favored subjects are always those who leave the most extravagant offerings and create the most beautiful jewelry in her name. Often rash and always of a strong and stubborn opinion which she rarely ever changes, she is more likely to follow the lead of gods such as Mortos and Selain rather than heed the others' council. It is her belief that her followers cannot create true marvels and beautiful things without complete freedom to chase their ideas. Thus she despises it when the other gods meddle in her affairs and expects little from her subjects in the way of kindness and goodness.

 

To follow Zarin's path is to seek riches and create beauty above all else.

 

 

 

 

----Shadow Gods----

Dvar (Dwarf)

Father of Dwarves and Gnomes

 

One of the oldest of the gods, Dvar is the father of the races of both dwarves and gnomes. Though long centuries of the world have passed and he fades more and more from the daily lives of the races, few who are not dwarf or gnome worship him. He is the greatest god of balance: Aluwen is good, Mortos is evil, and Dvar is neutrality. He is also accredited with the creation of most of Draia, although none can say exactly how the lands truly formed. He is the keeper of secrets and knows what has been, and is, more than any other god. What will be is shrouded even from the view of the gods, yet of all the deities, Dvar can see what may come of things far easier than any other god.

 

To follow Dvar is to bring balance to life and the lands and harbor the secrets of past and present.

 

 

Glydoc (Orchan)

Father of the Orchans

 

One of the elder gods who is no longer worshiped widely, Glydoc crafted the orchan race in his own image. He regarded strength and courage in battle as the highest display of one's worth, thus disputes even among fellow tribe members were settled by combat. Some fights for such endeavours would be to the death, but such a death was an honorable one. The father of the orchans was the patron god of all warriors of Draia. He fell from power, however, when he attempted to overthrow Mortos, believing that he could stand alone against the dark god. He failed. Following his defeat many warriors hailed Mortos as the god of the greatest strength and turned to him for guidance and blessings. This meant Glydoc would now have few followers, leaving him with only the orchans who still revered him. The honor their god taught them made the tribes of Redmoon keep faith in him no matter what the other races believed.

 

It is said that Glydoc himself chooses the chief of the orchans, who serves as high priest and unites all the tribes. Though the many factions of orchans can still be fiercly independent, they stand together against outsiders. The orchans believe that Glydoc bestows each chief with a fragment of his power for however long his leadership lasts.

 

To follow Glydoc is to bring honor and courage to combat and to revere the way of the tribe.

 

 

Iringold (Gold Dragon)

The Father of the Draegoni

 

Iringold is the honored father of the draegoni race. Said to be a magnificent golden dragon that brought both the dragons and draegoni to the world, his influence is not often seen among the races. He is a kind god, but his people are the draegoni and very few, if any, not of that race worship him. Yet every draegoni from the young to the old, righteous to foul, know the name of Iringold and speak it with awe. Despite what other allegiances they might have, draegoni will always respect and honor their father. Even if they worship Mortos, they might still be known to call on Iringold, or whisper prayers to the father of their race. Possessing a gentle manner, he will listen to the prayers of any draegoni. Yet he also has the fierce nature and fiery soul that any dragon would, and his patience only goes so far.

 

To follow Iringold is to embrace a fiery and fierce yet gentle nature and learn the magic which only those with the spirit of the dragons may wield.

 

 

Varyssa (Fairy)

Goddess of Dreams

 

Varyssa is an ancient god who does not routinely meddle in the affairs of her fellow deities. Despite the fact she does not disturb the other gods, she communes with nearly the entire populace of Draia to some extent. More devout groups of followers dedicate themselves to her beyond simple rare prayers and words. The goddess of imagination communicates through dreams and nightmares; hoping to teach lessons, deliver messages, or even warn of events which may come.

 

Some mortals see her as a righteous goddess and pray for Varyssa to visit their children in their sleep to bless their dreams. Others warn their children of the evil witch of visions who might haunt them with nightmares and terrors. In reality, Varyssa is neither of these things. She is a goddess of neutrality. She shared the beliefs of Centau that change for the better may occur in both good and evil ways and that all must be held in balance. Following Centau's death, she continued according to the opinions they both had shared.

 

It is said that Varyssa rules over the realms of imagination. Some follow her seeking inspiration for their arts. According to the beliefs of many, using the power of Varyssa's imagination, her followers may change their form into whatever they desire.

 

To follow Varyssa is to dream of a perfect world and promote the ideas of change.

 

 

Vias (Pearl Dragon)

The Keeper of Souls

 

Sister to Iringold, Vias is also a goddess dear to the hearts of the draegoni. Iringold watches the souls of the living and Vias guides them after death. Worshipped by Draegoni and other races, she is regarded as a powerful and important goddess across the lands. If someone dies, their family burns offerings and prays to Vias to guide the soul to a good place. It is said that she weighs the deeds of every soul and banishes the evil ones to the underworld while the pure souls go on to some other place beyond the knowledge and comprehension of a mortal. Like her brother, she is both gentle and fierce. Though she is a goddess for all races, the draegoni are dearest to her. The draegoni openly worship Vias and praise her for allowing them to continue life while most races only come to her in times of death.

 

Sometimes referred to as a 'shadow god' along with Iringold, Glydoc, and Dvar; Vias is an ancient god, not widely worshipped among the races. They are considered remnants of old religions and beliefs.

 

It is said that only Vias has true power over when a soul leaves the world. Though this power is great, Vias is balanced by the fact that she holds less power in other areas. Thus, despite her hand in the ultimate fate of any being, she can not be considered any more powerful than other gods.

 

To follow Vias is to believe in the balance of life and death and praise her who preserves it.

 

 

(*)The difference between the Greater and Shadow gods is not power, but amount of worshippers. The Greater Gods are more widely worshipped while the Shadow Gods have smaller, more devout, groups of worshippers. They can also be referred to as the 'old gods' mean they were worshipped much heavier in the past.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Acelon