Pantheon

Favored Weapon: Becdar himself is known for using a greatsword; his followers generally follow his example, though many hold to the old tradition of the greataxe.

Background:

While most divine origin stories are steeped in fable and mystery or lost to the unfathomable depths of time, Becdar ascended to godhood relatively recently. There are those yet alive that know of his deeds. Tales are told of his ascension which marked the end of the Demon War led by the fallen divines Xendra and Rukanbradüshk, though firsthand accounts are not particularly common. Shortly after his ascension, his personal journal was found and placed in the temple in Wyvern's Gate, so that anyone who wanted to could read about his life.

Morals/Beliefs:

Honor in all things. You are only as good as your word. If you don't have that, you have nothing.

Worshipers:

The majority of his followers are Half-Orcs, but all races are welcomed. Mercenary bands and Nomadic types swell the ranks, most are well versed in the use of martial weapons, while others do possess the gifts of divine spell casting. Whether a master of sword or spell, all seem to favor a dull silver armor with some type of dark blue trimmings. From greatsword swinging Half-Orc, to soft spoken Elven priest, all share two core beliefs: Honor above all else. Doing the right thing is important, doing the right thing and getting paid for it is even better. Classes that rely on falsehood and shady activities would not be allowed since they work directly against the idea of honor above all else. Clerics in his service pray for spells at sunrise, while facing the direction that would lead them to Wyvern's Gate. Their Holy Day marks the anniversary of his ascension into the Heavens.

Current Role:

Like Rukanbradüshk before him, he strives to see Half-Orcs accepted by all the other races of Cardathia.

Relationships:

As a newly risen divine entity, no positive nor negative relationships with other deities are known or even guessed at, save for the assumption that Becdar and Oceania share a bond, having ascended together. Given that his ultimate ascension was only possible due to Xendra's fall, many speculate that Xanu may harbor a special hatred for Becdar and his followers, as it was he who granted Xendra her immortality. Becdar's belief in honor pits him squarely against Selvardii in all things.

Bishta

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): The Greedy One, Tyrant of Gold

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Symbol: Gloved hand holding a two-faced coin

Dominion: Bishta makes her home somewhere within Pandemonium.

Portfolio: Vanity, Jealousy, Secrecy, Avarice, Opulence

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Good; usually Evil

Available Domains: Evil, Trickery, Charm, Illusion, Dwarf, Dragon

Favored Weapon: Bishta's deceptive nature necessitates that her worshipers have easily concealable blades, such as short swords and daggers.

Background:

Fables are told of a battle between Hirath and Xanu of such potency that the heavens shook and lesser deities were slain by the score. Deities were also born of their terrible, bloody wounds; In a pitched battle, the blood from a wound in Hirath's chest gave birth to Poutros, whilst a wound in Xanu's chest gave birth to Bishta. Xanu desired to take Hirath's power; to make Hirath weak and subservient. From the unholy purity of this selfish desire, a goddess of pure greed was born. Bishta's efforts to destroy her "brother", Poutros, are sometimes threats to Cardathia itself. Unlike other deities, Bishta almost never appears in front of mortals. This might be lucky for the mortals, as Bishta is said to be of a beauty that shatters minds and renders the souls, like the unearthly beauty of a Siren whose song calls to voyaging ships, leading them onto deadly rocks; their gold and dead bodies washing up onto their shores.

Morals/Beliefs:

Steal the goods of everyone wealthier than you, but also of those who are really poor, since it is easier. Never look with compassion at your enemies. Don’t ever tolerate betrayal, and answer to it with a swift and severe vengeance. Crave the power of others, and take it away from them, for it is your right to have that power for yourself.

Worshipers:

Followers of Bishta are sinister and sordid individuals. They usually don’t believe in friendship and care only for themselves. In one word, they are the perfect egoists. The clerics of Bishta favor shadow black or gray armors. Clerics of Bishta are secretive and solitary since few sane people would tolerate their presence with exceptions being made only in the most evil of lands. Bishta has no organized churches since her clerics and her teachings preach garnering wealth and station above all else. When two Bishta clerics face each other, the world around them is but pieces of a vast fortune to outdo one another. There are no Holy Days in the church of Bishta; her greedy followers hardly have the wish to celebrate anything, as it would mean spending their precious wealth. Her clerics usually disguise themselves as normal members of the community... until Bishta needs their skills. Given their legendary treasure hoards, several evil dragons are rumored to pay homage to Bishta. While most devout dwarves worship Telan, a great many profess to do so whilst secretly worshiping Bishta; it is said that Bishta must have had a hand in the origins of the Dwarves, as their greed is legendary.

Current Role:

Bishta's role is extremely minimal in Cardathia (outside of the occasional effort to exterminate followers of Poutros), as she expects a great deal of self-reliance from her worshipers. Given how extremely rare it is to see a Bishtite cleric exposed, one assumes she expends a great deal of effort concealing her favored followers and champions.

Relationships:

Bishta cannot abide charity; as such, the doctrine of Poutros is anathema to her, as she feels that the weak and downtrodden are in their proper place. Due to her worshipers being fond of clandestine and deceptive methods, the followers of Telan are a constant thorn in her side - and likely those of Becdar as well. Being a daughter of Xanu, she assumedly has some sway over him.

Charys

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): Goddess of the Afterlife, Lady of Eternal Slumber

Alignment: Neutral Good

Symbol: Skeletal arm holding balanced scales

Dominion: The gates to Charys’ Halls of Eternal Slumber exist somewhere within Elysium.

Portfolio: Life, Sanctuary, Death, Succor

Worshiper Alignments: Any Non-Evil

Available Domains: Sun, Death, Protection, Renewal, Fate, Good

Favored Weapon: The more militant of Charys' followers wield a Warhammer, blessed by an elder cleric of Charys, as a mark of her favor.

Background:

Charys resides in the Halls of Slumber, in the Upper Plane of Elysium, where she welcomes those who do not seek the everlasting strife of Gornadon into her Eternal Embrace. It is there where she strips all of their burdens and struggles so she can fill them with unending peace in their eternal slumber. Once the undisputed ruler of Romx - Land of the Dead (and possibly its creator, as well), it is clear that Charys is engaged in a struggle for dominance over this specialized planar space with Gornadon. Her faithful wish to see her in complete control of the Land of the Dead once more, however, they tell terrifying tales of times when Gornadon managed to outmaneuver her and briefly gain dominance over Romx.

In the mortal realm, her devout seek to ease the struggles of all in their journey to the Halls of Slumber. They are excellent listeners first and foremost. They seek to aid any in their journey to her embrace without judgment. The only thing unforgivable is the creation and toleration of undead. Those who do are damned to serve Gornadon in his realm of eternal pain and strife for they are not welcome in the Halls of Slumber. As such, Undead in all forms are sought out and destroyed so they might once again return to her embrace.

Morals/Beliefs:

Guide all in their departure from this realm to their place in the Halls of Slumber from Romx when it is their time. Care for the sick and the dying. Be a calming voice in any conflict and seek to ease the stresses of those involved. Those who are tainted by their dealings with undeath won't be accepted by the devout. Give spiritual guidance to lead all away from the clutches of Gornadon and into the arms of the Lady of Eternal Slumber.

Worshipers:

Clerics of Charys typically dress in robes or loose fitting clothes in either black or white, depending on the circumstances. Typically, the color of choice is black, but during ceremonies or on joyous occasions where the journey is eased significantly, white should be worn. They are never mixed, always one or the other. Clerics of Charys pray for spells at sunrise. They have no set celebrations. However, any day in the year can be declared a Holy Day by the head of the local church. These Holy Days are motive of great joy almost in every city. Charys is also known to lend her powers directly to those known as Soldiers of Light; similar to a Paladin, these holy warriors specialize in hunting down and destroying the undead.

Current Role:

Charys' role in Cardathia is currently twofold; her faithful seek to ease the suffering of the living before they eventually pass on to Charys' embrace, and they seek to destroy all undead creatures, as they are beyond the aid and forgiveness of Charys. Of late, her worshipers have stepped up their efforts to cleanse Cardathia of the undead scourge.

Relationships:

Charys does not pick sides, she only seeks to bring all her children when their journey has ended to her loving embrace. Her only enemy is Gornadon, Lord of Unlife, for he steals her beloved children from their eternal peace and gives them everlasting strife and pain.

Dsituyt

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): Patron God of Arleah

Alignment: Neutral Good

Symbol: A golden sun engraved upon a silver chalice

Dominion: Dsituyt resides in Celestia, though he holds no claim over it; instead claiming the city of Arleah upon the Prime material plane.

Portfolio: Guardianship, Refuge, Fellowship, Clemency, Atonement

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Evil, usually Non-Chaotic

Available Domains: Protection, Healing, Good, Family, Nobility, Fate, Strength

Favored Weapon: It is known in Arleah that Dsituyt himself has been spotted wielding a greatsword in ages past.

Background:

It is rumored that Dsituyt in fact was originally mortal, a protector of the city of Arleah setting the city as his limits of power and domain. Supposedly, he walks among his lands as a normal citizen, watching and making sure peace is kept. For whatever reason, Dsituyt breaks with the conventional divine intervention; he is known to directly intervene in some way when serious trouble threatens the city, rather than send divine servants or visions. Many events have been recorded in the past 200 years or so of Dsituyt manifesting directly, sometimes for completely whimsical or personal reasons.

Morals/Beliefs:

Arleah is the Chosen city of Cardathia, and you are her defenders. Beware the enemies of the city, for they will constantly seek to overthrow our methods and turn Arleah into the domain of Evil. Protect the good citizens of Arleah and always keep vigilant against those with a black heart, yet seek also to turn those hearts to the side of good. Remember that laws exist for a purpose, putting the laws before their purpose is the direst mistake one can make.

It is far better to turn an enemy into a friend than shun them for their actions. Turning darkness to the light is considered the highest goal, and is the reason that all that is evil is not blocked out of the city entirely. After all, it is much easier to turn evil to the side of good when they are shown how to be a part of society and have the chance to be accepted into it.

Worshipers:

Something of a regional deity, Dsituyt's followers are almost exclusively located in Arleah, and Arleah's citizens are almost exclusively followers of Dsituyt. Such widespread worship within a single city is easily explained by the many and (relatively) recent appearances by Dsituyt within Arleah. Though he is a peaceful god, his worshipers understand that while one hopes for peace, one must prepare for war; his most militant followers tend to enlist in the city watch known as the Defenders, and/or take a Paladin's oath in his name. His clerics favor silvered and blue armors.

Current Role:

Dsituyt and his faithful simply seek to preserve the way of life in Arleah. As individuals of all races, creeds and abilities are permitted within the city, this fragile system requires quite a bit of effort to maintain, as forces from all sides will constantly seek to steer Arleah to a direction of their liking.

Relationships:

Dsituyt lacks any dedicated rivals amongst Cardathia's pantheon, though followers of many deities seek to attack, conquer or influence Arleah in the name of their gods or goddesses. Though his focus is smaller in scope, his interests align with many deities of Good and Law.

Fade

Lesser Deity

Title(s): Fade Amana, The Forcemistress, The Sorceress Queen

Alignment: Neutral Good

Symbol: Seven magic missiles arranged in a circle

Dominion: Fade makes her home within the quiet desolation of the Outlands, previously exclusively Rhima’s home.

Portfolio: Arcane Talent, Cunning, Glory, Efficiency, Luck

Worshiper Alignments: Any; though usually Chaotic and/or Good

Available Domains: Magic, Force, Knowledge, Spells, Portal, Good

Favored Weapon: Being versed in the arcane, few of Fade's followers bother with any weapon besides smacking their foes with a Mage Staff as a last resort.

Background:

For someone who ascended less than a decade ago, almost nothing is known about Fade. The earliest known record of her is a report of a young elven girl recklessly endangering people by playing with magic in the middle of Arleah. What is known, however, is a collection of popular tales of events in her life, told and retold by her faithful during Ascension Day.

- Fade once accidentally destroyed the Plateau in the center of Arleah with an especially powerful Hellball while still under the age of majority, which meant the City Guard couldn't actually charge her with anything. Some people say this tale was exaggerated, but a search of city archives indicates the plateau did get destroyed in a 'mysterious explosion' around that time.

- A tale of the great battle between Throg, the powerful leader of the Blood Banner mercenaries and Rukanbradushk's chosen one, and Fade. Nobody is quite certain what the fight was over, or even if it was a fight or a duel. What was remembered is how Fade dealt with Throg's divinely-empowered rage, an anger so strong he was unable to die or fall unconscious under its effects. They say she Hasted herself and ran in circles around the slower half-orc until he could no longer sustain his rage, then pelted him with magic missiles until he collapsed. What could not be won with force was won with cleverness.

- Often told is the tale of how she, in alliance with Throg and two other individuals named Thrail and Idril, defeated the nearly-unstoppable Ko'tharhyvos, a legendary great red wyrm. It's said that Fade stunned the great wyrm with a bombardment of ice spells, then sealed her away by turning her to stone. Throg later relocated the statue to Yuni, where it stood for a little over a century before going missing when the city was destroyed. Many faithful note that no trace of the statue was found and worry that the force that destroyed Yuni may have freed the beast; even more of them worry that nobody else seems to care about this.

- Well-known was Fade's feud with the Charysian forgemaster Yraelen over who should lead the Enclave of Arcane Light. This event was the catalyst that encouraged her to seek ascension. Yraelen, one of the two heads of the Enclave, believed he deserved sole leadership due to his arcane prowess as a wizard, despite the fact that Fade was both significantly more knowledgeable about magic, significantly more powerful a spellcaster, and an actual follower of Rhima. However, the Enclave supported Yraelen based solely on the fact that he was a 'learned wizard' rather than a 'natural' sorceress. At this, she resigned from the Enclave entirely and began to seek ascension, to give sorcerers a place and a path of their own.

Tales of what she did during her path to ascension lose most coherence and are generally assumed to be speculation, as few people saw her for the five or so years between her resignation and her ascension. What is known, however, is that she settled her differences with Rhima (though not her clergy) and is now generally seen as Rhima's ally, the more carefree, experimental approach to magic compared to Rhima's calm, learned approach.

Morals/Beliefs:

Fade is generally civic-minded and will typically follow the rules unless the alternative is either significantly better or the established order is obviously corrupt. Fade was known to view magic as more of an art than a science and encouraged mages to actively experiment with their powers, learn their limits, test themselves constantly, and find new, creative uses for seemingly limited spells. Rarely one to stand down from a challenge she thought she could win, but never afraid to toss in and retreat if she felt she lost the advantage and needed to regroup, Fade enjoyed fighting threats like shadow balors, ancient dragons, and the legions of the Hells simply to push her luck and test her limits, but she almost always came out unscathed. She always preferred doing everything in the most effective way she could figure out, and was not above employing cunning, deception, and trickery to achieve her goals when sheer magical power wouldn't suffice.

Worshipers:

While the layman would be hard-pressed to tell an Amanan from a Rhiman at first glance as they're both 'goddesses of magic,' there is a key difference: A Rhiman knows the theory of magic, an Amanan knows the practice of magic. Fade's followers are rarely ivory-tower intellectuals; they'd rather see what a spell does than read about it in a book. Books can be wrong, after all, and theories aren't always right. Better to see it yourself. If they can use it to help out the locals or cash in a bounty on some horrible monster, so much the better.

The most common and obvious worshippers of Fade are sorcerers. Many who have natural talents feel looked down on by learned wizards in their ivory towers and the Rhimans who grant them power and patronage have turned to worshiping Fade instead, despite the amicable relationship of the gods themselves. The other large group of followers are the battlemages, wizards and sorcerers both who have dedicated their mastery of the arcane, either natural or learned, to the destruction of their foes. These often unpredictable spellcasters are valued not only for the damage they can cause but the ability with which they deploy their magical arsenal and the cool, ruthless efficiency with which they execute their plans. The rest of her followers are something of an eccentric and varied lot, featuring everyone from militant clergy who consider themselves more smiter than healer to career criminals who slide through life using guile, cunning, and a little bit of magic to help silver their tongue or hide that distinctive scar. As a whole, though, her worshippers are usually good-hearted, community-minded individuals, but with a wide independent streak. Usually.

Worshippers tend to identify themselves, when they want to be known, by wearing ornate red or purple robes. There is actually some dispute over which the 'official' color of Fade's faith should be, with one side saying that her Force spells, her best-known talent, are best represented by purple, while others cite the red robe she often wore just prior to her ascension. A few mavericks have chosen to wear ceremonial robes of an ethereal, semi-transparent green, seeing the force-hands as the best representation of the tenets of their faith - Cunning, versatile, and efficient. They follow no particular rituals, but celebrate Ascension Day - the day generally agreed on to be when Fade ascended - with grand displays of magic, tournaments between battlemages, the retelling of tales related to Fade or powerful followers of hers doing battle with beasts or outsmarting their foes, and occasionally a hunt to slay some especially dangerous creature menacing the lands.

Current Role:

Fade aims to ensure that all types of magic are fairly represented in Cardathia to avoid the 'tyranny of wizards' that she observed in her lifetime. She serves to balance Rhima's preference for patient study and observation by encouraging mages to see what they can really do when they leave their towers and get out on the field.

Relationships:

Fade is generally viewed as one of the 'Good' gods and tends to associate with them. She is known to be allied with Rhima, with the two splitting the duties of managing Cardathia's magic.

Firnos

Lesser Deity

Title(s): Protector of the Hunt, Lord of Beasts

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: Bladelike, black antlers

Dominion: Firnos resides within the Beastlands alongside several other traditionally elven deities.

Portfolio: Animals, Wrath, Vigilance, Wardenry

Worshiper Alignments: Any, though generally not Lawful

Available Domains: Protection, Animal, Strength, Elf, Retribution

Favored Weapon: A good indicator of a ranger's experience is their precise use of the longbow.

Background:

Though many fables exist as to Firnos' origins, there is no clear winner as to which one might be the truest. Some describe him as Maleiin's son, faithfully overseeing her creation. An unrelated tale told far more often (and usually by an elf) is that it was Firnos who finally uncovered the treachery of Velothra and the Ilythiiri, in the time of ancient Cardathia. It is said that he wished to eradicate them for their crimes, but Teraphiel argued for those (admittedly few) Ilythiiri who did not completely agree with Velothra, and Maleiin was loath to condemn an entire tribe to genocide, despite the severity of their transgressions. Instead, the then-Ilythiiri tribe (now known as the Drow) were cast into the underdark; so long ago that the crime committed to have earned such a punishment is long forgotten and oft debated.

Morals/Beliefs:

His are the wild animals; kill an animal for pleasure and not for need, and you will have to face his wrath one day. That which disrupts the wilds or the elven way of life will feel the bite of his arrows.

Worshipers:

Traditionally a deity worshiped by the elves, more recently those of many races have taken up Firnos' call and joined the ranks of his rangers. As caretakers of the wild, one will never find a true ranger of Firnos that prefers to sleep in an inn; the bed of the forest is more inviting to a ranger than any bed even a king can buy. While rangers do not necessarily seek to be one with nature as a druid does, their survival skills are so well honed that they can live within the wilds without issue and without detection for an indefinite length of time. Due to this, they are highly valued as scouts and guides, which benefits them, as they can teach their charges the proper way of living alongside nature instead of slashing their way through it. Firnos' rangers tend to wear light leather or cloth armors, and choose colors based on practical camouflage for their environment.

Current Role:

As caretakers and wardens of wild nature, Firnos and his rangers seek out those who pointlessly slay wild beasts. Amongst the worst offenders are the rare and elusive Lycanthropes, shapeshifters who are cursed to transform into horrible creatures, neither man nor beast, and slaughter all in their path; some of Firnos' faithful specialize in hunting these creatures of the night. Combat with surface raiding drow is also a dangerous possibility for his worshipers.

Relationships:

A member of the traditional trio of Elven deities alongside Maleiin and Teraphiel. Naturally, Firnos and Velothra are bitter enemies.

Gornadon

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): God of Undeath

Alignment: Neutral Evil

Symbol: A lich’s skull wearing a crown

Dominion: Gornadon dwells within a twisted palace deep within the plane of Hades.

Portfolio: Perpetuity, Undeath, Darkness, Transcension

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Good; though almost always Evil

Available Domains: Death, Evil, Darkness, Undeath, Hatred

Favored Weapon: Gornadon's worshipers generally craft themselves a gruesome Mace or Flail out of a humanoid skull as a rite of entry into his worship.

Background:

Though often said to be one of Xanu's progeny, some of Gornadon's elder clergy speak of a different tale. As they tell it, before Gornadon was Gornadon, Charys encountered a nameless, powerful spirit of unknown origin that roamed the planes freely, beholden to no place nor power in particular. Not quite alive and never fated to die, Charys was fascinated with such a creature that was not capable of entering her Halls of Slumber, forever consigned to a lonely eternity. Not content with not trying, Charys asked if this spirit would oversee the Land of the Dead, Romx, so as to allow her to focus on other pursuits. The spirit accepted, and, contemptuously taking advantage of her generosity, took Romx hostage, blocking all incoming souls from leaving. The gods and goddesses of Cardathia - some enraged, some amused - were forced to grant the spirit divinity in exchange for releasing his hold over Romx, thus becoming Gornadon, God of Undeath.

A spiteful deity, one who cannot understand the whirlpool of mortality and death that all living creatures are swept up in, he seeks to bring suffering and tortures to those mortal beings that do not ascribe to his doctrine. Gornadon is thus the Master of Necromancy, the Lord of liches, vampires, and other powerful undead creatures. Gornadon has great power over undead, and is only truly stopped by Charys' protection over the dead. For Gornadon, the undead are the only legitimate beings.

After a brief victory over Charys he attained sole control over Romx, but through patience and the unending faith of her followers, Charys grew to power again and cast Gornadon out of his newly acquired realm and reclaimed it. He continues to try and build an undead army to try and conquer that which he had for so short a time.

Morals/Beliefs:

Life must be banished from the world. The plague of the living shall be cleansed from the Planes. Always protect and support the undead, especially the truly intelligent ones, because they are the wisest among my followers. Don’t be ashamed of being alive and following the path of the necromancer, for your life will end soon, and your soul will be renewed with the promise of the perfection of undeath.

Worshipers:

Almost always Necromancers, Palemasters, and the like; given Gornadon's creed of transcending the mortal form to an undead one, it is rare for a Gornadonite to not have some power over undead creatures, the mastery of deathlessness, etc. Some of his worshipers have already transcended their mortal forms, becoming various undead creatures. Every time a cleric dies, the day is considered as a celebration. In a strange ceremony, the rest of the clerics raise the one who just died and turn him into a very powerful undead. This day is celebrated each year for a period of five days. After that, they seem to forget about their comrades. Only in some cases do the followers of Gornadon remember their past fallen members. They prefer black and bone armors, striking fear into their enemies by reminding them of their own mortality.

Current Role:

Thwarting Charys is a high priority for followers of Gornadon. Directly stymying Charys is as valuable way as any to bring about the undead upheaval Gornadon so desires, though Gornadon's most direct interaction with Cardathia is likely to tempt his most worthy and powerful worshipers with the knowledge of how to become a sentient undead. Thus, those worshipers may become one of the earliest, oldest, and thus best placed individuals to become kings and queens in the new world he wishes to create.

Relationships:

Gornadon and Charys are eternally at odds with each other. A peaceful death is considered wasteful and worthless to him, while a transformation into the realm of undead is considered a step towards perfection and glory. Gornadon's faithful may butt heads with the followers of other Gods and Goddesses of Good, but he reserves all of his malice for Charys and Charys alone.

Hirath

Primal Deity

Title(s): God of Sanctity, The Holy One

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: Dawn’s light shining over pristine landscape

Dominion: Hirath rules Celestia from atop the highest point of the mountain.

Portfolio: Holy Purity, Exaltation, Asylum, Sunlight, Good Dragonkind, Charity, Hope

Worshiper Alignments: Always Good, Never Chaotic; Usually Lawful Good.

Available Domains: Good, Protection, Travel, Sun, Retribution, Dragon, Healing, Time

Favored Weapon: Statues of Hirath always show him wielding a blessed longsword.

Background:

Hirath, along with Xanu, was one of the two first gods, which appeared at the creation of the universe. From his palace in Celestia, Hirath, also known by some of his worshipers as the Holy One, is known for his heart is filled with kindness. On the other hand, his objective is always the vanquishing of all evil and darkness in the world, a duty in which he is constantly aided by knights, paladins and loyal clerics of his faith. In times of dire need, Hirath sometimes appears to enlighten the souls of his followers and other pure hearted people.

Morals/Beliefs:

Loyalty and service to the light are the salvation of the soul. Maintain order, peace, and goodness. Beware corruption and darkness for they feed on the souls of the weak, and all our work will be in vain. Always question unjust laws and suggest alternatives under the guidance of your Elders.

Worshipers:

Most of Hirath's faithful wield his divine magics in some form or another; be they Cleric or Paladin or similar. Of all the paladins in Cardathia, most belong to Hirath. The average follower of Hirath tries to be kind and noble with their neighbors and do what they think is the best for their community. His worshipers prefer armors and shields of gold with some silver highlights, possibly to reflect the gold and silver dragons who worship Hirath; many gold dragons live in and around his chosen city, Phaethredun. While the vast majority of his worshipers are kind-hearted individuals who would give their life to protect any innocent, some find that the more zealous of his followers are rigid and grating, to say the least.

Current Role:

Hirath seeks to spread his light to all lands and living creatures, banishing the darkness of evil and its vile servants along the way. Big or small, all acts of selfless piety advance his cause. Generally, Hirath works through servants and visions, preferring to send celestial avengers, or inspiring mortal worshipers to seek out enemies of peace, goodness, and civilization. Direct involvement by Hirath is an extreme rarity and, as legends tell it, no more frequent than once a millennia.

Relationships:

Being the progenitor or creator of many of the Gods and Goddesses of Good, Hirath has no enemies amongst Cardathia's non-evil deities. He desires to eventually destroy all of the gods and goddesses of evil, who mold weak-willed mortals into living instruments of evil and suffering.

Maleiin

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): The Goddess of Nature

Alignment: True Neutral

Symbol: A blooming rose amidst assorted greenery

Dominion: Maleiin resides within the Beastlands alongside several other traditionally elven deities.

Portfolio: Nature, Life, Creation, Tranquility

Worshiper Alignments: Almost Never LG, CG, LE, CE

Available Domains: Air, Earth, Water, Plant, Elf

Favored Weapon: Maleiin's faithful refuse to use equipment made with unnatural materials, such as metal; wooden weaponry is the norm, such as staves, clubs, bows.

Background:

The planet was a barren and desolate place, devoid of life or activity. Maleiin breathed over Cardathia, and her breath condensed in small blocks of living matter. Thus she became the goddess of life and creation. She appears many times in the form of a deer, a rabbit, a little bird or some other living animal. Whether her followers know it is actually she or not depends just on their faith.

Morals/Beliefs:

Love life and nature. Despise not the deeds of intelligent races, for they are also my children and I love their souls deeply. Balance, above all, is what must be attained in every moment of the world. Those that upset the balance are those whom my followers shall mete Natures justice upon. Violence is not our way, but neither, are we averse to it if the Balance is threatened beyond allowance. Violence destroys life, unfettered violence threatens the world, threaten the world of my children, and thee shalt find thyself in Nature's judgment.

Worshipers:

If asked to describe a worship of Maleiin, most city dwellers would describe a druid, shaman, or ranger; any sort of person who lives in the wilds and throws rocks at lumberjacks. While this stereotype exists for a reason, Maleiin's worshipers are far more varied, including all manner of farmers, elves, and, of course, most Fey creatures. All the solstices and crop harvesting days are celebrated as Holy Days of Maleiin, and huge festivities take place in any middle-sized settlement that happens to have a group of her followers. From time to time, other holy days occur. An example of this is the celebration of the Fey Council. Though this is generally unknown to human or even elven followers of the goddess, it is a day of joy for her fey servants.

Though most divinely-empowered servants of Maleiin are druids, a rare few clerics do exist, to bring her teachings to civilizations in a way that those kinds of people are more accustomed to. Either path, though, never wears primarily metal armor, choosing to clad themselves in leather, fur, or cloth garments. The followers of Maleiin convene in secluded, peaceful places, to seek her guidance, especially in times of darkness. The devout followers of Maleiin will try to protect all those who are considered her children, which comprise most of the living beings of Cardathia.

Current Role:

The cycle of life goes on with little fanfare, though occasionally some pruning is required. Maleiin's faithful seek to maintain the balance that life requires, finding that the most persistent threats are extraplanar, cursed, undead, and unnatural creatures, as well as magical maladies that corrupt the land. The ideal of healing the land after wars, destruction, vicious creatures and horrific magics is an all-consuming task that never seems to end.

Relationships:

Dedicated to neutrality, Maleiin has as few dire enemies as she has ardent allies. Given what her followers must deal with, however, it is a common speculation that Maleiin and Rhima are at cross purposes. It is also worth noting that Maleiin represents the neutral link between the traditional Elven trio of worship alongside Teraphiel and Firnos.

Oceania

Lesser Deity

Title(s): The Desert Rose, The Rose, The Siren's Song, Mistress of Muse

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: A woman’s face surrounded by a cloud of red hair

Dominion: Oceania presides over the oceans of Ysgard.

Portfolio: Creativity, Passion, Empathy, Free Spirit, Inspiration

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Lawful

Available Domains: Knowledge, Ocean, Charm, Water, Domination

Favored Weapon: Enjoying the flamboyant dance of the swashbuckler’s blade, Oceania favors thin and flexible blades with fluidity: the Rapier.

Background:

Oceania came to Arleah at a young age and was instantly liked by everyone she met. The songstress’ popularity grew tenfold when Dsituyt took special interest in the girl very early on. As she grew older, Oceania and her husband, Amilmamir Nermakiir moved to Atil and became known as the protectors of the small island. Oceania has been linked to many important characters of Cardathia. Known for her empathy; she was able to befriend people from all walks in life, including Lady Ceridwynn Mirnders who was a very influential and important person during her lifetime. During the War of Demons when Xendra killed Ansla, the Gods were able to save a piece of Ansla’s soul. Dsituyt came forth and gave it to Oceania; with their souls entwined and Ceridwynn's guidance, she was able to defeat Xendra. Together Oceania and Becdar were welcomed into the Pantheon.

The most devout of followers tell the tale of Oceania and The Queen of Kca. It is a story that has been passed down by the old and has made its way from one generation to the next. Though many of the details change, it is always said to have originally been told by Dsituyt himself. The story goes as such: There was once a beautiful Queen who ruled the old city of Kca. To her followers she was known as the Desert Rose. She was so beautiful that it was said that many would come from around the world to gaze upon her beauty which could inspire masterpieces. At night, the Desert Rose would sit singing joyfully. She had an enchanting voice and Hirath, who had been watching this muse, had become enraptured by her. Hirath watched her for many nights as she sung to the night. When a group of thieves came, he saw her demise unfold, but he dared not intervene as they cut her down. Selfishly, he took the opportunity to keep the Queen’s soul; she was to become the Goddess of inspiration for eternity known to all as Ansla the Mistress of Muse. However, when the sun rose, the city found the Queens lifeless body; the population turned to chaos, sadness, and anger. The city would eventually fall. Hirath felt guilty for his selfish behavior so the God stole Ansla's song and he tucked it away inside a baby being born far away from the memories of Kca. As luck would have it, two soon-to-be parents sailed the open waters and gave birth to a child blessed by salty breeze with eyes that echoed the ocean. Ansla’s song mixed with Hirath’s infatuation dwelled in the throat of this new orange hair beauty of the water, she grew to become something altogether different; the siren, Oceania.

Morals/Beliefs:

Oceania embodies art, beauty, creation, joy, and passion. The Goddess is known to be compassionate and has a special place in her heart for those whom she considers to be misunderstood, as she also felt misunderstood in life. Oceania tends to have a innocent curiosity about her, making her susceptible to questionable situations. Oceania begs her followers to trust their hearts wholey, experience life to the fullest, and inspire everyone around them.

Worshipers:

Followers of Oceania tend to favor light and flowing garments that are sheer and soft to the touch with bright hues from nature's most vibrant flowers. Though Oceania's followers tend to be artists and minstrels, her siren song is known to heavily inspire other mediums of creativity as well including poets, lovers, dancers, fighters, creators, and builders. Her followers are often thought of as hedonists for their enjoyment of all that life offers. Some even whisper of a strange group of followers who are quite eccentric; they are said to dance naked in the full moon's light, begging the moon for high tide which pleases the Goddess. Clerics of Oceania worship by having an altar for her, they bring her shells, flowers, bells, art and sweets of any kind (though she presumably prefers chocolate.)

Current Role:

Oceania has stepped into the Pantheon, taking over where Ansla has left off: inspiring creation, curiosity, and passion. Like Ansla, Oceania prefers followers to worship in theaters, art galleries, wonderful architecture, and other beautiful sights.

Relationships:

As the stories go, one would assume that Oceania is on good terms with Hirath despite her wild nature, as well as the other deities of the upper planes. Some speculate that - unsurprisingly - Xanu particularly despises Oceania, as it was he who originally granted Xendra immortality, which Oceania relieved her of during the Demon War.

Poutros

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): The Generous Lord, The God of Luck

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: A golden coin with Lady Luck’s face upon it

Dominion: Poutros dwells within Arborea, spending his time with the fey creatures that reside within.

Portfolio: Luck, Generosity, Karma, Destiny

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Evil, Usually Non-Lawful

Available Domains: Good, Trickery, Knowledge, Halfling, Charm, Dragon

Favored Weapon: Followers of Poutros often bless golden coins in his name, using a sling to fling them.

Background:

According to legend, Poutros was born from a tiny wound in the chest of Hirath, and thus, with reason and temperance, came to existence as the only right-sized god on the Cardathian pantheon. Poutros appears as a handsome golden skinned halfling with glittering gemstones for eyes. He is always impeccably dressed in silk Regiments and decked out to the nines in gold jewelry, holding a very large and prominent golden scepter he claims to have won from Hirath himself in one game of cards. Some say that all charitable acts please this deity so greatly that he cries tears of gold which will refill the benefactors coffers ten fold.

Poutros also loves gambling and gamblers bless and curse his name depending on their fortunes. He also is the god of laughter and merriment. Poutros is a jolly deity, always prone for a good laugh, a funny joke or a cheerful situation. People believe that a baby's unexplained smile is an indication that Poutros invisible presence is making funny faces at the infant that only the very young can see.

Overall, he is very fond of wealth or anything shiny, much like the standard halfling. Unlike many thieves, he doesn’t consider wealth as the ultimate target, but rather as a way of living. In fact, he values the people who can live with wealth while also generously sharing it with others in cleverness and wisdom.

Morals/Beliefs:

Enjoy life. Get all the wealth you can, but always be wise to share it with the ones who have less than you. Help the good hearted with all your gold. But, feel free to cheat the greedy; greed is a threat to freedom, and thus it should be utterly destroyed. Be happy and cheerful and you will make a better life for both your friends and your enemies.

Worshipers:

Followers of Poutros tend to be very cheerful. They always know how to enjoy a good joke and a good prank. Many merchants are also followers of Poutros, especially those who don’t like cheating their customers, but they will drive a hard bargain if a wealthy customer comes around. The church of Poutros is mainly composed of halflings, although human and gnome clerics are also allowed. Their tasks involve the management of wealth in their community and sometimes also the administration of judicial organizations. Clerics of Poutros pray for spells at midday. The church has no official Holy Days, but any day can be considered a festivity when the heads of the churches consider it appropriate. These festivities usually involve great feasts and the exchange of very expensive gifts. The clerics of Poutros favor yellow or golden armors; anything flashy. Poutros counts many Copper and Brass dragons amongst his faithful; it is rumored that he paid dragonkind a service long ago and they have not forgotten his generosity.

Current Role:

Poutros' faithful mostly focus on their local communities, however, the most dangerous work they face is dealing with thieves and those that are cruel to the less fortunate.

Relationships:

While friendly with any deity who will treat with him, he is under constant assault by Bishta's worshipers, as their doctrines are doomed to eternally collide.

Rhima

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): Goddess of Magic

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: A blank scroll

Dominion: Rhima resides within the Outlands, the epicenter of magic.

Portfolio: Erudition, Arcane Magic, Insightfulness

Worshiper Alignments: Any

Available Domains: Magic, Spells, Knowledge, Gnome, Destruction, Darkness

Favored Weapon: Rhimans almost never use weaponry; they prefer wands and mage staves and the like. However, many Rhimans arm themselves with the most technologically advanced weapon available - crossbows, as they require knowledge and insight to operate, not battle prowess.

Background:

The ancient clans of Cardathia once believed that great knowledge, as well as omens of great change, could be read by observing certain constellations. Rhima - the embodiment of magic in Cardathia - is said to be the daughter of the stars themselves, and as such, she embodies these concepts. The outer edge of her presence (called the Weave, by learned arcane users) is the relatively safe barrier between her and everything in the physical plane, as otherwise raw magic would lash out and destroy everything in its path. Possibly confirming the legend of her origin, Rhima is a force for change in Cardathia, as it takes as little as one mage of great power to cause radical revolutions or transformations.

Morals/Beliefs:

Life is the never ending pursuit of knowledge, for knowledge and power are one and the same. Knowledge is Her gift; whether one seeks to learn for their own achievement, or spread knowledge to others, Her will is done.

Worshipers:

Despite being the goddess of all magic users of any alignment, no organized church of Rhima exists. She only has a few clerics within the world, outnumbered by even the rare Archivist. The rest of her followers are spell casters, sages, lore masters and other seekers of arcane or mundane knowledge. The followers of Rhima always respect knowledge, even though they usually don’t care about its origins. They enjoy a clever conversation and prefer it to many other forms of entertainment. Of note, the Gnomish races of Cardathia have long venerated Rhima, as the arcane arts and various erudite disciplines have served their civilization well. Followers of Rhima tend to shy away from physical combat. They prefer to use Rhima's gift of magic before resorting to what amounts to an uncivilized brawl. The few divine servants of Rhima favor long blue robes.

Current Role:

Rhima almost never directly intervenes in mortal affairs; her presence in the planes is constant, in the form of magic. As such, her mortal agents are expected to use their acquired knowledge and magical prowess to affect the sort of changes they'd like to see in Cardathia. Generally only appearing when magic itself is threatened, Rhima tends to work very indirectly.

Relationships:

Though some minor struggles have cropped up between the worshipers of Rhima and Fade, Rhima and Fade seem to coexist just fine. Maleiin, however, seems to suffer the most from Rhima's Weave, setting the two deities apart from one another.

Selvardii

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): The Mistress of War, She Who Leads All Frays

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Symbol: An endless circle of arms wielding blades

Dominion: Selvardii is the sole ruler of Acheron, plane of eternal strife.

Portfolio: War, Tyranny, Oppression, Persecution

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Good

Available Domains: War, Strength, Destruction, Hatred, Dragon, Evil, Tyranny

Favored Weapon: Selvardii's elite followers consider themselves harvesters of the lives of those weaker than them, taking the terrifying Scythe as their symbolic weapon.

Background:

In the Days in which Dsituyt was born, The Elven Commander General Selvardii was gifted with immortality and a place amongst the stars for her service to Xanu. As the greatest strategical mind the world has ever known, she is known as "She Who Leads All Frays." As she was raised up for her prowess at warfare and strategy, she does the same for her mortal followers, awarding them gifts and favor for their victories. She has, in the past, made kings and emperors out of her favored followers; these kingdoms and empires do not always stand the test of time, as those rulers will quickly lose their favor should they allow rule to make them soft and weak.

Morals/Beliefs:

Destroy your enemies. Engage in any battle you see, make them fear your skill. Have no compassion or pity for those you are fighting, they are nothing compared to the joys of bloodshed. Take no prisoners. Always obey the commands of your immediate superior, he has the necessary tactics to ensure a proper victory over the enemy; if you think he is a weakling, don’t hesitate to challenge him.

Worshipers:

Followers of Selvardii are usually skilled fighters and warriors who have made battling their way of life. In Cardathian society, the role of warriors is quite necessary. Of course, not all of her followers are brainless berserkers; many of them are not even evil. Her followers will take part in many fights, usually not caring if it is in the side of Light or the side of Darkness. What matters is merely that they demonstrate their incredible skill (or bloodlust) and sway the battle to the outcome they desire. Where a god such as Becdar values the honor of his faithful, Selvardii values ruthlessness and victory at whatever cost, by whatever methods. History is written by the victorious, after all. Despite the fact that Selvardii's worshipers lack compassion as a prerequisite for entering her service, they do tend to show respect to a strong foe, win or lose, as battle prowess is to be admired wherever it is found.

The church of Selvardii is loosely organized in Cardathia. Many of her followers are powerful fighters and barbarians, who leave their lives in the hands of the goddess. Conversely, the clerics and blackguards of Selvardii seek not to mindlessly slaughter, but to control people, as the goddess supports the belief that a strong empire is also the key to future battles. Many of the Quan'diran Sentinels venerate Selvardii for her martial perfection. Those befitting the role of a Selvardiite cleric are usually those who dominate as well as brutalize, commanding their own armies with a savagery that would make their Goddess proud. Clerics of Selvardii pray for spells at any time of day or night, but always before a battle, even if it was a purely ceremonial one. The church has some celebrations; all of them commemorating the dates of famous battles lead by Selvardii. The clerics of Selvardii favor blood red armor, or armor rusted and scarred by ages of fighting. Selvardii counts many dragons amongst her faithful as well, as Green dragons enjoy the sort of tactical warfare she stands for, and Blue dragons have hierarchies based on personal strength.

Current Role:

Selvardii believes that only war can decide those most worthy to rule; the weak are weeded out and subjugated by the strong. From her palace of carnage in the outer planes, she commands massive armies, and will occasionally send them to Cardathia to stir up the status quo, if Cardathia isn't already contentious enough to be at war of its own volition. Most of her worshipers can be found fighting in battles across Cardathia, and the rest can be found trying to stir those battles up in the first place.

Relationships:

All gods and goddesses that preach peace and law find Selvardii repugnant at best, whilst the other gods and goddesses of darkness tend to benefit from her escapades. Given her tasteless and brutal methods, one can assume that Becdar will forever be on the other side of any battlefield she is on.

Telan

Intermediate Deity

Title(s): The Silent Judge, The Iron God

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Symbol: A balanced set of scales upon a shield

Dominion: Telan maintains the clockwork realm of Mechanus.

Portfolio: Order, Judgment, Veracity, Law

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Chaotic; usually Lawful

Available Domains: Protection, Metal, Fate, Dwarf, Travel

Favored Weapon: Though he takes no pleasure in sentencing even the vilest of criminals to death, Telan wields his executioner's halberd, Judgment, to strike fear in the hearts of criminals.

Background:

During a time of heightened war between Hirath and Xanu, a great battle left Dsituyt - at the time, Hirath's champion - temporarily lost in some form of limbo. Without his champion, and not wishing to intervene directly, Hirath sought to create a being to reassure the mortal realms that Light and Order still reigned supreme. He took the shattered remnants of Dsituyt and Xanu's divine armor, shields, and weapons that they used in the mortal realms during their epic battle. Unbeknownst to Hirath, as he set out to forge a new deity, Xanu's heightened power allowed him to influence the creation of this new divine entity. What resulted was Telan - a god with no allegiance to Light nor Darkness, only Law and what that Law stands for.

While he has eyes to see and ears to hear, he has no voice with which to speak. Law needs no words, only actions. And Law is the most potent tool in the preservation of all things. This fact is the origin of the other name used to describe Telan; "The Silent Judge".

Morals/Beliefs:

Apathy begets Lawlessness, Lawlessness begets Chaos, Chaos begets Entropy, and Entropy is the great undo'er, the ender of all things.

Worshipers:

The Telanite Church only exists as a concept. Idols, temples and other opulent monuments to worship are expressly forbidden within the Telanite tenets of faith. Followers of Telan are considered 'Churches of One' within the faith and are expected to perform some form of martial combat on a daily basis, which is the Telanite equivalent of worship in place of daily prayer, cant or sermon. The Telanite Church has no rigid hierarchy of privilege or power. Telanite Clerics rely on a combination of the Telanite writings, local laws and customs as well as a large doses of common sense in order to 'self govern' their actions.

Telanites may not preach or seek to indoctrinate individuals into the faith. His name is not to be hawked from atop some soap-box like some form of vended ware. Knowledge of the faith must be sought and desired by prospective initiates or followers. His holy writings are not to be distributed publicly, they must be requested. His Church's name is not to be used lightly, or uttered as justification for action or opinion. His clerics generally wear unadorned iron-grey metal armors. Dwarves have worshiped Telan since time immemorial, though many profess to worship him whilst paying secret homage to the goddess of greed, Bishta.

Current Role:

Telan almost never manifests physically in the realm of mortals. Interactions with mortals are almost entirely unheard of; it is the religion's belief that its clerics and followers should be self governing. If they are incapable of this, they are not worthy of his faith. Telan is known to elect a Prime Acolyte for his Church once in a great while when events and circumstances demand such. And so, his presence is felt through his worshipers, upholding the laws of the communities and cities they belong to.

Relationships:

Telan has no noteworthy relationships with the other gods and goddesses of Cardathia; they are all likely quite aware that Telan holds no bias.

Teraphiel

Lesser Deity

Title(s): Goddess of Redemption

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Symbol: A pair of watchful eyes amidst the stars

Dominion: Teraphiel resides with several traditional elven deities within The Beastlands.

Portfolio: Forgiveness, Cooperation, Pragmatism, The Moon

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Evil

Available Domains: Healing, Protection, Elf, Family, Rune

Favored Weapon: Teraphiel is depicted wielding a quarterstaff; mostly used as a walking stick, but employed as a weapon only in the direst of circumstances.

Background:

Though considered a minor deity by many, Teraphiel is undoubtedly a very old goddess. Traces of her worship can be found across many civilizations and eras as a figure of strong tradition and tight-knit community, though her appearance usually differs based on their bias. Though debate often arises over which race worshiped her first, the oldest relics are found amongst the elves. Despite this, most stories of her physical manifestations are amongst the drow, as her greatest crusade is rescuing good-hearted drow from Velothra's clutches. The drow often associate her with the moon; a guiding light that does not burn their eyes as the sun does.

Her influence amongst the elves is most notably that the elves (and later, others) formed tight-knit clans devoted to her worship with a strong incentive to work closely together; many of these clans formulated around skill with certain crafts, arts, or pursuits. It is very likely that this is the basis for Velothra's drow houses, replacing cooperation, fellowship, and family with rigidity and poisonous politics.

Morals/Beliefs:

Aid the ones who are in desperate need of it in the way you can. Do not judge their past if they wish to change and seek a second chance, for you might be one day in the same need of aid.

Worshipers:

Though the stereotypical Teraphielite is seen as a drow that has acclimated themselves to surface life, Teraphiel has worshipers amongst many other races as well. The elves have long interpreted her teachings as a pure way of life via a strong traditional community. More recently, however, even humans have found themselves drawn to her teachings, as she represents associating with a chaotic or cruel path that they have rejected. As an ultimate proof of their conversion, a rare few even become paladins in her name.

Her worshipers are unbiased, without prejudice, regardless of race. Whatever a person's past, a Teraphielite has no problem speaking and working with former enemies or recovered criminals, and aid them in finding a place in society once again. The ways and possibilities of the faith's expression are near limitless as well as the origin of Teraphielite worshippers might be. A pirate on high seas abandoning his ways to become a fisherman or working on a trading ship trying to redeem for his past might follow Teraphiel. A thief in a city, beginning to share his own possessions with those needing it more than him, might be a Teraphielite.

A Teraphielite can have different appearances and the faith of Teraphiel can have different aspects even if the core of protection, aid and redemption remains the same. Thus there are no specific weapons or uniforms known of the Teraphiel cult. Yet there are different orders following Teraphiel who do have their own uniforms, weapons and codes of honor. The drowish order following Teraphiel would be the order of the Vhalar: a large band of warriors upholding the principles of protection and aid.

Current Role:

Though Teraphiel's influence shows up in unlikely places, generally Teraphiel seeks to safeguard the communities that worship her. Naturally, her primary goal is the eventual redemption of the drow - once called the Illythiri tribe, who were long ago exiled to the Underdark for aligning with Velothra's treachery.

Relationships:

Of note, Teraphiel is a member of the traditional elven pantheon along with Maleiin and Firnos. While one might assume that she does not get along with wild deities, it is said that she often mediates between deities of all sorts if necessary. Most are torn between her relationship with Velothra; it isn't known if she would seek to redeem Velothra herself, or that they circle one another eternally, never to meet in the middle.

Velothra

Lesser Deity

Title(s): Matron Goddess of the Drow, Spinner of Webs

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Symbol: A barbed cat o’ nine tails

Dominion: Cast out of The Beastlands long ago, and disinterested in her progenitor’s gift of Baator, Velothra resides somewhere within the Abyss.

Portfolio: Spiderkind, Falsehood, Betrayal, Sadism, Matriarchy

Worshiper Alignments: Evil, Usually Lawful

Available Domains: Evil, Trickery, Destruction, Spider, Elf

Favored Weapon: Though they take years to master, Velothra's faithful often train in exotic double-ended weaponry, such as double-bladed swords.

Background:

Befitting Xanu's only trueborn daughter, she too is a creature of nightmare. The feverish ravings of those foolish enough to attempt to peer into her realm describe her as a beautiful drow female with a spider's body instead of legs. Rather than follow her progenitor's methods, Velothra desired the cultivation of a perfect race. What she saw in the Illythiri tribe in ancient times, no one can say for sure, but it is clear that she chose them, for when her (and their) treachery was revealed, the Illythiri were exiled to the Underdark. This, too, suited her purpose, as generations of exposure to the intense magical radiation within the Underdark warped their bodies, providing them with innate magical abilities as well as a potent natural resistance to hostile magic. It is said that the drow’s place as her chosen race is not guaranteed; she has sent devastation and destruction their way, nearly obliterating them several times. Many other races, such as the Beholders, have waged war to dethrone the drow and claim a goddess for their own.

Some old elven clans often (reluctantly) claim that Velothra was once a goddess of the elves - given the deeply rooted elven sense of superiority, this may very well be true. Her hatred of Hirath goes beyond that of simply being Xanu's child, and it is whispered that she must have run afoul of Hirath in some manner to have turned her back on the other elven deities as well as Hirath.

Morals/Beliefs:

Weave a web of trickery and deception. Destroy the weak for they deserve only our scorn. All acts to strengthen the race of Drow in the glory of Velothra and our Overlord Xanu.

Worshipers:

Though Velothra may be responsible for many of the Underdark's misshapen and corrupted races, she does not respond whatsoever to any race but the Drow. Furthermore, she does not bestow divine or clerical powers on any male drow, marking female drow as the leaders of drowish society. Though her clerics train for endless years at their city's grand temple, male drow are not entirely idle; males that wish to make a name for themselves become warriors, scouts, assassins, and wizards. In fact, one of the only ways to rise to any sort of power in drow society as a male is to become an archmage of great talent and renown, and even they must show some level of respect and deference to even a lowly priestess.

Drow, by and large, lack any sort of sympathy, empathy, or any sort of positive feelings that one creature may feel towards another. What binds them together is the rigidity of drow society and their place in it; always striving to improve one's standing, even at the brutal murder of a rival. In fact, a particularly well planned betrayal will earn the admiration and respect of other drow (who will, of course, mark that individual as a potential threat, moving forward). Thus, the worthy advance as high as their ambition takes them, the weak die, and Velothra's eternal hunger for pain and suffering are sated. The only sort of grouping drow hold to somewhat are the great family houses that they have arranged themselves into.

The drow believe that they are the superior race; all others are inferior to them at best, with surface races treated like animals. Due to this, drow often take insult at lesser races speaking the Drow language, let alone teaching others their language or secretive finger language. Drow also raid the surface realm under the cover of night, pillaging surface societies and taking surfacers as slaves and exotic pets.

Current Role:

Velothra seems to have little interest in anything outside of the Underdark and her chosen people. However, wars against surface drow and elves erupt occasionally, often over Teraphiel snatching away a particularly powerful drow; unsurprisingly, a goddess of betrayal does not react well to being betrayed.

Relationships:

Velothra has some say amongst the gods that are loyal to Xanu, being his daughter. Naturally, she has no love for Maleiin or Firnos. Her hatred seems to be reserved for Teraphiel and Hirath.

Viaticus

Lesser Deity

Title(s): The God of the Sea and Storms

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Symbol: A cloud with multiple bolts of lightning

Dominion: Viaticus claims no dominion over it, however, he spends much of his time within Arborea.

Portfolio: Navigation, Adventure, Compassion, Weather, Excursions

Worshiper Alignments: Non-Evil, Rarely Lawful

Available Domains: Air, Earth, Fire, Storm, Ocean, Good, Travel

Favored Weapon: As spearfishing is an old pastime of Viaticus's faithful, he is generally depicted as wielding a spear or trident.

Background:

Believed to be a newer deity, some old legends tell a different tale. Viaticus has been around for quite some time, a tempestuous god that punished those who did not offer him tribute while undertaking long sea journeys. In time, though, he began to see deeper into the lives and families he was destroying so callously, and with great effort, redefined his own nature as a benevolent god who seeks to ensure the safety of those who undertake long journeys or adventures. This is a great feat on its own, as Viaticus had to learn how to master the four elements, as any element pushed to its extreme can be fatal to those he seeks to aid.

Morals/Beliefs:

The gentle nudge towards a dry cave in a storm, the flash of lightning illuminating your path, a gust of wind marking the correct direction of travel; directly or indirectly, see to it that those who better themselves with travel and adventure live to tell the tale.

Worshipers:

While most sailors and ambitious adventurers give offerings to Viaticus, his worship is comprised of a much wider variety of individuals. Many that live through horrific storms and hurricanes claim to have seen visions of Viaticus and enter his worship as a form of repayment. Some of his more powerful followers become Stormlords, spear-wielders with terrifying power over thunder and lightning. Viaticus' clerics travel Cardathia and they favor simple clothing of brown and green. They bless caravans and cross country traveling parties and more than likely guide them. They often serve as diplomats and explorers, opening up new frontiers and always knowing the best places to swim, to hunt, and inns to sleep in. They are generally offered free passage wherever they like, as their presence guarantees a helpful companion - and the best means of avoiding the ravages of dire weather and extreme elements.

Current Role:

On the prime material plane, Viaticus seeks to safeguard adventurers and travellers as he greatly values the personal growth achieved by these sorts of activities. Viaticus is also said to be a messenger of sorts for the gods, as he knows the fastest ways between the planes.

Relationships:

Viaticus does not believe in conflict to prove his point, and thus, considers no other deity an enemy. In turn, especially due to his role as the gods' messenger, the gods of darkness tend to show him an odd amount of lenience.

Xanu

Primal Deity

Title(s): The God Evil

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Symbol: Twisting flames

Dominion: Xanu rules unopposed over The Infinite Abyss.

Portfolio: Armageddon, Pride, Corruption, Villainy

Worshiper Alignments: Never Good or Lawful; Rarely Neutral

Available Domains: Evil, Destruction, Strength, Force, Hatred, Fire, Darkness, Time

Favored Weapon: Xanu is generally depicted as wielding all sorts of weaponry that looks terrifying, however, the far more ancient drawings are always a morningstar.

Background:

Xanu, brother of Hirath, is a primal god - the primal god of evil. He believes that which he cannot have or rule over must be destroyed. It explains the great divide between him and most other divine entities as he is incapable of positive feelings such as kindness, compassion, love. Naturally, he feels that these things must be destroyed. He can only find pleasure in other feelings - such as the sense of superiority felt when deceiving someone, tormenting others, causing someone to lose their bravery, the look on someone's face as you betray them, the pride felt from a vast sense of superiority. Xanu is no fool; while his few worshipers are often deranged and mad, his plots and designs span centuries and have been known to destroy even lesser deities as collateral. While his nature is not conductive to a vast number of worshipers, a primal god is terrifyingly powerful with or without a vast church. None have approached his Abyssal fortress and survived to tell the tale.

Morals/Beliefs:

Serve Xanu, and he shall grant you terrible power; wreak havoc in his name, and you shall feed his thirst. The world is your oyster; destroy anyone who thinks otherwise, after destroying everything they love, everything they aspire to be, everything they are.

Worshipers:

Xanu rarely has direct worshipers, as it is understood by even the most deranged individuals that while you may serve him, he rarely serves you. Xanu may grant divine gifts, but he does not care whatsoever about the well being of his worshipers. There is no creed behind this, such as 'only the strong survive'; he simply lacks the sort of positive emotions that a god must have to value their faithful. They know that his powerful gifts tend to come with a short lifespan.

His clerics favor armors of reds and oranges; the colors of flame. Their means are various, but not subtle; whatever their specific madness, they strike fear and terror into any and all. They pray for spells at night, and are said to be at the height of their power during solar eclipses; they celebrate these with grotesque carnages and terrible acts of blood and destruction. His clerics are occasionally overshadowed by particularly powerful Anti-Paladins, Xanu’s most potent agents of evil.

Current Role:

Xanu very, very rarely appears, and generally not for mortal dilemmas. His once-in-a-millennia manifestations generally mean that the battle between he and Hirath have once again spilled over into the mortal realm; Hirath can only hope to minimize the damage of their battles, as clashes between these two elder powers tend to bruise, batter and break the laws of existence itself.

Relationships:

Unsurprisingly, Xanu despises all of the gods of light, even those of neutrality; any god or goddess who holds to any sort of positive feeling is anathema to him. Even Viaticus, the messenger of the gods, dares not remain in his presence for long.