Demiurges of Chirak: Milina, Daughter of the Betrayer

Doing lots of work on the 2nd edition Realms of Chirak when I'm not being distracted by my S&W retool of Sarvaelen. Here's a write-up on the demigoddess Milina....for those of you not familiar with Chirak's divinities, the short version is: the pantheon of gods died in an apocalypse, and the only "divine" figures in the world of Chirak today are aspiring mortals who have found one of the surviving Zodiac Stones that contain the divine essence of the fallen gods, and seek to unlock the secrets within which will grant them true godhood. 

Milina

Milina is the daughter of Minhauros, and she at once loved and hated him. Milina holds a shard of the Taurus Stone which carries her down the path of the demiurge, and she is now the sole keeper of the essence of the stone (the remainder is kept on the Isle Outside of Time). She was always opposed to Minhauros, yet was his unwitting pawn on more than one occasion, including leading Mardieur Mardieux to Minhauros' rotting corpse where he was ambushed and murdered (long story), and Minhauros’s cultists then imbued the vestige spirit of the dead god into Mardieur’s body with the power of the Taurus Stone. It was with this action that Minhauros returned, the first true god to walk the lands of Chirak in twenty-six hundred years, and once again began his bid for world domination and resurrection.

Milina was discharged of whatever unknown pact she held with her father after his resurrection, and after his subsequent death three years later during the Siege of Barcen she disappeared. Milina now wanders the Realms of Chirak seeking enlightenment and the means to heal the corruption Minhauros wrought through the essence of the Taurus Stone. She has discovered that this is an onerous task, for she seems to be cursed with a taint of chaos due to her father’s nature; she finds it difficult to do good without also sewing discord in her wake.

Though Milina seeks to heal the corruption of the Taurus Stone as its avatar, she wrestles constantly with the evil that she inherited from her father. This perpetual struggle has manifested on more than one occasion as she is compelled to do great harm, then work to make amends.

Milina’s cult is small, and her following does not seek many followers due to the reluctance of the goddess to grow her own cult. Her priests who have met directly with her realize that she fears that the curse she labors under with the stone will also transform her cultists, but the wisest priests of her flock point out that this may be a necessary process; that her destiny may be to carry an aspect of both order and chaos within her, perhaps for a very long time until the spiritual taint of Minhauros is at last lifted from the Taurus Stone.

Milina’s shrines and temples can be found in secretive locations throughout the Kaldinian Isles where the lawless descendents of the Sea Kings find her quite popular. She has also found popularity along the western shores of Grelmaine and even in the murky lands of Xaxican; she is regarded as one of the 113 demon gods by the Xoxtocharit, which irritates her to no end, especially when a Xoxtocharit priest uses a summoning ritual on her; Milina’s demon taint from her father is enough for her to feel the compulsion of the summoning.

Milina’s three largest temples can be found in Westgate, the Freeport nominally allied with Espanea, where a fierce band of expatriates continue to worship her and some even still worship Minhauros. Another temple is said to be found deep in the mountainous lands of Masiria, and a final great temple is said to lurk somewhere in the far east, where the Skeledani Nomads rule. That temple is said to have once belonged to Minhauros, but a prominent gnoll shaman had a vision of the god’s demise and quickly converted his entire flock to the worship of Milina.

Milina’s Cult in Dungeons & Dragons 5E:

Followers: Milina’s doomed nature as a demiurge of chaos who tries to become a lord of order attracts the attention of those with a torn or dualistic nature, perhaps those who have a desire for authority but a tendency toward anarchy. She is especially prone to gaining the attention of hermits and madmen who for some reason, often trying to commune with her. Her total cult following among humanoids is believed to be somewhere around 2,000 strong, but it is more than ten times that when you factor in monstrous denizens such as gnolls, ogres and minotaurs.

Profile: Milina’s cultists gain access to the trickery domain.

Alignment: Milina’s actual alignment is chaotic neutral with good tendencies. Milina’s outward conduct confuses many as she appears to be neutral good (and any detection spells will indicate such). The reason for her strange alignment issues is that the Taurus Stone itself is still heavily corrupted by Minhauros’s use and radiates a chaotic evil effect on her spirit and those around her.

Cultist Alignments: Milina’s cult tends toward chaotic neutral to evil in the east, neutral evil to neutral good in the Kaldinian Isles and is all over the place in the west, though the cultists in Westgate fall firmly on the neutral evil side. She has a handful of clerics who have embraced her duality and who are actually neutral good or chaotic good. These clerics and followers tend to be the ones who have the greatest empathy for her plight of nature.

Armament of the Demigoddess: clerics of the demigoddess favor short blades (shortsword, dagger) and shortbows as these are seen as iconic of the goddess.

Current Location:

Milina travels the planes easily, and has even been spotted in the City of Doors itself. Since divine powers are not ostensibly allowed in the City of Doors there is some suspicion that she actually parts with her zodiac stone, leaving it hidden in the mortal plane of Chirak for a time.

Milina was last sighted in the region of Shaddizhar, near Arenjun, and it is believed she was investigating the enigma of the “forgotten god” cult that manifested in that region. That was four years ago. There is a rumor that she may currently be somewhere in the region of Xaxican, traveling with a Preservationist named Ascalar who has been writing a biography on her life. This rumor comes from a Grelmanic captain named Esvaradio who claims to have carried them northward on his ship, the Unfettered Pennance just a few months prior.

Stats: 

Milina, Daugher of Minhauros

CR 25 (75,000 XP)

NE medium demigod (planetouched immortal)

Initiative +11

DEFENSE

AC 20 (dexterity plus permanent mage armor)

HP 600 (70D8+280)

Resistance: cold, thunder, lightning, psychic, poison and necrotic (and normal piercing, bludgeoning and slashing weapon attacks if stoneskin is active)

Immunity: fire, disease, fatigue and all damage from slashing, piercing and bludgeoning weapons of a non-magical source

Special: Magic Resistance, rolls advantage on Consitution Saves

OFFENSE

Speed 30 feet

Multiattack Milina may make six shortsword attacks per round or up to six short bow attacks per round.

Melee Attack – shortsword (enchanted +3 Flaming) +16 to hit (reach 5 ft vs. one target), 1D6+10 slashing damage and 4D12 fire damage per strike. Milina deals an additional 2D6 slashing damage against targets she has advantage against.

Ranged Attack – Shortbow (enchanted +3 fiery) +16 to hit (60/120 range vs. one target), 1D6+10 piercing damage and 4D12 fire damage per arrow.

Reaction – Planestep (recharge 5-6); as a reaction Milina may planestep as a teleport reaction up to 60 feet in any direction.  

Statistics

STR 14 (+2), DEX 24 (+7), CON 18 (+4), INT 20 (+5), WIS 22 (+6), CHA 24 (+7)

Saves: strength +8, Dexterity +13, Constitution +10, Intelligence +11, Wisdom +12, Charisma +13

Languages: Espanean (common), Old Mythric, primordial, abyssal, infernal, elvish, Nithiadian, Mercurian, Syrgian, Grelmanic, Xaxicani, Xoxtocharit, Sabiri, gnomish, dwarvish, ignan

Senses: darkvision

Skills: Arcana +11, History +11, Insight +12, Religion +11, Stealth +13, Deception +13, Intimidation +13

TRAITS

Master Evoker: Milina is a 20^th level Evoker and has access to all spells from levels 1 through 9. Milina’s spellcasting ability is at +13 attack and Save DC 21; she has access to empowered evocation and overcharge. Her memorized array of spells typically include:

Cantrips: blade ward, fire bolt, mage hand, mending, true strike

1^st:  (4/day) burning hands, magic missile, protection from evil and good, Tasha’s hideous laughter, unseen servant

2^nd: (3/day) alter self, charm person, blur, cloud of dagger, detect thoughts, scorching ray

3^rd: (3/day) bestow curse, counterspell, fireball, fly, tongues

4^th: (3/day) fire shield, greater invisibility, stone shape, wall of fire

5^th: (3/day) creation, scrying, wall of stone

6^th: (2/day) eyebite, flesh to stone, move earth

7^th: (2/day) delayed blast fireball, plane shift, teleport

8^th: (1/day) demiplane, incendiary cloud

9^th: (1/day) meteor swarm

Cautious Demiurge: Milina has cast the clone spell to insure her longevity, restoring her in a grotto on a remote Kaldinian island. She will seek out her slayers with a vengeance, and to restore her ownership of the Taurus Stone shard.

Bond of the Taurus Stone: Milina has held possession of the Taurus Stone shard for centuries now, possibly much longer (her age as well as whether she is a direct daughter of Minhauros is sometimes called into question). She can sense the presence of the stone, either her own shard if it is taken or any other shard of the Taurus Stone’s precise direction/location so long as it is on the material plane.

Shard of the Taurus Stone (unique, requires attunement): this divine artifact grants Milina the following traits. The stone is embedded in her chest and can only be removed by force when she is reduced to zero hit points or otherwise rendered helpless. Each of the  following powers becomes unusable if the stone is taken from Milina, but only those with a * after the title are initially available to a newly attuned user. The stone’s powers include:

Demiurge Saving Throw Bonus:* the Taurus stone lets Milina roll advantage on all Constitution saves. She gains her proficiency score on all attribute saves.

Magic Resistance: Milina rolls with advantage on all magic saves.

Stoneskin:* the bearer of the Taurus Stone may invoke stoneskin; this ability is restored with a short rest.
Ageless:* while bearing the stone the user does not age.

Fire Immunity: the bearer of the stone gains immunity to fire damage.

Spell Restoration:* once per day the bearer of the stone may recover one spell slot as a bonus action. If the bearer does not have any spellcasting ability then the bearer gains the ability to cast burning hands that may be cast once at his or her level of ability with intelligence as the magic attribute.

Legendary Spell Mastery of the Demiurge (recharge 5-6): at the end of a target’s turn the stone-bearer may invoke one of the following spells as a legendary action at 20^th level of effect (+13 attack, DC 21): flesh to stone, wall of stone, wall of fire, fireball, disintegrate, meteor swarm, shapechange, incendiary cloud.

Equipment: +3 enchanted fiery shortbow, +3 flaming shortsword, Taurus Stone shard, additional random treasure, usually some cash (250 PP and  a pouch of 3D6 gems worth 1D10X50 GP each), component pouch, a traveling spell book.

The Age of Strife: Gods of Lingusia

I've published write-ups of most of the deities of Lingusia on the blog in the past; the core conceit of each deity remains the same in the Age of Strife. What follows is a religious history and overview getting the particulars of the Age of Strife in order....

Gods of Lingusia in the Age of Strife

The eponymous “Keepers of Lingusia” are the gods of the world, caretakers of creation and also perhaps its destroyers. The Middle Kingdoms is dominated by a strong pantheon that is ancient and merged with the northern, southern and eastern faiths of the land such that it is all regarded as connected. In the world of Lingusia few men doubt the beliefs of others; they’ve all seen plenty of evidence to suggest that no one god is the “true” god and all gods have influence on the world of men. So for most men of the land, they leave the theology of it all to the priests and clerics.

The priests of the Middle Kingdoms see the divine hierarchy as divided among the three great forces: Order, Chaos and Oblivion (more commonly defined as Death in this context). The gods of order strive to keep peace and law within the world, while the gods of chaos seek to sew discord and destroy. The gods of oblivion are the gatekeepers to a realm of judgment and passing, and reflect the ultimate fate of all beings in the Afterworld.

There is sometimes a hinted fourth pantheon of gods called the Shadow Pantheon, but these beings are not discussed in polite society and appear to be at odds with the other three pantheons. They are seen as celestial beings, sometimes gods, who have broken away from the ancient trinity of power and seek their own way. It is because of the gods that strange and unnatural things occur, such as might be found in the planes of shadow, among the undead, and in the uneasy disorder that the world experiences which has nothing to do with the gods of chaos.

The legacy of these pantheons is buried in a series of tomes, 29 strong, called the Idean Codices. A codex is an ancient form of book which opens, accordion-like, to reveal folded pages. Each Idean Codex is filled with hundreds of such pages filled with tiny, ancient script in a language now abandoned by all save priests and wizards called the Old Tongue. The Idean Codices are spread out throughout the Middle Kingdoms and kept in many regions of the world, but a complete set of all 29 known tomes are held in the Grand Temple of Niras at Hyrkan’ien, and a second set of copies is in the hands of the Grand Librarium.

The history of the gods and man are detailed in these sacred tomes, which extends back 100,000 years and further. The oldest stories speak of a time before humans, and of an ancient, cosmic war between the gods and an older race of chaos lords called the Skaeddrath. The oldest Idean Codex is found only in fragments but hints that this war was won at great cost.

The gods created a first race, sentient beings called the Prehunates in the ancient translations (Old Tongue for “those who came before”). Much of the early tomes speak of the vast power these ancients acquired, and how they rose to challenge the very gods themselves. The gods destroyed the Prehunates, wiping out their civilization in a cataclysm that left the earth ruptured and explains the anomalous regions of the world, such as the sunken basin the Amech Jungles and the shattered isles of Karaktu. This cataclysm was the way that paved the path to the modern world, and according to the Idean Codices the event happened roughly 12,000 years ago. In this era mankind, elves and other races were but simple beings who had been in thrall to the Prehunates; afterwards, they were the lords of a shattered but plentiful realm.

With the rise of the human and demihuman races came an era of tribalism, agrarian development and sedentism. Most of the lore of this age is lost to time, but some bits and pieces of the Idean Codices detail snippets of rulers, events and ceremonies of these lost ages. It is within these pages that the earliest rise of the first dynasty of the old Hyrkanian kings is found, for example.

The Idean Codices become increasingly detailed and comprehensive as they close in on the era of more modern human empires, and a single great tome is dedicated to transcribing in exacting detail the events of the year in which the “War of the Gods” wracked the Middle Kingdoms and shattered the physical presence of the divine beings upon the mortal plane. An entire second book was written just to record the locations, ceremonies and events surrounding the burial of hundreds of seraphs, demons and gods in the Mountains of the Gods, which would later be redubbed the Mountains of Madness by later generations as the creeping influence of chaos seeped into the valleys and peaks of the immense mountain range, driving out all but the hardiest or most monstrous from habitation in the region.

The “War of the Gods” is a curious event in the theological timeline of man’s study of the gods, for up to that point gods of all pantheons were described as walking the earth, granting divine power to their mortals directly, and often influencing the affairs of man directly. Behind the scenes, according to the Sacred Codex of Lineage, the Idean Codex which takes great pains to outline the familial relationships of the gods, it was apparent that these immortals were stricken with a great power play spiraling out of a large number of interpersonal conflicts that had been building up over centuries or even eons, and the war was the culmination of this buildup. In the end, it was the possession and use of the three cosmic Orbs which fueled the fire that led to the conflict, and over these orbs a terrible battle was brought down upon the mortal plane.

Ostensibly the war was what created a fragmented trinity of pantheons…..the gods were indelibly separated into three distinct groups when it was all over, each one aligned with one of the sacred Orbs of Divine Power which fueled the universe. These Orbs were very real objects, and posed a problem for the mortals left standing in the wake of the year-long battle between the gods, the seraph and the demons of their celestial and abyssal armies.

As it happened, not all gods were slain in their physical forms; the deity Aurumurvox remained in the ruined city of the gods called Corti’Zahn and declared he would remain the keeper of the Orb of Oblivion, and it was through him that the mortals of the world were informed that the gods had survived, in spirit, for this battle was not about the murder of the divine but instead about the removal of the divine from the mortal plane.

The other two Orbs, however, were a problem to contend with: the Orb of Life and Order and the Orb of Chaos both rested unguarded in the ruins of Corti’Zahn, and it was decided by the priests of the era that these orbs would be taken away by chosen agents, and placed in remote regions of the world where they would never again pose a threat to the world or call down upon the wrath of the gods in a cosmic war.

To do this, two were chosen: a young man who had studied magic and mysticism named Warenis, and a soldier of the south named Xauraun who had fought with the troops who served in the name of the god Dalroth. Each was tasked with taking the orbs away, that they never be a threat to mankind or the Empire again.

The stories of where these orbs went are varied, but some details and speculation are known even today. Among these tales is the fact that both men who spirited the orbs away were possessed of their power and made immortal reincarnates; they were forever barred from death, and some say with each reincarnation would remain empowered by the orbs, no matter where the cosmic artifacts rested.

Warenis is believed to have carried his orb far to the north, and to have forged a link with it in a sacred emblem of gold in the form of Naril’s Ankh, which he later bestowed as a gift upon the Grand Temple of the sun god in Hyrkan’ien. With the gift of the orb he also made his wizard’s staff a powerful artifact, one which was imbued with his memories and knowledge to aid him in future reincarnations.

Xauraun, meanwhile, is said to have journeyed to the westernmost coast of the world and still didn’t feel it was far enough to conceal the Orb of Chaos, so he took a ship across the Endless Ocean where he discovered a lost land, and bequeathed upon this realm the Orb of Chaos for safe-keeping. Like Warenis he linked the essence of the Orb into a codex, the Malleus Malificarum, which he returned to the Middle Kingdoms with and kept close at his side. In time he learned a great deal about magic from the tome, and is believed to have used his wizardrly to imbue his armor and blade with great magic.

While the two immortal champions would not be worshipped as gods, their influence on how the gods were worshipped was felt over many generations when they would reincarnate into the world. Such was it that the notion of a pantheon of order, a pantheon of chaos, and a discreet third pantheon of oblivion came to be cemented in modern theological thought.

Over the last two thousand years the development of the cults of the Middle Kingdoms has been one of strife, warfare, persecution and occasional moments of tolerance. The question of which gods exist has never been in dispute; rather, the strength of a god is known by his or her worshippers, and the spirit of that god is believed to be strengthened and magnified to affect the world around those followers through sheer faith, creating miracles. Single personalities of great devotion are rewarded with divine magic….it is ultimately unquestionable that the gods exist, and through belief gain power.

Rather, the question of the gods has been one of dominance. In 2,090 there are several deities of greater prominence and power than any others, with the lion’s share of worshippers. These include:

Naril, the sun god and patron deity of the empire

Selene, the goddess of the elves and moon

Death the Nameless One, who stalks the gray road to the Afterworld, and is one of the Gods of Death

Zingar, god of the hunt and lord of the land

Nistur, the lord of secrets and knowledge

Mitra, goddess of the lands of Octzel

Set, the god of deceit and malice, who is revered by all serpentkin and lizardmen

Ashturak, the forger god and creator of dwarves

Phonatas, the goddess of fertility and love

Elisin, the goddess of music and culture

On the other side of the fence there is an impressive cult following known sometimes as the Divinate and at other times as the nameless rabble that seek out the Chaos Gods to attain raw and unfettered power. The Chaos gods do indeed seem to be very generous with rewarding their followers, and include:

Dalroth, the lord of the courts of chaos and embodiment of cruel power

Slithotep, rewawakened lord of madness and destruction

Hargameth, the god of war, and the only lord of chaos to be revered among soldiers of the empire

Baragnagor, the beast god and creator of orcs

Orcus, the demon god of the undead

There are many gods of lesser power who nonetheless are important figure in modern religious thought, culture and politics. These gods of more obscure but still important nature include:

Haro, lord of assassins and patron of the Fire Knives

Etah, the golden traveler

Huuarl, the lord of time

B/X D&D Month II: The Gods of Pergerron

Part II of the Basic/Expert/RC Dungeons & Dragons Special for April: this is the second part of the introduction to the world of Pergerron, on which all subsequent entries this month will hang. You could use Pergerron for almost any edition of D&D at its core, but the intent here is to make this special to the unique flavor and allowances of classic B/X style D&D, with some RC edition enhancements thrown in. Now for the gods of Pergerron....

The Pantheon of the Enkanneth

There are many Enkanneth, which are formally described in the Sacred Codex of Enamoratu as the First Men of the world. There are two conflicting myth-tales about the origins of the First Men. One is that they were dwellers in the stars (said to have come from the planet Surdat, farthest and most peculiar o the sky-wanderers). A second tale that is less popular but embodies the Cult of the Risen Kings states that the First Men were an accident of creation, formed in error by the Primordials, destined to rise up and destroy their masters.

Regardless of the origin of the First Men, both sects agree that they rose to power, saw the Primordials for the formless and evil entities they were, and stole the divine secret of godhood from them. With this power they destroyed the primordials or drove them into the dark recesses of the world, and elevated their own people to the dominant kindred of the world over beast and monster alike.

The Temples of the Enkanneth can be found throughout the River Kingdoms, and you must journey to the remote lands of Asparta, Vothrace, Esmonar and Mesutin before finding significantly different deities and methods of worship. The people of the River Kingdoms tend to assume that these other foreign gods are just more Enkanneth, but worshipped in foreign lands…except, of course, when they see evidence of primordial worship. Such worship must be stamped out, destroyed, no matter the cost.

In the Kingdoms of Anansis there are nine prominent Enkanneth and several dozen lesser Enkanneth that are worshipped. The nine principle deities and associated spouses are:

Katas – The god of kings, said to have been the deity who led the charge against the Primordials, and to have slain its greatest leader, Sarpoxas.  His contribution to the land is the fabled Rule of Law, which is etched upon the sacred stones at the entrance to Katas’ temple in the capitol of Ulimpor.

Suliversa – the goddess of lore and wife to Katas, sometimes also seen as the mother of all men and women. Suliversa is the patron goddess of the Temple of Lorein Ulimpor and other cities, and is said to have taught mankind the principles of civilization.

Vornen – the god of sustenance and the hunt, who taught man how to craft spear and blade and bring down the beasts and monsters of the wild. He is also believed to be the god of the elves, having imparted to them his special gifts of sight and understanding, and that the elves disdain civilization as men see it to honor their creator. His wife is Medrea, who is regarded by the elves as a principle fertility goddess and given more import than her husband.

Sakhar – The god of metal, forges, and smiths. Sakuar is regarded as the progenitor of such lore, and it was with his teachings that mankind mastered the crafting of copper, brass and bronze implements and weapons. Sakhar is also regarded as the creator of dwarves, along with his wife Indraka.

Tekastei – God of the harvest. Tekastei is seen as the one who created the seasons, to allow mankind to grow food and predict the weather; the elements are seen as a creation of the primordials, but it is Tekastei who forces the elements to behave (sometimes). In myth Tekastei is seen as a stout Halfling, sometimes remiss in his duties, thus explaining the problem of actually predicting the weather. Tekastei is seen as the creator of Halflings, too, along with his less divine wife Immerta.

Skuurn – The tamer of beasts and lord of shepherds. Skuurn sought to teach man how to tame the beasts of the wild, and also sought to make such beasts friendlier to humanity. Though he failed against those beings too monstrous, his contribution is normally regarded as pivotal to the mastery of pastoral living in civilized lands. Skuurn is regarded as the creator of boar-kin, centaurs and minotaurs though those races may dispute this as a “human thing.”

Velos – God of war, Velos is the patron of warriors everywhere. His aspect is battle and it is said he forged the armies which marched behind Katas against the forces of the primordials, smiting them all. Velos is said tohave once married Tartessa, the goddess of death, and it is from the souls of the dead that he harvests new warriors for his armies in the sky. Most commoners look to the sky and believe the stars reflect the campfires of the soldiers of Velos, standing fast against the primordials that lurk in the Darkness beyond the dome of the sky. Velos is also said to be married to Marnica, goddess of tranquility and beauty. The dichotomy is deliberate, and Marnica’s temples are just as prominent as those of Velos, and usually maintained by a dedicated crowd of priestess artisans.

Tokandros – Among the gods it is said that Tokandros is the mischief-maker, the one who betrayed them or will betray them, through whose actions the primordial will rise again. He is said to be half-brother to Katas, and that he is half-primordial, his mother being the terrifying dragon goddess Druusa herself. Tokandros as outcast god has been regarded as an important foil and reflection on the hubris of the other gods, while officially being the god of opposites; when Velos offers mercy, Tokandros will offer none. When Katas offers justice, Tokandros offers none. As such, he has officially become patron god to criminals and thieves in the land. His cult, which remains secretive, believes that Tokandros is married to his sister, Abeitha, the spiteful Queen of Gorgons who is one of the Ten.

Abia – The goddess of Light and destiny. Abia is said to have been the one that awoke the First Men to the realities of the Primordials, and showed Katas the secret gate to the power of divinity. Abia’s aspects are a dichotomy, being secret knowledge contrasted with blinding, inescapable light. Her cult is small but dedicated, and her priests are renowned as great seers and oracles. She is unmarried, though it is said that she still bore children in the form of the first rakasta and some other more enigmatic immortal races. There is a secret elvish cult that believes Abia is the true mother of the elves, though they decry the notion that she at some point lay with Sahambla and birthed the rakasta.

Tartessa – the powerful goddess of the dead, Tartessa is supreme ruler of Zhol’Dran, and the harvester of souls. Her designs are enigmatic, and she pays a toll in potent souls to her former husband, Velos. Tartessa is said to have a keen hatred for the living, and openly despises the other gods, biding her time until the primordials return so that she may reap the harvest of souls that such an apocalypse will entail.

The Primordials

The ancient primordials are a mystery. A modern anthropologist might see this ancient pantheon as a fallen religion, trampled and absorbed by a younger usurper culture into their own myths, but the people of Pergerron know better, for the fabulous, mysterious and deadly ruins of the old era of the primordials dot the wilderness, tempting adventurers with treasure and doom. Old temples to these gods still abound, and the monsters of the world still seek to worship these lost gods. Even the current religion of the River Kingdoms acknowledges the power of the primordials, attributing the creation of the world and the elements to them.

There were ten great primordials and a host of unknown lesser primordials, but today all that exists to indicate their lost power outside of relics and ruins are the Servants of the Ten, a host of monstrous entities who claim to have been the last true children of the old gods, and who were destined to ascend to divinity before the Enkanneth stole the power away from them.

 There is little known of the old primordials, but their names are recorded as:

Sarpoxas – the god of chaos and lord of primordial. Depicted as a great red dragon with seven heads in most old images.

Druunas – the queen of all dragons and creator of the night sky. Depicted as a many colored dragoness with five heads. Certain ancient texts call her “Tiamat” by her primordial name.

Verethax – lord of fire. Depicted as an infernal giant wreathed in flame.

Sambador – creator of earth. Depicted as a greath earthen mass made of soil, worm and bone.

Vos Kar – the primordial of air and wind. Depicted as a great tornado filled with gargoyles that form an immense humanoid shape.

Yoka Vataras – goddess of the quintessence of magic, depicted as a being of pure darkness.

Trigaril – goddess of the waters of creation. Depicted as a great leviathan of the sea who sometimes manifests as a beautiful woman to lure sailors to their doom.

Pulsagral – old god of the dead, the lord of Hazata. Depicted as a pulsing mass of undead flesh that shifts form constantly.

Hox Nagor – the god of the ophidians and serpents, depicted as an immense snake, larger than the river Anansis itself.

Sahambla  – the destroyer, the reaver of all. Depicted as a storm of blades with two burning eyes.

The Servants of the Ten

Each of the servants are a beastly incarnate of their kind, powerful beyond measure and very nearly immortal, or so the stories claim. These are paragons of their species and noteworthy for being the driving force behind the hatred of humanity by monstrous kind. Whether or not some of these beings are truly sons and daughters of the primordials as they claim is an unverified belief, but what matters in the end is that their monstrous followers believe it to be true. Some of them, such as Sekulos and Palagor Harad, are clear that they are either direct or spiritual successors, the latest in a long line of the Servants of the Ten, elected or chosen by a means unknown to hold their station.

Abeitha – queen of the gorgons, daughter of Yoka Varatas

Samadar Phorain – lord of the minotaurs, successor to Vos Kar

Sekulos the Cunning – lord of goblins, successor to Verethrax

Palagor Harad – king of orcs, successor to Sambador

Sibitsen Muukol – king of the nagpa, successor to Sarpoxas

Skag – King of the manticores, successor to Verethrax

Kalabar Drethos – king of dragonkin, son of Druunas

Shuutol – king of the bargda, successor to Pulsagral

Astrea Vespis – queen of the ophidians, gatormen and lizardmen, daughter or Hox Nagor

Habatar Kasgardan – king of the beastkin and rakasta, son of Sahambla and Abia

Tales from the Watchers of the Sullen Vigil: The Gods of Sarvaelen

At long last! A return to the world of Sarvaelen. This time with a summary of the deities mentioned so far in the world:

A Summary of Known Gods in Sarvaelen (So Far)

Nevereth

Nevereth is a benevolent goddess, part of a strong young monotheistic pantheon that eschews the worship of the old gods, elementals and spirits as demons and unworthy in favor of the unifying goddess. In the wake of the destruction of Camrinal her minor cult achieved a great deal of traction among the survivors at that time, spreading throughout the lands of Sarvaelen like wildfire, to effectively dominate the religious beliefs of the land. Her faith is factionalized, based on a mixture of apocryphal texts and different sects and temples that espouse different forms of worship, but the remarkably pacificstic message of the goddess has led to minimal conflict and bloodshed among her own flock, which instead focuses its effort on exterminating the worship (and worshippers) of the old gods.

The Living Goddess Padmavati

Nagad goddess of Nagapuram. The Living Goddess manifests as a reincarnated female naga who is queen and ruler of the Naga lands.

Agharda, The Seven Headed Serpent

A heretical god of the naga, said to herald a unification of the seven old kingdoms, that will lead to naga dominance of Sarvaelen. A strong cult to this god exists in Aelghast called the Sydarites.

Wishara, Goddess of Luck

An old goddess of enigmatic nature and largely forgotten save for a mix of old folklore and legends.

Matrigias

One of the Old Gods, said to have given birth to the feyril. Her lore is considered profane by the church of Nevereth and worshippers are regarded as witches and warlocks.

The Dragon Cults

There are cults to the dragons, who are regarded either as the heralds of the Old Ones or children of them.

The Sun Dragon

A benevolent (theoretically) dragon that is even accepted as a sort of protector of the sun in the eyes of the Church of Nevereth.  Described as a protector of children, mothers and birth.

Cult of the Black Hag

Not regarded as a goddess but nonetheless feared and worshipped in Thaerinal, the Black Hag (once queen Threides) commands a great deal of respect and sacrifice from the locals of that torn land. Her cult is heresy in the eyes of the church of Nevereth.

Shamanza’gadhal

The so-called Lord of the Whispering Dark, a forgotten Old God. His worship is unknown now in the easterlands of Aeronost, though some Emoniae sorcerers still call upon his servants and spirits who invoke the deity. There are ties to this deity in some old tomes, suggesting his temple will rise again when the empire returns.

Satarnas

An elemental god of earth forgotten to time, an obscure deity who was driven to fame when the daughter of the last emperor took on the worship of the Old God shortly before the empire fell. No one today worships this old god, though some surviving imperial tomes may speak of it.

Eshraggol

The Dark Mother of the Selutar lizard men, one of the primal Old Gods and a deity that no human has ever voluntarily revered due to her aggressive, inimical stance against humanity.

Roeghast

A vile demon which manipulates the dreams and senses of its cultists in the northlands around Catalone, seeking followers amongst the locals of Aeronost as well as the mountain tribes of the Western Droamspires. Roeghast seeks to gain control of a mortal form, necessary through a specific ritual performed in an ancient henge on a small isle in Lake Vunares.

The Destroyer of Camrinal (Gaol?)

The nature of this Old God is unknown, but some Emoniae sorcerers suspect that it is the being known as Gaol. Gaol was regarded as one of the greatest and most potent of the Old Gods, a slumbering lord of chaos from which dark magic could be teased from his terrible dreams. The sorcerers of Emon’s greatest college of magics think that the Emperor awoke Gaol for a brief moment, bringing about the destruction of the empire. Still, there is no certainty as to the accuracy of this assertion.

The Old Gods

There were a number of these deities, some of which are still worshipped in Emon even today, but the belief in such gods has been stamped out due to the traumatic experience of the destruction of Camrinal and the rise of Nevereth (the fact that Nevereth herself was once regarded as an Old God is an issue of hot debate).

Benevolent Old Gods of note include: Yaramas, Vitru’Forazh, Kadellen, and Grotares.

Antagonistic or dangerous Old Gods were far more common, and included: Gaol, Eshraggol, Shamanza’gadhal, Traldreggor, Formos, Graeehn, and Valos.

There are many more old gods beside this, and some are utterly forgotten to memory, waiting for a lost tome to fall into the hands of a competent translator to restore the memory of their existence. The nature of the Old Gods is continuously up for debate, but the common belief is that they were a class of cosmic being which seeded the world with life, albeit as an accident of their great migration through space. Many of these old gods continued onward through the cosmic realms of space, but some settled deep in the earth, to sleep for eons, their awakening to happen at a predetermined time in the future. Their dreams create the quintessence, which is the arcane energy which sorcerers can steal to power magic.

Elemental Old Gods

Elemental Old Gods were given a special division as they were regarded as “primordials” and still are by the Emon of the west, who actually maintain temples to these primal deities. They were categorizes in three categories, being lesser elementals (minor summonable entities), Elemental Lords (entities which ruled over a specific region or landmark) and Elemental Gods, which were the beings that dominated their specific element. There were five elements, including earth, air, fire and water as well as the mysterious quintessence, which was the domain of the Old Gods.

The elemental gods are still known in Emon and are named as follows: Erasak (fire), Sylverune (water), Aisherus (air) and Grome (earth). The Emon, while revering this primordials, do not have any confusion about their dangerous natures, regarding them as something you tease sacred knowledge and magic from, but do not draw their attention, lest dire consequences befall you.

Source

The Gods of Astrophikus

   Astrophikus has literally thousands of gods, religions and belief systems in place. That said, there are a handful of gods that are worshipped by everyone, and universally accepted as the “principle deities” of the world in question:

Etah, the Golden Voyager

Lawful Good

   Etah is the god of knowledge and civilization, and a revered patron amongst most Astrophikans. He is believed to have been the one who led them on their voyage in prehistory to Aastrophikus and salvation. His teachings espouse that all mortals can ultimately attain godhood through the embrace of divine virtues.

Draeggaros the Star God

True Neutral

   Draeggaros is the Star God, and his worship began early on with the deceipherment of the greta obelisks that speak of his venerable heritage as the prison keeper of Sulziddaran. He is a mysterious and sometimes malevolent deity, who care nothing for forces of good and evil, but only balance. The communion with his spirit is only possible through living sacrifice. His greatest temples are found in Vulmeadea.

Sulziddaran the Imprisoned

Chaotic evil

   This primal, malevolent deity is said to have been one of many spawned by the elemental Chaos itself, sent to destroy reality and remake the world in an image more pleasing to the formless domain of chaos. Sulziddaran is a potent and ever-present force on Astrophikus, dwelling in slumbering imprisonment at the heart of the world, manipulating susceptible minds in to erratic and dangerous behavior, as it seeks eternally a means of escape.

Kothe

Lawful Neutral

   Kothe is a revered ancient god-spirit and patron lord of the eladrin of Astrophikus. Kothe is believed to have been a neverable eladrin who achieved immortal transcendence, and has long since been revered as the patron overseer of the race.

   Kothe’s edicts are one of superiority over all, and the dedication of the spirit to the evolution of the mind and soul. Much of the eladrin culture has embraced this philosophy, and used a mixture of the primarl Feywild’s potence and alchemical means to attain higher states of being as they seek to evolve their spirits in to something greater.

Susurus

Chaotic Neutral

   The nature of Susurus is a mystery, a great watery beast in the southern waters which some claim can be seen physically. It is believed to react to worship, and to allow safe passage for those who are sufficiently reverent, while sending storms and beasts to destoy those who do not. This god is primarily revered by the barbarian cultures of the coast who are practiced seafarers.

Phonatas

Chaotic Good

   The benign goddess of love and beauty is revered among the elves, who adopter her worship centuries ago from interaction with the elves of Lingusia. Phonatas is a deity who embodies lust, love, strength and many other raw emotions that are considered deeply empowering by the primal elves of Astrophikus.

 

Elisin

Lawful good

   Elisin is the goddess of peace and culture, and also imported for worship by the Astrophikan elves. Elisin is regarded as the calm counterpoint to Phonatas’s wild lusts, and the wizards and scholars of the elves pay homage to her.

Ningada

Neutral Good

   The god Ningada is an ancient deity, worshipped by the ancient elves of Astrophikus since time immemorial. He is believed to be an angelic seraph who ascended to godhood after the destruction of his ancient city upon the moon, and some tales say he brought about the birth of elvenkind from his own blood.

Metatron

Lawful Good

   The mysterious Metatron is worshipped by very few, but his existence is rarely debated. It is believed that if you quest deeply enough beneath the ruins of the moon Metaros you can find him, meditating, awaiting the time when he must rise forth to stem the tide of chaos once more. His followers are usually reverent inquisitors and paladins dedicated to thwarting chaos by any means necessary.

Hargameth

Neutral Evil

   The god of blood and thunder, a vicious primeval brute who relishes in warfare is strongly regarded by the northern barbarians of Nordravar, and though his worship has all but gone extinct in Lingusia, he is strong here on Astrophikus. Though many on Lingusia regarded him as a deity of order, he is widely regarded as a beast of both powers, with elements of order and chaos permeating his being. The Nordravari priests of Hargameth are potent soldiers in battle, and many barbarians swear by him.

Zingar

Chaotic Good

   The lord of the hunt is a strong deity and his worship has been with the natives of Astrophikus since the stone age. Zingar represents the spirit of the hunt, the ultimate power of nature and the interaction between man and his environment. Cults of rangers and barbarians are dedicated to him throughout the wilderlands.

Wolfon

True Neutral

   Wolfon has a strong following among the many beastmen of Astrophikus, from the gnolls and orcs to the minotaurs and beyond. The Shadow Wolf is said to roam the Shadowfell, and sacrifices of sufficient greatnes by his followers will call upon his might.

Staddak’Zuthul

Chaotic Evil

   The vile Staddak’Zuthul is said to be an ascended immortal, who achieved power stolen from the raw Chaos itself. His cults are numerous and surprisingly work at odds with the chaos cults, for Staddak’Zuthul does not want the slumbering darkness at the heart of Astrophikus to awaken, but instead for his own cult to subjugate and ultimately gain control over the many civilizations of the world in his own name. Rumors abound that the wizards and necromancers who follow this god work hard to make him the chief deity of the realm, and that he seeks to siphon away all of the chaos energies of the trapped Sulziddaran for his own. Staddak’Zuthul is said to d well in a powerful fortress on the plane of shadow.

The Eleven Divine Spirits

Various alignments

   The eleven immortals of Shinjiki Koru are said to have been elder gods from the old world, a faith so ancient and ingrained within the people of this land that they have always been with them. Indeed, Etah himself is considered one, the twelfth member of the Divine Hierarchy.

Tyrnada

Lawful good

   The benevolent Tyrnada is a beneficient deity who was imported from a remote world some thirteen hundred years ago, and over time her following spread to the four corners of the world. Her clerics are dedicated teachers and healers, and her message is one of peace and tolerance. Though her followers are often tortured and killed in regions where chaos gods are worshipped, she is nonetheless still popular, even in secret.

   The miraculous cures and blessings of Tyrnada’s priesthood are at least partially responsible for her popularity. The charitable priests of her faith will free do all they can to mend wounds, heal the sick and cure the ill in whatever way they can, and many are blessed with divine magic to aid them.

Karzak’Hadon

Neutral Good

   Karzak’Hadon is one of several ancient deities that existed on Astrophikus before the immigration times, and was worshipped amongst the ancient stone age cultures. He is a deity of primal earth and air, and said by some to be the entity in charge of insuring that the great prison of the world is never weathered such that it could be broken. He has a small but dedicated following, consisting of militant templars who serve his cause by destroying demonic influences that could corrupt the prison of Sulziddaran.