Gaianar Deities
The World of Gaianar has a variety of gods with different specialties and different moral/ethical alignments. Some deities were always gods while others used to be human and ascended to godhood later. A god is vastly more powerful than a mortal, moderately more powerful than an Archangel, but they are not omnipotent. Gods can multitask, but they are not omnipresent. Gods have vast stores of knowledge due to their long lives and the steady flow of devotional energy, but they are not omniscient. This page is still being developed.
Gods, Goddesses, Angels, and Eternal Beings
Gaianar has had a long and rich history, marked by significant scientific achievement, artistic greatness, and technological innovation. It has also had its share of atrocities, wars, and societal collapse. While most of what the natives accomplished (either good or bad) they did so on their own, the gods did occasionally play a catalyzing role in what ultimately came to pass.
To understand the gods of Gaianar, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the world’s history. When humanity was young and first coming into its sentience, the people of this world were looking for answers, for guidance, and for hope. The power of this collective devotional wish called down entities from the Planes of Radiance, Elements, and Shadow to investigate what these new creatures were and what they wanted. These extraplanar entities – now known as gods – disagreed mightily as to what constituted “help” and how much (or how little) help should be given. Some gods created human versions of themselves in order to explore this world directly and to help understand the people. Sometimes these avatars were venerated while other times they were murdered.
After a few centuries into the first age of human sentience, the collective light of this world draw the attention of two malevolent entities whose native plane was the Conflagration. Whereas the gods native to light, shadow, and elemental realms appreciated the spirit and ingenuity of the mortals under their watchful care, the gods Scaxathrom and Illuthiel found humanity wanting and ridiculed the other gods for finding value in vermin. It was not until many centuries later that a third evil god (Sarcophka) literally crash-landed on Gaianar after being expelled from his pantheon on his home world.
It should be noted that “power” and “influence” are two completely different stats. Power refers to the deity's overall potency and command of energy. In a God vs God fight, the power levels often help determine who wins. It is also a benchmark of the ability of the deity to channel profound miracles. For example, can the God heal ten-thousand at once, or only five-hundred. Power also is an indicator of multitasking capability.
Influence, on the other hand, is reflective of the size of the God’s religion and how often he/she is willing to manifest on behalf of the people. For example, Nysnia has a much higher power level than Saint Eldra, but Saint Eldra has more influence because she intervenes more often and for more people.
Abbon Mort
Power Level: Low (previously None)
Influence: Moderate (previously Low; he is now venerated by more than thieves)
Alignment: Heroic (Chaos/Good)
Consort: None (He isn't monogamous )
Symbol: Poker cards (spade, heart, diamond, club); gold “T” for “Thief”
Portfolio: Skill, tinkering, exploration, bardic exploits, theft, music, crafting, stage magic, theater, luck
Typical Followers: Thieves, Jacks, Wishsingers, various kinds of adventurers, gamblers, mercenaries, live performers, professional singers, people who engage in high-level heists
Abbon Mort is an ascended deity (like Saint Eldra). In life, Abbon Mort was known as Mortimer Abbot. However, linguistic drift does tend to alter one’s name over the centuries. In many ways, Abbon Mort was sort of a Leonardo DaVinci of his time (albeit a heterosexual version, and one not too enthralled with abiding by criminal laws). Abbon Mort was skilled at building bizarre contraptions, weapon design, blacksmithing, metallurgy, painting, singing, composing, acting, drag racing, working on cars, and juggling. He also liked West Point’s party scenes – especially in Rivna with its riverboat gambler ships. Never the marrying kind, he had fair maidens (and maidens of other complexions) in various ports throughout the world.
Of course, Abbon Mort’s lifestyle wasn’t cheap. He also noticed that most people were a lot poorer than he was and worked a lot harder. The desire to help himself to more cash while at the same time helping the downtrodden is was what inspired Mortimer Abbot to turn to a life of crime. Being a thief with principles, he didn’t just steal from just any hapless citizen. He attracted to his service some of the most talented thieves on West Point. And, together, they stole from the wealthiest people on the planet. Abbon Mort lived by a kind of code wherein he would keep half of his takings for himself and his minions while using the rest to fund various charities.
When not robbing the rich and going on world tours as a professional musician, Mortimer Abbot was a part-time weapon system designer for the West Point government. He was, in fact, the designer of the Caligara Security Widowmaker 9 handgun (the standard sidearm of the West Point army) as well as the Slasher-II monofilament rapier (the standard melee weapon of the West Point navy). He also had a love of tinkering and building contraptions (like automatic can openers and various kitchen appliances).
Sadly, Mortimer Abbot met an end that was in keeping with the way he lived. He got accidentally electrocuted while designing a new type of high-capacity battery that he had intended to sell to Rivna Power. After his death, it was quickly revealed that his mansion was something of a death trap – what with the dozens of unfinished projects all taking up most of the rooms of the house. Still, such was Abbot’s cult following that he was revered by musician, engineer, and thief alike. Over the centuries, his name gradually morphed into “Abbon Mort”. The devotional energy his cult followers elevated Abbon Mort into a deity.
Abbon Mort remains active in Human affairs (and other races too). He is a young god (like Saint Eldra) and prefers the company of mortals to deities. He likes to party and gamble (albeit without the wanton recklessness of the Crystal Father). Or he might warn off a gambling house patron if the management is known to rig the deck. And he’s sired quite a few offspring that are mostly mortal. His divine-touched children usually manifest a slight edge over their contemporaries, usually in the form of good luck, an affinity for figuring out machines, or being good at cards.
Abbon Mort usually doesn’t announce himself when he manifests. For example, he might encounter an engineer at a bar and offer some unsolicited insight that is helpful to the engineer’s project. Sometimes he may appear as a substitute teacher in a Vo-Tech school.
While the god who was Mortimer Abbot is most widely known as a god of thieves, the truth of the matter is that Abbon Mort really only appreciates competent thieves, not run-of-the-mill street thugs. He may be impressed by a bold and ambitious jewelry heist. He is not impressed by a youthful felon who mugs an old lady for her grocery money.
As it stands today: Abbon Mort suffers from an ill-deserved reputation as a god who universally approves of crime. He does approve of crime for the right reasons, but that difference doesn’t mean much to those of Lawful alignments. With the return of civilization, much more of Abbon Mort’s devotional energy has been coming from engineers, craftsmen, and artists. Thieves do still venerate him, but that energy is proportionally a smaller amount compared to the other sources. This trend has caused Abbon Mort’s alignment to become firmly seated in Heroic (Chaos/Good).
The Ancestral Father
Power Level: High
Influence: Moderate (like the Ancestral Mother, he will let people fail to learn lessons)
Alignment: Benevolent (Neutral/Good)
Consort: The Ancestral Mother
Symbol: Lightning Bolt; red and white drum
Portfolio: Weather (particularly storms), music, tradition, storytelling, battle, humor, celebrations
Typical Followers: Shamans, Rangers, Barbarians, mystics, Warriors, Wishsingers, musicians, performers, meteorologists, writers, composers, wise ones, most South Point natives, and anyone who values family and ancestors.
Like the Ancestral Mother, this deity was first attracted to humanity due to his curiosity concerning the practice of ancestor worship. And like his consort, the Ancestral Father prefers to work through intermediaries (ascended ancestors) rather than through direct intervention. When he does manifest, the Ancestral Father appears as a young, breathtakingly handsome dark-skinned man in his 30s. He usually has a knowing smile and is garbed in red and white. He often carries a drum (which can make music or summon storms – depending on his current purpose.)
The Ancestral Father is more cheerful and more direct than his consort. He is willing to inspire his followers to write music and/or stories. He is also a god of battle (albeit he prefers that humans refrain from instigating brand-new wars). If he manifest in battle, he carries a spear capable of generating powerful lightning bolts. He is also immune to lightning.
As time has passed, and the number of wars has decreased, the “battle” manifestation of the Ancestral Father rarely appears anymore. He has primarily focused on inspiring the next generation of musicians, bards, and writers rather than guiding warriors. Likewise, the Ancestral Father frequently uses his power over storms to mitigate the excesses of Nysnia when hurricanes head towards various South Point ports.
As it stands now: South Point recovered from the Great Cataclysm faster than the other three continents. As civilization reasserted itself on the southern continent, the devotional energy from its people caused the Ancestral Father’s alignment to gradually shift from Heroic (Chaos/Good) to Benevolent (Neutral/Good). This is primarily due to the Southern folk placing a high premium on teamwork, sharing of burdens, honor, and family. The Ancestral Father has evolved into more of a teacher/guide than warrior.
The Ancestral Mother
Power Level: High
Influence: Moderate (she is not opposed to letting people fail, if the failure also teaches)
Alignment: Saintly (Law/Good)
Consort: The Ancestral Father
Symbol: Full moon with faint rays emanating in the four directions
Portfolio: Nature, home, duty, honor, courage, battle, justice, science, wisdom, family, life/death/rebirth, protection, wards, (and, recently, herbalism)
Typical Followers: Shamans, Rangers, Barbarians, mystics, Warriors, historians, archaeologists, scientists, teachers, most South Point natives, and anyone who values family and ancestors.
The people of South Point have always had a tradition of honoring their ancestors and remembering those who came before. When Humans came into full sentience and gained the ability to read and write, two spiritual entities were intrigued by the way this particular culture was dedicated to the past.
As these gods slowly became shaped by the devotional energy of the South Point residents, they resolved into a kind of cosmic mother and father. As the South Point civilization was matriarchal, the Ancestral Mother became the chief goddess of that culture and the Ancestral Father was the honored consort to the Mother. The two deities have very different natures and portfolios. But together, they can serve nearly any call.
The Ancestral Mother may be grim and harsh, but she is also loving. She is the kind of parent who knows that her children sometimes need to learn hard lessons firsthand in order to understand the consequences. The Ancestral Mother is a warrior first and a scientist second. Through her influence, the people of South Point developed forms of martial arts and magical practices not found elsewhere (the Ancestral Mother does not see much difference between magic and science – both have their uses).
Being something of a distant mother (she knew early on that coddling this fledgling sentient race would stunt their growth), she allowed the Ancestors to act as intermediaries for prayer and supplication. After all, she was never Human, but the spirits of the dead certainly once were. She soon found that, as long as the dead were properly honored, that the spirits were more than willing to help their living descendants.
The Ancestral Mother is a champion of women, families, and children. She is the goddess of the home. But she is also a fierce warrior who will cast spears and spells with equal alacrity. She does not suffer fools and she does not forgive the unrepentant.
True followers of the Ancestral Mother’s ways tend to be logical, thoughtful, and reserved. They often have good self-control and have a genuine curiosity as to how the world works (either from a scientific or magical perspective). They are slow to anger and dangerous when their anger boils over. The Ancestral Mother’s own traits are imprinted from that devotional energy.
During the War Above and Below, the Ancestral Mother’s rage was triggered when the Mad God allowed Scaxathromite forces to unleash a plague of poisonous snakes (and other injurious vermin) upon South Point. Tens of thousands of her followers died in just the first few weeks while twice that number were incapacitated from bites that ultimately proved non-fatal. Being a goddess of home and family, the Ancestral Mother brandished her mighty spear against the Mad God, standing alongside the True One and Domalon in a battle that nearly cracked the sky open.
Following the defeat of the Mad God, the Ancestral Mother became interested in herbalism. She had felt powerless to aid her bitten followers and vowed to fill in the gaps of her knowledge. And so she inspired her faithful in the ways of using plants, herbs, and roots to undo poisons and diseases.
As it stands now: The Ancestral Mother remains a potent goddess of the people of South Point. Her strategy of empowering the Ancestors has caused her to gradually increase her level of energy as the centuries passed. She serves as a beacon of order and moral fortitude in a world that often loses sight of the higher ideals.
The Companion
Power Level: Moderate (previously low)
Influence: High (manifests at maximum capability and is a popular goddess)
Alignment: Benevolent (Neutral/Good)
Consort: The True One
Symbol: Hearth fire; Cauldron
Portfolio: Protection of the home, Guardian of women and children, herbalism, medicine, education, luck, and mercy
Typical Followers: Protectors, good-aligned female witches of all traditions, Priests, physicians, juvenile justice workers, social workers, and anyone who values protecting the weak from the strong, and who abhors child abuse.
In the beginning, the Companion was more than happy with letting the Mad God and the True One be the glory seekers. While they sought battle against foul demons and blood-thirsty invaders, the Companion was always more about aiding the individual. Her mission was never about personal ego. Instead, she considers herself a Protector (like her husband). Unlike her husband, her scope and mission differed greatly in target and scale. Whereas the True One seeks to defend the whole world at once – in a distant and abstract sort of way – the Companion seeks to protect the individual people of Gaianar rather than the world itself. There is a significant difference in outcome. The True One may send an Angel to repel a summoned demon that is bent on destroying an entire city at once. The Companion might cause a cooking pot to fall over and thus spill water on a fire that would otherwise consume an occupied cottage. The True One sends may send a Saint with a huge army in tow. The Companion might keep the roof from collapsing during a blizzard. Both save lives, both protect. But the Companion is more of a personal and approachable god than her husband.
The fact of the matter is that the Companion is most likely of the gods to visibly manifest (Domalon is in second place in this regard). She typically appears as a trim, fit, attractive woman in her 50’s with raven hair streaked with white. She reportedly has a warm smile and kind eyes. When she intervenes, it is usually in response to some personal disaster such as a sick child, a life-threatening pregnancy, or to ease the passing of a terminally ill person in pain. She never lingers once her job is done.
In the events leading up to the War Above and Below, the Companion had beseeched the Mad God to rest and let the True One do the heavy lifting for a while. However, by the time the Companion made that suggestion, the Mad God’s mind had already been poisoned for several decades. When the final battle was fought, she drew blades right alongside her husband. And, in the centuries that followed, she has tried again and again to convince the True One to forgive himself for what he ultimately had to do.
The Companion learned a very different lesson than her husband did. Whereas the True One became more distant (ever fearful that he could become corrupted like the Mad God), the Companion became more interventionist. She believes that the War Above and Below could have been avoided if only she had reached out to the Mad God several decades before she actually did.
Gods can be several places at once – sometimes many places at once – but they cannot be everywhere at once. To this day, the Companion uses her multi-instance capability to its maximum extent so as to help as many people as possible in small ways. This is in diametric contrast to her husband who never corporally manifests anywhere and uses his abilities at full power in singular instances of large-scale combat. Because the Companion multitasks so extensively, no manifestation of her presence is particularly powerful. If she shows up, she will help, but it will be in human-level scales of power.
While the Companion is not particularly warlike, she is a Protector. She is more than willing to avenge the murder of children and will hunt down rapists. She is not always successful (again, her multitasking causes her to have human-level power when she manifests), but she always tries to balance she scales of justice when women and children are involved.
As it stands now: The Companion is popular amongst members of the healing professions – particularly doctors and those who heal with medicines instead of spells. She is called upon by midwives and childcare providers. She is popular amongst cooks, home builders, and architects who design residences. She is a favorite amongst teachers – particularly those who teach small children. With the death of the Mad God, her power has increased because she can no longer morally afford to not be vigilant.
The Crystal Father
Power Level: Low (previously Moderate)
Influence: Low (he is well past his prime)
Alignment: Chaotic (Chaos/Neutral); previously Heroic (Chaos/Good)
Consort: The Crystal Mother (aka Chrysalis)
Symbol: A winding road; A mountain peak
Portfolio: Partying, debauchery, theater, extravagance, drugs/booze, travel, storytelling
Typical Followers: Artists, poets, musicians, travelers, creative people, outcasts, nonconformists, free-thinkers, hedonists, people who enjoy promiscuity, party-goers, and thrill-seekers.
Prior to the War Above and Below, the Crystal Father was a different kind of deity. Charnamak was god who inspired adventures, exploration, thrill-seeking, and loud music. How he came to be a washed-up, drunken, whoring, party-hound is a sad, tragic story. Like his consort, the Crystal Father came later in Gaianar’s history than Domalon, Nysnia, the True One, and the Companion. After all, who has time for thrill-seeking and exploration when one has to hunt for dinner and cultivate crops? And so the Crystal Mother and Crystal Father sort of evolved as “suburban gods” and were venerated by people whose lives were generally easier than their ancestors. Charnamak was a free spirit who inspired his followers to explore the world, write exciting music, tell amazing tales, and host huge parties. The Crystal Father abhorred boredom but not much else.
And so, the Crystal Father was too busy with trivial, worldly pursuits to notice that the Mad God was doing most of the heavy lifting when it came to keeping the world safe. Charnamak reasoned that if the Mad God needed help with anything, all he would have to do is ask. Unfortunately, the Mad God never asked.
When the Mad God’s mind finally broke, the Crystal Father was unprepared for the protector-god’s attack. After all, the Mad God had been fighting evil for millennia, who would suspect that he would suddenly turn evil? Charnamak was a god of travel and theater and the Mad God was a warrior god with several thousand years more experience in the “god” business. The Crystal Father never stood a chance when the Mad God attacked. And yet, it was not Charnamak who was destroyed. It was Charnamak’s daughter.
The desire for revenge became the sole focus of the Crystal Father’s life. When the other gods banded together to slay the Mad God, Charnamak was more than happy to lend his aid. And, truly, the Mad God was slain and his remnant essence exiled for all eternity. In the aftermath, however, the Crystal Father soon discovered that his marriage was just as dead as his daughter. Chrysalis blamed him for not properly protecting their cherished offspring.
In the centuries that followed, the Crystal Father turned to booze and hedonism as a means of trying to forget. When he manifests, it is usually to get blindingly drunk at an orgy party. Charnamak is probably the father of hundreds of unplanned children who are (mostly) human and also have a spark of divinity that gives them a special advantage in music, theater, or exploration. Charnamak’s children may also be somewhat more beautiful and charismatic than a offspring of mere mortals.
The bigger and more decadent the celebration, the more likely it is that Charnamak will show up unannounced. Charnamak might seem like the life of the party, but it is a cover for the sadness and loss of his daughter and wife.
The Crystal Father encourages his followers to “live life to the max since tomorrow is not guaranteed!” Charnamak makes few plans and lives in the “now” (with “now” being where ever there is a party, concert, show, or thrill-experiment).
As it stands now: The Crystal Father’s power has been steadily declining for centuries. He has not spent much effort into recruitment. Moreover, the quality of his deific inspirations leave a lot to be desired these days. He also attracts a rather narrow demographic – teens and college students. When his followers “grow up”, they tend to start venerating more mature deities.
The Crystal Mother
Power Level: Low (previously Moderate)
Influence: Low (previously Moderate)
Alignment: Malevolent (Neutral/Evil); previously Lawful (Lawful/Neutral)
Consort: The Crystal Father (aka Charnamak)
Symbol: A perfect crystal
Portfolio: Art, math, music, beauty, perfection
Typical Followers: Artists, scholars, people obsessed with perfection, people who value physical beauty over inner beauty, people who support eugenics
Once upon a time, the Crystal Mother and Crystal Father were a happy divine pair with a beloved daughter. While it is not known how often the gods sire children, the event is likely rare due to their exceedingly long lifespans. The crystal-duo were latecomers to the deity business. For it was not until civilization was firmly established that humanity had the time and resources to spend on art for art’s sake (devotional energy for the Crystal Mother) and enjoyment for enjoyment’s sake (devotional energy for the Crystal Father).
The Crystal Mother (also known as Chrysalis), prior to the War Above and Below, was a goddess that valued artistic expression, song, scientific advancement, and beauty. She often heard the prayers of artists looking for inspiration and the scientist looking for that special insight that resolves in a “eureka” moment. She often rewarded her most faithful followers with lasting youth and beauty. Thus, a Crystallin in her 50’s might look 30, where a Crystallin in her 70’s might look 45. The Crystal Mother never extended life, merely the period of life in which one has physical beauty.
Her consort, the Crystal Father, was a god of bliss, adventure, discovery, and excitement. Honoring the Crystal Father was always easy – just throw a party that everyone enjoys, or go on an exciting vacation, or go rock climbing, or just do something fun and stimulating. For the Crystal Father, boredom was one of the few sins that he recognized.
All that changed when the Mad God went on the rampage that triggered the War Above and Below. The Mad God never had a consort. How could he when his whole life was dedicated to defending Gaianar from demons, aliens, and hostile god? But other gods had mates. Other gods got to rest. And so, the Mad God – jealous of the comfortable, suburban existence that the Crystal Mother and Crystal Father carved out for themselves – reached out to harm them in the only way they could realistically be harmed. The Mad God killed their daughter.
This action galvanized the Crystal Mother and Father to act in revenge. They joined the other gods and made war against the much more powerful Mad God. And murderous deity was indeed slain and his spirit was cast to the periphery for all time.
In the aftermath of the war, grief ate at the Crystal Mother’s spirit. Her daughter was dead. The Crystal Mother assessed the situation and determined that everyone around her who should have been strong had instead been weak and flawed. The Mad God was flawed for letting his mind get so tired as to be corrupted by the Conflagration. The True One was flawed and weak for waiting so long to confront his brother. Her own husband was flawed and weak for not being able to repel the Mad God when he tried (and failed) to act as a defense between the insane deity and their daughter. Even her own daughter was deemed weak and flawed. She was a goddess in her own right, so why was she slain so easily?
Having come to the conclusion that the War Above and Below must never happen again, the Crystal Mother demanded perfection from her followers – abject, unerring perfection. And she was also never going to suffer the loss of an imperfect child. She demanded of her followers that babies born with defects must be slain. Unwanted children are fed to whirling pits of death called “Generators”, where the life-essence of those children were extracted and used by the Crystallin clergy for various potions and drafts (potions of youth are a popular seller, as are love potions).
The Crystal Mother rarely manifests these days. Why should she? After all, the world is in too imperfect a form to truly appreciate her crystalized beauty. Indeed, she considers most humans “dirty” and views the other races as scum. As time passed, she began to find comfort in the idea of eugenics. If she had her way, the world would be filled only with intelligent, physically beautiful, healthy Humans. It would be devoid of the ugly, the crippled, the stupid, and the “mongrel races” like Changelings, Dwarves, and Elves.
As it stands now: Due to the Crystal Mother’s ideas on race and eugenics, she no longer has any non-human followers. This has caused her power level to decrease from “Moderate” to “Low”. However, she would in any case only accept devotional energy from those she deems worthy. Aside from racists and eugenicists, the Crystal Mother remains popular with artists, researchers, engineers, and architects (professions that generally require the finished product to be both perfect and beautiful). However, while the Crystal Mother is more than happy to provide inspiration, she also tends to inspire her followers to utterly destroy their work if the outcome is flawed in any way.
Del Tannon
Power Level: Low (previously High)
Influence: Moderate (he has recently added blacksmiths and miners to his worshippers)
Alignment: Lawful (Lawful/Neutral)
Consort: Himari
Symbol: Sword and shield; gauntleted fist
Portfolio: Combat, justice, self-discipline, war, strategy, honor (and, recently, crafting/mining)
Typical Followers: Cavaliers, Warriors of non-chaotic alignments, Gunslingers, judges, lawyers, law enforcement, martial artists, anyone who believes that society is better with laws, anyone who believes that war should be efficient and orderly.
Del Tannon was given form by his followers later in the First Age of Sentience than Domalon and Nysnia. After all, people desired food and clothing before they desired conquering nations and subjugating enemies. As humanity evolved from hunter/gathering tribes into full-blown clans capable of building settled towns, there came a need to defend one’s town from lawless bandits and outside tribes who were intent on getting something for nothing. And so Del Tannon gradually resolved into being a Warrior’s god.
Del Tannon has a consort widely venerated on East Point. Her name is Himari (“Sunflower”). Whatever her portfolio originally was, it is something quite different now. Whereas Del Tannon fights battles with swords and bows and guns, his wife fights battles in bureaucracies, courts, and contracts. Both are skilled warriors in their own ways and their interests complement each other quite nicely. For example, Del Tannon might inspire a general with innovative battle tactics while Himari might inspire a surrender document that is humane and makes a revenge-war less likely.
The God of War was once much more powerful than he is today. Back before the Great Cataclysm, the four Points went to full-blown war at least once each century. The North hated the South, the East hated the West. As technology improved, wars got fought with machine guns, tanks, submarines, and airplanes. In the decades leading up to the Great Cataclysm, Del Tannon’s power rivaled that of the True One.
Then the Scaxathrom became incarnate and the world governments fell. Del Tannon’s followers were mostly killed by Undead or bitten by poisonous snakes and other toxic vermin. While the Viper-Lord preferred actual vipers, he certainly had no qualms about sending scorpions, poisonous toads, large spiders, and blood-sucking insects (that also carried diseases). Any plant or animal capable of delivering poison, venom, or disease was fair game for Scaxathrom’s purposes.
As the living were converted into walking corpses, few of the risen dead stayed loyal to Del Tannon and thus the Battle God’s power dwindled as humanity lost the war against the unquiet dead. Following Scaxathrom’s defeat, the days of world-wide war were over (and have not returned). The 400-year Dark Age made simple survival a top priority the remnant of humanity had lost its taste for war.
During the Dark Age, a strange thing happened amongst the followers of Del Tannon. Children born to human parents were born smaller and tougher. While these children grew only to four feet in height (on average), they had a propensity for muscle development and a knack for eye-hand coordination. Moreover, it soon became apparent that this new kind of person (called “Dwarves”) were highly resistant to poison, had very tough skin, and could see shades of deep red that their human parents could not. For it came to pass that Del Tannon decided that never again would his followers be felled by trivialities such as snake bites and diseases. To this day, Dwarves are the most resilient when exposed to toxins, venom, and infectious hazards.
Del Tannon does not manifest with much frequency. However, he keeps his multitasking to a minimum when he does. Therefore, Del Tannon’s manifest power far exceeds that of a normal human. Del Tannon usually appears as either a Dwarven (or Human) battle general in full plate mail (complete with dents and scrapes) or as a Dwarven (or Human) blacksmith (with soot-covered hands and a singed beard).
While Dwarves still have a zeal for hand-to-hand combat, the centuries-long shortage of wars has left them seeking other pass-times. The immunities conferred by Del Tannon has gifted the Dwarves with an affinity for mining and crafting. To this day, Dwarven-made weapons and armor are some of the best that one can purchase.
As it stands now: Del Tannon’s power level hit rock bottom two centuries ago but is once again waxing due to his decision to diversify his portfolio. By appealing to miners, craftsmen, and blacksmiths, Del Tannon now receives devotional energy from followers previously not interested in war. Of course, if this trend continues, Del Tannon runs the risk of no longer being a warrior’s god. In a few more centuries, he could be more commonly regarded as a crafter’s god.
Domalon
Power Level: Moderate
Influence: High (popular faith; god frequently intervenes)
Alignment: Heroic (Chaos/Good), previously Chaotic (Chaos/Neutral)
Consort: Nysnia
Symbol: A full (or crescent) moon; a stylized wolf
Portfolio: Hunting, farming, herding, nature, forests, plains, deserts, life, ecology
Typical Followers: Elves, Barbarians, Rangers, Shamans, ecologists, wanderers, hermits, outdoorsmen, hunters, farmers, herders, and anyone who feels close ties to nature.
Domalon and Nysnia are the Lord and Lady of Nature for those whose devotion chiefly involves the veneration of the living world. Priests of Domalon usually worship Nysnia in a secondary fashion, while Priests of Nysnia also worship Domalon in a secondary fashion. Domalon’s domain is land-based ecology whilst Nysnia rules the sea. As Gaianar’s surface is over 90% covered by water, one would intuitively assume that Nysnia would be much more powerful that Domalon. However, Domalon’s beloved consort is in fact much less powerful because a lot fewer people make their homes upon the open waves or along the coasts. Unlike the Crystal Mother and Crystal Father, Domalon and Nysnia do not have any offspring (or if they do, they have managed to keep this fact secret).
Domalon was one of the first gods to be shaped by devotional energy. Being (initially) the god of hunters and gatherers, the plea for food predated the advanced notions of social justice and mental health by several thousand years. And so Domalon became a god who tried to help his followers obtain sustenance. He inspired his followers to work with nature so that the animals they ate would not go extinct and the crops they planted would not destroy the soil. He inspired them to plant trees to replace ones cut down for homes and tools.
As humans became more civilized, the devotional energy had a civilizing effect on Domalon. He stopped manifesting as magical animals and instead took on a more human form when materially manifesting. Unlike the True One, Domalon is the god very likely to directly manifest to his followers in times of need. Domalon generally appears as a rugged, burly outdoorsman of indeterminant age. Sometimes he is dressed as a hunter, other times he looks like a park ranger. Sometimes he is dressed as a farmer, rancher, or cowboy. He doesn’t spread himself as thin as the Companion, so his power level when manifesting is generally above human-level.
Over the centuries, Domalon’s portfolio expanded to include agriculture and herding. Additionally, Domalon developed a taste for music as his followers became more advanced and sophisticated. This was made manifest by a new type of clergy called a “Lord of the Dance” (or “Lady of the Dance” as the case may be). This clergy calling was in addition to “Lord/Lady of the Hunt” and “Wayfinder”.
Following the War Above and Below, Domalon became more intimately aware of just how fragile humanity was and how easily the ecology could be destroyed. The Mad God taught a lasting lesson in that regard.
Following the War Above and Below, a strange thing happened amongst Domalon’s followers. Some children born amongst the faithful were… different. They grew to be taller, have pointed ears, improved eyesight, and a deep connection to Nature. These children were later called “Elves”.
Domalon created this race in response to the ecological devastation inflicted by the Mad God. Elves have longer lives and have an innate appreciation for the natural world. Likewise, they generally appreciate art and music.
As it stands now: Domalon is a popular god, especially on West Point. Domalon’s portfolio has grown to include agriculture and herding. The civilizing influence from his followers’ devotional energy has gradually moved Domalon’s alignment from Chaotic to Heroic. Rather than simply representing the forces of nature, Domalon now represents the partnership between sentient beings and nature.
The Elemental Guardians
Power Level: Moderate
Influence: Moderate (they do respond, although their ways are alien)
Alignment: Chaotic (Chaos/Neutral)
Consort: None (they are complete as a set)
Symbol: A “+” sign; triangles in yellow, red, blue, and green; a Pentacle
Portfolio: Nature, seasons, raw energy, life/death/rebirth, seasons, ecology, protection, wards
Typical Followers: Shamans, Rangers, Barbarians, mystics, philosophers, ecologists, meteorologists, witches of many varieties, pantheists, and people who seek the divine in non-anthropomorphic forms.
The Elemental Guardians were the first set of deities to be attracted to Gaianar by the light of human sentience. Primitive people had an intuitive grasp about the symbolic aspects of Nature: Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. These entities became further defined into those roles by the power of human devotional energy.
These entities have never been known to speak, prophesy, or manifest in human form. They do, however, have a good track record of responding when called. They will always seek to help. However, due to their non-humanoid nature, they don’t always understand what actions or interventions would actually be helpful.
The Guardians are the least humanlike and most alien of the Gaianarian deities. They were never human. They have never incarnated. They have never developed a language and seem to not be in need of one. The do not seek worship. They do not appear to have egos. And yet, they have a surprising habit of aiding those who call to them.
The most common aid that Elemental Guardians offer is in the form of wards. Magical practitioners have historically called upon Guardians for creating magic circles that repel Undead, evil spirits, vermin, and other sources of harm.
Elemental Guardians care quite a bit about Nature. Wars, atrocities, and man’s inhumanity to man rarely garner the Guardians’ attention. Despoiling the ecology almost always does.
Oddly enough, Elemental Guardians often play a role in religious services conducted by practitioners of the Domalite and Nysnian faiths. The Elemental Guardians are often called in honor subsequent to calls to Domalon and Nysnia. This is also sometimes the case in the Ancestral faith.
While the Elemental Guardians were not particularly moved by the wars that the Mad God started, they certainly took notice when the polar ice caps melted and a meteor struck the center of East Point. Those two acts wreaked havoc with the ecology. The state of the environment as it was before never returned. Although Gaianar has a rich, vibrant ecosystem, it is very different than it was prior to the War Above and Below.
Subsequent to the War Above and Below, the Elemental Guardians have been primarily focused on making East Point more amenable to life. While the damage to the land cannot be undone, the Elemental entities have instead chosen to accelerate the evolution of the plants and animals that did survive the blast. As a result, flora and fauna native to East Point are now much more resistant to heat and dehydration. The humans that were ative to East Point have been slowly adapted as well, for they require less water and are more resistant to sun sickness than their counterparts on other Points.
As it stands now: The Elemental Guardians remain the focus a niche religion with a loyal following. They have changed very little since the dawn of human sentience. From their perspective, the seasons still change, the rains fall, the sun shines, the tides flow – so there appears to be no pressing need to become something else. For the followers of this faith, simpler is sometimes better.
Himari
Power Level: Moderate (previously Low)
Influence: Low (her influence is, however, slowly increasing)
Alignment: Lawful (Lawful/Neutral)
Consort: Del Tannon
Symbol: Sunflower; quill pen
Portfolio: Legal justice, courts, bureaucracies, self-discipline, strategy, honor (and, recently, politics and education)
Typical Followers: Lawyers, judges, teachers, diplomats, spies, law enforcers, Gunslingers, Cavaliers, and anyone who sees the value of an ornate and powerful central government.
Himari is a different kind of warrior. She does not fight hand-to-hand. Instead, most of her disciples fight in courts, in politics, in debate halls, in classrooms, and in the houses of government. By Himari’s reasoning, a well-worded treaty can accomplish everything a war can but without the loss of life and property. The most powerful of warriors are the ones who can claim victory without shedding a drop of blood. Therefore, the followers of Himari tend to be people of high Influence, a gifted intellect, and able to control one’s emotions.
Himari and Del Tannon have a mutually complementary relationship. Del Tannon’s followers may wage a pitched war while Himari’s followers may write the ground rules for what happens after the war is over. A typical Himari follower is a judge, lawyer, constable, special agent, or spy. Recently, Himari has dealt with the lack of wars by expanding her portfolio to include politics and education. With there being more teachers and civil servants than judges and spies, Himari has seen a rather rapid uptick in her power over the last two centuries – especially after the reestablishment of law and order following the Dark Age.
It should be noted that Himari’s previous portfolio is unknown. Given that her name means “Sunflower”, it is likely that she was once a nature or agricultural deity. During the War Above and Below, the Mad God directed an asteroid to strike East Point. This attack wiped out most of the cities on the Eastern continent and turned the central portion into a crater that is several hundred miles wide. Most of the arable land was sterilized by ash and fire. So, if Himari had been an agricultural deity, she was essentially out of business. That did not stop her from joining her consort (Del Tannon) in the final battle against the Mad God.
With almost all of the farmlands destroyed, the remnant cities on East Point turned to fishing and hydroponics. They also started trading with South Point for food (in exchange for rare minerals that the meteor strike unintentionally made available). To assure the survival of the people of East Point, Himari inspired them in the ways of writing treaties and contracts. A contract inspired by Himari is as diabolical as a Del Tannon sword is strong.
Himari, like the True One, generally does not physically manifest. She is content to send dreams of inspiration to her followers as well as sparks of insight at the right moments. If she were to manifest, she would likely take on the appearance of a professional legal scholar (such as a judge or an attorney).
As it stands now: Himari has recovered nicely from the loss of her original portfolio. Of all the gods, she is the one that seems most ready to adapt with the changing times. She has been making a lot on inroads with teachers and educators by pointing out that knowledge is a way to accumulate power and independence.
Illuthiel
Power Level: Low
Influence: Low (she is too crazy to have a significant, organized following.)
Alignment: Satanic (Chaos/Evil)
Consort: None (gods and mortals alike generally have better self-preservation)
Symbol: Flaming skull; skeleton hand holding a bloody knife
Portfolio: Murder, mayhem, disease, revenge, sadism, destruction, death, paranoia, madness
Typical Followers: Serial killers, sadists, contract-killers, nihilist anarchists, members of the Yakanaki Crime Syndicate, bandits, highwaymen, doomsday cultists, and anyone who takes pleasure in hurting others.
Like Scaxathrom, Illuthiel took notice of Humans when they achieved sentience and did not like what she saw. Like most powerful denizens of the Conflagration, Illuthiel was (and remains) jealous and paranoid of the entities that occupy the Plane of Matter. While the Humans have bodies that live for perhaps a century, she noticed that their souls became more ascended with each turn on the reincarnation cycle. All the while, Illuthiel’s soul remained stagnant. For in truth, the souls least likely to evolve are the ones whose home is the Conflagration.
Unlike Scaxathrom, Illuthiel’s goal is simply to slay organic life. To that end, she whispers corrupting thoughts into the minds of weak-willed men and women who later go on murder sprees before killing themselves. She has also been known to set up evil cults that end in mass-suicide. She isn’t too picky about the mode of violence so long as the body count is high.
Some theologians have theorized that Illuthiel is an incomplete deity (although not as incomplete as Sarkophka). Whereas Scaxathrom is able to make long-term goals and is able to change over time, Illuthiel has remained in the “if it moves, kill it” mentality since the first terrorist shouted out her name while blowing up a school.
Both Scaxathrom and Illuthiel let their clergy summon demons from the Conflagration and also create Undead. Of course, the clergy of Illuthiel tend to get blown up more often because they lack the inherent discipline that comes from studying the ways of Scaxathrom. On the bright side, she does not enforce any particular moral code on her followers. Her sole directive is “do whatever you want”.
When it comes to sentient Undead and sentient Constructs, Illuthiel often becomes confused as to how she considers such entities. On the one hand, she likes the fact that they are not biologically alive. On the other hand, they have intellectual capabilities that are often similar to that of living beings. Undead and Constructs could theoretically avoid her wrath if they keep a low profile.
The religious of Illuthiel is technically an evangelistic faith. The religion tends to form small cults in various cities. Cult leaders recruit from the disenfranchised and the down-and-outs. Sometimes these cults double as assassination brokers. Members tend to be involved in all manner of criminal behavior – not just murder.
As it stands today: Illuthiel refuses to grow and change as the world has grown and changed. Her dreams of destroying all life on Gaianar will likely never come to fruition unless her cultists gain control of ancient nuclear weapons from the pre-Cataclysmic times. And so, her followers retain the power to be injurious to society, but they are simply too unorganized and fragmented to pose a global threat. Illuthiel continues to rage and rave from her stronghold in the Conflagration. But the world is leaving her behind. As it does, her power and influence can only decrease.
The Mad God
Power Level: None (previously High)
Influence: None (previously High)
Alignment: Satanic (Chaos/Evil) at time of death; previously Saintly (Law/Good)
Consort: None
Symbol: None (unknown)
Portfolio: Protection, Guardian, Warfare, Inspiration, Honor (until he went mad)
Typical Followers: Protectors, Paladins, Priests, law enforcers, judges, and anyone who values protecting the weak from the strong, and who values honorable combat. In the present era, the Mad God no longer has followers.
As mentioned earlier, the Mad God once went by a different name (that was purged from human recollection). The Mad God was the Protector of Gaianar and was the creator and inspiration of all mortals who would call themselves Protectors. The Mad God did defend the world from any millennia – from the two local evil gods as well as threats from beyond this world.
The Mad God, in his prime, was a just and loving god who stood up to tyrants and bullies alike. He made self-sacrifice to the good of others into his primary virtue. He and his brother battled ceaselessly against the forces of evil. He drove back demons, slew the Undead, toppled the tyrant, and repelled the alien invader. However, over time, he became fatigued. Such was his dedication to duty that he refused to rest (and gods do need to rest from time to time). As his mind grew increasingly fatigued, the spirits of the Conflagration found an opening in his consciousness and began whispering lies and delusions to him. The Mad God grew insular and paranoid as time passed. Ultimately, he even eschewed his brother’s aid. He came to view his brother as weak and cowardly for occasionally stepping back to recover from battle.
There ultimately came a tippling point when the Mad God could no longer control the hateful whispers in his mind. He lashed out at the world and destroyed cities, whole landscapes, and whole tribes. He let Scaxathrom and Illuthiel unleash their destructive forces. For the Mad God was ultimately looking to create a new version of Gaianar that did not have sentient life.
The Mad God also turned against the other gods. He battled against his own brother (who he now viewed as a traitorous coward). He battled against the two “civilized” gods that he viewed as lazy and privileged (the Crystal Mother and Crystal Father) and went so far as to murder the child they had together. The Mad God warred against the Nature gods as well (Domalon (land), Nysnia (sea), and the Elemental Guardians) by way of triggering world-spanning ecological catastrophes.
The other gods had never been as powerful as the Mad God. However, they had a numerical advantage. In a war that lasted for three years (and left the planet devastated) the War Above and Below culminated in the Mad God being slain by his own brother after being worn down by the other beneficial gods.
The remaining brother took on a new name (that being “The True One”). His old name has been lost to the centuries. As the Mad God died, the True One absorbed all of the Mad God’s remaining uncorrupted essence into himself. The True One thus took on the mantle of Protector and also became the most powerful of the Gaianarian gods.
The Mad God, now dead, is banished to some faraway outer realm (the Periphery) as a diminished shadow. Without an ability to receive devotional energy, he will survive as a spirit until such a time tht his core self can atone, recover, and heal. The gods in the Periphery typically reside there for several thousand years.
Nysnia
Power Level: High
Influence: Low (very few direct worshippers; the goddess doesn’t really understand people)
Alignment: Chaotic (Chaos/Neutral)
Consort: Domalon
Symbol: Ship’s compass; tidal wave; waterspout
Portfolio: Oceans, aquatic nature, storms, pirates, fishing, sea travel, navigation
Typical Followers: Barbarians, Rangers, Shamans, ecologists, pirates, ship captains, meteorologists, sea travelers, and anyone who feels close ties to nature.
Nysnia, being the consort to Domalon, rules the wide and wild oceans of Gaianar. While it is understandable that many would mistakenly conclude that Nysnia is evil, she is actually morally neutral. Hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, and storms can be both dangerous and deadly to sentient life as well as causing property damage. The open waters can be frightening due to its depth and lack of landmarks. And the creatures that live in the oceans can be terrifying and deadly. But none of these are evil. They just are. And Nysnia faithfully guides the ecology of oceans and seas as needed. She does not go out of her way to inflict suffering upon sentient beings, but she does expect them to not be so foolish as to sail ships in bad weather and to avoid building cities along coastlines prone to flooding.
Nysnia was the least changed by the War Above and Below. While she did aid her consort in fighting the Mad God, she had the least to lose in that fight. She never had many mortal followers (and still doesn’t). The Mad God’s wrath was mostly against cities and humans. It wasn’t until the Mad God melted the polar ice caps that Nysnia’s wrath was stoked.
The sea goddess became known as the “goddess of pirates” but she did not set out for such devotion. It is also not entirely warranted. There exist plenty of sea captains of law-abiding vessels that venerate the goddess of oceans and storms. Likewise, ecologists who study the ocean often venerate Nysnia.
Nysnia does not suffer fools gladly. She will sometimes intervene when a mortal is in deep trouble for reasons not their fault. But if the person got himself into dire straits through foolhardy action, she will turn a deaf ear to any pleas for help. Like the True One, Nysnia rarely manifests directly. She instead prefers to work through creatures and/or natural forces. For example, she may send a powerful sea monster to help out stranded passengers in a sinking ship (provided that the captain was not foolish or negligent in causing the disaster). Or Nysnia may lessen the intensity of a storm if the right supplication is offered. Finally, Nysnia will occasionally intervene if she determines that she would prefer a ship to make it to port intact rather than create more wreckage for the bottom of the sea.
Nysnia only ever used one Human avatar (and this was during the Age of Avatars). She will manifest as a glowing waterspout or as a magical dolphin (or magical shark, depending on her mood) when mortals are around. She saves her Human manifestation for those times when she shares intimacy with her consort (Domalon). Only her love for him is sufficient for her to take on such a civilized, limited form. But love does make one do strange things for one’s lover.
Nysnia prefers to smite those she disfavors with lightning bolts, bad weather, and choppy seas. She is not, however, above issuing creative curses upon people who damage the oceans.
As it stands now: Nysnia remains a goddess with very a very select following. Of all the gods of Gaianar, Nysnia understands humanity the least. However, her understanding of the wants and needs of mortals has been improving over the centuries, albeit very slowly. Nysnia changed the least and is generally content with her dominion over the world’s vast oceans.
Saint Eldra
Power Level: Low (previously None)
Influence: Moderate (niche religion, but the goddess often intervenes)
Alignment: Benevolent (Neutral/Good)
Consort: Salama Saba Najam (“Peaceful Morning Star”) – human female, now deceased.
Symbol: Broken handcuffs; an opened door
Portfolio: Healing, Protection, Empathy, Redemption, Civil Rights
Typical Followers: Priests, psychologists, counselors, probation officers, jailers, and anyone who seeks to help heal a person’s damaged mind as well as anyone who believes that a reformed criminal deserves a second change. People who seek the expansion of civil rights also call upon Saint Eldra.
Saint Eldra is an ascended deity. This means that she was once human and attracted enough devotional energy during her life (and after) that her spirit became ascended and acquired the powers of a god (albeit not the most powerful of gods).
In life, Saint Eldra was known as Eldra Fatima Rahma (“Eldra, Prophet of Mercy”), and was a healer in the westernmost region of West Point. In the chaos that followed the War Above and Below, Eldra Fatima Rahma used her gifts of healing to not only treat injuries of the body but also those of the mind. She was one of the first healers who shrewdly determined that psychic injury was the root cause of most repetitive crime.
The human who would later become Saint Eldra spent her life and professional career reaching out to felons of all kinds and figuring out why they were the way they were. With her gift of empathy (a rarity prior to the creation of the Changeling race), she discovered that she could enter another person’s mind and erase certain memories that drove a criminal to act in antisocial ways.
Over time, she acquired other followers with similar empathic powers and opened West Point’s first treatment center for the criminally insane. While she certainly made mistakes and blunders in the early years of her mission, her process evolved to become a standard in the treatment of criminals with significant mental disorders. Because of her, violent crime in the ancient city of Weston (the city wasn’t ancient back then, however) was drastically reduced and mentally ill people were able to be stabilized so that they could participate in society.
Eldra Fatima Rahma also opened clinics for treating non-criminal mentally ill people. Following the upheavals of the War Above and Below, a large number of humans suffered from a new type of mental disorder that stemmed from being exposed to long-term trauma and uncertainty. Saint Eldra lead the charge for a new kind of healing – treating the mind and not just the body. She also helped destigmatize mental illness. Prior to her mission, those deemed “insane” were simply warehoused in grim facilities that were run like prisons.
Saint Eldra’s methods were not without controversy (they are, in fact, still considered controversial). It’s often thought that the human experience is the sum total of one’s memories. Saint Eldra’s methodology relies upon the removal or sequestration of harmful/painful memories. In extreme cases, Saint Eldra’s method calls for wholesale modification of the patient’s personality (useful in treating sociopaths). Finally, the Saint Eldra method is sometimes used as an alternative to execution (the person’s soul remains in the body, but the person’s memories and personality are reconstructed from scratch).
Eldra Fatima Rahma was also a champion of civil rights. There are always unpopular minorities in any society that the local tyrant is more than happy to demonize in order to score political points. Every bully needs a less powerful “other” to pick on. Saint Eldra always stood up for the “other”.
In the modern era, the Church of Saint Eldra is inherently involved in parole commissions, prison ministry, mental health treatment, and outreach to refugees. They are often called upon to determine if a Construct or Undead is sentient and non-dangerous (and thus qualifies for citizenship and full legal protection). The doors of the Church of Saint Eldra are always open to those in trouble.
Being a younger and less-powerful deity, Saint Eldra’s multitasking is more limited than the older gods. She is no stranger to direct intervention, but her manifestations are not impressive in potency.
As it stands now: Saint Eldra is a goddess whose power has been gradually increasing as the world has embraced the civilized idea of redemption and treatment as alternatives to punishment and incarceration. Saint Eldra and the True One have an amicable relationship.
Sarkophka
Power Level: Low (previously High)
Influence: Low (previously Moderate)
Alignment: Malevolent (Neutral/Evil)
Consort: Unknown. This god may have a consort in his previous world.
Symbol: Inverted ankh
Portfolio: Currently incomplete; contains revenge, survival, Undeath, limited elemental powers
Typical Followers: Crazy archaeologists; Necromancers; Undead that are incomplete; People who have been abandoned and want retribution; Desert wanderers unfortunate enough to encounter him in person.
Sarkophka is a broken god. He is also Gaianar’s only alien deity. Sarkophka’s memories are incomplete, but he does remember ruling a desert planet with a red sun that never set. Winds buffeted the dunes for as far as the eye could see. His living worshippers cowered before him because his was the ability to draw water to the surface of the dunes and thus form oases. For those who displeased him, the water would dissipate. Sometimes he would let whole communities die of dehydration just as a show of force.
One day, the Archangels turned against Sarkophka. While an angel is far less powerful than a god, four Archangels were sufficient to slay a deity that had grown overconfident, complacent, and lazy. The Angel of Fire – Hazadine – struck the death blow that sent Sarkophka hurling towards the Periphery.
However, a strange thing happened to the fallen god as he sped toward the resting place of dead deities. He crash-landed on Gaianar instead of continuing to the edge of all known existence. Of course, Gaianar occupies the intersection of many different planes of existence, so it was only a matter of time before a dead god fell from the sky.
Sarkophka landed in the middle of the Eastern Desert (cheerfully known as “The Furnace”). When he awakened after the flames had dissipated, he found his body to be a remnant, charred husk that was devoid of beauty or sensation. He was not dead, he was not Undead, but neither was he alive. His memory was fragmented and missing whole decades. He had forgotten most of his portfolio and thus could not reference the associated powers. But what he had enough memory to know what it had been like to be healthy and whole.
For the past six decades since Sarkophka has made Gaianar his home, he has sought out the means to become whole. That is his primary impulse. His existence is locked at the first tier of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Whereas most deities accept only the devotional energy that is freely offered (even evil gods like Scaxathrom and Illuthiel), Sarkophka breaks this rule by taking far more than is offered. This causes his most ardent followers to age faster than normal and to be susceptible to illness. Sarkophka therefore turns his loyal worshippers into mummies upon their deaths.
Aside from preying on nomads with few ways out of poverty, Sarkophka also tends to attract the psychologically-wounded. In exchange for devotional energy (and often life energy too), Sarkophka will slowly drain the memories from people who desire this to happen. By the time they are physically drained to the status of a husk, their minds are similarly emptied.
It is just as well that Sarkophka’s base of power is in The Furnace. The Human population is quite scarce. His ultimate goal, beyond becoming whole, is to return to his home world and take revenge upon the Archangels.
As it stands now: Sarkophka is a shadow of a god, and not a fully functioning deity. The alien god’s thought process generally flows like “I am hurt. I feel loss. I can’t remember. I’m broken. I need. I hurt. I hunger. I hate. I will get revenge. I’m incomplete. I’m broken.” Ironically, Sarkophka would likely be much closer to his goal if he didn’t life-drain everyone who is dedicated to help him. As it stands now, he will be incomplete for the foreseeable future.
Scaxathrom
Power Level: Moderate (previously High)
Influence: Low (previously High; Scaxathrom can rarely manifest due to his ejection)
Alignment: Despotic (Law/Evil); of late, law has been more important than evil.
Consort: None (He doesn’t like to share power)
Symbol: Venomous snake; crossed axes
Portfolio: Conquest, necromancy, war, despotism, bureaucracy, Occult, Knowledge
Typical Followers: Gunslingers and constables (in law-obsessed towns), students of the occult, people seeking arcane lore/knowledge that you won’t find even in Ex-Libris, Necromancers, politicians, warriors, military leaders, ambitious priests who seek power for power’s sake, and people wanting to live forever (regardless of the final cost).
Unlike the other gods in this list, Scaxathrom did not see the advent of Human sentience as a good thing. Indeed, this god of the Conflagration knows all too well that the short lifespan of the members of the Human race will unequivocally lead to the rapid evolution of the Human soul via the reincarnation cycle. Gods rarely die and they must often wait thousands of years before they can return from the Periphery (the resting/recovery place of dead gods). And so, Scaxathrom figured out early on that Humans must be constrained and controlled if they were to be prevented from eventually eclipsing the gods in both power and spiritual ascension.
Of course, one might assume that a god like Scaxathrom would like to exterminate sentient life. The fact of the matter is that Scaxathrom figured out the same truth that the other gods did: that Humans (and other sentient beings) are capable of emitting devotional energy. The easy way that ambitious priests and warriors gave their soul’s full attention to Scaxathrom was both surprising and gratifying.
The viper-lord’s long-term goal was to impose such a rigid type of order that the Humans’ soul-evolution would stop. After all, nobody grows when they are told exactly what to do – for every action – and are never able to decide one’s own destiny in any way. To accomplish this mission, Scaxathrom used human avarice for his own advantage. He tricked an ambitious priest (named Scyral Tekka) into performing a ritual that allowed Scaxathrom to step corporeally into the World of Gaianar. This is much more powerful than a deific manifestation (in which a god can show up for a few hours) and is more potent than an avatar (in which a god creates a Human representation of himself/herself that also has human limitations). No, in this case, Scaxathrom actually took up permanent residence on North Point.
The manifestations of the other gods were no match for Scaxathrom. And since the viper-lord had taken corporeal form in North Point, the gods could not battle him in the spirit plane (where they could operate at full strength). And so, Scaxathom waged war upon the world’s governments and its citizens. They fell like wheat to a scythe. With Scaxathrom being able to direct poisonous vermin, necromantic power, and summoned demons from the Conflagration, it took only a few years for Scaxathrom to rule most of the world.
For the Lord of Undeath, it was far better to have fewer servants who had unswerving loyalty than to have many who might be disloyal. It was for this reason that close to 90% of the living people on North point were exterminated in the first hundred years of the Great Cataclysm (and other Points being reduced as much as 50%). With the remainder, Scaxathrom set up a ruthless, rigid government in which sentient free-willed Undead managed the day-to-day operation of each city and kept the living under the boot of fascism.
The only god powerful enough to challenge Scaxathrom was the True One. And the latter god had thus far gone an excessively long time without directly intervening for the people of Gaianar. However, there comes a time where even those reluctant to engage must in fact take action. The True One created a race of quasi-angelic beings (later known as Changelings) who would ultimately follow the banners of Saint Jareth and Saint Kyle. This army (with the air support as well) fought a war that lasted several decades that ultimately led to Scaxathrom’s physical form being destroyed.
It is worth noting that the quasi-angels did not succeed in killing the god outright, and Scaxathrom was therefore not banished to the Periphery. He was, however, ejected from the world and his rule over Gaianar came to a spectacular end.
In the power vacuum that followed, a Dark Age ensued that lasted four-hundred years. Only in the past hundred years has society been able to start the long process of rebuilding itself. It is happening, however. The ports are open. The roads are paved. There is law and order within the walls of each city (although not much law without). Democracies are replacing autocrats and theocracies.
A curious thing has happened to the Scaxathrom faith over the years. With the viper-lord having much less power to manifest (a side effect of his corporeal ejection), the descendants of his followers have focused more on the “law” aspects of Scaxathrom and less on the “evil”. Moreover, people tend to stay with the religion they were raised in, even if they only give lip service to the god’s commands. These two factors have caused a distinct change in the type of devotional energy Scaxathrom receives. Moreover, not too many of his followers are interested in world domination in the modern era. Instead, they want a stable society and they want to have hard-to-obtain knowledge about the universe. After all, the hard-core demon-summoning high priests have (for the most part) gotten themselves blown up by virtue of their arcane pursuits. There are plenty of mediocre Scaxathrom Priests around, but they tend generate far less threat than the likes of Scyral Tekka.
It’s worth noting that Scaxathrom generally holds sentient Undead and Sentient Constructs in warm regard. These kinds of entities are generally intelligent but not so astoundingly intelligent that they would think about questioning their liege. Moreover, Undead and Constructs tend to interpret orders in a straightforward manner and rarely get distracted in their duties.
One would logically think that Scaxathrom would have Illuthiel as a consort. After all, she is also evil and likes killing. However, Scaxathrom is loathe to share power – even with a lover. Moreover, the viper lord find’s Illuthiel’s love of chaos to be repellant.
As it stands now: Although Scaxathrom’s alignment remains Despotic (law/evil), it is very likely that the devotional energy of his followers will pull his alignment to Lawful (law/neutral) in a few more centuries if nothing else changes. The viper lord is rapidly becoming a kind of “grim constable” deity and a “secret teacher” god than a grand despot / war criminal god. If his alignment does indeed change from evil to neutral, it is likely that he will be ejected from the Conflagration and instead be forced to take up residence in the Plane of Shadow.
The True One
Power Level: High (previously Low)
Influence: Moderate (reluctant to manifest)
Alignment: Saintly (Law/Good), previously Benevolent (Neutral/Good)
Consort: The Companion
Symbol: Ray of light; three interlocking circles; sun
Portfolio: Protection, Guardian, Warfare, Inspiration, Prophesy, Honor (and, more recently, Healing)
Typical Followers: Protectors, Paladins, Priests, law enforcers, judges, and anyone who values protecting the weak from the strong, and who values honorable combat. Note, however, the True One has begun to attract more healers subsequent to his creation of the Changeling race.
Prior to the War Above and Below, the True One went by another name and was only indirectly venerated alongside his brother. As the younger and less experienced of the warrior duo, the True One mostly assisted his older brother in combat and essentially “held down the fort” when the Mad God was out on solo missions. The True One was never ego-driven (and still isn’t) and thus was content to being a helper-god rather than the primary focus of reverence.
The mantle of Protector was forced upon the True One when his brother went insane. After having to slay the Mad God, a significant chunk of his brother’s power was transferred to the True One. This essentially required that the True One “grow up” and become a more mature deity rather than a “standby god” or a “sidekick”.
The memory of seeing his brother slowly go insane haunts the True One to this day. He also still feels deep regret for having to kill the Mad God. This event forever changed how the True One interfaces with Gaianar. The True One is the least likely of the deities to directly intervene in the affairs of mankind and is the most likely to send Saints and Angels instead. The True One has shielded himself against the possibility that he would go mad like his brother. For he knows if that were to happen, the other gods could not stop him.
The True One’s reluctance for direct intervention indirectly caused a catastrophe that took place much later in Gaianar’s history. Following the end of Gaianar’s pretechnological period and the industrial age, the world had advanced to being a high technology civilization on the cusp of being able to travel to the stars. It was at that time that a Priest of Scaxathrom (Scyral Tekka) completed a poorly-worded summoning that had the unintended effect of bringing Scaxathrom into corporeal existence on Gaianar. This was no mere avatar or animistic representation. This was the actual god. And the True One’s response was to do nothing. At least not right away.
Civilization fell to the Lord of Vipers as once again zombie plagues and poisonous snakes ran amok unchecked. The world governments fell and Scaxathrom ruled the world with an iron hand from his stronghold in Scaradom. Humanity lived under the metal boot of the Viper Lord and forced into hard labor by Undead taskmasters until they dropped (and were reanimated as Undead themselves).
And still the True One did not intervene.
But then a strange thing began to happen on the Isle of Gales. Children were born to human parents who seemed much more in tune with the spirit realm. They had innate empathy that rivaled that of the clergy of Saint Eldra. When these children reached adolescence, they further transformed into quasi-angelic beings capable of limited flight. And so the Changeling race was born. Saint Jareth and Saint Kyle (human followers of the True One) led an army of Changelings against Scaxathrom’s forces and slew the Viper Lord’s corporeal form. The tyrant was sent back to the Conflagration. However, the resulting power vacuum caused a Dark Age that lasted for over 400 years.
And so, the True One still remains a force of good and light in Gaianar. He empowers Protectors, Priests, and Paladins alike. But he has only ever manifested one human avatar and that avatar was murdered (that being was a person known as The Teacher). Since then, the True One has only ever sent Saints and Angels into the world against the forces of evil.
As it stands now: The True One is a popular god on Gaianar. Because he created the Changeling race, and members of that race seem to be more focused on healing than war, the devotional energy from the Changelings has begun to alter the True One’s consciousness. The “Warfare” aspect of the True One’s portfolio has begun to erode and is being replaced with “Healing”. Moreover, if the Changelings continue to be the True One’s primary source of devotional energy, it is likely that the True One’s alignment will eventually shift from Saintly to Benevolent.
The Archangels
Angels are more powerful than mortals but less powerful than deities. They are spiritual beings who have the capacity to temporarily take on material form. Angels have never been human. Who created them (and why) remains a mystery. However, several religions venerate Angels in addition to their deities. An Archangel is a very powerful Angel. These beings will assist non-evil deities and will also assist mortals. Whether they actually worship any deities is also unknown. Archangels do, however, benefit from receiving devotional energy (like a deity). They can multitask (albeit to a lesser extent than a full deity). Angels tend to have spellcasting and combat capabilities that are in line with what mortals can accomplish (they are simply more potent when they fight or cast spells). Angels do not have the ability to just “make things happen” like deities can. For that reason, Angels usually have ranks in certain character classes (for example, “Level 12 Priest” or “Level 14 Warrior”). Unlike mortals, Angels can have three character classes.
All Angels are of good alignment and their permanent home is the Plane of Radiance. Angels can vary along the axis of “good” by virtue of being varying shades of lawful or chaotic. Angels are immortal and do not have a biology. They can take on various physical forms as necessary. They have been known to occasionally mate with mortals. Their offspring are mortal and usually resemble their humanoid parent. However, the child of such a pairing usually tends towards “good” and may have special resistances to Death Magic and may have unusual spiritual insight. Should an Angel be destroyed, it follows the “deity” regeneration path and not the “mortal” reincarnation path.
While there are many Angels associated with the World of Gaianar, the four most powerful (and most venerated) are as follows:
Archangel Sirocco
Alignment: Heroic
Levels: Ranger (20), Shaman (10), Wishsinger (10)
Correspondences: Yellow, East, Air
Primarily Protects: East Point
Gender Expression: Female
Sirocco is the Archangel that serves East Point. She is an angelic being attuned to wind and warmth. When manifesting physically, Sirocco appears as a female Ranger that wields a blazing longbow. Like Symmetrika, Sirocco has been known to give gifts to mortals. In the case of this Archangel, deeds that directly benefit Nature are often rewarded with tangible items such as bows, armor, or musical instruments. Being associated with Air, Sirocco is most likely to engage in strafing runs against foes rather than hand-to-hand.
Archangel Cyan
Alignment: Benevolent
Levels: Mathematician (20), Speaker for the Dead (10), Necromancer (10)
Correspondences: Blue, West, Water
Primarily Protects: West Point
Gender Expression: Female
Archangel Cyan is the most scholarly of the four Archangels. She is attuned to water. She prefers plunging the depths of secret knowledge to plunging into combat. She will, however, fight when the need arises. As a powerful Mathematician, she excels in defensive operations. When Cyan manifests, she is usually wearing the blue robes of a professor or librarian and bears a glowing quarterstaff. Unlike the other Archangels, Cyan has studied the mysteries of death and rebirth. She has a very close working relationship with the Gaunt Man and the Scythe Bearer. Should Cyan decide to gift a mortal with a powerful artifact, it is usually in the form of an enchanted staff, a tome of powerful knowledge, or some device that aids in scrying. Being associated with Water, Cyan prefers stealth to overt displays of force.
Archangel Hadriel
Alignment: Benevolent
Levels: Warrior (20), Gunslinger (10), Priest (10)
Correspondences: Red, South, Fire
Primarily Protects: South Point
Gender Expression: Male
Archangel Hadriel is grim and warlike. Depending on the combat situation, he wields a powerful handgun in each hand or he wilds a flaming longsword. Being attuned to Fire, Hadriel prefers swift, sudden combat. He usually swoops down upon opponents and then continues fighting on the ground. Hadriel is the least chatty of the Archangels and will typically issue commands like “follow me”, “hide”, “retreat”, or “fight by my side”. Hadriel places a high premium on valor, bravery, and steadfastness. Should Hadriel gift a mortal with an artifact of some kind, it is almost assuredly going to be a pistol or a sword. Recipients of such boons are uniformly individuals who have faced unfair odds in combat and for the side of good and justice. To fight bravely in the face of near certain death is a good way to attract Archangel Hadriel’s notice.
Archangel Symmetrika
Alignment: Saintly
Levels: Protector (20), Priest (10), Jack (10)
Correspondences: Green, North, Earth
Primarily Protects: North Point
Gender Expression: Male
Symmetrika is the Archangel that oversees North Point. Of the four Archangels, Symmetrika is the most active in the affairs of mortals. Symmetrika has been known to create powerful weapons and armor for individuals who have served the Light and have done astounding good deeds. Symmetrika typically manifests wearing heavy-duty plate mail, a study metal helmet, and a glowing longsword. Protectors typically do not wear metallic armor. However, this restriction apparently does not apply to Symmetrika.
Being associated with the element of Earth, Symmetrika usually fights on the ground (although he can also fly).
The Gaunt Man
A neutral being, the Gaunt Man helps the recently deceased find the most suitable afterlife if the soul in question did not ascribe to any particular faith during life. Because the World of Gaianar is a world of magic and one in which clergy call upon measurable power from their gods, atheism in the traditional sense of the word does not exist. However, there are plenty of people who might not feel called to venerate any particular deity. So, what must become of the souls who have not established a rapport with any kind of deity? This is where the Gaunt Man assists.
One of the Gaunt Man’s powers is to evaluate the actions, words, and intents of the recently deceased. A soul who often defended the innocent and who stood up against tyrants might get assigned to the True One’s afterlife. Someone who planted trees, cared for injured animals, or practiced sustainable farming might be assigned Domalon’s afterlife. Likewise, an eccentric inventor who often challenged the status quo would likely be sent to Abbon Mort’s afterlife. Souls will always go to the most appropriate place. The Gaunt Man helps make sure that happens.
On rare occasions when the Gaunt Man manifests, he appears as a tall, thin, professionally-dressed funeral director. His skin is pale and his eyes are slate grey. His handshake is cool, firm, and dry. He is not, however, grim or frightening. Instead, he is calm, reassuring, and welcoming to those he meets. The Gaunt Man himself does not serve any particular deity (although he indirectly serves every deity). Likewise, no deity considers the Gaunt Man to be an enemy.
The Scythe Bearer
The Scythe Bearer is another neutral, immortal, death-related entity. Whereas the Gaunt Man helps the religiously-unaffiliated find the correct afterlife, the Scythe Bearer helps lost souls find their way to the next plane of existence.
The multiverse is complicated and its higher (and lower) dimensions are often incomprehensible to mortals. Moreover, the recent dead sometimes cannot accept the fact that they are indeed deceased. Finally, certain spells have a nasty habit of calling departed souls back to the Plane of Substance. For these reasons (and others), souls sometimes lose their way.
If a lost soul cries out for help, the Scythe Bearer will hear the petition and answer. However, like the gods, the Scythe Bearer can multitask but cannot actually be everywhere at once. For that reason, sometimes spirits get anchored to their homes or the places of their deaths for months, years, or decades. Given enough time, however, the Scythe Bearer will show up and offer guidance.
Should the Scythe Bearer manifest, he/she appears as an androgynous apparition in a flowing black cloak, black mask, black gloves, black boots, and wielding a black scythe. The Scythe Bearer never leaves footprints and can walk through walls. The Scythe Bearer never speaks but instead is a concept telepath (E75).
The Scythe Bearer will (rarely) intervene on behalf of the living. This typically occurs with the soul is anchored to a dying body and the soul is somehow unable to depart. The Scythe Bearer does not like to see suffering and will use his/her power to help souls depart towards the end of a long and painful illness.