Beings of cosmic power that often date back to the earliest days of creation, the Gods have shaped every aspect of the Cosmos to their designs.
According to popular belief, there is a select group of Gods that make up The Pantheon - the most powerful, important, and respected of deities who watch over humanity. All other Gods are either Empyreans - fully divine children of The Pantheon, Demigods, or Cthonic Deities - powerful entities with strong ties to The Underworld who don't quite fit neatly into the mythologies.
Other races and peoples not from The Republic of Ósa tend to have different Gods, though due to syncretism many are claimed to simply be Republic Gods operating under different names.
The Pantheon
Greatest and most powerful of entities, The Primordials Talsia, Lútus, Suróza, and Éda formed from the chaotic and infinite energies of the Cosmos. It was from these first four that all existence was then rendered into creation. Their first act was to create other Gods, beings to aid them in their tasks. First amongst these were Katas and Patír; Katas focused on celestial creation shaping the universe, while Patír created life and all the wonder that came with it.
Also known as
Dawnbringer,
The Phoenix, and
The Eternal Light. Talsia is The Sun, she who provides all the brightness and warmth of this world. She is a God of Fire and Healing, protecting the weak from monsters and disease.
Also known as
Skyfather, The Thunderer, and
Provider of Fair Winds. Lútus is The Sky, he who first brought balance. He is a God of Inventions and Creativity, guiding the world towards order with great wisdom (and the odd thunderbolt or two!)
Also known as
Earthmother, The Centre, and
Mother Nature. Éda is The Earth, she who embodies all Creation. She is a God of the wilds; of tree and beast and stone and mountain, being the home upon which all mortals reside.
Also known as
Tidebringer, The Discoverer, and
Mother of Monsters. Suróza is The Sea, she who reaches unto eternity. Once a God of Monsters, now she is a Deity of Exploration and Adventure, daring the brave to seek out her secrets and protecting those who travel her waters.
Also known as
Forgemaster,
The Creator, and
The Celestial Architect. Katas is The Builder, he who crafted the universe. He is a God of Smithing and Creation, inspiring and guiding those who would change the world through their mastery of crafts.
Also known as
Rainmother,
The Farmer, and
The River of Life. Patír is The Provider, she who made the first of the living. She is a God of Freshwater and Agriculture, providing all that mortals need to survive.
Also known as
Archmage,
The Aether, and
The Patron. Olsír is The Stars, she who grants power. Once simply a God of Magic and Ambition, she has risen and expanded into being a God of Protection and Law, even becoming Head of the Pantheon within Ósa.
Also known as
Nightwatcher,
The Companion, and
Master of Faces. Sévas is The Moon, he who loves all creation. He is a God of Compassion and Shapeshifting, Illusions and Wolves, teaching his faithful to walk with love in their hearts.
Also known as
The Herald,
The Fleetfooted One, and
Lord of the Paths. Sédróm is The Wanderer, he who speeds all words. He is a God of Travelling, Pranks, and Storytelling, keeping all those who journey safe and inspiring strangers to laugh and speak as friends.
Also known as
Bringer of Seasons, The Unbreakable Horse, and
The Cosmic Stallion. Agítio is The Steed, he who shoulders the universe. He is a God of Motion and Gravity, Change and Horses, responsible for moving everything within The Cosmos, from the smallest raindrop to the very Stars across The Sky.
Also known as
Father Time, Lord of Fate, and
The Eternal Watcher. Ámmos is The Witness, he who sees eternity. He is a God of Time and Destiny, keeping the world on track towards the true and perfect future.
Also known as
Plaguebringer,
The Serpent, and
Father of Monsters. Fidain is The Breaker, he who delivers all to oblivion. He is a God of Snakes and Entropy, Disease and Old Age, serving the vital task of weathering everything in Creation towards its final destiny. Though he grew too eager in his work, siring creatures to unnaturally hasten the world's ending and even allying with the Archons during that ancient war. In punishment for his betrayal of The Balance, he sits imprisoned forevermore by the other Gods.
Also known as
Voidkeeper,
The Reaper, and
The Unknowable. Haroch is The Shadow, the darkness at the end of all things. He is a God of Death and Secrets, taking the souls of the departed to places beyond mortal ken, and erasing their memories on the rare occasions they return. He is the least understood and most feared God across the Varolian, though he is also patron to aging musicians and playwrights, knowing that a final performance can be just as poignant as a final breath.
Also known as
Almighty, The Dragon,
Bulwark of the Weak, and
The Dead God. Kiderha was the Guardian, she who held back Fidain. She was a God of Dragons and Protection, created to keep the world safe from Fidain's monsters and slow his zealous destruction down to its natural state. But she fell in battle during the Archonomachy, her body cast into stars and her children driven to extinction. Her holy task passed to Olsír, Talsia, and Zia, for the work is never done.
Also known as
Warmonger, The Bloody, and
Leader of Armies. Kanzu is The Warrior, he who fights all battles. He is a God of Bloodlust and Passion, Sex and Madness, leading his people towards barbarism and hedonism.
Also known as
Guildmaster, The Painter, and
Cradle of Minds. Temní is The Sculptor, he who began civilization. He is a God of Art and Poetry, Music and Philosophy, granting inspiration and vision to works of beauty other Gods may only hope to copy.
Also known as
Archonslayer,
Luminary, and
The Founder Victorious. Zia is The Champion, she who saved the world. Once a Demi-God born to Olsír, she won the Archonomachy, founded the Irikos Empire, and then ascended to become God of Victory and Glory, of Diplomacy and Righteous Wars. Above all she shows that bloodshed is to be avoided but not feared, especially in defence of the innocent or desire for peace.
Empyreans
Descendents of The Pantheon, Empyreans are Gods with more specific portfolios relating to their heritage. While the Pantheon Gods are all beings of near infinite power, Empyreans can vary wildly in strength based upon the breadth of their domain. The God of Secrets, Child of Haroch, holds more sway than the God of Apple Trees, Child of Patír, for example. In truth, some Empyreans rule domains so specific they can barely be labelled Gods at all; these beings are more known as Spirits and Nymphs, generally ruling over specific areas such as a single lake or glade. As such, the number of these lesser gods is near uncountable, so only a few notable Empyreans are listed below.
Queen of Flowers
One of the first Empyreans created by Patír, The Queen of Flowers is the deity who holds sway over all flowering life, along with pollinators such as bees and butterflies. She takes the form of a beautiful nymph adorned in a multicoloured dress crafted from the limitless flowers within her domain, though is rarely seen by mortals.
King of Teeth
Empyrean child of Suróza, The King of Teeth is the God of Sharks and Crocodiles. In an act of creation centuries ago, he sired the first Sahuagin; a race of cruel beings whose entire purpose is to worship and sacrifice to him so as to grow his limited power. He takes the form of a gargantuan whirlpool, swirling with serrated teeth which can eviscerate entire ships in seconds.
The Minotaur
Scholars debate whether the very first minotaur was born fully divine as a child of Kanzu, or if they were instead a demigod who was cursed by The Warrior and later raised to divinity. Regardless, this Empyrean fathered an entire race of his kind, then taught them the joy of spilling blood and consuming flesh. Legends say he towered over his children and was adorned in a thousand hero's skulls, but was defeated and trapped in an infinite labyrinth eons ago before he could claim even more.
Kisori, The Morning's Chill
A lesser Empyrean child of Suróza, Kisori rules over the frozen dewdrops that cling to grass, over frosted leaves and melting snow. His domain is more specific than that of Ice in general, and his power is doomed to wane whenever Talsia's light is near, but he serves his duties all the same.
Ákryfos, The North Star
Amongst the greatest of Empyreans, Akryfos is the first child of Olsír. He is the God of Magic, aiding his mother in manipulating the eternal web of power that stretches throughout all creation. All mages owe their strength to Mother and Child, and it is said that all Immortals have interacted directly with him at least once on their path to greatness.
Akhenfólas, The First Flame
His mother Talsia rules over all the properties of fire, from its comforting warmth to its blazing destruction. Akhenfólas holds sway soley over the latter - he is the raging wildfire and the all-consuming smoke. It is said his power had to be bound in ages past, lest his hunger devour the world.
Demigods
Born from the union of both Mortal and God, these semi-divine beings are universally powerful, often capable of interacting with and even besting their fully divine ancestors. Almost always destined for greatness, they find themselves thrust into the role of unstoppable heroes and unaging rulers, even if they would personally wish for a quiet life. The three most well known Demigods - Kanzu, Temní, and Zia - were created in times of impossible need; they were gifts from their parents to mortals and later risen to full divinity in recognition of world-changing deeds.
Though these people feature heavily in myths and legends across The Varolian, there are very few of them who were born within recorded history - theories abound that in an age of magic and mortal heroes, the people of the world have less need of half-god saviours and so the divine dares not make them, in fear of disrupting The Balance.
King Aquila Canidius Semideus
Current ruler of Praelos, The Eagle King claims to be the lovechild of a secret tryst between his mother and Kanzu The Bloody himself. Despite these declarations, he has offered little proof of his Godhood, and there are many who theorize that he has falsely asserted divine parentage so as to silence competitors who would seek his throne. If what he says is true, however, it would make him the only known Demigod currently active within The Varolian, and possibly powerful enough to compete with even The Immortals of Ósa.
Cthonic Deities
The Furies
Greatest amongst the Underworld Deities, and some of the few with no ties to the Gods born of Creation whatsoever, The Furies are Cosmic Enforcers born of The Void for a purpose that is yet to be discovered. Until they reveal their true roles in the universe, they serve to torment and punish any who would turn against Holy Laws; those who would forswear an oath or harm a guest may soon find themselves chased or dragged mercilessly to The Underworld.
It is even said by some that a single Erinyes is a match for any living mortal, but all three together are capable of punishing even The Pantheon deities for transgressions.
The numerous Oneiroi are masters of the Dream World; a land of ghosts and memories, where the not-quite-real parts of Creation sit upon the border between Life and Death. Unparalleled Lords of shapeshifting, they deliver dreams and visions to all creatures when they sleep by taking the forms of everything from the characters and objects to the landscapes and buildings a person sees within their realm.
The Fates
Daughters of Ámmos, God of Time, The three Fates take refuge deep within The Underworld so as to prevent disturbance or interruption to their eternal work. They are said to handle The Golden Thread: the very essence of Destiny itself, which binds The Cosmos and everything within. According to popular belief, they can use it to learn of and even influence any event from the past, present, or future, a power which even the Pantheon would be jealous of. Creation is lucky, then, that these beings are benign and seem more interested in keeping things more ordered than interesting.
Kerberos
The allmighty three-headed hound of the Underworld. Said to be the son of
Haroch, Kerberos is the ultimate guardian of the dead. The legends of his power are endless, with some claiming his eyes pierce through any veil, others that his howl destroys all magic, and others still that he can permanently devour the souls of those trying to escape The Shadow.
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