The Classification of Deities in A'arde

In A'arde, Gods are classified in many ways, but the most common are by Origin, Pantheon, and Standing. Origin simply means whether or not a Deity originates from A'arde. Pantheon refers to the specific group of Gods that the Deity is associated with. Standing refers to the hierarchical position of the Deity within their Pantheon.
The Great Lord of Gods, Aegis, is the only Deity who does not fit into any of the classifications, and this is because of His unique position as the power behind the Great Prison which keeps the Titans locked away. Instead, Aegis is simply referred to as "The Great Lord of Gods" or "The Great Lord", standing in a class all of His own.

Why Classify Deities?

For the most part, Deities are given classifications by Mortals so that they can better understand where each Deity stands in relation to the others. This can in turn assist Mortals in identifying trends and cultures amongst different groups or types of Gods, which allows them to pay reverence or avoid insult as needed. Additionally, classifying Deities allows Mortals to create links between Deities, establishing relations and boundaries that should be respected during magical or religious workings.
As an example, the Deities of the Orcish and Goblinoid Pantheons do not always see eye to eye, so invoking Deities from those Pantheons at the same time is considered foolish. On the other hand, invoking multiple Deities with the same or a similar Portfolio can be beneficial in certain workings, such as calling upon Selene (A'arden Pantheon; Goddess of the Moon, Stars and Healing) and Rhiannon (Elven Pantheon; Goddess of the Moon, Horses and Sovereignty) for magical or religious workings related to the Portfolio of the Moon.
However, Classifications do not always give the full story of relations between Deities. Medea and Ariyan are both part of the A'arden Pantheon, but are famous for hating each other due to their opposing Portfolios (Medea's being Betrayal, and Ariyan's Loyalty). Antiphonus of the Gnomish Pantheon and Gwyar of the A'arden Pantheon share the Portfolio of Bloodlust and the Domain of Chaos, but will ultimately fight each other for dominance if they ever meet. Contrarily, Oberon of the Sylvan Pantheon, a God of the Domain of Life, was known to frequently work alongside Arawn of the Elven Pantheon, a Death Domain God and thus an opposing Domain to Oberon, because of their mutual Portfolio of the Hunt/Hunting.

Common Classificatons

Origins

Origins of Deities are divided into two groups; those who originated from the A'arden Material Plane before the Renewal, and those who did not.
Those who originated from A'arde were the primary force behind the sealing of the Titans, and were directly in contact with the Great Lord of Gods, Aegis, before they were ascended from Mortals to Godhood. They are the only ones who know what A'arde was like before the War of the Titans, and have a vested interest in keeping the Cosmology safe. These previously Mortal A'ardens from a lost era are known as the "True A'arden" Deities.
Those who originated from outside of the A'arden Material Plane, including the Cosmological Planes of A'arde, are known as the "Collaborative" Deities or Pantheons. While they now consider A'arde their home, many of them come from a place outside of the Cosmology, and were invited to settle within A'arde alongside the Mortals that they were rescuing, guiding, or travelling with.

Pantheons

Pantheons are groups of Deities that share similar origins or beliefs. Not all Deities belong to a Pantheon, and some belong to a Pantheon that does not exist as an entity within A'arde, and these are often referred to as Wandering Deities. Pantheons within A'arde are generally divided by the Race that they originally represented when the arrived within A'arde, such as the Draconic, Elven, or Halfelin Pantheons. However, certain groupings of Gods may divide into Sub-Pantheons (often referred to as Associations), while others are made up of a conglomerate of Gods from multiple different origins, such as the Unholy Pantheon.

Standing

Standing refers to the position that a God holds within the hierarchy of the Pantheon. Each Pantheon tends to have their own hierarchy and Deities may be given standing based on power level, or on their favour with the leader of that Pantheon. These Standings are usually classed as Greater/Major, Intermediate, Lesser/Minor, and Supplementary. It is possible for a Deity's Standing within a Pantheon to change, but this is often dependant on a variety of factors.

Other Classifications

Domains

Deities can alternatively be Classified by the Domains of Power within which they operate. These Domains can include Light, Life, Love, Death, Darkness and Justice. Deities are often assigned multiple Domains, which are usually assigned depending on their Portfolio.

Portfolio

The Portfolio of a Deity is their sphere of influence, and the types of prayers or requests that they have the power to answer. These Portfolios can include vast concepts such as Life and Darkness, or specific ideals or actions, such as Murder and Strategy. The way that these concepts can be framed varies from Deity to Deity, and Deities with matching Portfolios can disagree with how those Portfolios should be interpreted.

Sociality

A less common method of classifying Deities is by their Sociality; that is, whether they are Communal or Solitary in nature. This is more common amongst the Sylvan Pantheon and within the Realm of the Fey, where the Concept of "Solitary" and "Trooping" Fey has long held sway.