The War for the Dead

Military action

Following the loss of almost their entire pantheon, the Saikon Empire suffered a state of mourning and uncertainty. Nekrosei, their sole surviving god, was heavily embraced, as their mastery of death and the grieving process was a comfort to many. Soon, however, worship of Verana began to spring up, having been of Saikon origin in her life before godhood, as Nekrosei's servants began raising the dead to serve them and others opposed this action. This sparked the rivalry between the two goddesses, which eventually spilled over into the mortal realm.   When war began several of the gods from overseas took note; Nekrosei had always been considered one of the most powerful gods, and Verana normally sat at the other end of the scale; the newfound faith certainly had boosted her, but the veteran Nekrosei always held an edge. Verana's first ally was Barrala, finding Nekrosei's approach and grip on power concerning. Lukihra, Barrala's rival joined Nekrosei, but the two never saw eye to eye. Then, followers of Azarael began to show up, followed by those of Aibeleasiri and Gerumani, all long-standing allies of Verana's from the time before they all ascended.   While some followers of other gods showed up, none were to the level of those involved, especially on the scale of Nekrosei, Verana and Barrala. Eventually elements spilled into Alluria and Verrilus, though it was little more than skirmishes. During this time in Alluria, new Wakan had begun to form, and some had their attention pulled toward the actions in Saiko. Empress Kimichi, ruler of Saiko, was growing desperate to stop the bloodshed and grave robbing occuring, and had begun to look beyond her boarders for help. Twilt's philosophy of balance and equilibrium rang with her, as did Everam's desire for unification of the lands, and Merriish from Verrilus' desire to end conflicts. The three heard her plight, and came to aid as best they could.   The three gods sought out all the other deities and brought them together for a meeting, the first one recorded between them all. Together, they managed to discuss the fighting, and most agreed to put down their arms. Lukihra was flippant but backed down when threatened by his parent deities. Barrala agreed to stand down only if all others did. Verana and Nekrosei however, still had issues. The arbiters of the meeting decided to try and find a compromise, which came down to Nekrosei enforcing that no spirit be forced back against their will, nor any graves disturbed without appropriate permission. Verana was unhappy with this, but without the other's support she couldn't win and she knew it, so she conceded.   On the material plane, all were informed of the deities agreement and hostilities stopped. Empress Kimichi was celebrated for finding a way to unite her people once more. Once things began to return to normal, many of the gods who were involved in the fighting found small shrines or temples being erected in their honour. This marked the beginning of the united Pantheon, though it would be many years still before it became a reality.