Eireon Gods (Air-ee-On)

There have always been Gods. For as long as there has been mortal life on Bereir, there have been great beings to revere. In these younger days, the oldest races found guidance in these beings. As they grew, the Gods kept their gazes fixed upon them, and many, their hands outstretched. It was in this growth that reverence became worship, and civilizations bloomed.
The world of Bereir is safeguarded and guided by a ruling collection of Gods, called the Eireon, a word of Celestial origin meaning "Foundational; Found". Each of the fifteen Gods represents an aspect of natural or mortal life, and are both sources of spiritual orientation, but also primal sources of energy.
Beneath the Gods, the Patrons represent the growth of mortals, each an expression of some aspect smaller than the great breadth of the Pantheon.

Structure

The Eireonic Pantheon is a loose organization of God's whose collective authority is granted by their domains over nature and the function of the world. The Gods are generally not divided into stratified tiers, though Ettus is often seen as the head of the Gods.

History

In the days before any other sentient life, only the elementals were there to attest to the state of the planes. In their aged memories, they have always known the Gods. In the elemental planes, Ensear, Egrus, Elag, and Meterein are revered under different, older names from the dawn of time. The Fey say the same of Cernu. Which of the Gods came first, if any, is unclear, and when the Faithful have asked, the answers, too, have been murky at the best of times. The formation of collective worship came much later, under the mortal races of Bereir.

Mythology & Lore

The histories of the Gods are oft told by swirling campfires and in meetings of the faithful, with varying accounts. These date to the earliest mortals, in times of survival. These hold that the Gods watched the mortal races rise from the dirt and water to a world lush with magic and life. The Elves say that when they awake in the Feywild the first time, they were born into a world were the faeries already respected a three-bodied God. When they left the Feywild for the first time and entered into the "First Forest" they were greeted by Cernu, in a different form than they knew. There, they watched Mankind crawl from the underbrush, Dragonborn strut from the lairs of dragons, and the Dwarves clamber from glittering ravines. Yet older still, the Elementals have known the Gods for all existence, albeit by different, primordial names. How old they, and where they came form, are is a mystery even the Gods have kept secret for eons.
Most believe they came to Bereir from The Chaos, a primordial force between the mortal planes and the elemental ones. The theory goes that they shaped it and molded it, acting as their domains required, becoming primal forces of nature to give shape to a world of their own.
Some scholars, however, believe they were birthed from the collective unconsciousness of reality. That Cernu was personified from the forests, Ensear from fire and heat, and so on. This school of thought also suggests that some of the Gods arose much, much later than others, perhaps alongside the rise of sapience.
These two conflicting origins have fluctuated between simmering and raging over time, with neither side having sufficient evidence to solidify their positions. The Gods themselves have long been unwilling to answer the underlying question of their origins.
Beyond their inception, there is little doubt of the suffused influence of the Gods through the planes. The Plane of Fire ebbs in temperature with Ensear's emotions, and the plane of water runs with harsh currents at Egrus's rage

Divine Origins

Much to the frustration of philosophers and historians, almost nothing is known of the origins of the gods. Even Danapex has made it apparent it will not share this information. The histories of the Gods are oft told by swirling campfires and in meetings of the faithful. These date to the earliest mortals, in times of survival. These hold that the Gods watched the mortal races rise from the dirt and water to a world lush with magic and life. The Elves say that when they left the Feywild the first time, They were met at the edge of the "First Forest" by Cernu, in a different form than they knew. There, they watched Mankind crawl from the underbrush, Dragonborn strut from the lairs of dragons, and the Dwarves clamber from glittering ravines. Yet older still, the Elementals say that even when the Elves strode out into the mortal plane, the Gods were there long before. How old they are is a mystery even the Gods have kept secret for eons.
Nora has suggested her creator, Cernu, is a manifestation of Bereir's wilderness rather than its propagator. While she would not divulge more, she also accompanied this revelation with the addendum that she believes that to be true, but even she doesn't know with certainty.
Noitalihinna has been the only God to make direct comment on her own nature; she "exists, as she always has."

Cosmological Views

Two prevailing theories exist within the beliefs of the faithful:

1. The Gods arrived from the Elemental and extant planes to a planet devoid of any life. They set about converting what little primordial force existed into magic, using that as infrastructure to spread their own energy across the planet. Thus, they used divine influence to craft a world to their liking. This theory also dictates that some gods arrived later than others, and thus some aspects of existence did not come to be until their later arrival.
2. Berier was created by an eruption of magical energy on a primordial world. That eruption of energy, in its most raw, original state, coalesced into the first few Gods. These beings went on to guide the world as they innately felt they should, taking up dedicated roles over a concept. This idea suggests that rather than creating directly, they acted as shepherds. As the world was guided and evolved, other entities naturally came to exist as extensions of these new concepts, much the same way as many of the Patrons were born. It is even speculated that, had the patrons been born much earlier, they would be true gods.

The first theory is the more prevalent, but nonetheless neither idea has been proven indelibly true. The academic conflict between these ideas and others has been present long before recorded history.

Tenets of Faith

For each god there are different tenets and rules followed by their worshipers. However, the pantheon shares overarching rules by virtue of respect for the other gods. For example, all relationships are under Bydarite's guiding hand, and all promises and pacts are made under the scrutiny of Ettus, whether you worship those gods prominently in your life or not.
Bydarite - Your truest heart must go into your relationships; be they romantic, platonic, or familial. Be loving to others, in the many shapes that takes.
Cairo - The night is a time for refuge, and safe journeys. Travelers at night have the protection of Cairo and his followers. Find refuge in the night, for both your body and mind.
Cernu - Those who interact with the wild must take heed to not overdraw their share. Cernu represents the primacy of nature. Respect the wild.
Danapex - Danapex values far-more people who ask the right questions rather than every question. Seek understanding above all else. 
Dogara - While Dogara is largely silent, the beauty of life speaks for her. Her followers, mostly on their own initiative, value the small things and see life in any form as a thing of beauty. Admire the beauty of it all.
Egreetus - When a wrong must be made right, Egreetus demands just retribution in equal to the wrongdoing. Make it right.
Egrus - Egrus demands only tribute, and an understanding that the waters of the world are his. Be steady in your footing, and firm in your stance.
Elag - Elag wishes for all to be free-willed, but with dignity and a respect for the lives of others. Be free.
Ensear - Ensear expects that those of faith face every challenge with confidence and resolve, metered by wisdom and understanding, in a constant state of rebirth. Hone yourself.
Ettus - Ettus values honor above all else, in a nearly mechanical nature. It's devout followers are typically judges and arbiters who uphold promises and contracts. Be true to your word.
Legia - "Your hospitality defines you." This simple quote guides those who take inspiration and purpose from Legia. Always be hospitable.
Lehted - Lehted is prayed to almost exclusively by warriors, and in return they feel strengthened by her hand. Fight, to the bitter end.
Meterein - Meterein values hard work and dedication. Do your best work.
Noitalihinna - Death does not like to be cheated. Aside from this, she is resolutely the final arbiter and asks no tribute. Face death with courage.
Sorm - When wronged, some take up Sorm's mentality of spiting and taking more from them than they from you as recompense. Tip the scales in your favor.

Ethics

For each god their exists a greater calling and a deepest sin.
Bydarite - Be kind and caring to one-another. Strengthen resolve, reform the lost, and love with an open heart. To malevolently harm your partner, family member, or friend is the utmost shameful act.
Cairo - Show compassion to others, and allow them to pass through life unharmed. Harming travelers at night is the greatest sin to Cairo.
Cernu - Pay heed to the wild, and know it is not yours to claim. When you do so, be fair and measured, lest the wild turn against you.
Danapex - Knowledge and wisdom in equal measure, and a willingness to teach and appraise. Danapex's followers have enumerated guidelines for the collection and cataloguing of information, as well as how to teach it. The foolish are disenfranchised among the academic community until they can regain their composure.
Dogara - Simply enjoy life and beauty, and dare-not to tread on its' existence.
Egreetus - Harm one without expecting retribution. Egreetus demands that wrongs be righted. To pillage or prey upon another will draw his golden gaze.
Egrus - Egrus has no care for what his followers do, so long as they are mindful that the ocean is his, and all others are merely visitors.
Elag - To force your will unto others is the greatest sin for Elag. She expects others to maintain healthy individuality without disrupting others.
Ensear - Ensear dislikes cowardice, and expects her followers to be self-confident and meter themselves with wise judgement. She holds to a code of rebirth, always teaching that everyone must learn from their failures and holds themselves to a code of honor.
Ettus - Above all, keep your promises. Ettus's calculating approach is the basis for judicial proceedings in nearly every place on Bereir, with only cultural differences making for any changes in the way law is carried out.
Lehted - Only cowardice offends Lehted. So long as blood is shed, she could not care less what a warrior chooses to do.
Legia - Taking care of others, especially the unfortunate or the suffering. To allow another to suffer when you could provide shelter is a great offense. Legia's devout operate under a set of guidelines for what they must provide and how to best caretake for others.
Meterein - Meterein values hard work and labor. His followers see themselves as anchors for civilization and their communities, and act under those assumptions.
Noitalihinna - The Lady of Death has no preference for how one's life is lived, she serves only as a cosmic judge and guide, sorting souls to their proper place after death. She offers only a single warning: she is not to be cheated.
Sorm - Take as much as you can when you are wronged; it is pathetic to not take what you are entitled to.

Worship

Bydarite - The very act of expressing love for another is worship of Bydarite, intentional or not. Whether this is physical or verbal does not matter.
Cairo - The ritual that one performs to commune with Cairo is simple, but taken seriously. One attains the skull of an antelope, deer, or similar horned herbivore. Golden wire is strung between the horns in an X, and a symbol of personal meaning is hung from the center. In the dead of night, in a place with no artificial light, followers speak to the ritual object about whatever they please. As Cairo says, they are "always there to listen."
Cernu - Fostering ivy is to grow in tandem with nature. Those who grow ivy tend to it with peaceful minds. Throughout Bereir, there are stone shrines with small pools of water at the center. Ivy and moss grow across them, and the water in the center is always pure so long as someone cares for the shrine.
Danapex - An hour of study or intelligent conversation each day is all Danapex asks. What one studies or speaks of is their choice, though it recommends philosophy and topics that will further ones' skill.
Dogara - Dogara has no known ceremonies or holidays that it wishes to have observed. Most gather in celebration of life on the first day of every year, having parties or group planting and seeding endeavors.
Egreetus - Followers gather in solidarity, expressing their grief for those lost. This gathering typically occurs on the third day of Sky's Sorrow. It is here that people comfort one-another and reaffirm conviction, vow to take action, or allow themselves to fully move past something they have settled.
Egrus - While there are various rites to appease the sea god, the most common is the utterance of a prayer to him before setting out on a watercraft of any kind. Many sailors will outright refuse to board a ship if even one member of the crew has failed to make their prayer, and will steer-clear of captains who hold the same stubbornness.
Elag - As Elag discourages organized religion among her following, worship is a private or cloistered experience. This mostly includes speaking in private to her, allowing the wind to carry your voice to her. This, Elag says, is a way to clear one's head and to let her know they are striving for self-actuation.
Ensear - The burning of a candle at both ends. There are special candle holders and dual-sided candles crafted for this express purpose. She also requests that every month her followers write down a challenge they have overcome or have yet to face and burn the paper. This is to burn away what is passed, or to sear into ones mind the challenges ahead, respectively.
Ettus - To take a vow to Ettus to uphold their promises, or the promises of others, is the only tribute the Serpent accepts. Judges take the latter oath when they are sworn in.
Lehted - As a show of their dedication, warriors will create small wounds on themselves the night before a battle. This is in hopes to entice the goddess to their aid, and to prepare them for what wounds may befall them.
Legia - Those devoted to Legia are to leave lanterns hanging at their door, as well as at the start of the path to their house. This signals a place where vagrants and the lost are welcome. It is expected kindness be exerted from both parties.
Meterein - Meterein has allowed his devout to determine what ways they pay tribute. His personal favorites are friendly competitions and contests, namely physical activity.
Noitalihinna - When a person dies, funerary rites vary by local culture. However, consistent is the visual manner in which the leading figure dresses. They wear long, loose black robes and a black veil that covers their entire head, much like a sheet. The body, normally already devoid of its soul, is laid to rest according to the wishes of the deceased with the veiled figure taking lead over the rights.
Sorm - Sorm accepts reverence in action, though he takes kindly to those who offer part of their takings to him. Additionally, he sees harming a devout follower of Bydarite as a satisfying experience and form of worship.

Priesthood

Much the same as the followers, each god has a different sect devoted to them with varying rules for their apostles and hierarchy.
Bydarite - The Lovers of Bydarite are close to their goddess in spirit. They oversee marriages, familial gatherings, and provide counseling for friends and partners. Usually, a cleric is appointed by selection of other clerics. Most are picked for their great capacity for compassion and empathy. They move with grace under loose cloaks of pink and red, sometimes exposing portions of their skin.
Cairo - There are numerous people in the world who offer themselves as travel guides and hired protection for any who travel at night. They wear long clothing of silver and black, denoting themselves with phases of the moons to display their purpose. Those apprised by a Watchful Moon are skilled fighters who protect travelers as hired help; those of the quarter-obscured moon are watchmen of paths and roads; and finally, those wearing the white moon staff outposts, rest-stops, and solitary inns.
Cernu - Cernu's devout follow their god's calling in a very literal sense. Most are chosen either directly by Cernu or by other followers of the wild. These persons are caretakers tending to flora and fauna alike. They commonly wear green and brown, but share few common clothes.
Danapex - People who become clerics under Danapex do so by merit. Most of them are the heads of libraries, schools, or repositories. It is common for them to also be wizards. They all dress differently in accordance with their profession, but share the commonality of a diamond-shaped cloth that is worn draping evenly over the front and back with the head through the center.
Dogara - Dogara's clerics act as dedicated healers, doctors, and herbalists. They channel divinity to maintain life, and bring new life to bear. While their outfits vary, they wear gray, white, and dull greens.
Egreetus - An iron will and a golden heart will draw attention from Egreetus' worshipers, allowing rise in his temples. These brotherhood-appointed figures are clothed in black, gold, and bronze. They also wear waist wrappings depicting the sigil of Egreetus at all times, in pious uniform or not.
Egrus - Egrus' worshippers have deep respect for the sea. The devout help teach sailors shanties and prepare themselves spiritually for voyages, as well as providing companionship for those who are docked. They are denoted by rich, blue scarves worn around the neck. These figures also wear clothing akin to local seafaring ilk or dock-hands and are tattooed with sea-life and mariners equipment, which glow when they surge with energy.
Elag - Elag adamantly stands against structured religion among her faithful. She has no qualms with those who help others along, but when one feels they wield power, they are no longer truly following her.
Ensear - The Decalescent of Ensear, as they are called, help strengthen others around them, or seek out and eradicate fiends. Small capes of red flutter from the right shoulders of clerics and paladins. Denoted Clerics of greater power have many trailing streamers of shimmering red and orange cloth attached to the backs of their garb in mimicry of Ensear's wings.
Ettus -These strict figures are appointed for their fairness and ability to parse even the most complex contracts and agreements. They take solemn vows publicly, pledging to Ettus itself that they will act with integrity. Around the shoulders of ettus' arbiters is a white shawl representing their status. Beyond this, they wear distinguished and pointed outfits in white with red trim.
Lehted - Lehted's clerics are fighters at heart. They encourage war and conflict as a solution. The clerics and paladins of lehted are known to host civil duels as a solution to disputes where they are permitted. Most dress in outfits reminiscent of guard or military uniforms, with a red band spiraling down a sleeve or pant leg.
Legia, - The clerics of Legia bless homes and ward off harsh weather, as well as providing housing and comfort to the less fortunate and lonely travelers. They wear blue cloaks and pauldrons composed of thick material magically resistant to the elements.
Meterein - The priests of Meterein are craftsmen who assist in professions related to the land. These priests bless the soil and stand for the working class. They wear leather aprons and forearm wrappings of plain cloth.
Noitalihinna - Clerics of death oversee funerary rites and help the living to make peace with where their soul will go after death. To be a cleric, one must also have knowledge of the rites to repel undead and perform hallowing ceremonies. Normally, these figures wear sheer drapery and clothing that sparkles with unearthly hues over top a black bodysuit and foot wrappings.
Sorm - Sorm has no formal religion, and it is not uncommon for his worship to be frowned upon. When one seeks a fervent follower, they keep their eye out for a red string bound to a bronze medallion.

Granted Divine Powers

Bydarite - Healing and protection spells, as well as divine intuition to help them uncover the heart of a relationship, or the root of its failings.
Cairo - Magic of the moons and of teleportation, such as moonbeam and misty-step.
Cernu - The strength and magics of the elder-woods. When these followers draw their power, it is backed by the force of the wild.
Danapex - Spells to draw on the arcane and cancel out other spells, as well as improved mental capacity and recall.
Dogara - Nurturing and empowering abilities that manifest through healing and growth.
Egreetus - The divine power to bring others protection and to bring ruin unto the unjust.
Egrus - Power to call upon the fury of a raging hurricane, unleashing cracking lightning and deafening thunder, while also being able to shape water and breathe underwater for a short time.
Elag - The twisting a curling clouds harbor lightning and thunder, but also blistering gales and light winds. The divinity of Elag grants her followers magic to guide the wind, but never to control it.
Ensear - Pyromancy and a dominating presence. Where these faithful tread, they are guardian and guiding-hand alike.
Ettus - The wide and powerful influence of Ettus bestows the divine right to induce order and bring to light the truth. They cast spells and rights that halt others and grant them insight into the mind.
Lehted - Zealous and violent power to turn the tides of battle, guiding or goading others into combat, laying waste to life and country.
Legia - Divine power to shelter others and protect against the elements, as well as the cold touch of ice that heralds death.
Meterein - Geokinetic magic allowing them to shift and alter the environment.
Noitalihinna - The ever-lingering hand of death; spells that bring ruin to the dead and living, as well as the ability to exorcise spirits and hallow.
Sorm - Powers that further the visions of gain that dominate these faithful, namely obscuring powers and death-dealing magics. Powers that will turn your gaze as your eyes are plucked out.

Political Influence & Intrigue

The entirety of law and order are beneath the guidance of Ettus. Its tenants define how law is processed within courts and tribunals. Thus, the act of prosecution is a religious event for many societies, with each session of court ritually directed to its will.

Sects

The Patrons are a lesser set of the deities, especially those created by the gods themselves. Some Eireon temples even offer services for the patrons, such as guided worship, though this is not officially provided by the church.

Type

Religious, Pantheon

Alternative Names

The Pantheon

Subsidiary Organizations

• Patrons
• The Eireonic Church

Deities

• Bydarite, Goddess of Love and Pleasure
• Cairo, God of the Moons
• Cernu, God of the Wild and Nature
• Danapex, God of Knowledge
• Dogara, God of Life and Growth
• Egreetus, God of Vengeance
• Egrus, God of Water and the Seas
• Elag, Goddess of Wind and Sky
• Ensear, Goddess of Fire and Heat
• Ettus, God of Vows
• Legia, God of Ice and Cold
• Lehted, Goddess of War
• Meterein, God of the Land
• Noitalihinna, Goddess of Death
• Sorm, God of Revenge

Notable Members

• Arbitrators