Gods
Gods are the primordial creators and overseers of the universe. They create worlds, plains of existence, life and shape matter at their will, then rule over their domains.
All Gods were the main products of the fusion of Avall'uch, Incarnation of chaos and Ragdafuria, goddess of order or later creations, and every single god has his or her function that he/she occupies and regulates.
Though gods are beyond mortal understanding, there is still a hierarchy among them, that obeys a simple rule: the older and the more worshipped a god, the more powerful it becomes (the power derived of worship is not essential to the existence of greater deities, but merely a boost to a god's power). This is why the older Gods such as the first Pantheon would be more powerful than the most recent Second Pantheon, although the latter is worshipped during their existence.
It is notably important to differentiate between the different classes of gods, detailed below, and the overlap they might represent in their domains. In many cases, it might be that the lesser gods intersect with the portfolio of a greater one. When this is the case with a God of the Second Pantheon , it is still debated if the lesser god is actually its own sentient entity or simply a different manifestation of the deity. Through the polytheistic system and the nature of belief as a tangible force, such a question remains unanswerable.
It is notably important to differentiate between the different classes of gods, detailed below, and the overlap they might represent in their domains. In many cases, it might be that the lesser gods intersect with the portfolio of a greater one. When this is the case with a God of the Second Pantheon , it is still debated if the lesser god is actually its own sentient entity or simply a different manifestation of the deity. Through the polytheistic system and the nature of belief as a tangible force, such a question remains unanswerable.
Structure
Divinity in Epliström is a complex system ruled by strict hierarchy. While the great domains are fixed, with the Primordial gods, the First Pantheon , the Second Pantheon staying immobile through the ages, worship of different things or phenomena in different cultures with varying fervor migh tgive birth to new deities, ascend mortals to godhood or destitute lesser gods. Thus, it is interesting to note the different categories of Gods and what makes them unique:
Primordial Deities
this Group is solely composed of Avall'uch, Incarnation of chaos and Ragdafuria, goddess of order , the duo that created the very world of Epliström. Order and Chaos will always exist, and it is this very clash of domains that dominates the divine world.
Pantheonic Deities
This refers to the gods of the First Pantheon and the Second Pantheon . One can divide this classification by dividing the Pantheons themselves, with the First being composed of broader and more powerful domains and concepts, that rule the very laws of existence, while the second has more tangible sections relating also to the beings that inhabit it, also possessing living representatives who can enforce their will among mortals. Pantheonic Gods are the most venerated, knowingly or unknowingly, throughout the Plains and their power is the only one that can rival that of the Second Higher Ones , entities that represent chaos itself and do not require any link to reality as one would know it.
Gods of the Second Pantheon cannot be slain in the normal sense, their domains too broad to ever be eradicated. They might possess avatars to interact with the world of the living, yet their essence is omnipresent and all powerful. It is thought by many scholars that Pantheonic Gods are the only true divinities, with all lower forms merely being their incarnations or their servants. This belief Has yet to be proven or disproven, leading to discussions on purely theological basis about it.
Local Deities
Be it the Patron deity of a specific race, species or culture, or the gods orbiting the Pantheonic gods with an overlap in their portfolio, the world of Epliström has many beliefs. Local deities represent the gos that are worshipped by a smaller group of individuals, often for particular reason, such as a culture evolving around them or the need for a Pantheon around a specific greater god. Many cultures for example will venerate one or a few specific Pantheonic Deities, but construct in their belief system a group of gods around them. For example, dwarves and giants worship the Gods Goibhniu , god of Smiths, and Eshnahif , god of Winter, yet they will each have a Pantheon of other gods representing other aspects of culture. Other races possess one or multiple patron deities that they have constructed through legends and folklore, such as the orcs with their fanatic fervor for Gruumsh and his Family and subordinates.
However, the afore mentioned debate about the existence of this rank of deity is omnipresent. Many believe that local deities are nothing more than the aspect or avatar of one of the Pantheonic Deities, adapted to fit local customs and beliefs. This would for example explain the many legends of Gorm , god of War, disguising himself as Gruumsh to appear to orcs.
If their existence is considered, then Local deities are unstable, vanishing and appearing throughout the ages as their followers' devotion and numbers wax and wane. Their status is uncertain, and were they to lose a majority of their believers, they can be supplanted or slain, becoming lesser deities or worse, mortals.
Lesser Deities
A stream that aliments a village, a tree that has stood the test of thousands of years, or even the wish of good luck at sea for a fisherman, many concepts inspire awe and prayer within the worlds of Epliström. Such fervor, if expressed by a certain number of people, manifests itself in the form of lesser deities, their power often bound to a single location or object. If Local deities are unstable, then lesser deities are fickle, appearing and disappearing on whims cultures, in need of listening to each of their followers. As such, they are also the closest divinity that most folk can tangibly perceive. All non Pantheonic gods start as lesser deities, their status being elevated after accumulating followers and devotion for centuries or millenia. Yet it is also possible for them to fall back into this lower status, be it due to their followers abandoning them or being supplanted by another. A fight for existence then ensues for lesser deities, though functionally immortal, are often slain or subjugated to those with higher ambitions, or left to the wayside as progress leaves them behind. It is even said that the great Pantheonic Gods could in theory descend to the rank of lesser deity, should their portfolio erode or their followers all vanish, though they would not become mortal or killable like other lesser gods since their abstract concept is only represented through avatars.
While the existence of local deities is often doubted, lesser deities need to justify their divinity through the very questioning of their power. Since is Lucam, god of the Mahakam Mountains ' silver, a true god or simply a nature spirit? For many believers, this question matters little, as worship of lesser gods is often the path to the most locally tangible and immediate rewards.
Demigods and Ascended Mortals
Be it a cult leader who deturned worship to themselves, a great hero whose deeds have become legend, or the child of a deity with a mortal, the cusp of divinity is achieved by a select few. Like lesser deities, Demigods and Mortals ascend to their divine nature through great deeds, legends and follower worship, though the task is often impossible to any normal person's eyes.
Many greater gods of higher rank will surround themselves with lesser deities, demigods and powerful heroes, as they name them champion and can grant them the much sought after gift of ascension. However, this is almost never done out of the kindness of a god's heart, for they do not possess such a thing. Instead, it is a calculated gamble, as a champion's deeds done in a god's name or a great legend being born often leads to more followers or more devotion. However, the risk of the champion becoming powerful enough to supplant its very patron is very real for many deities ranging from local to lesser, something that could lead from gaining everything to losing it all. As such, it is mostly the Pantheonic Deities that elevate champions to the status of legend, or birth world shaking demigods who take their place beside their parent, for the risk of such a thing happening to them is nigh to none, a luxury that local deities might not have. It is so that many legendary hero will be at the cusp of divinity, often kept at a leash by their patron out of utility or fear.
Primordial Deities
this Group is solely composed of Avall'uch, Incarnation of chaos and Ragdafuria, goddess of order , the duo that created the very world of Epliström. Order and Chaos will always exist, and it is this very clash of domains that dominates the divine world.
Pantheonic Deities
This refers to the gods of the First Pantheon and the Second Pantheon . One can divide this classification by dividing the Pantheons themselves, with the First being composed of broader and more powerful domains and concepts, that rule the very laws of existence, while the second has more tangible sections relating also to the beings that inhabit it, also possessing living representatives who can enforce their will among mortals. Pantheonic Gods are the most venerated, knowingly or unknowingly, throughout the Plains and their power is the only one that can rival that of the Second Higher Ones , entities that represent chaos itself and do not require any link to reality as one would know it.
Gods of the Second Pantheon cannot be slain in the normal sense, their domains too broad to ever be eradicated. They might possess avatars to interact with the world of the living, yet their essence is omnipresent and all powerful. It is thought by many scholars that Pantheonic Gods are the only true divinities, with all lower forms merely being their incarnations or their servants. This belief Has yet to be proven or disproven, leading to discussions on purely theological basis about it.
Local Deities
Be it the Patron deity of a specific race, species or culture, or the gods orbiting the Pantheonic gods with an overlap in their portfolio, the world of Epliström has many beliefs. Local deities represent the gos that are worshipped by a smaller group of individuals, often for particular reason, such as a culture evolving around them or the need for a Pantheon around a specific greater god. Many cultures for example will venerate one or a few specific Pantheonic Deities, but construct in their belief system a group of gods around them. For example, dwarves and giants worship the Gods Goibhniu , god of Smiths, and Eshnahif , god of Winter, yet they will each have a Pantheon of other gods representing other aspects of culture. Other races possess one or multiple patron deities that they have constructed through legends and folklore, such as the orcs with their fanatic fervor for Gruumsh and his Family and subordinates.
However, the afore mentioned debate about the existence of this rank of deity is omnipresent. Many believe that local deities are nothing more than the aspect or avatar of one of the Pantheonic Deities, adapted to fit local customs and beliefs. This would for example explain the many legends of Gorm , god of War, disguising himself as Gruumsh to appear to orcs.
If their existence is considered, then Local deities are unstable, vanishing and appearing throughout the ages as their followers' devotion and numbers wax and wane. Their status is uncertain, and were they to lose a majority of their believers, they can be supplanted or slain, becoming lesser deities or worse, mortals.
Lesser Deities
A stream that aliments a village, a tree that has stood the test of thousands of years, or even the wish of good luck at sea for a fisherman, many concepts inspire awe and prayer within the worlds of Epliström. Such fervor, if expressed by a certain number of people, manifests itself in the form of lesser deities, their power often bound to a single location or object. If Local deities are unstable, then lesser deities are fickle, appearing and disappearing on whims cultures, in need of listening to each of their followers. As such, they are also the closest divinity that most folk can tangibly perceive. All non Pantheonic gods start as lesser deities, their status being elevated after accumulating followers and devotion for centuries or millenia. Yet it is also possible for them to fall back into this lower status, be it due to their followers abandoning them or being supplanted by another. A fight for existence then ensues for lesser deities, though functionally immortal, are often slain or subjugated to those with higher ambitions, or left to the wayside as progress leaves them behind. It is even said that the great Pantheonic Gods could in theory descend to the rank of lesser deity, should their portfolio erode or their followers all vanish, though they would not become mortal or killable like other lesser gods since their abstract concept is only represented through avatars.
While the existence of local deities is often doubted, lesser deities need to justify their divinity through the very questioning of their power. Since is Lucam, god of the Mahakam Mountains ' silver, a true god or simply a nature spirit? For many believers, this question matters little, as worship of lesser gods is often the path to the most locally tangible and immediate rewards.
Demigods and Ascended Mortals
Be it a cult leader who deturned worship to themselves, a great hero whose deeds have become legend, or the child of a deity with a mortal, the cusp of divinity is achieved by a select few. Like lesser deities, Demigods and Mortals ascend to their divine nature through great deeds, legends and follower worship, though the task is often impossible to any normal person's eyes.
Many greater gods of higher rank will surround themselves with lesser deities, demigods and powerful heroes, as they name them champion and can grant them the much sought after gift of ascension. However, this is almost never done out of the kindness of a god's heart, for they do not possess such a thing. Instead, it is a calculated gamble, as a champion's deeds done in a god's name or a great legend being born often leads to more followers or more devotion. However, the risk of the champion becoming powerful enough to supplant its very patron is very real for many deities ranging from local to lesser, something that could lead from gaining everything to losing it all. As such, it is mostly the Pantheonic Deities that elevate champions to the status of legend, or birth world shaking demigods who take their place beside their parent, for the risk of such a thing happening to them is nigh to none, a luxury that local deities might not have. It is so that many legendary hero will be at the cusp of divinity, often kept at a leash by their patron out of utility or fear.
Public Agenda
The Gods have no particular goal, or at least not one understandable to mere mortals. They just exist(ed). However, they are in a permanent struggle with the Higher Ones.
Assets
Gods are all powerful in their domain of action, and can only be contested either by another god or maybe by a Higher One, whose Powers remain unknown. If a minor god is stripped of its believers, it will become mortal and its divinity will cease. If a greater god of the pantheons were to have the same happen to it, a feat unknown in all of history, though attempted by some, it would still be a god, but would perhaps be destroyable.
Founding Date
Gods were not founded at a specific date, but the birth of the god is the birth of Ragdafuria, goddess of order
Type
Religious, Other
Demonym
Gods
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