The Universal Pantheon of the World of Gaia
Gaia is a full world rich with a variety of cultures and religions. These religions are born from a harmonic combination of people's imagination and the true existence of the pantheon it is based on. Thanks to the presence of magic, the existence of higher powers is undeniable due to their highly active influence on historical events. The exact nature of the beings that inhabit this higher state of power is shrouded in mystery and incomprehension, but that hasn't stopped the societies of the Gaia from trying to make sense of the makeup of the cosmos. Every culture has founded some kind of religion worshiping specific deities that best represented that culture's lifestyle and values. Each religion across Gaia views deities in a different light with some being malevolent in one part of the world and benevolent in another. This article will shed light on what it means to be a deity in the cosmos of Gaia, though these truths are not widely known by the populace even at the highest levels of the religions spawned by these higher beings.
The divine beings of the second sphere all serve a purpose independent of one another. They have little authority over each other but have absolute authority over their own army of angels of the third sphere. It is within this sphere that we begin to see beings that most cultures refer to as gods or deities. This reference is not without merit, for these beings possess power unreachable by mortal beings. Some old cults and religions believe these beings have immensely unfathomable power such as the ability to control the sun or the ability to lift entire mountain ranges. It is unclear whether these tales are actually true accounts of the Second Sphere's power or if these are embellished stories told by imaginative worshipers. The Church of the Phoenix Flame preaches that the reason these beings possess such power is because they may draw upon the magic reserves of all of their worshipers at once to access a virtually endless pool of magic energy to perform feats of magic impossible by mortals, but even this would not grant them the ability to move entire mountain ranges without days of magic expenditure. The beings within this sphere are the Virtues, Powers, and Dominions.
Ylies
Ylies is a virtue of Heaven that serves as the primordial elemental of air in Alfhiem.
Lunateria
Lunateria is deity of Heaven worshiped across the realms of Anchoran, Borivaj, and Evintia. The religions founded in her name primarily associate her with the moon and wolves due to her being the creator of lycanthropy. In some parts of the world Lunateria is minor deity associated with family and the natural bonds shared between them. She is depicted as a warrior that pulls the crescent moon from the sky and looses arrows of starlight into the night sky.
Soltair
Soltair is a deity of Hell worshiped primarily in the south Enuin realms of Lakshmana and Sakhetanus. These lands are hot desert-like areas that once based their entire existence on the sun's blistering mercy. As their realms developed over time, they associated the sun's great influence with Soltair, the most widely worshiped deity at the time in the south. They believed that by praying to him, their homes would be blessed with mercy and if they angered him, cursed with death. As such, Soltair has evolved from a simple warrior god into a god of the sun and death. He is depicted as a warrior with a falchion at his side holding a burning fireball between the palms of his hands symbolizing his power over it's blazing heat.
Shawjango
Shawjango is a deity of heaven worshiped in the realm of Galatea and parts of Saketanus. The jungles of Galatea and deserts of Sakhetanus were once filled to the brim with warrior tribes that valued combat and honor above all else and therefore associated their primary deity, Shawjango, with these traits. During the War of Southern Dominence, the Blue Moon phenomena transformed thousands of Galatean tribesmen into the first beastfolk. Shawjango being the most widely revered god of Galatea at the time received credit for this event and was then dubbed the god of beasts as well as the god of combat and honor. To this day, the beastfolk revere him as their creator and protector. Shawjango is depicted as a black man with the head of a lion. He is usually depicted fighting alongside his mighty tiger companion, Kayen.
Oxris
Oxris is a mighty dominion of heaven that was once worshiped widely across the entire Travenhall Empire. He was the second deity to be instated into the Holy Trinity and his worshipers believe him to be "King of the Gods". Oxris was once only worshiped in the eastern realm of Evintia during the time of the Evintian Empire, but when the Travenhall Empire overtook them, they placed Oxris at the head of their pantheon spreading his dominance as God King as Travenhall spread its influence to the other realms. Oxris is a god that has been associated with a wide variety of traits most of which have something to do with leadership and royalty. Later periods have given Oxris dominion over the sky, lightning, and power as a construct. He is depicted as an strong stern figure sitting upon an ornate throne wearing a diamond encrusted crown of gold. Some depictions include his mighty hounds, Lydis, Labrax, and Trixus. Each of which were once mighty Evintian rulers who rewarded for their stout leadership with a place at Oxris's side.
Xobris
Xobris is a dominion of hell that was once the sole deity of Travenhall before the Era of Conquest. He was the first deity to be instated into the Holy Trinity. Despite truly being a deity of hell, the worshipers of Xobris believe him to be a pious deity of heaven despite being a god highly associated with war, conquest, and combat. Draygonix the Grand Conqueror used the holy texts of Xobris as inspiration during his campaign to conquer the entire continent of Enuin. Xobris is depicted as a mighty warrior in a full harness carrying a massive 2 handed sword. Xobris artwork tends to evolve over time as armor and weapon technology advances.
Qitos
Qitos is a dominion of heaven that was said to be the father of all gods by the people of Solemn. When Travenhall conquered Solemn, Draygonix and the Church integrated Qitos into their pantheon as yet another ruler god next to Xobris and Oxris. This gave form to the Church's final institution, The Church of the Holy Trinity. As a father god, Qitos is highly respected by the followers of the church. He has been associated with the trait of wisdom, honor, and fatherhood as a figure who rules by respect rather than strength. He is depicted as an elderly man carrying a staff.
The Divine Hierarchy
The Great Beyond is truly beyond the comprehension of any mortal mind, however after gathering dozens of accounts dating back as far as the beginning of recorded history, a group of highly dedicated scholars of various faiths and cultures have designed a makeshift hierarchy to help simplify the complex nature of heaven, hell, and the beings most would call gods. Both heaven and hell follow the same chain of authority called the Divine Hierarchy which consists of 9 positions divided equally into 3 spheres of influence.
The Third Sphere
Angels and Devils
At the base of both hierarchies, you have your plain angel and devil. These beings make up the vast majority of the divine population and are the closest divine beings to mortals. When they manifest a physical form on Gaia or Alfhiem, angels of Heaven often appear as beautiful humanoids with wings made of pure light that extend from their back while devils of Hell appear as seductive horned humanoids with wings cloaked in shadow that appear as the wings of a dragon on their back. It is not uncommon for souls of considerable power to become angels or devils rather than celestials or demons upon death. Paladin Pace is a notable example of an angel who was once a mortal man.Archangels and Archdevils
Commanding units of plain angels and devils you have the archangels and archdevils. They are considerably more powerful than their troops and serve as protectors (or spiritual governors) of entire nations. They are often mistaken as the most powerful form of angel or devil even though they are actually the second lowest in the divine hierarchy. Despite their low standing, they are the most active when it comes to the affairs of mortals. In some cases, they have a direct role in the governments of entire societies. Acariel and Remanon were notable examples of an archangel and archdevil respectively.Rulers
The last of the third sphere of divine beings are the rulers. Rulers are immensely powerful angels and devils that command entire armies of divine beings. They act as messengers of the higher angels and the enforcers of the cosmic balance. Rulers delegate tasks sent from the higher spheres to the archangels beneath them to assure the greater good of the entire world. Rulers of hell use their position to assure that temptation and self interest spread throughout the world further expanding their demon hordes for when the final battle for the cosmos has come.The Second Sphere
The divine beings of the second sphere all serve a purpose independent of one another. They have little authority over each other but have absolute authority over their own army of angels of the third sphere. It is within this sphere that we begin to see beings that most cultures refer to as gods or deities. This reference is not without merit, for these beings possess power unreachable by mortal beings. Some old cults and religions believe these beings have immensely unfathomable power such as the ability to control the sun or the ability to lift entire mountain ranges. It is unclear whether these tales are actually true accounts of the Second Sphere's power or if these are embellished stories told by imaginative worshipers. The Church of the Phoenix Flame preaches that the reason these beings possess such power is because they may draw upon the magic reserves of all of their worshipers at once to access a virtually endless pool of magic energy to perform feats of magic impossible by mortals, but even this would not grant them the ability to move entire mountain ranges without days of magic expenditure. The beings within this sphere are the Virtues, Powers, and Dominions.
Virtues
Virtues are divine beings in charge of delivering miracles to the world. They have the power to reshape reality and manipulate fate at will. They may only do so under the direct authority of the first sphere, so they are more akin to divine servants of higher gods than gods themselves.Ylies
Ylies is a virtue of Heaven that serves as the primordial elemental of air in Alfhiem.
Powers
Powers are warrior gods tasked with guarding their realm in the event that one side of the cosmos attempts to purposely disrupt the balance of heaven and hell. They usually act of their own accord, but in some rare cases, they subjugate themselves to the Dominions in times of great need.Lunateria
Lunateria is deity of Heaven worshiped across the realms of Anchoran, Borivaj, and Evintia. The religions founded in her name primarily associate her with the moon and wolves due to her being the creator of lycanthropy. In some parts of the world Lunateria is minor deity associated with family and the natural bonds shared between them. She is depicted as a warrior that pulls the crescent moon from the sky and looses arrows of starlight into the night sky.
Soltair
Soltair is a deity of Hell worshiped primarily in the south Enuin realms of Lakshmana and Sakhetanus. These lands are hot desert-like areas that once based their entire existence on the sun's blistering mercy. As their realms developed over time, they associated the sun's great influence with Soltair, the most widely worshiped deity at the time in the south. They believed that by praying to him, their homes would be blessed with mercy and if they angered him, cursed with death. As such, Soltair has evolved from a simple warrior god into a god of the sun and death. He is depicted as a warrior with a falchion at his side holding a burning fireball between the palms of his hands symbolizing his power over it's blazing heat.
Shawjango
Shawjango is a deity of heaven worshiped in the realm of Galatea and parts of Saketanus. The jungles of Galatea and deserts of Sakhetanus were once filled to the brim with warrior tribes that valued combat and honor above all else and therefore associated their primary deity, Shawjango, with these traits. During the War of Southern Dominence, the Blue Moon phenomena transformed thousands of Galatean tribesmen into the first beastfolk. Shawjango being the most widely revered god of Galatea at the time received credit for this event and was then dubbed the god of beasts as well as the god of combat and honor. To this day, the beastfolk revere him as their creator and protector. Shawjango is depicted as a black man with the head of a lion. He is usually depicted fighting alongside his mighty tiger companion, Kayen.
Dominions
Dominions are the governors of the second sphere and delegate the duties to the Rulers beneath them. Dominons are often referred to as “Kings of the gods”, but this statement can be a bit inaccurate given an entire sphere of power resides above them. Of all the divine beings, dominions are the only ones that truly act on their own authority. Most of their actions are a result of their own decisions. It is not unheard of for a Dominion to challenge a divine being of the First Sphere, but doing so often leads to catastrophic cosmic results and requires the aide of many other Second Sphere divine beings.Oxris
Oxris is a mighty dominion of heaven that was once worshiped widely across the entire Travenhall Empire. He was the second deity to be instated into the Holy Trinity and his worshipers believe him to be "King of the Gods". Oxris was once only worshiped in the eastern realm of Evintia during the time of the Evintian Empire, but when the Travenhall Empire overtook them, they placed Oxris at the head of their pantheon spreading his dominance as God King as Travenhall spread its influence to the other realms. Oxris is a god that has been associated with a wide variety of traits most of which have something to do with leadership and royalty. Later periods have given Oxris dominion over the sky, lightning, and power as a construct. He is depicted as an strong stern figure sitting upon an ornate throne wearing a diamond encrusted crown of gold. Some depictions include his mighty hounds, Lydis, Labrax, and Trixus. Each of which were once mighty Evintian rulers who rewarded for their stout leadership with a place at Oxris's side.
Xobris
Xobris is a dominion of hell that was once the sole deity of Travenhall before the Era of Conquest. He was the first deity to be instated into the Holy Trinity. Despite truly being a deity of hell, the worshipers of Xobris believe him to be a pious deity of heaven despite being a god highly associated with war, conquest, and combat. Draygonix the Grand Conqueror used the holy texts of Xobris as inspiration during his campaign to conquer the entire continent of Enuin. Xobris is depicted as a mighty warrior in a full harness carrying a massive 2 handed sword. Xobris artwork tends to evolve over time as armor and weapon technology advances.
Qitos
Qitos is a dominion of heaven that was said to be the father of all gods by the people of Solemn. When Travenhall conquered Solemn, Draygonix and the Church integrated Qitos into their pantheon as yet another ruler god next to Xobris and Oxris. This gave form to the Church's final institution, The Church of the Holy Trinity. As a father god, Qitos is highly respected by the followers of the church. He has been associated with the trait of wisdom, honor, and fatherhood as a figure who rules by respect rather than strength. He is depicted as an elderly man carrying a staff.
The First Sphere
Information on the First Sphere is very vague. A general consensus is that the divine beings of the First Sphere may be responsible for all of creation as we know it. All references to these beings always connect to creation myths. Strangely, these beings very rarely worshiped; however, they are always at least acknowledged as either creators or the "parents" of the gods by simpler minded cultures. Accounts from actual angels state that not even the beings of the Second Sphere fully understand what exactly resides in the First Sphere. All that is known for certain is that there are 3 types of divine beings within the highest point in the cosmos and they have power beyond anything anyone can begin to imagine.Thrones
Thrones are said to be the driving force of the cycle of creation and destruction. They attach souls to bodies upon birth and directly guide souls to the Great Beyond upon death. It is unclear if they actually create life or if they simply attach life created elsewhere to a newborn. No other being in existence has the power to actually touch or manipulate a soul other than thrones.Cherubim
Cherubim are beings in charge of guarding the fruits of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, and preventing anyone from attaining the secrets of the creation of the cosmos. These all-mighty beings are said to be strong enough to push back an army of Second Sphere angels attempting to achieve true godhood.Seraphim
Seraphim are the pinnacle of power. They hold undisputed authority over the entire cosmos, but seldom ever involve themselves in affairs that do not directly threaten the structure of all of creation. Angels often refer to these higher angels as nearly omnipotent gods, but there truly is no way to know the extent of their strength beyond speculation. Some myths believe it was a single rogue seraphim that defied Heaven and took a fruit from Yggdrasil to awaken the minds mortals causing them to one day evolve into the species we know today. These myths also believe this is how evil was first introduced into the neutral mortal wilds of primordial Gaia.The One True God
There have been literally hundreds of religions created based around the gods of the Second Sphere and First Sphere each creating unique polytheistic pantheons with their own sets of worshipers that grant them their power. However it has been theorized that there in fact is a single true God that sits above all. A single entity that sparked the creation of the physical worlds, Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, the Void, and even the Divine Hierarchy. There has yet to be proof of the existence of such a being but there hasn't been any proof suggesting its nonexistence either. This has spawned countless creation myths either suggesting that this One True God created everything or that the beings of the First Sphere created everything. Due to the diligent guard of the almighty Cherubim, not even the so called gods of the Second Sphere will ever know the truth of their own existence, so they too are left only with speculation and their own creation myths.More deities will be added as the world develops
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Alternative Names
The Gods, The Old Gods, Angels, Devils, Deities, Primordial Creators
Demonym
Deities
Notable Members
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