Deities of the Great Beyond

Standing above mortal comprehension are the gods - those who made us, and those who will one day destroy us. We exist by their power, yet we are free of their wills - a blessing beyond blessings, and one we must hope they never rescind.
 
  The world of Istralar is not alone in the universe, and neither Istralar nor its sister planets are left bereft of monitors and minders. The universe's creators and prime powers, whether they be born as the universe was created or ascended from the ranks of mortals, are the deities. These are beings and forces of varying status and power, with control over every facet of creation, destruction, and everything in-between.   They are able to grant mortals divine magic through various means, and each deity is associated strongly with a plane of existence, an alignment, and several divine domains.   The number of domains a deity has power over is a direct indicator of their status, as well as an indicator of their strongest areas of concern. True gods have five or more domains; demigods typically have four. An entity with less than four domains is not counted in the ranks of gods but may be considered a nascent demigod - creatures with mythic powers are often able to enter this realm as their strength begins to reach that of the gods.   True gods are explicitly forbidden from interfering in mortal affairs as of the First Divine War, with further agreements set in place as of the Arcane Compromise enacted at the end of the Second Divine War.  

Worship

The relationship between deities and mortals is not a symbiotic one, contrary to common belief - deities do not gain power based on their worshippers, nor do they lose it by falling out of mortal memory. Mortals, however, have much to gain by seeking the favour of deities, and due to the pact prohibiting direct intervention by true gods, deities enjoy using their worshippers to both sow discord and play at heroics.  
Divine Worship by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
Any being with at least one domain is generally able to grant divine magic, the signifier of divine power and the first form of magic that mortals on Istralar were able to access.   However, those nascent deities or mythic beings that have not publicised their powers rarely have worshippers to grant magic to; with greater power comes greater reach, and few mortals would choose to worship a lesser divine figure who could only grant them scraps of power compared to a true deity that could offer them far more.   The powers a deity grants to their followers are typically one of their most important draws for their richer and more powerful (whether politically or more literally) followers; Sothime offers no useful boons for those running a city or fighting in wars, for instance, and often ignores the prayers of their worshippers.
  Despite being unable to interact with mortals directly, it is nonetheless important for deities to offer boons, to show pleasure to those who seek to please them, and to make clear their anger or displeasure with those who would assault their followers.
  There exist countless stories of religious warfare where a god of war has intruded on the followers of a goddess of nature and paid dearly for it, with the goddess causing nature itself to rise up in defence of her followers; equally, there exist stories of particularly pious worshippers being granted unimaginable boons in times of strife if they call upon their deity.   Mortal worship does take many forms, and very few mortal worshippers will feel the direct touch of their deity - most have servitors to assist in responding to prayers or sending down protections, if they care to do so. This does not stop the proliferation of churches, cults, festivals, or other forms of worship across the many corners of Istralar.   Often two sects that follow the same deity will have strictly opposing views on how their deity should be worshipped; deities rarely indicate which is correct, instead allowing mortals the will to determine what is right for themselves.
World-Cleaving Blade of the Hells by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
  Seren, notably, has fallen out of favour in Galasthin despite being the original creator of elvenkind due to her self-sacrifice in containing Marvaeth. Her worshippers in Rhaead are instead dedicated to them both in equal measure, seeing the mixture of dark and light as a sign of the union of elves and drow, and her followers in the snow elven tribes remain strictly traditionalist and vocal in their devotion. The goddess herself embraces all these groups despite their differences.  
Font of Divine Power by Hanhula (via Midjourney)
 

Elements of a Deity's Worship

  Every deity, whether they are a true god, a demigod, or something else entirely, has certain divine attributes that relate to their abilities and to how mortals worship them. These are as follows:  
Areas of Concern
Areas of concern are the deity's portfolio; more specific than domains, they are a summary of everything a deity stands for. For instance, Sinaske's areas of concern are space, exploration, and celestial bodies.  
Favoured Weapons
A deity's preferred weaponry carries over to their worshippers, with many deities giving particular blessings to followers using their weapon of choice or even teaching their followers specific fighting techniques.
For example, Kaian's followers often imitate the thief's prowess with daggers and teleporting strikes.  
Divine Servants:
Deities typically have specific species of outsider that serve as their personal servitors, often created from the souls of their most dedicated mortal worshippers. Each deity also has a Herald who serves as their living representative on the Material Plane, and may also have a mortal Champion of the Divine.  
Sacred Animal:
Deific entities choose sacred animals both as a matter of emblem and as a messenger species, and examples of sacred animal can be found in every temple.
 
 

Domains and Subdomains

 
Shards of power, fragments of greatness... The domains of gods are for we mortals to puzzle out and comprehend.
  A domain or subdomain is considered to be a tangible representation of a deity's area of concerns, distilled into two specific lists for mortal worshippers to draw from. Domains are stronger but more vague representations of power; subdomains are more specific, but often slightly less powerful manifestations. For instance, Sothime, as the deity of emotions and experiences, holds the Madness domain to represent the volatility of mortal experience and the insanity their realm invokes, and Truth as a subdomain of Madness to indicate that they seek the truth of mortal minds.  

Domains

Air

Associated with electricity, wind, and mists. Generally possessed by deities and demigods with strong ties to the Plane of Air, such as elemental lords or gods of avian species.   Subdomains
  • Cloud
  • Lightning
  • Wind
  • Animal

    Associated with animals and their lives, care, communication, and uses. A favourite of mortal druids & shamans, and used both by nature gods and gods of corruption.   Subdomains
  • Feather
  • Fur
  • Insect
  • Artifice

    Associated with creation and artificial restoration.   Subdomains
  • Alchemy
  • Construct
  • Industry
  • Toil
  • Trap
  • Chaos

    Representative of primordial chaos & one of four alignment domains used by all chaotic gods.   Subdomains
  • Azata
  • Demodand
  • Demon
  • Entropy
  • Protean
  • Revelry
  • Riot
  • Whimsy
  • Charm

    Associated with charisma, enchantment, love, and beauty. Typically a very polarising domain.   Subdomains
  • Captivation
  • Love
  • Lust

  • Community

    Associated with unity, communities, and friendships; most deities with this domain are good-aligned.   Subdomains
  • Cooperation
  • Education
  • Family
  • Home
  • Darkness

    Associated with literal and metaphorical darkness: with night and shade, with grief and sorrow.   Subdomains
  • Loss
  • Moon
  • Night
  • Shadow
  • Death

    Associated with death and undeath in all their shades.   Subdomains
  • Murder
  • Plague
  • Psychopomp
  • Shadow
  • Undead
  • Destruction

    Associated with destruction in all ways, accidental or with motive. Opposes Artifice.   Subdomains
  • Catastrophe
  • Hatred
  • Rage
  • Torture
  • Earth

    Associated with earth, metals, stone, gemstones, and acids. Represents both the natural world, and what lies beneath. Often associated with dwarvenkind.   Subdomains
  • Caves
  • Metal
  • Petrification
  • Radiation
  • Evil

    Representative of deepest evil and one of four alignment domains used by all evil gods.   Subdomains
  • Cannibalism
  • Corruption
  • Daemon
  • Demodand
  • Demon
  • Devil
  • Fear
  • Kyton
  • Plague
  • Sakhil
  • Fire

    Associated with all forms of fire, whether they be raging infernos, volcanic eruptions, small campfires or cooking stations, or the smoke and embers left afterwards.   Subdomains
  • Arson
  • Ash
  • Smoke
  • Glory

    Associated with glory and triumph, with divine power and heroism. The domain of legends.   Subdomains
  • Chivalry
  • Heroism
  • Honour
  • Hubris
  • Legend
  • Good

    Representative of purest good and one of four alignment domains used by all good gods.   Subdomains
  • Agathion
  • Archon
  • Azata
  • Friendship
  • Redemption
  • Healing

    Associated with health, healing, and medicine in all its forms; not to be confused with the alchemy domain.   Contrary to popular belief, evil and good deities alike may represent healing.   Subdomains
  • Medicine
  • Restoration
  • Resurrection
  • Knowledge

    Associated with knowledge, research, and information... as well as the mind and the secrets it holds.   Subdomains
  • Aeon
  • Education
  • Espionage
  • Memory
  • Thought
  • Law

    Representative of universal law and one of four alignment domains used by all lawful gods.   Subdomains
  • Archon
  • Devil
  • Inevitable
  • Judgment
  • Kyton
  • Legislation
  • Loyalty
  • Slavery
  • Sovereignty
  • Tyranny
  • Liberation

    Associated with free spirits, freedom, revolution, and direct opposition to oppressors and slavers. Deities of liberation are often involved in clashes, often challenging deities of law despite not specifically opposing one another.   Subdomains
  • Freedom
  • Revolution
  • Self-Realisation
  • Luck

    One of the most significant yet most overlooked domains, luck deities tend to be heavily involved with fate itself. Whether they are favoured or despised varies heavily from culture to culture.   Subdomains
  • Curse
  • Fate
  • Imagination
  • Madness

    Whilst Knowledge is linked to minds, so too is Madness. Deities of this domain stretch the boundaries of reality, knowing the depths to which they may plunge...   Subdomains
  • Insanity
  • Nightmare
  • Truth
  • Magic

    Deities of magic are steeped in magic itself, keyed into the very workings of the world. This is a dangerous domain - one of of power and mysticism.   Subdomains
  • Alchemy
  • Arcane
  • Divine
  • Rites
  • Nobility

    Associated with nobility and leadership, and the hubris associated with their actions and inaction.   Subdomains
  • Aristocracy
  • Hubris
  • Leadership
  • Martyr
  • Plant

    Associated with natural plantlife and growth, and often heavily tied to the Earth domain.   Subdomains
  • Leshy
  • Decay
  • Growth
  • Thorns
  • Protection

    Associated with protection of all sorts: physical defences, mental fortifications, and those who seek to protect others.   Subdomains
  • Defence
  • Fortifications
  • Purity
  • Solitude
  • Repose

    Associated with peaceful deaths and lengthy rest; vehemently opposed to undeath. Psychopomp demigods either grant Repose or Death.   Subdomains
  • Ancestors
  • Psychopomp
  • Souls
  • Rune

    Associated with the power inherent in writing, and the magic runes of all kinds are able to conjure. Often paired with Knowledge or Magic domains.   Subdomains
  • Language
  • Legislation
  • Wards
  • Scalykind

    Associated with dragons, reptiles, and their poisons and venoms. Most deities in the Draconic Pantheon possess this domain.   Subdomains
  • Dragon
  • Saurian
  • Venom
  • Strength

    Associated with strength in all ways, whether that strength is through physical ability or the strength to continue when times are hard. One of the most varied in application.     Subdomains
  • Competition
  • Ferocity
  • Fist
  • Resolve
  • Self-Realisation
  • Sun

    Associated with the sun and with life-giving light; unlike the Fire domain, the Sun domain grants sight and clarity. However, it also represents the dangers of the sun's rays.   Subdomains
  • Day
  • Light
  • Revelation
  • Thirst
  • Travel

    Associated with travel, exploration, and the experiences had along the way. A favourite of adventurers, traders, pirates, and nomads alike. Good or Neutral deities of travel are well-loved by most mortals; evil deities are feared.   Subdomains
  • Exploration
  • Portal
  • Trade
  • Trickery

    Associated with trickery and deception through illusions, lies, disguises, and infinite other ways to play or deceive. A common domain for fey demigods, and a favourite of thieves and assassins.   Subdomains
  • Ambush
  • Deception
  • Espionage
  • Greed
  • Innuendo
  • Thievery
  • Void

    Associated with the darkness of space and those that live beyond the stars, the Void domain is one that wears its own warning sign. Strange are the deities that dwell in the void of existence.   Subdomains
  • Dark Tapestry
  • Isolation
  • Stars
  • War

    This domain does not only reflect the bloodshed and trauma of the battlefield, but also the tactics used, the rules upheld, and the impact on those caught in War's relentless path.   Subdomains
  • Blood
  • Duels
  • Tactics
  • Water

    Associated with water and ice, but also the way in which water shapes worlds and grants life.
    Deities with hold over the Water domain oft bear a strange closeness to life itself - or to death, and the final destination of all souls.   Subdomains
  • Flotsam
  • Flowing
  • Ice
  • Oceans
  • Rivers
  • Weather

    Associated with the many weather patterns that roll across planets and planes.   Those who claim the weather domain either seek to shield their followers from it... or lean into its wild nature.   Subdomains
  • Monsoon
  • Seasons
  • Storms
  •  

    Subdomains

    Behold! The breadth of the universe's powers, contained in these few fragments of divinity. If there are more we do not yet know, then they remain lost to us!
     

    Aeon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Agathion

    Parent Domain(s)

    Alchemy

    Parent Domain(s)

    Ambush

    Parent Domain(s)

    Ancestors

    Parent Domain(s)

    Arcane

    Parent Domain(s)

    Archon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Aristocracy

    Parent Domain(s)

    Arson

    Parent Domain(s)

    Ash

    Parent Domain(s)

    Azata

    Parent Domain(s)

    Blood

    Parent Domain(s)

    Cannibalism

    Parent Domain(s)

    Captivation

    Parent Domain(s)

    Catastrophe

    Parent Domain(s)

    Caves

    Parent Domain(s)

    Chivalry

    Parent Domain(s)

    Cloud

    Parent Domain(s)

    Competition

    Parent Domain(s)

    Construct

    Parent Domain(s)

    Cooperation

    Parent Domain(s)
    • Community

    Corruption

    Parent Domain(s)

    Curse

    Parent Domain(s)

    Daemon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Dark Tapestry

    Parent Domain(s)

    Day

    Parent Domain(s)

    Decay

    Parent Domain(s)

    Deception

    Parent Domain(s)

    Defence

    Parent Domain(s)

    Demodand

    Parent Domain(s)

    Demon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Devil

    Parent Domain(s)

    Divine

    Parent Domain(s)

    Dragon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Duels

    Parent Domain(s)

    Education

    Parent Domain(s)

    Entropy

    Parent Domain(s)

    Espionage

    Parent Domain(s)

    Exploration

    Parent Domain(s)

    Family

    Parent Domain(s)

    Fate

    Parent Domain(s)

    Fear

    Parent Domain(s)

    Feather

    Parent Domain(s)

    Ferocity

    Parent Domain(s)

    Fist

    Parent Domain(s)

    Flotsam

    Parent Domain(s)

    Flowing

    Parent Domain(s)

    Fortifications

    Parent Domain(s)

    Freedom

    Parent Domain(s)

    Friendship

    Parent Domain(s)

    Fur

    Parent Domain(s)

    Greed

    Parent Domain(s)

    Growth

    Parent Domain(s)

    Hatred

    Parent Domain(s)

    Heroism

    Parent Domain(s)

    Home

    Parent Domain(s)

    Honour

    Parent Domain(s)

    Hubris

    Parent Domain(s)

    Ice

    Parent Domain(s)

    Imagination

    Parent Domain(s)

    Industry

    Parent Domain(s)

    Inevitable

    Parent Domain(s)

    Innuendo

    Parent Domain(s)

    Insanity

    Parent Domain(s)

    Insect

    Parent Domain(s)

    Isolation

    Parent Domain(s)

    Judgment

    Parent Domain(s)

    Kyton

    Parent Domain(s)

    Language

    Parent Domain(s)

    Leadership

    Parent Domain(s)

    Legend

    Parent Domain(s)

    Legislation

    Parent Domain(s)

    Light

    Parent Domain(s)

    Lightning

    Parent Domain(s)

    Loss

    Parent Domain(s)

    Love

    Parent Domain(s)

    Loyalty

    Parent Domain(s)

    Lust

    Parent Domain(s)

    Martyr

    Parent Domain(s)

    Medicine

    Parent Domain(s)

    Memory

    Parent Domain(s)

    Metal

    Parent Domain(s)

    Monsoon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Moon

    Parent Domain(s)

    Murder

    Parent Domain(s)

    Night

    Parent Domain(s)

    Nightmare

    Parent Domain(s)

    Oceans

    Parent Domain(s)

    Petrification

    Parent Domain(s)

    Plague

    Parent Domain(s)

    Portal

    Parent Domain(s)

    Protean

    Parent Domain(s)

    Psychopomp

    Parent Domain(s)

    Purity

    Parent Domain(s)

    Radiation

    Parent Domain(s)

    Rage

    Parent Domain(s)

    Redemption

    Parent Domain(s)

    Resolve

    Parent Domain(s)

    Restoration

    Parent Domain(s)

    Resurrection

    Parent Domain(s)

    Revelation

    Parent Domain(s)

    Revelry

    Parent Domain(s)

    Revolution

    Parent Domain(s)

    Riot

    Parent Domain(s)

    Rites

    Parent Domain(s)

    Rivers

    Parent Domain(s)

    Saurian

    Parent Domain(s)

    Seasons

    Parent Domain(s)

    Self-Realisation

    Parent Domain(s)

    Shadow

    Parent Domain(s)

    Slavery

    Parent Domain(s)

    Smoke

    Parent Domain(s)

    Solitude

    Parent Domain(s)

    Sovereignty

    Parent Domain(s)

    Stars

    Parent Domain(s)

    Souls

    Parent Domain(s)

    Storms

    Parent Domain(s)

    Tactics

    Parent Domain(s)

    Thievery

    Parent Domain(s)

    Thirst

    Parent Domain(s)

    Thorns

    Parent Domain(s)

    Thought

    Parent Domain(s)

    Toil

    Parent Domain(s)

    Torture

    Parent Domain(s)

    Trade

    Parent Domain(s)

    Trap

    Parent Domain(s)

    Truth

    Parent Domain(s)

    Tyranny

    Parent Domain(s)

    Undead

    Parent Domain(s)

    Venom

    Parent Domain(s)

    Wards

    Parent Domain(s)

    Whimsy

    Parent Domain(s)

    Wind

    Parent Domain(s)
     

    Codex of Deific Beings

     
    As more comes to be understood of the deities of Istralar and beyond, many of whom have chosen Champions already, they will be documented here as a point of reference for all. Until that moment... these pages end with a whisper of what is to come.


    Cover image: Deities of the Great Beyond cover by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

    Comments

    Please Login in order to comment!
    Jan 1, 2023 01:31

    Wow it has been a while since I played Pathfinder, but oh wow you have quite an amazing article here. The domains and subdomains, it looks like you have invested a lot of effort into this. It just keeps scrolling down.


    Graylion - Nexus   Roleplaying
    not Ruleplaying
    not Rollplaying
    Jan 1, 2023 06:10 by Han

    Thank you! I initially tried to have them in collapsible sections, but because anchors use | in them, it broke the spoiler... so we're instead left with this! It's very fun, isn't it?


    welcome to my signature! check out istralar!
    Jan 1, 2023 04:44 by Dimitris Havlidis

    You are insane. and it is now certified and proven

    World Anvil Founder & Chief Grease Monkey
    Twitter | World Anvil Changelog
    “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” - Aesop

     

    Jan 1, 2023 06:08 by Han

    Look, there's a reason I gave up on linking ALL the buttons within WorldEmber :P I'll fix those... laaater.   (It's mostly building blocks for every future deity in Istralar! 2023 is the Year of the Gods.)


    welcome to my signature! check out istralar!
    Jan 15, 2023 00:59 by Deleyna Marr

    Wow. That's a lot of work! I look forward to seeing where you go with this.

    Deleyna
    Jan 21, 2023 06:53

    This is by far one of the most well-developed systems for deities I have seen; it is truly an inspiration. You just get lost in the squares.

    May you forever find your way on the journey you set out on and make yourself greater.
    The Sagas world cover
    Feb 14, 2024 16:25 by spleen

    this is an impressive amount of specificity!

    Have a wonderful day!