Divines
The Divines are the first beings to have come into existence in the world. They are said to have been created out of rock, clay and blood by the Proto-deity Orivious, as retold in the myth the Origin of the Divines. They are the creators of all life, both sapient and non-sapient, plant, animal, supernatural and foul within the planes of existence which make up Kelbonnar. Their preeminent position means that they have become the gods and goddesses of the world.
There are eight original Divines:
All of the other divines spring from one of the four the bloodlines of Prota and Menella, Astartes and Wresmella, Polephemon and Persephonell, or Kroni and Sagosa.
Basic Information
Anatomy
In their natural forms the Divines are humanoid in form, though they all have different variations depending upon the domains that they have taken oversight and control of. For example, Thanata, the goddess of death has skin that has the pallor of a corpse, whilst Polephemon has a bluish tinge to his person.
Some of the Divines also have additional appendages or organs, which would be regarded as abnormal in most mortal humanoids. For example, Lormaniss the god of mischief and trickery has four arms, whilst Raminit, whose domain is feasting, celebration and excess has two heads.
In addition, all of the Divines are able to shapeshifter or polymorph to some extent, which means that many who encounter them never see their true form. Most Divines can transform into animals and beasts, and some even into inanimate objects. Some Divines can transform themselves into humanoids, though many can only turn into the forms of humanoids that they have created. For example, Jore can only transform himself into the humanoid forms of Giants and related species.
Genetics and Reproduction
Divines can mate with other Divines and mortal humanoids, though other Divines can only be created through a union of two Divines. If a Divine mates with another humanoid it will result in offspring that is not as powerful as a Divine, nor immortal, but which will have powers and a lifespan far beyond those of normal mortals.
Death
It is not thought that Divines die like members of the mortal races, one of their number after all, Thanata is the custodian of death, but they can be reduced to a deathlike state, where they can do nothing but lie in state as if in a deep, seemingly never-ending slumber. No Divine has ever entered this state and emerged from it, so it is regarded by the other Divines as being their equivalent of death, but thankfully for them it takes a great deal of effort, torment, power and harm to reduce a Divine to this state.Growth Rate & Stages
When Divines are born they take many, many centuries to mature to a point where other humanoids would recognise them as being physically mature. However, despite the fact that they would look to the undiscerning eye as children for hundreds of years, they are far more intelligent, strong and powerful most adult humanoids of the vast majority of species, with a child Divine even being able to hold their own against a fully grown Giant and challenge the wits of even the most esteemed of mortal scholars. Nevertheless, the true extent of their power takes many millennia to fully mature.
There have only ever been a relatively small number of Divine children, which makes sense given the minuscule number of Divines when compared to the populations of the mortal species. In the last 500 years, only one Divine child is known to have been born, Athotan, the son of the malign deities Hissh and Fokrella.
Ecology and Habitats
The Divines have made their homes in all manner of places, and whilst most prefer to dwell on the Celestial Plane, they can survive anywhere. Most have favoured terrains that they prefer to live in, or favourite locations within the vastness of Kelbonnar's planes of existence.
For instance, Polephemon prefers to make his homes in seas and oceans and is thought to have a palace deep beneath the waves of the Sea of Gormallis on the Material Plane, whilst Wresmella is often said to enjoy ranging the wilds of her eponymous plains, The Wresmella.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Divines do not appear to need to eat food or drink in order to survive, but most of them do eat food and drink for pleasure rather than necessity.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
Even Divines who are deemed to be unintelligent have an intellect that far outstrips any mortal who might be bold or foolhardy enough to match wits with them. Samenta and Sagosa are regarded as being the most intelligent of all of the Divines.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
All Divines are able to wield supernatural and magical abilities to some extent, though the proficiency with which they can wield magic and the power that they are able to draw on very much depends on the Divine in question. The most proficient of all of the Divines in the arcane arts was Melchis, whose domain, aptly was magic and the arcane.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
The Divine War has fractured the Divines into a number of camps:
- The Astartians who support the claim of Astartes to rule the Divines;
- The Polephemites, who support Polephemon's claim;
- The Siblings, who wish to seize control for themselves as a quartet;
- The Dark Pact, who like the Siblings wish to take power for themselves.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
All Divines speak Celestial, which is their primary language that they created to converse with one another, as well as Theologian, the language developed to communicate specific, complex concepts with exact specificity to the mortal races.
Divines also tend to speak the language associated with the mortal races that they created. For example, Josmorra the creator of Halflings, speaks their eponymous language Halfling.
Common Myths and Legends
There are a number of myths and legends associated with the Divines, as befitting their status as the creators and populations of all of the planes of existence in Kelbonnar.
The most well-known and influential of these myths are:
- The Origin of the Divines;
- The Slaying of Prota;
- The Exile of Orivious.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Divines are perhaps the only species who have links with all of the other species of existence in Kelbonnar, be they sapient or non-sapient, arcane or mundane, plant, animal, humanoid or anything else in-between. This is principally because the Divines created all of the other species in Kelbonnar, which is why they have ascended to the status of the realm's gods and goddesses.
Despite having created every known living thing, it is really only with Kelbonnar's sapient species that the Divines continue to have a relationship with and this relationship is very much in the vain of a deity - worshipper. The Divines are regularly petitioned by their mortal followers and are given offerings by them, but it is rare that the Divines will give much back in return. However, the Divines are wise enough to give enough back that they continue to be worshipped by the portal sapient species, with some Divines being far more generous than others. Gifts that the Divines confer upon the other species include gifts of food or drink, reversals of fortune and very occasionally arcane powers and unnatural abilities.
Lifespan
Immortal (Theoretically)
Average Physique
As with their intellect, even the weakest of Divines is regarded as vastly stronger than most mortals, though some Giants, Dragons and Celestials are thought to be strong enough to physically challenge the weakest of the Divines. The Divines regarded to have the greatest physical prowess are Astartes and his son Jore.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The physique and complexion of the Divines will change as they mature, to match their divine domains and interests. Astartes with his strong links to war and bloodshed, for example, has a ruddy red complexion, whilst Persephonell, with her strong links to spring and farming has a green complexion, with darker markings across her body, reminiscent of leaves and flowers.
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