The Fifteen
The Fifteen is the mortal name given to the fifteen gods that overlook the Material Planes. There are many different interpretations and names of the religion, and their tenets are different between each god. Out of all the Material Planes, Orywall has had the most involvement with The Fifteen. However, their worship dwindles, as the Gods and their teachings are now long forgotten by the common man. Older generations had once held them in high regard. The Fifteen were once feared, respected, loved, or hated by nearly the entirety of Orywall. Churches and shrines still exist across the globe but are hardly ever cared for. Mortals that had once interacted with the divine are now long dead, with their history now left as a mere myth.
Structure
The hierarchy of this pantheon is complicated. Within each title is often another offshoot of responsibilities and hierarchy, to keep things in order.
Deities
Self-explanatory, the deities are responsible for most functions in Orywall. Even then, they still have their inner sects. At first given to them by mortals, they adopted the idea and have now segregated themselves to prevent disarray within the Outer Planes.
Heavenly
Despite the name, not every god under Heavenly rule over an afterlife plane. Those under Heavenly are considered to be of most good alignments, their actions are tilted towards morality and kindness to mortals, despite the gods lack of empathy. While they don't communicate with others outside of their sect much, they're the most agreeable, and they get along well with those in Balanced.
The gods in Heavenly are as follows,
Balanced
While considered morally "balanced", they still have their chaotic streaks. They believe in free will to a degree, as long as it doesn't strictly align evil. At first a more lawful aligning sect, they grew slightly chaotic over time. They're still considered neutral alignments, and bend lawful or chaotic. They aren't purely against assassination or murder, as long as it's justifiable in their eyes.
The gods in Balanced are as follows,
Sinister
Feared among even the most wretched of mortals, those in the Sinister sect are usually only worshiped by those in cults, as their teachings are purely of evil intent. They align on the side of evil, and they consider mortals to be toys, merely used for entertainment. They're most often at war with the other gods, finding joy in dwindling their armies.
The gods in Sinister are as follows,
Demigods
Once members of the Pantheon, those of demigod status were banished from The Fifteen for one reason or another, although they are still responsible for and rule over their respective orders. Driven out of their Outer Planes, they've created demiplanes for themselves, or hide with mortals in Orywall. Most are still just as dangerous as a god. And, while The Fifteen lacks empathy, Demigods seem to have a high range of emotions, including empathy.
Them and their prior sects are here,
- Coviad, Balanced
- Entis, Heavenly
- Arcanum, Balanced
- Solitaire, Balanced
- Utris, Sinister
Messengers
Creations of the gods, they work as couriers, working directly with the gods to deliver messages to those outside of their sect, and mortals in Orywall. When speaking to a patron, you'll likely be speaking to a Messenger.
While Messengers are created in many different ways, the most common was to use a mortal woman as an incubator, although turning a mortal into a Messenger wasn't uncommon, either. Sacrifices, proving oneself to a god, or even by sheer luck.
Hearts were also created alongside Messengers, directly tying their soul to a single object, being used as a proper way to control their free will and keep them in line. As such, mortals who wield such an object have direct control over a Messenger, able to bend an entire celestial creature to their whims.
After the Secondary Planar War, Messengers were abandoned across Orywall, leaving them in the hands of mortals.
Messengers, of course, have their hierarchy. Although, two remain unaligned, without titles.
- Sarthros
- Siazefel
Rulers
Going by King/Queen, rulers of their plane, land, or city, they are usually highly regarded and respected by all the Messengers. They usually have their armies, given to them by their parent god. They usually have a higher distaste for mortals in Orywall. In emergencies, the Messengers will look to them.
They are as follows,
- Hiari
- Imohiel
- Zathia
Heirs
Going by Prince/Princess, the heirs of kingdoms, they're much like the rulers. While they may not instruct their army, they're still highly respected by their angels and archons. By technicality, they were the ruler of their land, as their god parent is usually absent. While they often shared their planes with other kingdoms, they get along with one another. They're appreciative of Orywall's mortals.
They are as follows,
- Abigail
- Cyril/Echo
- Hutiarius
- Izul
- Leviathan
- Nimme
Dukes
Going by Count/Countess, they're the lowest on the hierarchy. Usually only living in the above's kingdoms or planes, they own small bits of land, and occasionally small mercenaries or armies, given to them by their parent god. The more chaotic among them will argue with the kingdom's citizens, but otherwise will stay quiet and keep in line.
They are as follows,
- Alraet
- Azren
- Catraya
- Haziel
- Khiba
- Niza
Arch-Angels
Willed into existence by the gods themselves, arch-angels had once been the protectors of the Outer Planes. They were often good-natured, with a sense of kindness and compassion, unlike most divine creatures. They had unmatched power, but they had valued morals above all else, and would often follow the original tenets they were set out to protect. While once cared for and adored by the rest of the divine, they had been mysteriously banished by The Fifteen after the events of the First Planar War. They now wander the Astral Sea, corrupted by the madness of solitude. Even though they are gone, their countless spawn remains in the planes, known merely as angels.
Angels
Much like their ancestors, angels are strongwilled and honest to a fault, as well as protective of their home planes, but lack the compassion and empathy for mortal creatures. Angels were often used to tutor and train the younger Archon populace, and are described to be stellar warriors. They exist to worship The Fifteen and fight their wars, sitting just beneath Messengers and Barons on the hierarchy.Aasimar
Half celestial, this ethnicity bares features of both mortals and angels. If born in their respective plane, they will be assigned a job and will be put among angels. While they have issues with angels, they'll get along with other aasimar quite well. If born on a Material Plane, chances are, they'll be left there, allowed to live with mortals.
Archons
Souls of the dead, given another chance at life through another form. While they aren't put to work by their designated hierarchy, many will offer themselves anyway. They are the commoners of the Outer Planes, and they take many different shapes. Lamps, felines, canines, humanoids, etc. are just a few of the common shapes one would take. While their given form is often a reflection of who they were in life, they can "graduate" a form.
During emergencies, they will be drafted. If an archon dies, they will not be given an afterlife, and their consciousness and soul will die off.
Mythology & Lore
The XV mythology is rich and filled with stories spanning generations.
Creation
Orywall has been around for several thousand years. Even before XV's interactions with the planet, life thrived and was considered stagnant with little purpose. Nature and animals thrived, although there were no sentient, intelligent beings that made Orywall their home. At the time, Elliorune was the home of Elven lives, predating most humanoids by thousands of years. Their culture was rich with art, tradition, and a belief system of their own.
Vyxotl, a young elf, filled with wanderlust and the desire of discovery, brought it upon herself to leave the Elliorune, and find lands richer than her own. She was an intelligent wizard with druidic properties, and upon learning how to shift planes, she departed. While she traveled to many other planes before finally landing in Orywall, for the sake of brevity, they will not be mentioned here.
Likely landing someplace mid-Aewish, Vyxotl finally found a satisfactory plane. The lands unexplored, she made her home among the creatures. The magic was rich, she'd rely on it to build a proper home for herself, which would later become a church.
Uros, a man of similar desires, had made his way from Shadowfell to Orywall, following the trail that Vyxotl had left behind. While it's debated what ethnicity he was, it was likely that he was of dark elf origins.
Of course, the two had a rivalry that lasted years, often performing feats to best one another. While it had started petty, as their power grew, they had begun to branch out in higher forms of magic. Terraforming the land, and bringing long-dead souls of animals back among the living. The act of necromancy and the creation of life had awoken an Elder God, who had immediately noticed the two elves.
While the events that transpired afterward are unknown, Vyxotl and Uros had their humanities ripped from them, leaving them mere ghastly forms of what they had used to be. They were given deific properties, at the cost of their empathy. While they had lost the desire and wanderlust they once had, Vyxotl had become the goddess of nature and life, while Uros now ruled the underworld, a god of death and the life cycle.
Generations had passed, with Vyxotl and Uros silently observing. Intelligent life had begun, civilizations were beginning to kick off. It was not uncommon for Vyxotl and Uros to mingle with the mortal realm, as they still had a grasp of their humanoid bodies, and blended in well with the society at the time, the only giveaway of their true blood was their glowing eyes, willowy elven bodies, and their pointed ears.
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