Living Gods
The Living Gods are five great spirits worshipped as regional Gods by most humans of Tansia. Though many influential spirits exist throughout the world, the Living Gods are considered the most prominent and most powerful among them, rivaling the Pantheon of the Wild in their significance. While they are not considered 'gods' in the truest definition of the word, to the people of Tansia, they are nonetheless revered as such.
The Living Gods hold guardianship over Tansia and the Tahosian Dynasty. Through millennia of worship, the Living Gods have become the bedrock of tahosian society and hold a symbiotic nature with their people; they protect the nation and its lands in exchange for worship by its people. Through this worship, the Living Gods are given life and form. It is through this guardianship of these divine spirits that the Dynasty is the oldest surviving Empire in the known world. Though despite this, the appetite for expansionism, especially among the Gods, is near nonexistent—the Living Gods abhor conquering wars of aggression and encourage the people of the Dynasty only to fight in defense of their homeland as they did during the Battle of the Five Gods.
The Living Gods are formless and shapeless and can take on physicality in a number of different ways, but only through an Avatar—a mortal chosen by a Living God or a previous avatar. Some of the most enlightened and legendary heroes throughout tahosian culture and history are said to have been avatars. Through an avatar, a Living God can manifest themselves into the material realms, but such manifestations are limited. Avatars can become lesser living gods in service to one of the five upon their deaths. This has only happened a select few times in history, and only by the will of the God whom they would serve. The reputation and status vary from Avatar to Avatar, but regardless of each generation's Avatar, they are almost always idolized and looked up to as exemplary members of Tahosian society. They are considered folk heroes and people of renown.
Personable Guardians
Defenders of the Dynasty
In dire times such as an invasion of Tansia, and should its people be spurred into battle, a High Priest of a Living God may plea to their deity for aid. In such circumstances, a Living God will more often than not answer and directly involve themselves with an unseen hand by bolstering troops, creating great storms, magically fortifying locations, riddling invading troops with curses, or attacking them through vicious local wildlife.A Divine Family
Compared to most other deific figures, the Living Gods take a more personal and active role in their chosen peoples' lives. To the people of the Dynasty, they are considered almost as fathers, mothers, and mentors as much as they are forces of nature. Families often worship their own lesser spirits, cities usually have their own lesser gods, and the greatest spirits are worshiped by the nation as a whole. The Living Gods are sometimes seen as an extended family in and of themselves, albeit a somewhat dysfunctional one. The five gods are not without their own faults, and will occasionally squabble with one another. However, there is no greater purpose for them than the protection of their homeland, and squabbles will be set aside if Tansia itself is threatened. Each Kingdom within the greater Dynasty reveres one of the five Living Gods and elevates them above all others.Avatars
The Living Gods can grant wondrous boons or inflict terrible punishments. Tales abound in tahosian culture, of those blessed by the Living Gods with extraordinary powers. But just as the gods can bless, they can also curse; tahosian children are taught legends of those cursed by the gods to instill the proper respect for their patron spirits.Creation of an Avatar
An Avatar is either innately born with a connection to or are chosen specifically by one of the Living Gods. When a child is discovered to have this connection, they will be whisked away by a member of a god's priesthood to begin a rigorous regime of training and study until they are old enough to accept the respective God's power through a ritual called a 'Melding'. Very few are able to withstand this investment of power. Those that fail will return to the priesthood, typically with a physical scar. Those that succeed are imbued with divine magic and are gifted with the god's blessing. When an Avatar masters his or her powers, they will often serve the role of special agents of their priesthood, acting as the voice and messengers of their respective gods. They are expected to safeguard the Dynasty against outside threats in the gods' stead and are expected to fulfill the gods' wishes. Avatars are a rarity and usually make an appearance only once per century. A god will have only one Avatar at any given time, but singular Avatars of different gods can manifest within the same century.Manifestations
A Living God can fully manifest themselves within a temple built and dedicated to them by their followers: The Necropolis, the Throne of Tahos, the Library of Quetzali, the Temple of Takanda and the Horns of Xalaxos. Though said temples grant them this power, a Living God's physical presence is limited to within or near their temple. Despite this, a Living God can extend their presence beyond this through non-physical and inter-planar means, entering dreams, granting boons, inflict punishments, communing with their followers, or even tapping into the weaves of fate itself. The Living Gods also gain strength and power the more worshipers, offerings, idols, and sacrifices they receive. Even carrying a symbol of one of these powerful spirits can strengthen them. It is only through certain events that a Living God can physically manifest for a period of time outside of their temple wherever they see fit. A solar or lunar eclipse may enable Banzala to walk among his followers within a city. Tahos and Takanda can to manifest themselves at the crowning of a King or Queen. Quetzali is able to enter the material realms during a conjunction of Ley-lines. Xalaxos may appear during great bouts of natural disasters such as a typhoon, a volcano eruption, or a tsunami. However these physical manifestations outside of their temples take place, it is always a cause for celebration among the people of the Dynasty, and festivals are often held in their honor during these times.| Demigod | Alignment | Provinces | Suggested Domains | Manifestation Events | Depictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banzala | N | Afterlife, death, luck, sleep, souls, trickery | Death, Grave, Trickery, Twilight | Solar and lunar eclipses | An intricately carved skull painted with powdered marigold petals |
| Quetzali | LN | Craftsmanship, creation, knowledge, learning, magic | Arcana, Forge, Knowledge | Leyline conjunctions | A colorful, winged serpent |
| Tahos | LG | Noble sacrifices, justice, Kings, law, just wars | Order, War | The death or coronation of a King | A jaguar or a golden tyrannosaurus |
| Takanda | CN | Crops, beasts, fertility, new life, rain, Queens | Life, Light, Nature, Peace | The death or coronation of a Queen | A nude, tattooed woman draped in a robe of her own wild hair |
| Xalaxos | CN | Chaos, destruction, natural disasters, fire | Tempest, War | Natural disasters | A woman clad in a robe of molten rock |
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Permeated Organizations
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