The Pantheon Realm; Gods and Deities.

The plane of existence known as the Pantheon realm is home to a number of powerful beings. Beings so powerful they control the laws of nature and the fabric of reality itself in their presence. Creatures within the Pantheon Realm are godlike in power and stature, and as such, to some, are worshipped as gods. The realm being referred to as the Pantheon Realm stems from the Sirasions, who believe it is where a plethora of their gods dwell, including their ultimate god of war; Syros.

"It's the closest we'll ever have to magic, a place where things do not need to be explained" - Unknown

______________________________________________________________________ Authors note; The Pantheon Realm is a place that no mortal can fully comprehend. Even the brightest minds in the galaxy have trouble coming to terms with the fact it even exists let alone grasping what goes on in it. Those mortals who have managed to interface with it (such as the Sirasions and their Tesseract) are doing so almost by accident, not quite knowing what power they are tapping into. What follows in this article is something only a select few mortals (if any) will ever comprehend or find out.

The Abstraction Layer

The universe we all live in is expansive, is is infinite. infinite is size and infinite in possibility. In the milkyway galaxy the brightest minds believe they understand the laws of life, time and space, but even our own galaxy is but a tiny grain of sand on an infinite beach when compared to the rest of the universe. What lays beyond what we can see may be so diverse and so impossibly different we may simply not be able to comprehend its existence. Despite the most inteligent scholars, brightest scientists and questioning philosophers of the milkyway may think, the universe plays host to environments beyond their wildest dreams, places below the material layer where things do not make scientific sense the the mortal designed laws of physics hold no power.
The Material Universe is what we can see, interact with and perceive with our minds, anything beyond that, to us, doesn't exist. But what if it did? The abstraction layer is where the Pantheon Realm exists. Meer mortals such as ourselves cannot comprehend the concept of the abstraction layer of the universe except for in complex, mathematical theories that try to explain elements of such a place, let alone visit or interact with it physically, as it does not have a physical form. Things such as time or space do not apply there, as in the abstraction the only existent things are ideas and concept.
In the Abstraction layer, certain ideas and concepts have taken such a shape and become so advanced they have been able to comprehend a physical existence, and in some cases, manifest themselves and interact with it. Over an uncountable amount of time these ideas of abstraction became beings, and from beings, some managed to learn how to become a physical manifestation. But, anything physical cannot exist within the abstraction layer. So the few entities that made this jump had to create a domain between the two, a safe zone where they could still have the free flow and enlightenment from their origin but all the benefits of the physical realm, such as a visual appearance and the ability to interact with their surroundings. This realm of existence somewhere between abstract and material is where the place called the Pantheon Realm lies.

History of the Pantheon Realm

Manifestations in the Pantheon realm eventually managed to interact with the physical dimension as well as their own abstraction layer. To us, the physical realm is natural and understood. To pick up an object touch a wall is something so natural to us and every physical being, but to the members of the abstraction dimension this had to be learned. Over how long is unfathomable, as time had no place in the realm of abstraction.
It was a small selection of beings that create the Pantheon Realm, being they who were responsible for the phenomenon called 'The Big Bang' that they caused once they became capable of understanding the existence of realm of physicality. These beings shall be referred to as The Elders.

The Elders, once they became more well versed in the operation and application of physicality, they experimented with the complexity that is life. They began bringing a plethora of beings into existence, mostly as experiments and exercises of their own power. Through trial and error they began to learn more about the physical realm and life within it, they also had to familiarise themselves with the previously unknown laws of time and space, ideas that could not be changed, but to a degree they could manipulate due to their origin as beings of abstraction, essentially being able to make their ideas physical.
Once the Elders perfected life, they began to create more powerful beings. Their goal as to reach the physical realm. However as they began to hypothesize, they might not be the only thing in the physical realm, and there they would have physical bodies and had to make sure they could stand up to what they encountered. From their experiments, they realised that there was strength in numbers, so they started to create what could be considered an army, ready for when they eventually figured out how to make the final leap.
Eventually, the Elders became adept at creating life and manipulating it. They were truly masters of their own realm. Having believed they knew everything there was to know, they set their sights on the material universe, which, unknowingly, they themselves had created when they first visualised the concept of physicality. They however now had an army so they were ready for any new challenges that awaited them. Together, they focussed all their might on how they could get to the material universe. The result was a physical item that will be referred to as The Artefact.
The Artefact contained a pathway, a direct link, a bridge that went from the Pantheon Realm to the physical realm of existence. It's strongest anchor point being the location of the Milkyway Galaxy.

The Corruptor

One of the 'children' of the Elders was a being who was created only to destroy, an experiment in , deciet, pain and torture resulting in the birth of the being known as the Great Corruptor. This being became a favourite of the Elders for its lack of empathy and amusing effects it had on other physical beings.
The Corruptor knew this. it knew it was one of the Elders favourite creations, and being a manifestation of such negative attributes, it seeked to inflict these on all things, including its own creators. The Elders were becoming complacent in their experiments of physicality and life, here for had inadvertently made the corrupter able to outwit even them.
As the Elders continued their reaching into the realm of physicality the Corruptor waited patiently, whispering words in the elders ears and attempting to influence them to create beings it too could influence into committing the atrocities it was programmed for. The corruptor in that sense, was a parasite that fed off the power of the Elders for what would eventually be its own gain.

War in Heaven

Not all were blind to the Corruptors doings. In the same way the Elders had created the great corruptor to see in ways that they did not know how, other beings could see what the Corruptor was doing while the Elders themselves were oblivious they were being manipulated by one of their own creations.
A coalition of beings came together to try and warn the Elders, but their warnings were ignored. With the creation of The Artefact, the Elders were on the cusp of reaching the material universe, and the Corruptor was right there behind them ready to destroy all that they would find. The same coalition of beings made the collective decision to defy the Elders and destroy the Corruptor, and there for, the Elders. They knew the risk of the Artefact being destroyed would likely mean none of them would ever reach the material universe, but they were willing to take it if it meant the Corruptor wouldn't be able to destroy it all, and then afterwards, them.
the Corruptor wasn't alone in all this, aside from being on the side of the Elders, it had been spreading its deceit throughout the Pantheon Realm and had infected a number of beings with its ideals. When the coalition went to war with the Corruptor, many on both sides fell. The Elders were caught in the middle, watching their own creations kill one another was too much for them to bare, now able to understand complex emotions which they knew of before, but now had weight to them. They did night fight for either side, as they had the ability to decide who won and who lost in a mere thought. The Elders left the Pantheon Realm, shedding their physical forms and returning to the realm of abstraction.
The coalition of beings fighting the Corruptor managed to achieve victory, going on to imprison the malignant being in a part of the Pantheon Realm away from everything else.

The Great Game

Authors note; This section is told through Sirasion mythology
Following the Elders departure from the Pantheon Realm, its denizens were lost. Many of them had been created specifically for venture to the physical realm, while others were just experiments made then cast aside with no purpose. Now, they all had no purpose other than to explore their realm, their powers and their origins.
Time in the Pantheon Realm doesn't behave like it does in the material universe, it changes and dilates depending on a being's will, but at a base level, time does exist there. So as the time passed some beings began to develop ambitions, some even daring to try to do what the Elders could not; reach the material universe. However to the denizens of the Pantheon Realm, they were born into a plane where physicality existed, so there for was less of an alien concept to them. Despite this, none could figure out how manipulate it aside from The Artefact. The only other who knew how was the banished Corruptor, and all those who attempted to seek knowledge from it never returned.
With so many beings wanting to try their hand at physical manipulation of the material universe. Eventually it was starting to breed conflict among the beings of the Pantheon Realm. The decision was made that conflict was inevitable, so one, giant organized conflict was planned, the reward; The Artefact.
In Sirasion Mythology, this event was called The Great Game, where every member of the pantheon realm who wanted to unlock the full understanding, and ownership, of the physical realm (which was most of them) took part in. What followed as a cataclysmic free for all where eventually only a handful (a very large handful) of competitors remained. Those eliminated either conceded or were killed.
The final bout consisted of several thousand of the strongest and most wiley beings fighting it out for the ultimate prize; ownership of the physical universe. The fight took place in a massive coliseum and lasted for the equivalent of days until one victor stood triumphant over the rest; Syros. Or to the Sirasions, the God of War.
After claiming The Artefact for himself, Syros got to work on learning its secrets. It was through this he began the undertaking of manipulating the physical realm to create his own likeness within; The Sirasions. He placed the Artefact atop a towering pyramid where it stood shining over his domain as his ultimate trophy.

Engagement with Reality

Beings of the Pantheon realm are masters of physicality and abstraction, essentially meaning they are extremely powerful physically and mentally, able to manifest certain things into reality with but a thought. If they wanted to, they could wreck havoc on the physical realm. However when Syros won the Artefact and established himself as top of the heap, he set out a very strict rule of no direct interference with life within the physical realm in effort not to jeopardize the universe he now owned. Syros let a handful of others study the artefact along with him, they too sticking to his rule.
Syros' rule meant, as one of the pantheon, to simply manifest a planet and population was strictly forbidden. However he did take exception to slowly and carefully guiding life to manifest on its own. In the case of Syros and the Sirasions. Rather than simply will them into being, he nurtured them and their environment that shaped them into what they are now; miniature versions of himself.
At Syros' discretion, some are allowed a glimpse into the material universe through his Artefact, however there have been a number of instances where some individuals have defied him in this, the results most of the time being catastrophic.

Bridges

The pantheon realm and material universe, thanks to the elders, are essentially tethered together through a series of 'strands' the strongest of these strands is The Artefact. However, there are other ways to transition from the Pantheon Realm to the material universe. Thus far, the only universally understood method of doing this is Sirasion Tesseract Drive technology, where they use the material Tesseract, something left as a by product in Trezekh's meddling with mortal affairs, to briefly dip into the Pantheon Realm in order to travel through the galaxy faster.
Another way is through the Corruption Realm. The Corruption Realm has grown so big and so violent that it threatens to spill through into the material universe like a river about to burst its banks. It is much easier for a mortal to open a gate to the corruption realm than it is directly to the pantheon, though both undertakings are not trivial tasks.
With the creation of The Artefact, it in a way linked the material universe and the Pantheon Realm. This allows certain groups or individuals to connect with it in some way. A minor example may be a mortal having visions relating to the pantheon realm, or to an extreme extent, actually being able to call upon power from it in the same way those afflicted with Corruption do. They there for become a 'Strand' themselves.
Due to the Pantheon Realm's close connection with the Abstractionverse, to interact with it essentially only requires intense thought. If a strong willed enough individual or group of individuals tried hard enough to mentally reach out, in theory, they could make contact with the Pantheon realm, how they would realise they were even doing so is a different topic entirely. But in essence it is the same as when a corruptive cult starts up, if enough people begin believing in Corruption and the powers it could give them by practising its attributes, it may eventually manifest itself within one or all of them, they then become a Strand, a tether from one realm to another. The same can be done with the Pantheon Realm, the Cult of Trezekh being a good example of a group who act as a Strand for the shadow god Trezekh.

Connection to the Milkyway

The material universe as a whole extends far beyond the reaches of the Milkyway galaxy, being a single galaxy in a universe of infinite numbers of others. The connection between the Pantheon Realm and the milkyway galaxy is more coinsidense than anything else. When the Elders created The Artefact it tethered itself to a specific point in the material universe, that point being the milkyway galaxy. In theory, anywhere in the material universe could connect to the Pantheon realm, and it is highly likely it has. Other individuals from the realm may be influencing other cultures in far off galaxies somehow, but the answer to this question, among other things, we may never know.
The Milkyway is just the most explored part of the material universe for the denizens of the Pantheon realm and there for is where Syros and those connected to him, be they his friends or enemies, are interested in.

The Corruption Realm

When the malicious entity that is the corruptor was banished after losing the war waged against it, it was cast off to a part of the Pantheon Realm to remain forever in isolation. However unknown to the other denizens, its power only grew greater and greater, so much so that Realm of Corruption threatened to spill over to the material universe. The Realm of Corruption is where all corruption based powers in the material universe stem from, and the closer it gets to breaching the material universe the more people will start to fall to it, furthering its malignant spread. The Corruption Realm is like a river that flows next to the material universe that is constantly threatening to overflow its banks and flood reality, however the natural barrier of physicality prevents this, however, when individuals in the material universe start becoming tethers to the corruptive realm, they effectively poke holes in this barrier. Every Corruptive gate that is open in the material universe is leaking the corruptive realm through, no matter how small.
In some instances, these ruptures have been so large the corruptor itself is able to manifest a form within the material universe, but thus far its mortal inhabitants have been successful in stopping it from gaining a foothold.
Upon the creation of The Artefact, the barrier between the Pantheon Realm and material universe was severely compromised, specifically in the area of the Milkyway, this makes it the least stable part of the corruption barrier, meaning that it is effectively the only place corruption can easily enter the material universe. The mortal inhabitants of the galaxy, having stopped corruption taking over a number of times before, have have inadvertently saved the entire physical universe in the long run, and are continuing to do so without even realising it. But every day the barrier between the material universe and corruptive realm grows weaker as corruption continues to manifest from cults and corruptive gates that have been opened intentionally or by mistake, threatening to spill into the physical universe via the milkyway galaxy.

Galactic Deities

Some individuals of the Pantheon have influenced physicality more than others, especially in the milkyway galaxy. Some have willingly, or unwillingly become gods to lesser mortals through their interference in the natural order of things. 4
Authors Note: Essentially, the pantheon realm is a way for mortal races to have gods that may in fact be real. it is the place where all ideas can become reality. even a tribe of savages who become thoughtful enough when worshiping a mythical deity may find that deity may come into existence in the pantheon realm. Though it may not have any access to the realm of physicality directly, it may do through the hearts and minds of those who pray to it. However one thing is always clear; the pantheon do not meddle in mortal affairs, and if they do, it is only for very specific plot reasons, such as corruption. It is very shaky ground between gods being real and fictional, the pantheon realm allows for a bit of both. 

Syros

Syros is known to the mortals of the galaxy as the Sirasion god of war. He is considered the most mighty of the pantheon, having beaten everyone in combat in order to obtain The Artefact and the right to use it and unlock the knowledge the Elders were so desperately trying to learn themselves. 
The Sirasions were said to have been 'created' by Syros. The argument goes both ways, in that Syros very subtly sped up events that were already in motion and caused the Sirasions to evolve the way they did through planetary events and thus caused them to evolve into what they are. Alternatively, it could also be said that Syros did nothing and Darwinian evolution carried out naturally, as the Sirasions do not know for certain what Syros looks like, as no living Sirasion has ever met him and likely never will.  
Syros exists to the Sirasions in visions and dreams. Siran's greatest warrior claim they feel an un-natural surge of power course through them in their most dire moments to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat, later dreaming they're seeing through the eyes of a monolithic being that shows them how to achieve victory against their enemies. Syros is depicted as similar in appearance to the Sirasions, just much more primal, less aesthetic and more built for fighting. These accoutns have existed all throughout Sirasion history and have not changed much, leading the Sirasions to believe there must be some truth behind all this. 
Sirasion scientists have theorised the existence of a realm of existence beyond the material and have even physically proved it through the discovery of the anomilous material known as Tesseract. However they have not proven that Syros, or any other gods dwell within.
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However, Syros, as a being, is very real, and if he desired, could enter the physical realm and prove his existence to the Sirasions and everyone else. But for his own reasons known only to himself, never intends to let that happen directly. There are cults who follow and worship Syros religiously, of which he is very much aware, but is hesitant on granting them power on a significant level in reward. 

Trezekh

Trezekh is Syros' younger brother. While not brothers in the traditional sense, they were created a around the same time as part of The Elders experiments with elements and emotions, there for were very close. Trezekh however was jealous of Syros' success in the Great Game. Knowing he could not best Syros, he, among a number of others, backed him in his success, hoping to claim a piece of the prize for themselves. 
Trezekh was allowed much closer to The Artefact than most, so much so he managed to snake his tendrils in, with the eventual goal of turning his brothers prized project; the Sirasions, against him. 

Before this however, Syros allowed Trezekh to physically enter the material universe on the condition he not interfere with anything in it. At first Trezekh complied, but he began to grow more curious, experimenting with the construction and destruction of complex matter such as planets. However he got too close when he lost one of his all powerful tools; The World Forger, to a mortal, the tool being destroyed in the fight between them. Syros was not happy, ordering Trezekh to return.
Trezekh had seen what physicality had to offer, so many possibilities and sensations completely alien to him that he yearned to discover. But Syros had forbade him from any interaction with the Artefact and there for the material universe. However, from the side-lines he watched as the primitive Sirasions began drawing scribbles of Syros and praying to shrines of him. Trezekh bided his time, but eventually made his move. His goal eventually goal to overtake Syros as the one the Sirasions worshipped. 
Trezekh presented himself to a single Sirasion; Sypherian  , and from there, the seeds were sown. Syros wasn't happy with the fact the Cult of Trezekh was beginning to gain popularity among his favourite species, as it meant Trezekh had meddled with the material universe again.
Trezekh soon broke the single most important rule imposed by Syros and directly manifested himself in the material unverse in aid of the Sirasions. He did this not once, but several times, he himself being responsible for one of the many galactic wars that took place among the major factions and there for countless deaths. 
Knowing his punishment would be severe this time trezekh used what remained of his power to transfer to a mortal body until the time came for him to return to Syros and meet his punishment

Skarah

Skarah, to the Skaroniens, is their god of life, she is who their planet is named for. She is the reason they all exist and should be revered by all for bestowing upon them the greatest gift of all. Skara's existence has a somewhat plausible amount of scientific evidence, that being the metal planet of New Skara, as it was named by the Skaroniens who discovered it.  
The name 'Skarah' has been around in Skaronien culture for a long time, the word itself translating roughly to life, giver or life, bringer of life etc... There for they name their world, the place that gave them life, Skarah.

Skaro was the first Skaronien to discover the existence of New Skarah through his telescope long before the Skaroniens had the technology to get there. He believed the metal planet would hold secrets to the reason for their existence as a species and there for made it his life goal to get his people there to find the answer. His organization became known as the Monks of Skaro and grew to thousands in number. His ambition became legendary.
Eventually, Skaro and his monks found a way to get there. They flew to the metal planet and found discoveries beyond their wildest dreams. They found machinery that catapulted the Skaroniens into their industrial revolution. Skaro would make multiple trips too and from the metaloid planet with new discoveries, including the incredibly important 'Legacy devices', technology that essentially allows one Skaronien to take on all the memories, experience and teachings of another who has passed away. 
One day, Skaro didn't come back from one of his ventures. Years went by before the people realised he was not coming back. But over his lifetime he had achieved more than any single Skaronien. He was revered as a cultural icon for his ambition. However one of the most important things he brought back with him was the teachings of Skarah, not the planet, but the being, who he claimed, through his discoveries on the metaloid planet, created the Skaroniens and their world. -----
The primary deity of the Skaroniens , Skarah, like Trezekh, was close to Syros, knowing she couldn't best him in the fight for The Artefact. Instead she opted to help him achieve victory so she could potentially get a glimpse at the prize. However, despite her aid, Syros turned his back on her. 
This gave Skarah a deep resentment for Syros. She was created as a bearer of life, a way for the Elders to understand the concept of life more. She wanted desperately to understand life more herself, so she directly defied Syros and banished herself to the material universe. Being the first of the pantheon to attempt something so bold. 
She settled in the milkway galaxy, close to Syros' Sirasions. Eager to learn about the life she was created to give, she did a similar thing to Syros and subtly influenced events to spring life into being. The race that came from it was the Skaroniens, a species of avian humanoids that looked like Skarah, an Skarah looked like them. 
Unlike Syros however, Skarah sacrificed her immortal form. She watched her children evolve over millions of years as they began to take shape and grow more advanced. She used her knowledge and power to create a series of tools to aid her in her experiments of life within the physical realm, these tools of similar power and capability of Trezekh's world forger, Syros was understandably not happy about this. 
As the Skaroniens grew more advanced, they discovered Skarah's hiding place; the metaloid planet of New Skarah (as it was named by the Skaroniens who discovered it) 
Skarah knew that the Skaroniens could not learn of her existence else it would most certainly incur a harsh response from Syros should he find out, or upset their delicate understanding of their perceived law of science. So she left, leaving behind a significant amount of evidence that lead the Skaroniens to believe in her existance. While to them she is a mysterious deity that may or may not exist, in actuality she is very real, and is out there somewhere.  
The Skaroniens never discovered the full potential of some of Skarah's left over projects on the metaloid planet before it was destroyed in their war with the Sirasions, however the shattered remains of the planet's superstructure are still fought over for these secrets they hold. 
Authors note: if not made obvious enough by the previous text, the physical form as perceived by mortals of the denizens of the Pantheon Realm is often more decided by the mortals themselves. For example, Syros in Sirasion mythology is depicted as looking similar to them, snake like in appearance with all the Sirasion features. Skarah is depicted as a golden Skaronien in appearance aswell. The true appearance of beings such as Syros and Skarah are impossible to perceive for we, the reader, there for they have been referred to by their mortal descriptions.  Syros' appearance may have first been dreamed up by early Sirasion kind from the mind of a single individual, from there, that idea forms the basis of what Syros looks like. the abstractionverse is built on ideas, in it, ideas are the reality. As soon as the idea of Syros being a giant, primal, sirasion warrior came to fruition, that is the appearance that he, to mortal kind has. To other individuals who may have never heard of or seen any depictions of Syros may perceive him completely differently. Trezekh for example, his appearance was dreamed up solely by Sypherian when he presented himself to her in a vision. The shadowy form that is now synonimous with Trezekh is all thanks to Sypherian;s imagination. 

Mortal Engagment

The Pantheon Realm is built upon an understanding and knowledge unperceivable to most mortals due to its basis within abstraction. This fact makes it difficult to many scientists to understand. Some are closer to understanding its secrets than others. Tesseract was left in the material universe as a by-product of Trezekh's meddling, its properties were unstable and meant that if it was disrupted it would create a wormhole of sorts going straight back to the Pantheon Realm. The Sirasions first used this as a weapon, later as a means of transport. 
As a means of transport goes, the Sirasions use Tesseract Jump Drives to travel accross their own galaxy very quickly by dipping in and out of the Pantheon Realm, where time does not flow so laterally as it does in the material universe, meaning it takes them a fraction of the time to reach their destination. However traveling through one of their tesseract wormholes the crew who look out the ship windows often report seeing either black or swirling torrents of different colours as their minds try to process what is within the Pantheom Realm. Some are said to be driven mad by the sensory overload, this commonly referred to as 'Wormhole Sickness' 

Essentially, for a standard mortal mind like that of Sirasions, humans and alike, percieving things inside the pantheon realm is difficult, but not impossible. As only those with the most open of minds are capable of such. So few in fact that the majority of Sirasion scientists do not believe the Pantheon Realm as an actual place. How Tesseract works in general is still a hotly debaited topic within the Sirasion Emprie and beyond. Tesseract is the pure definition of the Sirasions meddling with powers that they may think they understand, but truely, never fully will. 
As far as mortal interaction goes with the Pantheon Realm, scientifically, there is little proof it, as described already, exists. Despite the fact the Sirasions are utilizing it, they are doing so without proper understanding. Even the Alliance to a degree are using it in their Infraspace drives, but they too believe they know what powers they are exploiting, but in actuality are merely scratching the surface.
The Pantheon Realm is the key to ascension, those who discover its true properties and are able to understand them would be well on the path to becoming a god. But any mere mortal possessing that mental power would be preposterous... wouldn't it?