The Gods and Pantheons of Valdria

The Creation Story

From the distant stars, the Alfadir and Almoder arrived. The myth tells that they had been searching for the Old One who had fled here from another plane. A great battle ensued. The two emerged victorious, and from the body of their mighty foe, they molded a new world. It's bones were ground to dust and became the dirt we stand on. The blood was purified, turning into the seas and oceans. Finally, the last breath brought life to the sculptures of this new world. This is how Valdria came to be.

The Gods of Valdria

The Alfadir and Almoder

They are the creators of Vandria, and slayer of the Great Old One. They are the lord and lady of creation. They command the other gods, and impart their duties through gifts of power. They are relatively neutral, letting their creations partake in what activities they choose without interfereing often, but, those devoted to them will be guardians of life and creation.

The Four Maidens

Sylvina – She is the Maiden of Spring. She is regarded as a goddess of the harvest, nature and plantlife. Many druids have been given her gift, and know her as the Earth Maiden, as well as her other title. She is often depicted with a basket of different plants, and a single puppy at her side.

Solada – She is the Maiden of Summer. She is regarded as a goddess of light, purity, fire and war. Her more devout followers are usually protectors of some sort. She is depicted as a woman holding out the sun in her right hand, a sword in her left hand, and a shield on her back.

Otony – She is the Maiden of Autumn. She is regarded as a goddess of time, renewal and healing. Her followers often tend to graveyards, act as healers or historians. Her followers tend to act when asked, otherwise they will keep to their own. She is usually depicted as a woman with a sickle and a small crow on her shoulder.

Inver – She is the Maiden of Winter. She is regarded as a goddess of death, night, the moon and ice. Her followers aren't usually seen during the day, as they prefer to worship during the time when the moon is high. They are very secretive people, and rumour has it that they turn invisible in the light of the moon. She is depicted in an elegant dress with a crown of ice.

Harlequinn, The Trickster King – He and his followers are nearly ever seen. Harlequinn is the king of mischief and trickery. Any form of joke or prank is a form of prayer towards him. Because of this, a lot of his followers are either children, or just very immature. He is represented by a masked man who is always smiling with colourful garnments.

Atrenakus, The Wolf of Phantos - He is a chimera of a wolf, bat, and scorpion. He rules over the lands of Phantos, followed by his Night-Sons and Night-Daughters. His domain is the hunt and war. His followers follow a strict code of laws imparted by his prophet, the Moon Mother.

The Four Maidens

A Chaos Wave passed over the lands of Valdria, causing weather to spiral out of control. Four girls had been playing in a nearby forest when the wave hit. They quickly searched for shelter. They came across a small shack, where an elderly couple lived. During the chaos, the four girls helped the pair of kind, elderly people to keep their home from breaking. After the chaos had passed, and everything had calmed, the four girls were given a gift each for their act of kindness. Four pearls, each one of different colour, red, yellow, green, and white. The couple told the girls that the pearls would help them the next time they needed it.

Time passed, and the now women found themselves hiding from another Chaos Wave. Each one of them clutched their pearls, holding them close. The pearls began to glow their respective colours, and merged with the women. Their forms changed, and powers awoke. One had control over nature and plants, the second over fire and the sun. The third was given the ability to control over animals and life. The fourth was given the power over ice and the moon. With their new powers, the were able to help others who suffered the chaos wave. The four of them reunited and were visited by the elderly couple. The Alfadir and Almoder gifted them one more thing, the opportunity to join the pantheon as the Four Maidens. Sylvina, Solada, Otony and Inver joined the gods in their home, and now watch over the land during the four seasons.

Magic and The Gifting

During one of the Chaos Waves, creatures and beings from another of the realities ripped their way into the world of Valdria. The creatures instantly attacked anything that they come into contact with. The gods intervened, but even they could not hold back the constant threat. Thus, the gods gave their knowledge to a select few, giving them a small portion of their power. This event was known as 'The Gifting'. Through this new power, it became easier to combat the threat of the Abyssals. Each time a Chaos Wave was fought back, those who aided in the protection of the world were given the title of 'Hersir', which translated to the common tongue as 'Hero of the Gods'.

The Dark Ones

Elorana

She is the mother of twilight and madness. She arrived during one of the Chaos Waves and fled from the Hersir who tried to banish her. She now lives in the Elder Lands, biding her time to bring her children to conquer the world of Valdria. She is the mother of the Dark-elves, being who she twisted into darkness and controls through hate.

Darrakgûl

The Darakghûl is a dark god who survived his purge from the Chaos Wave when another passed over as he was killed. This caused him to be ale to exist in both the ethereal and the material at the same time. He helps Elorana, despite her constant tries to take over his children. He raises the dead of other races and controls them as puppets. His goal is to convert the world into one giant army to continue onto the next one after Valdria. He merely wishes to swell his army.

The Elder Mind

The hidden consciousness of the world. It has remained hidden, even from the gods who supposedly slew it. It is the essence of madness. It remains dormant. It's agents, mindflayers, spread it's will through the world, in secret. No one knows they exist. The followers of the Elder Mind hope one day that the world may once again awaken and they may be released from their chains, to be given the chance to spread insanity through the other planes of reality.

The Chaos Barons

Akshishgayal, The Lord of Pestilence

He was the first of the Chaos Barons to who arrived on the Chaos Waves. He is the lord of insects and their plagues. He resembles a large cockroach-like being, standing 12ft tall. He wears a tattered, grey cloak, stitched and torn around the edges. When in Vandria, he makes his hives in caves, filled with his followers. His followers are people who have been mutated by the waves and Akyshigal's presence. They are transformed into giant insectoid creatures with dual stingers and covered in more cockroaches.

Al'Kuam, The Lord of Darkness

Alquam looks like a dragon crossed with an owl. Feathers only cover some of his body, the rest is either scales or bald, wrinkly skin. He enjoys conversations, twisting people's minds while they are in his domain, the dark. During his appearance in a Chaos Wave, light becomes dim and beasts of the night become frenzied. It is said that Alquam can feel within darkness, knowing what is in his realm at all times. It takes up to ten days for the chaos to revert after his passing.

Tarnazot, The Lord of Bats and Fire

Some say that he was once a vampire, but was tempted by Mammon to become one of the Chaos Barons once he had been weakened by being exposed to pure chaotic energy. Now he arrives in the form of a were-bat. He makes cave systems his home, but rumour has it that when he last appeared in a Chaos Wave, he arrived in a castle unlike any ever seen before. It is because of Kamazotzs that creatures known as Skin Bats exist in Valdria. Most believe these to be his spies, and that when he sees the world at it's weakest, he will return with the other Chaos Barons.

Mammon, The Lord of Greed

Mammon is the largest of the known Chaos Barons. He is corruption in it's truest form, as is considered by many of the races. During his appearance, he caused the rain to turn to gold, causing drought. The gold would turn into elementals of gems and precious metals, when he was close. If any of the gold, or other precious wealth is in the presence of Mammon, and another person owns it, it turns into something worthless. People are overcome by greed in his presence. Once Mammon leaves Valdria, everything returns to normal within 10 days, but the constant fear of him appearing again, causes the people of Valdria to constantly be watching.

The Demi-Gods of Valdria

Krohtan, The Earth Shaker

Krohtan was once a mortal who travelled in search of knowledge. This led him to a place beneath the Elder Lands, known as 'The Other'. There, he found how to move the very land itself, and cause calamities when moving rock and stone. He had spent several centuries devoid of sunlight. This twisted and morphed his body into something unrecognisable. When he rose to the surface, he was captured by the Four Maidens and was imprisoned under a mountain high in the Phantos Peninsula. A seal was placed on the mountain, ensuring that no mere mortal could ever enter and speak with the Earth Shaker.

Vashter, The Lady of Renewal

Vashter was once a devout follower of the Four Maidens to begin with. Eventually she found a power lay deep inside her, and brought it to the surface. She found that with her powers, she was able to cause things to be reborn with a single touch. But her magic was not perfect, sometimes leading to abominations. As soon as her magic began to grow out of hand, Sylvina, one of the Four Maidens gathered with her and took her to a deep cave, where she now rests, hidden from any who would seek to use her magic for nefarious means.

Hernac, The Blood Tide

A powerful warlord who slew dragons to keep his people safe, found an enchanted grimoire that taught him all about blood magic. With this, the dragons unified for a short time to face a new threat, mortals. The gods were forced to get involved, and Hernac was imprisoned deep beneath the earth, which caused the dragons to begin fighting each other again, since their make-shift alliance fell apart once the threat had fallen.