The Twelve
The Twelve are the good and neutral-aligned gods who survived the Dawn War many millennia ago. In the wake of a massive war that annihilated pantheons, shattered the continents apart, and reduced entire civilizations to ashes, these were the gods who emerged victorious and became the stewards of the new world. They helped the peoples of the world rebuild, with some of them adopting races who had lost their original gods in the war, and to this day are worshiped all over Erden.
In addition to the Twelve, there are a few sects dedicated to honoring the memory of Asgorath, the "God-That-Was", the creator-god whose murder set off the Dawn War. Some believe that if they can get enough people to worship Asgorath, they might be able to resurrect them, possibly along with the other gods who were slain during the war.
| Name | Align. | Portfolio | Domains | Common Symbol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avandra | CG | Change, freedom, luck | Travel, Trickery | Woman's profile on a gold coin or pendant |
| Bahamut | LG | Honor, justice | Life, Order, Protection, War | Platinum dragon's head in profile |
| Corellon | CG | Art, beauty, music, magic | Arcana, Light | Two crescent moons facing each other atop a four-pointed star |
| Erathis | LN | Law, civilization, order | Knowledge, Order, Peace | Labrys inset with a set of balance scales |
| Ioun | N | Knowledge, language, scholars | Arcana, Knowledge | Pair of open eyes crowned with a third open eye |
| Kord | CN | Battle, competition, storms | Tempest, War | Four bolts of lightning radiating from the center of a shield |
| Maeve | LN | Death, fate, winter | Blood, Death, Grave, Twilight | White, humanoid mask framed in black feathers |
| Melora | N | Seas, wilderness | Grave, Life, Nature, Tempest | Wreath of flowers and grain affixed to a shepherd's crook |
| Moradin | LG | Craft, creation | Forge, Knowledge, War | Hammer with ends carved in the likeness of dwarven heads |
| Pelor | NG | Sun, day, healing | Life, Light, Nature | Humanoid face within a golden sunburst |
| Rao | LG | Peace, reason, mercy | Order, Peace | White heart |
| Sehanine | CG | Moon, night, dreams, illusion, love | Arcana, Nature, Trickery, Twilight | Crescent moon turned upward, strung like a bow |
In addition to the Twelve, there are a few sects dedicated to honoring the memory of Asgorath, the "God-That-Was", the creator-god whose murder set off the Dawn War. Some believe that if they can get enough people to worship Asgorath, they might be able to resurrect them, possibly along with the other gods who were slain during the war.
Structure
Unlike the pantheons that came before them, the Twelve are equals in power and authority. Some were the heads of their original pantheons, while others were relatively unimportant before attrition among the other gods forced them to step up. But at this point, each one of them holds power over at least one major aspect of reality, and serves as a patron to multiple races and nations. None can be said to be greater than the others.
Likewise, there is no single overarching authority that unites the Temples of the Twelve. Just as the gods held their war councils at a round table, a council of representatives from each Temple, called the Synod, convenes four times a year to discuss whatever matters affect all of them.
Likewise, there is no single overarching authority that unites the Temples of the Twelve. Just as the gods held their war councils at a round table, a council of representatives from each Temple, called the Synod, convenes four times a year to discuss whatever matters affect all of them.
Mythology & Lore
In the beginning, there was only the empty void of the Far Realms, and the roiling Elemental Chaos. Peering into this through a window from another, dying world, Asgorath looked at this and saw potential. They went to their friends and told them, "We can start anew in this world. Who will come with me?" For those who said "I will", Asgorath opened a door, and they landed in the void.
Onto this incomprehensible chaos, the Architect imposed the framework of logic. They stretched and shaped the universe into a sphere where up was different from down, one plus one equalled two, and time moved only in one direction. By their hands, the Elements were separated into four planes, surrounded by the Positive and the Negative. Then they drew the lines with their fingers to create more boundaries. Below the Postitive and the Negative, they formed the Astral from the substance of thought. Between the Astral and the Elemental, they formed the Ethereal from the stuff of spirit. And then they drew the essence of all planes to the center, forming the bare stone foundation of Erden, the Material Plane. But Asgorath was exhausted from the massive feat they had just performed, and when the last inch of the Material was finished, they fell into a deep slumber. Their friends, awestruck, carried them to a quiet place to rest while they completed the work.
Each of the hundreds who had followed Asgorath took up their own project in collaboration with the others. They covered the bare rock with fertile soil, covered the soil with water and growing things, and released animals into the new wilderness. Taking sparks of intelligence from the Astral Plane, the gods imbued some of these creatures with thinking, learning souls. First dragons, made from pure elemental power, who were created to watch over those who would come after. Then elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, humans... and many, many more. These races multiplied, flourished, and formed the first great civilizations of the world.
In these times, the gods were deeply involved in mortal affairs, to the point that mortals became instruments of their designs. As the centuries went on, two different factions emerged among the gods. Some of them saw the peoples of Erden as their beloved children, to be nurtured and guided but otherwise given total freedom. But the other side saw sapient beings as mere servants who existed to amuse or glorify them. As they turned to evil, so did their followers -- and even their own powers. Gods of renewal became gods of destruction; gods of law became gods of tyranny. Even the celestials who served them fell from grace if they willingly went along with their evil deeds. These Corrupted Gods seduced mortals and divine beings alike into their service with promises of power, including the forbidden secrets of magic that could rival the gods in power. Thus many of the once-noble nations of Erden grew corrupt and arrogant.
Eventually, things came to blows when the most vicious of the Corrupted Gods, Zargon, found the place where Asgorath had slept since Creation and murdered the Architect in their bed. This unthinkable deed spurred the other evil deities to go on the offensive against the good deities and each other. What followed was a massive, apocalyptic conflict known as the Dawn War. Legions of celestials and mortals rallied behind those gods who stood up for mortals' freedom, while the Corrupted Gods raised equal numbers of fiendish and aberrant minions to bolster their ranks of evil humanoids. Entire pantheons were decimated or even annihilated on both sides; great civilizations were wiped from the map. But ultimately, the good deities had one thing that their enemies lacked: unity. The Corrupted Gods were too self-serving to work together for long, because their paranoia and personal agendas would always come between them. The combined forces of the Twelve remaining good deities pursued the Corrupted Gods one by one, starting with Zargon himself. Once Zargon was destroyed, the other Corrupted, who had only been loosely allied by mutual fear of him, began to fragment. And in time, they and all of their servants were consigned to the Lower Planes.
But there was only one way for the Twelve to ensure that the Corrupted couldn't come back to wreak havoc. They had to create a barrier between the Inner and Outer Planes that no deity could escape. And in doing so, they had to lock themselves out as well. They considered this for the best, because even they could see that they were responsible for some of the death and destruction in the war. So the Twelve drew a Veil between the planes, sealing themselves and their enemies beyond the reach of the Inner Planes. Without any more direct interference, the world was able to recover, and a new age of civilization dawned, with the Twelve as its only gods.
Onto this incomprehensible chaos, the Architect imposed the framework of logic. They stretched and shaped the universe into a sphere where up was different from down, one plus one equalled two, and time moved only in one direction. By their hands, the Elements were separated into four planes, surrounded by the Positive and the Negative. Then they drew the lines with their fingers to create more boundaries. Below the Postitive and the Negative, they formed the Astral from the substance of thought. Between the Astral and the Elemental, they formed the Ethereal from the stuff of spirit. And then they drew the essence of all planes to the center, forming the bare stone foundation of Erden, the Material Plane. But Asgorath was exhausted from the massive feat they had just performed, and when the last inch of the Material was finished, they fell into a deep slumber. Their friends, awestruck, carried them to a quiet place to rest while they completed the work.
Each of the hundreds who had followed Asgorath took up their own project in collaboration with the others. They covered the bare rock with fertile soil, covered the soil with water and growing things, and released animals into the new wilderness. Taking sparks of intelligence from the Astral Plane, the gods imbued some of these creatures with thinking, learning souls. First dragons, made from pure elemental power, who were created to watch over those who would come after. Then elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, humans... and many, many more. These races multiplied, flourished, and formed the first great civilizations of the world.
In these times, the gods were deeply involved in mortal affairs, to the point that mortals became instruments of their designs. As the centuries went on, two different factions emerged among the gods. Some of them saw the peoples of Erden as their beloved children, to be nurtured and guided but otherwise given total freedom. But the other side saw sapient beings as mere servants who existed to amuse or glorify them. As they turned to evil, so did their followers -- and even their own powers. Gods of renewal became gods of destruction; gods of law became gods of tyranny. Even the celestials who served them fell from grace if they willingly went along with their evil deeds. These Corrupted Gods seduced mortals and divine beings alike into their service with promises of power, including the forbidden secrets of magic that could rival the gods in power. Thus many of the once-noble nations of Erden grew corrupt and arrogant.
Eventually, things came to blows when the most vicious of the Corrupted Gods, Zargon, found the place where Asgorath had slept since Creation and murdered the Architect in their bed. This unthinkable deed spurred the other evil deities to go on the offensive against the good deities and each other. What followed was a massive, apocalyptic conflict known as the Dawn War. Legions of celestials and mortals rallied behind those gods who stood up for mortals' freedom, while the Corrupted Gods raised equal numbers of fiendish and aberrant minions to bolster their ranks of evil humanoids. Entire pantheons were decimated or even annihilated on both sides; great civilizations were wiped from the map. But ultimately, the good deities had one thing that their enemies lacked: unity. The Corrupted Gods were too self-serving to work together for long, because their paranoia and personal agendas would always come between them. The combined forces of the Twelve remaining good deities pursued the Corrupted Gods one by one, starting with Zargon himself. Once Zargon was destroyed, the other Corrupted, who had only been loosely allied by mutual fear of him, began to fragment. And in time, they and all of their servants were consigned to the Lower Planes.
But there was only one way for the Twelve to ensure that the Corrupted couldn't come back to wreak havoc. They had to create a barrier between the Inner and Outer Planes that no deity could escape. And in doing so, they had to lock themselves out as well. They considered this for the best, because even they could see that they were responsible for some of the death and destruction in the war. So the Twelve drew a Veil between the planes, sealing themselves and their enemies beyond the reach of the Inner Planes. Without any more direct interference, the world was able to recover, and a new age of civilization dawned, with the Twelve as its only gods.
Divine Origins
The Temples of the Twelve are a patchwork by nature, being made up of the survivors of the Dawn War. As the rest of the gods died off one by one, their followers scattered, and were taken in by other gods of similar natures. The growth of their followings made the remaining gods grow in power, until eventually we were left with twelve equally powerful, equally important deities: six gods and six goddesses.
The centuries following the Dawn War and the Partition were marked by growing pains. The Agarthan Accords all but ensured that there would be no infighting between followers of the Twelve. However, there were two problems. On one hand, some people who had worshiped now-dead gods refused to join the new temples, and indeed actively resisted when the old shrines and temples were being converted to house the Twelve, believing that their gods would return one day. And on the other hand, there were also many who had lost faith in all of the gods, and abandoned religion entirely. Most of these people were peaceful, but some groups rose up in violent rebellion, or even resorted to terrorist tactics in an attempt to push the Temples out of their communities. Both still exist, to varying degrees.
In any case, things settled down eventually. The Palace Triumphant was built on Agartha to serve as a unified temple complex and a permanent meeting place for the newly-established Synod, which ironed out the last difficulties between the Temples.
The centuries following the Dawn War and the Partition were marked by growing pains. The Agarthan Accords all but ensured that there would be no infighting between followers of the Twelve. However, there were two problems. On one hand, some people who had worshiped now-dead gods refused to join the new temples, and indeed actively resisted when the old shrines and temples were being converted to house the Twelve, believing that their gods would return one day. And on the other hand, there were also many who had lost faith in all of the gods, and abandoned religion entirely. Most of these people were peaceful, but some groups rose up in violent rebellion, or even resorted to terrorist tactics in an attempt to push the Temples out of their communities. Both still exist, to varying degrees.
In any case, things settled down eventually. The Palace Triumphant was built on Agartha to serve as a unified temple complex and a permanent meeting place for the newly-established Synod, which ironed out the last difficulties between the Temples.
Tenets of Faith
Commandments of the Twelve
- Avandra says, "Embrace the inevitability of change, for change is necessary for growth."
- Bahamut says, "Stand as a paragon of honor and justice."
- Corellon says, "Create, inspire, and find beauty in all that you do."
- Erathis says, "Uphold the law and your community."
- Ioun says, "Always seek the truth, and never lie without moral cause."
- Kord says, "Persevere through the challenges of life and grow stronger."
- Maeve says, "Do not fear death or fate; embrace whatever may come."
- Melora says, "Treat nature with respect, for it is the beginning and end of all life."
- Moradin says, "Remain loyal to your family, your clan, and your people."
- Pelor says, "Deliver the light of compassion wherever darkness dwells."
- Rao says, "In all things strive to act with reason before emotion, and discourse before violence."
- Sehanine says, "Seize your own destiny by pursuing your passions."
The Agarthan Accords
By unanimous agreement of the Temples of Man, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Gnome, and all other Good races, be it resolved:
- That no god (or pantheon) is above or below any other
- That no strife shall exist between temples or sects
- That all followers of goodness shall work in harmony to oppose the Corrupted
Priesthood
The nearest thing to an overarching authority among the Temples of the Twelve is the Synod, a combined council of representatives from each Temple. Their offices are located at the ancient temple complex known as the Palace Triumphant, on the sacred island of Agartha.
The Synod has no single leader. It functions democratically, with each Temple having one Delegate, and all of those Delegates having equal authority. To emphasize this, they meet at a round table in a round room, and the order of seating is determined by which calendar month each deity presides over.
The Synod has no single leader. It functions democratically, with each Temple having one Delegate, and all of those Delegates having equal authority. To emphasize this, they meet at a round table in a round room, and the order of seating is determined by which calendar month each deity presides over.
Sects
As a henotheistic faith, the Twelve have individual shrines, temples, and sects, as well as pantheon temples that honor all of them. Some will even share a building occasionally; for example, the siblings Ioun and Rao, and the spouses Corellon and Sehanine. Small villages often erect a twelve-sided, open-air shrine in the square with small altars for each god.
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Subsidiary Organizations
- Society of the Cosmic Eye
- Sovereign Order of the Western Star
- Synod of Agartha
- Temple of the All-Hammer
- Temple of the Arch Heart
- Temple of the Change-Bringer
- Temple of the Dawn Father
- Temple of the Law-Bearer
- Temple of the Moon-Weaver
- Temple of the Peace-Maker
- Temple of the Platinum Dragon
- Temple of the Raven Queen
- Temple of the Storm Lord
- Temple of the Wild Mother
Permeated Organizations
Location
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