Faiths and Pantheons

The Pantheon of Gaea

Twenty-one major gods exist amid Gaea, who are also known as The Undying and The Powers. Click on a Pantheon header (Gods of Good, for example) for more information about those groups. Or, click on a deity entry for more information about a specific god.

Gods of Good
Deity	AL	Embodies	Domains & Inquisitions	Relations	The Devoted
Althea, The Foundation	NG	Compassion, Family, Protection	Good, Healing, Protection, Community Conversion, Truth, Illumination, Spellkiller	Wife of Daeus, Mother of Eluna, Tarien, and Gilead	Altheans
Angoron, The Athlete	CG	Valor and Competition, Childbirth, Freedom	Good, Strength, Luck, Chaos, Liberation Anger, Valor, Fervor, Spellkiller	Competitor of Kor, Traveling, Lover, and Boasting Companion of Tarien	Angorites
Daeus, The Knight	LG	Justice, Good Governance, Protection, Good Dragons	Glory, Good, Law, Sun, Nobility Truth, Valor, Banishment, Order, Spellkiller	Husband of Althea, Father of Eluna, Tarien, and Gilead, Brother of Maugrim the Fallen	Daeusites
Eluna, The Seeress	NG	Magic, Dreams, and Wisdom	Knowledge, Magic, Good, Rune Fate, Illumination, Recovery, Spellkiller	Daughter of Daeus and Althea, Sister to Gilead and Tarien	Elunites
Gilead, The Hunter	NG	The Hunt and the Wild	Animal, Community, Good, Plant Imprisonment, Persistence, Recovery, Spellkiller	Son of Daeus and Althea, Brother to Eluna and Tarien; The imprisonment inquisition ability refers primarily to his abilities as a trapper, and capability to capture evil or aberrant aspects	Gileans
Serriel, The Soldier	LG	Honor and Civilization, Advancement of Society	Good, Law, War, Protection Order, Tactics, True Death, Spellkiller	Birthed after the death of Animus, Unknown, Lover of Vardama	Serrielites
Tarien, The Trickster	CG	Luck and Travel, Talespinning	Good, Chaos, Trickery, Luck, Travel Truth, Valor, Persistence, Spellkiller	Son of Daeus and Althea (the middle child), Traveling and Boasting Companion of Angoron (lover of the same), Father of Deimos (according to legend), Reminds Kor to Have a Sense of Humor (failure so far)	Tarienites

Gods of Neutrality
Deity	AL	Embodies	Domains & Inquisitions	Relations	The Devoted
Ceinara, The Artist	CN	Artistic Inspiration	Charm, Luck, Fire, Chaos, Liberation Conversion, Zeal, Fervor, Spellkiller	Daughter of Dana and Reos	Ceinarans
Dana, The Earth	TN	The Forces of Nature (She is also known as "The Green Word")	Air, Animal, Plant, Water, Weather Vengeance, Persistence, Spellkiller	Wife of Reos, Mother of Ceinara	Danan
Kor, War	CN	War and Chaos, Conflict	Chaos, Glory, Strength, War, Destruction Anger, Fervor, Spellkiller	Competitor with Maugrim and Serriel over the dominion of War, and Angoron like that brother you never wanted	Korites
Navos, The Historian	LN	History and Self-Perfection	Healing, Knowledge, Rune, Strength, Law Oblivion, Illumination, Truth, Spellkiller	Once close friend of Daeus, distanced now with His new role among the Twilight and loss of Compassion	Navosians
Rada, The Trader and Sailor	TN	Sea and Travel, Trade and Wealth	Weather, Water, Nobility, Travel Recovery, Conversion, Spellkiller	Glub. Glub glub glub.	Radan
Reos, The Craftsman	LN	Craftsmanship, Artifice, Engineering	Artifice, Earth, Law, Rune Order, Tactics, Spellkiller	Husband of Dana, Father of Ceinara	Reosian
Vardama, The Crone and Mortician	LN	Death, Inevitability, and Prophecy	Community, Healing, Knowledge, Repose, Law Final Rest, Fate, True Death, Possession, Spellkiller	Once wife of Thul, Lover of Serriel	Vardaman

Gods of Evil
Deity	AL	Embodies	Domains & Inquisitions	Relations	The Devoted
Caracoroth, The Nightmare	CE	Nightmares, Monsters, and Madness	Evil, Chaos, Animal, Madness Anger, Zeal, Spellkiller	Mad son of Maugrim, Harries Eluna across the sky	Caracorothans
Deimos, The Betrayer	NE	Betrayal, Secrets, and Corruption	Luck, Trickery, Evil, Charm Conversion, Truth, Spellkiller	Rumored son of Tarien	Deimosan
Gunahkar, The Destroyer	CE	Chaos, Disaster, and Wrath	Chaos, Destruction, Death, Weather, Evil Oblivion, Fervor, Spellkiller		Gunahkarans
Illotha, The Scourned	NE	Murder, Poison, Envy and Loss	Evil, Death, Knowledge, Rune Vengeance, Conversion, Possession, Spellkiller		Illothans
Maugrim, The Tyrant	LE	Tyrrany, Slavery, Pride, Evil Dragons	Evil, Law, War, Strength, Destruction Order, Heresy, Imprisonment, Banishment, Spellkiller	Husband of Taara, Brother of Daeus	Maugrimites
Taara, The Avaricious	NE	Cruelty and Greed, Avarice	Evil, Darkness, Magic, Destruction Fate, Vengeance, Spellkiller	Wife of Maugrim, Lover to Thul	Taarans
Thul, The Cannibal	LE	Gluttony, Undeath, Contracts and Cannibalism	Death, Evil, Strength, Trickery, Law Heresy, Oblivion, Imprisonment, Possession, Spellkiller	Maddened husband of Vardama, now divorced, Sometime lover of Taara	Thulites

Religion and Faith

The world of Gaea is dominated religiously by a dualistic pantheon system known officially as the Holy Order of Ea. The teachings of this order were spread by the prophet Shadam in the aftermath following the end of the previous age. Due to the similarities in stories and legends of many of the elder races, it is believed that Shadam's teachings reconcile the different cultural viewpoints and racial themes on the matter of the gods, heavens and their agents.

The Holy Order of Ea is not the only religion, though it is the most influential. Animistic faiths such as the Green Word (dedicated to the earth goddess Dana) and the Ygdrassil Union (which believes in the living power of the world itself), thrive in less developed areas. In these areas, druidic powers and circles are able to grow unimpeded by the teachings of the Holy Order of Ea. Similarly speaking, though a dualistic pantheon, the Order of Ea largely teaches the principles of good and neutral aligned powers and sees the darker gods as in rebellion of the intended creative order. This causes the cults and faiths of the dark gods to largely operate as independent faiths and religions from the Holy Order and often in opposition to it. If you add this in with smatterings of shamanistic faiths and ancestor worship, or some cultures revering some deities more than others, you end up with a world of few gods but many faiths. Many gods, such as Tarien, operate under a variety of different names.

The Holy Order Of Ea

A dualistic pantheon, the Holy Order of Ea teaches of a war between two brothers who both sprang from the will of the creator God known as Elhim. Maugrim and Daeus had been known as Twin Dragon Gods. Together and in concert this unified pantheon created the prehistoric world, struck down their rebellious first-born children, the Scions, and bound the Wyrms (Dragons) to allow lesser races to thrive. At some point, however, one of the two of the mightiest of the gods grew hungry for additional power and after receiving a prophecy from the Fates, attempted to turn it to his own will and so made war against his brother. His actions incided a devastating civil war known simply as the War of the Gods.

This war ended with the newly crowned gods of evil being either imprisoned or bound. The rest of the world reeled from the devastation caused by this. The devestation forced a second or ‘new’ creation to have to take place to replace the chaos-ridden old world. Despite their efforts, the gods could not fully heal the world and remnants of the ancient conflict remain to this day. Leftovers from this era of chaos and devastation create a number of different phenomena that still saturate the world. In the aftermath of this new creation, the remaining gods retreated to the heavens and retired to their holy city, which lay beyond the reach of all save a blessed few. The departure of the gods would bring about an end to the early prehistoric ages and usher in the rise of the mortal races as the dominant forces in the physical world.

The Holy Order of Ea is the official name given to the loose affiliation of temples, religions and denominations that promote the gods of light, and to a lesser extent the gods of neutrality. They decry the efforts of the gods of darkness, who are seen as in rebellion to the plan of the Creator God Elhim and Elhim's appointed remaining god-king, Daeus. The influence of The Order is profound, creating a strong dualistic pantheon system that permeates much of western civilization and beyond. For the most part the Order is largely symbolic, existing as a neutral go-between for affiliated temple orders and churches. Each individual deity maintains their own order and religious following. Yet, the Order of Ea seeks to reconcile the differences between like-minded faiths and to provide some unity for the common masses to look to. The de-facto leader is the Chosen Prophet of Daeus who also is the spiritual leader of the Church of Daeus. In practice, he leads more as a spiritual guide and guardian rather then attempting to impose edicts upon other faiths. The Order headquarters itself lay in The Holy See which is in the Myrrish nation of Ecclesia. Here, they shelter a number of temples, shrines, religious orders and teachings while also acting neutrally on matters of politics and national affairs and as mediators when conflicts between the various faiths arise.

The Green Word

The Green Word is a primarily druidic faith dominant among races of the wild and less urban areas. The Green Word refers to the Voice of the World which is also known as the goddess Dana. Dana was once considered part of the pantheon of the Order of Ea but separated herself to attend to her first love: the nurturing of the world itself, which she saw as being hurt by the ongoing conflicts of light and dark.

Sects of the god Gilead are also part of this loose affiliation of like minded priests, druids, rangers and more. The order is only loosely organized and split between both clerics and druids. Within the larger religion are a number of smaller sects and denominations that have different goals and agendas and at times they come into conflict with one another. However, it is taught that this is the way of the world. Prominent groups include The Ygdrassil Union, which teaches more harmony, and Circle of Thorns, which teaches more destructive hard stances against those who they deem unworthy of nature's bounty.

The Fates

Three goddesses who represent the past, present and future, they, as a rule, do not interfere with the doings of the world but simply observe, comment on and occasionally offer guidance to mortals and gods alike. The Fates have no religion tied to them and have no mortal followers although some who wield magic consider themselves under their wing.

Scholars believe that debate whether they represent aspects of Elhim Himself or that they are gods removed from The Order of Ea who did not come to the world in the beginning of the Great Making yet instead remained apart from it all to observe history. Thus, they are outside of history while the Order of Ea is bound to the world and history. The Fates are known of and often used in conversation as part of daily culture; ie “The Fates must be playing a cruel joke on me.” And so forth. Belief in destiny, fate, pre-ordained events varies from culture to culture but as Eas is a mythical world, prophecy, destiny and the power of vow making and the spoken word is a tangible thing.

The Covenant of Mana

A philosophy founded by the original progenitor of magic, the Covenant of Mana is a collection of guiding principles that govern the power of Mana. Mana is a phenomena that saturates the world and provides the source of arcane magic and becomes the conduit by which divine magic can be transferred from divine sources to their followers. As a result, this philosophy is decidedly neutral in nature though good and evil alike adhere to its defining principles in regards to magic. To put it more simply, it is a philosophy many wizards and arcane users adhere to and swear by, without which the personal skill and attachment necessary to work arcane wizardry would be impossible. As a philosophy, the Covenant works within many faiths and belief systems, though how exactly is left to the practitioner's ideals.

Others

The above represent aspects of larger and more influencial faiths, orders, and ideas on Gaea but by no means represent them all. For example, though the gods of light loosely agree upon their affiliation within the Order of Ea and accept veneration as part of this Order, each one maintains individual churches and orders and some deities are known by countless names in other cultures far off.

Daeus, arguably the most powerful god, is venerated as far north as the Ice Wall and in the deepest south where a simple lit candle and heartspoken prayer is enough and the grand sweeping cathedrals of the west and unheard of. The gods of darkness maintain even more variance of faiths and cults. Neutral-aligned deities which represent abstract forces such as war, the natural world, death and creativity, arguably have even more worshippers and are known by even more names. This also does not include groups such as nihilistic cults of the Void. These cults, dedicated to the hungering power of the emptiness that exists beyond the walls of the world know precious little about the ‘power’ they claim to dwell there and in cases are merely being manipulated by members of the gods of darkness.