Lore:Divines

The   are the   deities which make up the official pantheon of the  , and thus have been worshiped all across  .  Their membership was defined by   at the founding of the   in the aftermath of the   she led. Her now-emancipated people had long ago adopted the  i religion of their   captors, but the rebellion had only been won with the aid of armies from  , who adhered to the  ic pantheon.  Alessia could not force either group to adopt the religion of the other, for fear of starting another war which would tear apart the newborn Empire. Instead, she developed an elegant synthesis of both traditions, combining common archetypes (mother goddess, god of death, etc.) and avoiding drastic changes.   This new pantheon was the Eight Divines, commonly called simply the Eight:

The Eight

:; , the Dragon God of Time
:: Chief among the gods, with mastery over the flow of time. Associated with   and the qualities of endurance and virtuous service.
:; , the Mortals' God
:: God of cycles, particularly that of birth and death. Presides over funerals and burial rites, as well as ushering in the changes of the seasons.
:; 
:: Goddess of beauty and art, and one of the most popular of the Divines. Widespread cults are dedicated to both healing and sexual instruction.
:; 
:: God of logic, wisdom, and the arts of  . His temples act as educational institutions in literature, history, and law.
:; 
:: Goddess of the heavens, winds, and rain. Patron of sailors and travelers, and often propitiated for good fortune in life.
:; , the Mother-Goddess
:: Goddess of love, compassion, and the bounty of nature. Presides over marriage ceremonies, befitting her ancient origins as a fertility goddess.
:; , the Steadfast
:: God of mercy, justice, and righteousness. Patron of all those who wield righteous might to protect the weak, from emperors to  .
:; , the Trader God
:: God of work, commerce, and wealth, invoked for success in business ventures. Teaches prosperity through honest industry, rather than violence or deceit.

The One
For the spirit worshipped by the Alessian Order, see the One.
:; / 
::A mortal and emperor who upon death became a divine. 

This pantheon would stand for thousands of years, until  's reunification of Tamriel and declaration of the  . Upon his death, so great were his deeds that he achieved apotheosis and joined the ranks of the Divines.  Known as  , the ascended emperor was accorded a lofty position among the gods, who now numbered the Nine Divines  (or more traditionally, the Eight And One).  He became the patron of the Empire and all its ideals of civilization, as well as those who go to war to defend it.  

The Nine would watch over the Empire at its height under the  , throughout the Third Era. But the   brought the Empire to its knees, and the reach and influence of the Imperial pantheon dwindled into the  . It came to a head in  , when the   demanded a stop to the worship of Talos in an ultimatum to  . He refused, sparking the  , which ended with the controversial  , banning Talos worship as one of its conditions.  With this, Divines once again officially numbered Eight, and   agents were empowered throughout the Empire to stamp out worship of the deposed Talos.  This proved to be a highly disruptive imposition on an already-fractured Empire, leading to widespread discontent and even a province-wide  .

Worship
As Aedric beings, the Divines gave greatly of themselves during the creation of  , using their own energy to imbue the world with life and natural laws.  This leaves them in a much reduced state, not able to interfere with mortal affairs as freely as the   who maintain their full power in  . For this reason, the primary view of the Divines is as impersonal, generally benevolent spirits, worthy of propitiation but without any strong direct relationship.  However, there are notable exceptions in the form of cults, which are particularly dedicated to the worship of a single Divine. The   reveres Talos, and is particularly influential among members of the military.  An even more militant cult is the Vigil of Stendarr, paladins who fanatically hunt down Daedric creatures which threaten mankind. But Dibella claims the most widespread appeal, boasting dozens of cults dedicated to various aspects of beauty and aesthetics.  

Since the Divines were based on existing local pantheons and common archetypes, in many areas the two co-exist. For instance, among the Nords of Skyrim, Kynareth has not entirely supplanted native   as the goddess of nature.  Generally, these alternatives are tolerated by Imperial authorities for pragmatic reasons, although proper worship of the Divines is always encouraged. 

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