Gods

There are countless divine beings that might be termed gods. Many gods have their origins in Heaven, the hidden kingdom above all Creation. The first to emerge from Heaven was Asur, and he created the gardens of Paradise around him. Paradise, or Anratha, served as home for all the subsequent gods who emerged from Heaven, though in time the gods forgot their origins and came to believe that Paradise was the summit of being. In the context of Vala, gods can be divided into several categories. 
=== Elder Gods ===
Also called the Eldest or the Great Gods, these were the first beings to emerge from Heaven and into Paradise. They gave Anratha its shape and nature, and all the gods that followed the Eldest bowed to their greater wisdom. 
Asur: The firstborn, the Old Sun. 
Beraz: The second born, the Beast of Chaos. 
Siris: The third born, the lady of stars, fate and time. 
Bhelor: The fourth born, the Sun of Sacrifice, goddess of faith and will. 
Vasht: The fifth born, guardian of Paradise. 
Mehreb: The sixth born, scribe of Paradise. 
Embu: The seventh born, slave of Paradise, god of willing toil. 
=== The Old Ones ===
Also called Old Gods or Dragon Gods, these deities emerged from the Abyss to bind with the pieces of Asur and Yesod, and give it greater shape. These beings are part of the substance of Vala, and in many cases they sleep, their dreams solidifying into aspects of the world. 
Hila, Grandfather Sun: He became the sun to shine upon Vala and give it light and energy. 
Manah, Grandmother Moon: She became the moon to provide a gentler light to Hila, so that he would not scorch the earth. She was courted by both Veres and Mortus, and when she could not pick a beloved, she tore herself apart, becoming the Twin Moons, Eshid and Ayos, whose presiding deities are Ranu and Azin. 
Anyu, Mother Earth: She wrapped herself around the Heart of Asur and became the core of Vala. 
Taso, Father Ocean: He wrapped himself around Anyu to shield her from jealous and hungry spirits, becoming all the seas and water. 
Rukh, Old Lady Sky: She enclosed the world to seal it from the Abyss and protect all below her, becoming the sky. 
Mortus: Mortus is Death, the Worm God and the force of necessary entropy that prevents Vala being overburdened by ever-multiplying life. He is shadow and rival to Veres. 
Veres: The god of fertility, the wilds and beasts, he is the force of life that invigorates all that lives upon Vala. He is rival to Mortus, who is his shadow. 
Druna, the Green Dragon: Druna is the dragon of spring, child of Anyu and Taso, like all the Realm Dragons. Her sleeping body is the continent of Altea. 
Ymogh, the White Dragon: The dragon of winter, his sleeping body is the continent of Alba. 
Mulkarth, the Blue Dragon: Once his body was the continent of Chent, but after he was defeated by the invading star giants, he hid beneath the ocean, his continent sinking with him. 
Xolm, the Red Dragon: Xolm is the dragon of autumn, and his body is Tsaiyun. 
Huld, the Gold Dragon: Huld is the dragon of summer whose body is Devana. 
Nyx, the Night Dragon: Nyx was the night sky, daughter of the Water Moon and Hila. She fell to Chaos and became the first head of the Beast. Her children are gods in turn, and they are worshipped as Old Ones: They are Gaumad, Seraya, Rasvin, Ukhraj and the King-to-Come.
=== The Scions ===
After Rukh enclosed Vala, spirits within the Abyss continued to covet the powers of Asur. A group of rapacious beings led by Thule sought to invade Vala and rip power from the Old Ones in the Morning War. The Scions were so named for they are the successors of the Old Ones, at least to their faithful. Others know them as Chaos Gods or Rebel Gods, for they throw the order of the cosmos into disarray, and seek not after harmony, but their own selfish goals and whims.
Thule, the Scion of Rape: Chief of the Scions who sought to steal fertility from Veres. 
Bhal, the Scion of Spite: She battled Rukh for mastery of the sky, only to be abandoned by her fellow scions. 
Dakhama, the Scion of Plague: She tried to steal death from Mortus, only to rot herself. All she touches sickens and dies. 
Rakith, the Scion of Werebeasts: He attempted to steal strength from Ukhraj, but was unsuccessful, only learning to steal the strength of others. 
Neradu, the Scion of Murder: She tried to steal the ocean from Taso, but was nearly drowned. Enraged, she set about to create her own ocean from the slaughtered bodies of millions. 
Nethrym, the Scion of Illusion: He (she? Nethrym is frequently presented as androgynous) attempted to steal beauty from Seraya but failed, and only gained the illusion of beauty with which he masked his ragged form. 
Jadak, the Scion of Madness: She attempted to steal wisdom from Gaumad but was unsuccessful, being overwhelmed by the knowledge she tried to seize without understanding. 
Mora Fal, the Scion of Shadows: She sought to steal the moonlight from Manah, but was only able to grasp the shadows, which she weaved about herself in shame. 
Gojari, the Scion of Sloth: He tried to steal swiftness from Rasvin, but could never catch her. Frustrated, he turned to indulgence, seeking to slow others by plying them with all manner of luxuries and distractions until they forget that he lost his race. 
Amon Shar, the Scion of Wrath: He tried to steal the light of the sun from Hila, but was consumed by the flames. 
Urabog, the Scion of Terror: Urabog is a creature from some other world-shard that was attracted to the chaos inflicted by the Scions upon Vala. She haunts the Abyss, seeking to engulf all in terror and darkness, feeding on this misery, despair and panic. 
Ixion, the Scion of Outcasts: An accomplice of Thule who was betrayed and abandoned, losing his opportunity to seize real power. 
Worg, the Scion of Undeath: Worg followed Thule and his co-conspirators through the rent in the sky, but he avoided the great battles, delving below the earth in search of one of the Realm Dragons. 
The Dreameater, the Nameless Scion: He devoured the scraps left by the other Chaos Gods, growing fat and bloated. 
=== Outsiders ===
Also called the Celestial Gods, these deities followed the star giants from Anratha, going forth to seek worlds within the vast Sea of Creation. They are so named for they came from outside the cosmos, from Paradise, and are not inextricably bound up with Vala, largely presiding over ideals rather than elemental forces. Titles are often used in lieu of the deity's name to avoid giving offense or drawing the god's undue notice. 
Arva (The Maiden, Goddess of protection and healing)
Bardan (The Builder, Goddess of crafts, industry and labor)  
Tiber (The Veteran, God of endurance, the desperate and last chances) 
Gadri (The Sower, Goddess of grain, soil and agriculture) 
Hyal (The Friend, God of wealth, joy and good fortune) 
Issio (The Magister, God of learning, writing and logic) 
Jau (The Trickster, Goddess of wisdom and deceit) 
Kyrene (The Lady, Goddess of war and victory) 
Myrmex (The Mariner, God of sailors, maritime travel, and maritime trade) 
Rheas (The Castellan, God of justice, truth and law) 
Sol (The Empress Sun, Goddess of righteous rule, order and nobility) 
Orm (The Wayfarer, God of speech, overland trade, and overland travel) 
Ystarte (The Mender, Goddess of secrets and magic) 
Zarosh (The Scourge, God of storms, punishment and misfortune)
=== Titans ===
Titans include demigod offspring of higher deities, powerful ancestor spirits and mortals or spirits that attained divine power either by their own will or through the intervention of a higher being. Some titans are independent, others serve more powerful beings. Some have their own, minor realms whereas others dwell with their patron. A few titans are worshipped by individual cults, though most of these beings are included in homage paid to the higher god they are bound to. By mortal standards these entities may as well be gods, and some of them enjoy great popularity, even if they are worshipped alongside the deity they serve. Thus titans are sometimes called Low Gods, in contrast to the High Gods who command greater powers. 
There are certainly other divine beings worshipped upon Vala, for further information see the pantheons, as well as the genesis of Vala. 
Category:Gods