The Yllogari

## Introduction

Whether people of more modern sensibilities may not believe in them or not, it is widely known that the deities of Yllogar were not always gods. The prime material was once home to fiends, celestials, giants and elementals alike, and only through the combined efforts of the Yllogari were the planes divided up, and a material plane, suitable for mortal life, was created.

Once the material plane was created, the gods began to mould creatures from magic itself, weaving it into every form of creature - from the mightiest of dragons, to the tiniest of insects. They made humans, in their malleable, adaptable forms, and the long-lived elves for their ability to be stewards of the land - almost every lineage can trace its existence back to the very same group of gods that created mortals by their own hands. It is for this reason that every creature on Yllogar is theoretically capable of harnessing magic. Furthermore, most lineages on Yllogar are genetically compatible with one another, leading to a wide variety in diversely expressed characteristics.

Worship and deities are not separated by lineage in Yllogar, although some deities may be more commonly worshipped amongst certain cultures due to their sphere of influence.

## The Codices of Yllogar (Summarised)

Before this planet was named by the grace of the Yllogari, chaos reigned over its surface. Celestials, Fiends, Elementals and Fae all feuded over the land, each wishing to maintain control over it. This stalemate lasted for centuries, or Millennia, although records of that era have not been granted to mortal archives. Countless battles were fought, and eventually, amongst the fighting, two unlikely lovers met - a fiend and a celestial, by the names Taeus and Phyrla, respectively. The two learned the best of the others kind from them, and spent many years in secret affection with each other.

Eventually, Taeus’ fiendish allies discovered his conflict of interests and cast him out from their ranks. Angered that her love had been cast out, Phyrla turned on them, slaughtering many of their number in a celestial rage. Quickly, Taeus began to reason with Phyrla that the best solution was to seal the fiends away into a separate plane. With their combined power, the two formed a new dimension to house the fiends, where they could engage in as much infighting as they wanted to without impacting Yllogar.

The other residents of the planet - the rest of the Celestials, Elementals, Giants and Fae, all understood and accepted the change that Taeus and Phyrla had created in Yllogar’s state. The two were quickly revered as King and Queen, and thus the first Yllogari were crowned. Despite this momentary peace, bickering for the planet resumed, until Phyrla and Taeus began selecting several representatives from each faction to take on roles and divide the labour of ruling Yllogar, as well as the rewards. Many were called, but not all responded, although those that did took their roles in their stride, and became proud Yllogari in their own right.

Once enough roles had been delegated, each faction had its own designated dimension fashioned - with most maintaining a relatively easy passage to visit the material realm at their leisure. Once these spaces had been created, there then came the question of what to do with the planet of Yllogar now that there would be no fighting for space.

The Yllogari decided that they would create mortals - beings that could truly die, and age, and would wither with the passage of time. It saddened them to know that their creations wouldn’t last forever, but they knew that immortality had led to nothing but trouble for them. And so, they set about in their group, creating each group of mortals, each with a different goal. Some were similar to one another, and could be easily placed into groups - the genasi and the elves were one such group.

## The Commandments of the Yllogari

1. You shall not strive towards immortality. Eternal life is not worth the cost it brings
2. You shall protect the planet. Its resources are not infinite, but you have the capacity to sustain yourselves indefinitely.
3. You shall love each other. You will find no greater comfort than in the people you share your planet with.
4. You shall not condemn people for the way they were born.
5. You shall teach your children to question the world, so they too may explore the Yllogari’s creation.

Individual deities may have more specific teachings and rules, but these are the most commonly referenced Commandments given by the pantheon.