Astrios

A portrait of Astrios

Astrios is a deity belonging to the Imperial Pantheon of Gods. She is known as both the Goddess of Space and the Mother of the Gods, meaning that she (alongside Kovus, the God of Time) created all the other gods within the Imperial Pantheon. Whereas Kovus is seen as distant and cold, Astrios is the opposite. She is compassionate and caring, nurturing all of creation within Magnula and even the worlds beyond.

Astrios is considered one of the two divine fundamentals - alongside time. This means that, for good or for ill, Astrios will have an influence on all actions, both divine and mortal. Indeed, it is said that all of creation exists either within or around Astrios and it is her compassion and love that allows all things to exist at all - from the mightiest god to the tiniest pebble. For this reason, she is deeply respected by all the other members of the Imperial Pantheon as well as many living Imperials today.

## **Symbology**

As the Goddess of Space, Astrios is most commonly associated with celestial bodies and astral symbols. Planets are the most common of these, probably to avoid overlap with other members of the Imperial Pantheon. Various tools of astronomy, such as telescopes and orreries are also common symbols. However, realistically, anything can be associated with Astrios for everything exists within her space - and so all things are intrinsically linked to her.

### **Personality**

Astrios is seen as a compassionate and loving being. She cares for all that exist within her space - which is everything and anything in the known world. She tends to avoid direct interference in mortal affairs but not out of a sense of uncaring or disregard, rather Astrios refuses to involve herself in a situation that might see one of her creations diminish or harm another.

In comparison to Kovus, who is seen as uncaring and distant by the other gods, Astrios is deeply respected. She is seen as trustworthy and responsible, present but not overbearing. However, she expects that all her children show a similar respect to creation as she does - which is, of course, unrealistic. This has allegedly lead to more than a couple of disagreements between members of the Imperial Pantheon.

### **Astrios' Realm, The Cosmos**

Astrios' realm is known as The Cosmos and is almost certainly the largest divine realm out of any of the gods within the Imperial Pantheon. It is a place of endless stars, planets and nebulas, much like Magnula's regular space. Astrios exists across all of this space, cradling and watching over everything within it.

It is believed by Astrios' followers that all of creation actually exists within The Cosmos and that we, in a way, already exist within this domain. However, since it sits in a level of reality above what mortal minds can comprehend, we are unable to see and interact with it. Naturally, this has been the subject of much speculation and debate by religious scholars.

## **Cult and Worship**

Worship of Astrios is actually more complex than it might first appear. The Cult of Astrios is a popular one amongst the common populace of the Empire of Man, but shockingly has significantly fewer members than other cults of similar popularity. A lack of Astrios priests and acolytes is likely the result of the kind of lifestyle that dedication to the Goddess of Space necessitates. To live as a member of the Cult of Astrios is to worship the universe itself to the exclusion of all else. Members must be purely pacifist and unwaveringly selfless. They must assume that goodness is present in all things. The Cult of Astrios also does not collect tithes and all their services are offered for free. Naturally, these traits make the cult an easy target for exploitation and, thus, not particularly desirable for aspiring acolytes.

Regardless of the number of priests, the Cult of Astrios is a popular cult within the Empire of Man - both directly and indirectly. Conventionally speaking, many Imperial citizens worship Astrios as the 'Mother Goddess' - the deity that created both their existence and the existence of all the other gods. This links to indirect worship of Astrios, in fact, for she is the one who (alongside Kovus) created all the other Imperial deities. Thus, theologists claim that worshipping any of the Imperial gods is, equally, indirect worship of Astrios - their creator.

## **Trivia**

* Astrios' name comes from Astraea, the ancient Greek goddess of justice, innocence, purity and precision. But, generally speaking, she is more inspired by the concept of the 'mother goddess / mother earth' that exists in many cultures. In this case, however, it is applied on a cosmic, universal level.