Deity

The **gods** (*masculine*, *neuter*) and **giddens** (*feminine*), also poetically called **wielders** by Men and ***pecuetii*** ("givers") by elves, are the deities which rule over Armenground and its enveloping cosmos. They are the product of the shattering of the crystallized divinity that permeated the empty universe—a simultaneously roaring and still river of raw, celestial thought sundered into several roughly even parts at the will of a higher, incomprehensible entity in the depths of primeval time.

Twelve of the god-shards tended toward the notion of harmonious existence and creation; three, led by Paithar, tended to destruction and mischief, and two, Arkenwen and Selthwen, roamed pathless. The Twelve, as the former are known, have reasoned that the purpose of their existence—owing to their natural instinct for harmony—is the purpose of keeping the forces of chaos at bay. The ultimate, unknown higher entity—termed Owil, the eternal intention—has thus been characterized as a great tester, silently watching the heights of heroism and depths of cruelty as spirits wage war for the sake of harmonious beauty.

“*Long before the named stars had been set to twinkle in Armenground’s sky, the Twelve were caretakers of an infant cosmos still untamed and whirling with potential. Past eons witnessed shadows dance in the raw fires of creation. These were the God-Foes, ancient beings with forms undefined, elements of discord—divinities embodying destruction, pandemonium, and cruel, cold entropy leading to absolute ruin. Solar winds ushering ruin across the cosmic domains, the God-Foes reveled in their chaotic spirals, souring rivers that ought to have run sweet, withering blossoms aloft afore ordained springs, and strewing stars askance, forcing them to fail and fall prematurely from hidden heavens. Maelstroms clove lands asunder whilst sylvan sanctuaries languished.*”
―*Thence*, an account of the early universe by a second-century monk
Finding matter to be fitting vessels for this divine struggle, the gods cast their powers into shaping a mighty continent—*Armenground*, or great earth—through which the forces of good and evil could contest in mortal form. Each took on individualized powers to enhance their role in the conflict, and often conduct their affairs in physical, anthropomorphic forms. While they exercise some limited influence over the mortal world and have created offspring which can do nearly the same, animating matter came at the cost of such divinity that much of the struggle against chaos now rests largely in the hands of earthly beings, into which the struggle has been channeled.

The gods are so preoccupied with their celestial struggle and the strenuous effort to keep all in balance that there exists doubt in certain populations as to their existence. Though they have revealed themselves to mankind—occasionally directly, as in the case of Bilvendol—they do so with such rarity that those who have heard from the gods are treated somewhat seriously but are liable to be dismissed as insane among committed skeptics. Religion usually revolves around appealing to one or multiple gods depending on one's circumstances and personal inclinations, or to devoting one's inner divinity to the creation of harmony. To distinguish extant gods from past ones, the existing deities are sometimes called the **Gods That Be**.

## The Twelve

* **Bleewen**, gidden of light and color, bringer of fire and harmonious beauty
	+ Gawil, god of shadow, created to keep watch over darkness after the death of Stornelwen
	+ Stornelwen †, twin god of the silver sun, cloven by his mother for treachery
		- Stendew, god of the moon, bearer of the shame of Stornelwen
		- Stornawil, gidden of the near stars
		- Strangil, god of the far stars
	+ Velwen, twin gidden of the golden sun and master of sunbeams
* **Blondorim**, god of the mountains, sentinel of constitution and perseverance
	+ Tirawen, gidden of winter, setter of bitter cold and tester of resolve
* **Caulrim**, god of the waters, calmer of the seas and guide to sailors
	+ Sholnim, god of beaches, sentinel of the land against the tempest
* **Cland**, god of craftsmanship, inspirer of mortal invention against evil
	+ Grald, gidden of iron, shield-maiden and keeper of the forge
* **Feldenna**, gidden of health, vanguard of life and vanquisher of disease
	+ Grimmil, god of death, guide of souls to reunion with divinity
	+ Stiliwin, gidden of rest and repose, fountain of meditation
	+ Solm, god of breath, the junction of creature and sky
* **Gluthrim**, god of the thundering sky, bringer of harsh weather to harden the soul and wash away filth
	+ Istwin, gidden of rain and blesser of the earth in mild water
* **Hallowil**, genderless god of thought, strategist of the Twelve and weaver of the brain
	+ Bilvendol, god of prophecies, only true seer of the mind of Hallowil and teller of its thoughts
	+ Canael, god of speech, inventor of spoken and written language
		- Satwel, gidden of song (*fathered with Selvenna*)
	+ Clenwel, gidden of civilized mortality, guardian of the order that redeems mortals
* **Hardol**, god of war and martial prowess, giver of bravery, courage and gall
	+ Felwilven, gidden of the hunt, the mother of she-wolves
	+ Shoakil, god of blades, sharpener of metal and patron of swordsmiths
* **Naoth**, god of trust, companionship, and camaraderie
	+ Nendith, gidden of love, romance and appreciation of beauty

### Three Siblings of the Earth

Three divinities into whose hands general stewardship of the natural world has been entrusted.

* **Gew**, gidden of glades, giver of gladness and the peace of the meadow
	+ Handew, god of honey, patron of sweet things
	+ Herva, gidden of the grasses, weaver of the brush
	+ Selvenna, gidden of spring, opener of blossoms
		- Satwel, gidden of song (*mothered with Canael*)
* **Grawmil**, god of agriculture and the healthy harvest, patron of food and drink
	+ Simbelwin, god of revelry, patron of harvest festivals
* **Tosnawil**, gidden of trees and mother of ents
	+ Anthew, god of holly trees, bringer of tree-shade

## God-Foes

* **Olsevor**, god of fury, brewer of the tempestuous maelstrom
	+ Felseva, gidden of savagery and untamed animals
* **Paithar**, god of destruction, shatterer of suns and bringer of blight
	+ Coathwil, gidden of poison and disease, bane against health
* **Vendra**, gidden of corruption, mother of greed and thief of virtue
	+ Vensith, god of fear and desperation, patron of lichwielders