The Gods

The Seven Gods, worshipped primarily by Northerners, are the main pantheon of divine entities around which the Tales of Old are written. There are four pure beings, and three impure, dubbed The Forsaken Three. Each God is worshipped for a unique reason, and they are based either on human forms, or animals. First appearing in the early texts of Mæro, the Seven Gods are revered by some, and disregarded as falsifications by others. They never appear in The Plight of Steel series, except in dialogue or reference.

## The Gods

### Lord Vurasil

Lord Vurasil ***(Ver-a-sil)*** is the god of war and honor. He appears in illustrations as a gilded knight bearing a longsword. The people of Riverfall incite him during coronations of a monarch, and the River Vurasil in that country is named after him. When one desires to win a battle, they pray to Vurasil to favor them in place of their enemy.

During the coronation of Cassara Vendyros in The Plight of Steel, the priest blesses her with colored water. The blue represents Lord Vurasil and his holy river. Though he is worshipped by other peoples, the religious among the Dragons of Deyeron claim him as their own patron god.

### The Lion

The Lion is the god of bravery. He is often illustrated as a snow lion from God's Reach, arrayed in pale and gold armor. He is most often worshipped by the people of Windspeak, especially the royal family of Starmane, as the snow lion is their sigil. They commonly bless those they respect with a phrase: *"may the lion give you strength".*

King Archeon Starmane commonly references this god, primarily before times of strife and hardship. Unlike his ancestor Amandyl, who was strictly irreligious, Archeon was a devout King, but only to his patron god.

### The Kingfisher

Worshipped devoutly by the House Valinor, the Kingfisher is the god of justice and judgement. It was said that Arlin Valinor, the first human created by The One, saved a kingfisher with a broken leg. As a reward for his kindness, his family was blessed by The Kingfisher in heaven. Along with their main watchword *Lyei en esthayea*, the Valinors bless those they respect by uttering: *"may the Kingfisher give you his wings and his talons".*

The Ceremony of the Silencing, done as a form of public execution during the reign of the Valinors in Velerin, entailed drowning prisoners in large vats of rotten grain. It was believed that this process placed the accused before the Kingfisher in heaven, where he would judge them. Those who passed his judgement were allowed to live, and those who did not, had their lungs filled to suffocation.

Kingfisher Talismans, carried by the Valinors, were small, wooden kingfishers carved by merchants and priests. They were meant to protect the carrier, and to summon blessings from the Great Kingfisher .

### The Ram

The Ram is the god of strength, primarily worshipped by the people of Nightfall. This god is lesser known, or at least, lesser worshipped, as there are few religious in Nightfall. Alistair Wildlight, the King, is among those who see the divine as false and dangerous.

Worship in other, smaller places is what keeps this god from fading out of knowledge. He wavers on the border between purity and corruption in the view of some priests and holy men. Some think of him as part of the Forsaken, while others view him as the forth pure divine being.

### The Seer

The Seer is heavily worshipped by the people of Yvaereth. He is one of the Forsaken Three, and the god of knowledge. Knowing more than is allowed by your superiors is seen in many parts of The Known World as irresponsible and dangerous, especially among the religious, who believe priests are the only ones allowed to know a great deal. That is what makes him one of the Forsaken.

Those in Yvaereth hardly see him as forsaken, and worship him alone. To them, knowledge is important, and a great weapon against your enemies. Blood Priests are said to possess the ability to speak to The Seer, and so are revered by the people of Yvaereth.

When Cassara Vendyros is captured by Duncan Wysteria in The Plight of Steel, there are common references to this god made by Duncan and those around him. The Yzerren were forced to worship The Seer by the early Wysterias, and now do so without question.

### Varthorath the Iniquitous

The god of death and pain. Varthorath is half-man, half-dragon. He is rarely worshipped by any, and is commonly hated by all. He is said to reach down with his hand to sweep up the dead off their earthly plane, ferrying them away into the void once their time comes.

Those in the duchy of Northcrag use imagery of Varthorath in their architecture and armor. They believe that the mere image of him is enough to win them battles, for he will be present and ready to capture the dead among their enemies, ensuring their certain demise. Though he is half-dragon, he is not worshipped by House Vendyros or the people of Riverfall.

He is not mentioned often in The Plight of Steel, as the people of The Known World try their best to forget his existence. He is Lord of the Unknown Void, and carries a heavy, wicked presence.

### The One

Leader of the Forsaken Three and the god of life and corruption. He was the one who created flora, fauna, and eventually humanity - an action that led to his banishment. Upon his armor are melded the tortured faces of human corpses as a reminder of what he'd done, gifted to him by Varthorath the Iniquitous before his banishment.

He is the creator of The Specter King, and is Lord of the Depths, a devil in the eyes of many devout. Some see him as honorable, as he created mankind, though most see him as wicked for his creation of The Black King - an entity meant to slaughter all humanity.

Though he is part of the Seven Gods, he is an outcast, and is worshipped by none at all. Those who try to worship him in any way are often found and killed.