Gods

The world of Amaranthine was created by Nine gods. The Nine form the pantheon of Amaranthians, and are actively worshipped in daily life. The Gods are silent, mysterious and ever-present.

There is a tenth god, The One, whose status as a god is up for debate. They are considered a mythological figure, and are not worshipped. It is believed that if The One ever truly existed, she left the world upon completing her creation.

## Spheres

Each god is associated with a specific primary sphere that is unique to them, and reflects their influence upon the world. This primary sphere is what the god is mostly known and worshipped for, and includes well-recognized and accepted parts of their character.

However, each god also has a secondary sphere of influence - those parts of them that are either derived from or related to their primary sphere. They are not necessarily any less important than their primary sphere, but represent less of the “true character” of the god. Some components of secondary spheres, especially for the Soul, are not necessarily recognized as a part of the god in mainstream theology. These are often elements that are considered controversial or dark.

## The Nine

The Nine are the creators of Amaranthine, and form the actively worshipped pantheon. They are further divided into the Bones and the Soul.

The Bones represent primal, natural forces that affect all life. Their spheres mainly consist of concepts that would exist even if no sapient life existed at all. They existed first, and consist of two pairs of twins. Without them, there could be no Soul. However, with their existence, the Soul permanently transformed their older siblings - and now, one can not exist without the other. The Soul represents concepts and emotions unique to sapient creatures, and form the cornerstones of Amaranthian life.

The Soul are considered to be closer to and more invested in the mortals, while the Bones are seen as forces whose actions are not easily swayed by mortal prayer - but who should still not be angered.

### The Bones

* Maris, god of death and water, the Shepherd of Souls.
* Daire, god of natural order and bountiful earth, the Giver of Life.
* Tesni, god of sun and light, the Firestarter.
* Nima, god of moon and night, the Timekeeper.

### The Soul

* Kosmas, god of order and knowledge, the Scholar.
* Ricmod, god of justice and honor, the Arbiter.
* Carys, god of love and magic, the Muse.
* Fianna, god of war and diplomacy, the Politician.
* Lykke, god of fortune and crime, the Shadow.

## Faith & Patron Gods

Most in Amaranthine are at least somewhat religious; complete atheism is rare, but not unheard of. Agnostics are more common, especially among the middle classes. Rural populations tend to be more sincerely religious than urban folks, while nobility are expected to be at least outwardly religious to show good example.

While religiousness as a whole is common and expected, equally respecting and worshipping the entirety of The Nine is very unusual. Most mortals will choose one or two gods above the others - often in alignment with their profession, social class, ambitions or family tradition.

It is also common to temporarily show more fealty to a god when it might benefit one’s situation: pregnant souls often turn to Daire for his association with childbirth and fertility, and Lykke is often invoked before engaging in any sort of business transaction.  This is commonly done even by those who are not actively religious, as many of the short rites are deeply intertwined with mundane, daily actions.

## The Nature of Gods

The gods are eternal, immortal beings. They exist independently of mortals, having existed before sapient life. They are believed to be all-seeing, but not all-knowing, as each of them is assigned with a specific sphere of influence. It can be assumed that they are aware of anything happening in their sphere, but often they choose to not intervene.

The gods have no gender, and no physical bodies. Any gender, symbology and typical artistic rendering are mortal interpretations based on their limited knowledge and understanding. Similarly, any moral or personality alignment assigned to gods comes from the mortals - gods are beyond mortal good and evil.

Gods rarely, if ever, directly commune with mortals. Even when they choose to do so, it is not by speaking, but by dreams, omens, signs and miracles. This has in no way stopped mortals from imagining what the gods might be like, and assigning them legends and stories.

The lore provided of the gods is accurate to the mortal knowledge.