Pantheon

The Faith teaches that there are six gods, who live in the realm of Deia. Each god has a corresponding Order, with its own focuses and teachings. Most cities align themselves with one Order in particular, but temples of every Order can be found in every city. Individuals from a city often choose to align themselves and their families with a different Order, although this is uncommon.

*The Lords' Doctrine* is the religious text central to the Faith. It is divided into two sections - *The Mandates*, written prior to the Chaining, and *The Script of the Chains*, written immediately after the Chaining. *The Mandates* contains six chapters - one Mandate for each god, in which the teachings and magic system of the god is detailed. *The Script of the Chains* acts as a unifying text, bringing the teachings of all of the gods together.

## God Magic

God magic is a form of magic that is granted by the gods and available for use by humans.

### Priests

Only a small percentage of humans are capable of using god magic. Most of these humans are susceptible to a single god, and draw magic from this one god. These humans commit their lives to the Faith, becoming priests, and study the magic and teachings of the god to whom they are attuned.

Priests, in general, may be referred to by the colour of their god. For example, 'green priests' refers to priests of Tzvi and Isha, whose colour is green.

The number of priests born to a given god is proportional to the popularity of that god. This is location-specific. For example, in Astor, Stronn is the national patron god; therefore, most priests born in Stronn are silver priests. Esterana, most of whose records have been destroyed by the Faith since her death, has very few priests.

As priests begin to train and develop their powers, they are able to sense the presence magic in others.

In the D&D campaigns, all priests are capable of using a base book of spells common to all gods. This is to keep the world consistent with the game's rules. In the written world, other than their ability to sense other magic users, there are no base powers available to all users of god magic.

### Hexmages

Some individuals who are particularly receptive are capable of drawing magic from all gods, rather than just one. These individuals are called Hexmages. Hexmages are excommunicated from the Faith, and must educate themselves privately in all schools of magic. They are generally seen as ungodly and experience stigma. Being a Hexmage is not against the law, but Hexmages are sentenced to death if they use their magic to harm people. As Hexmages do not live within the regulations of the Faith, their powers are limited only by their own research and dedication.

## Worldchains

There are six colossal chains, called Worldchains, that lead from Elicyn to six different locations across Liertak. These chains may be a dozen metres thick and miles overhead at some points.

## List of Gods

The following list details each god. It lists the god's element and colour, which are also the element and colour of the god's Worldchain. It lists the god's charge, or godly responsibility, and school of magic. It lists where the god's chain ends, as well as a description of how the god is represented. It also details the system of magic available to its priests.

###  Tzvi and Isha (Tzvisha)

**Element:** Jade

**Colour:** Green

**Charge:** Balance

**School of Magic:** Alteration

**Chain End:** Ellion

**Description:** Tzvi and Isha are often depicted as two individuals - twin brother and sister, usually young children, and generally in a forest setting. Tzvisha is the name of the god when depicted as a single individual. Both genders.

**Magic System:** By meditating and focusing their thoughts around a jade statue, green priests are able to balance the emotions and feelings of other beings. This can be done on an individual scale, using small pins or tokens, or on a large scale, using one or more big statues or stakes in the ground.

**Role and Consequences:** Green priests have a number of roles. They can work as mental doctors, curing or alleviating mental illnesses. They can also help animals who are frightened, stressed or otherwise scarred. In battle, green priests are often employed to focus the thoughts of entire units and armies, reducing fear and magnifying courage and passion.

### Lassar

**Element:** Gold

**Colour:** Gold

**Charge:** Desire

**School of Magic:** Illusion

**Chain End:** Dragha

**Description:** Lassar is usually depicted as a female with a great golden headdress and many earrings and necklaces, sitting an enormous mass of wealth. Female. The patron god of Dragha.

**Magic System:** Gold priests often wear ornate golden jewellery, including necklaces and earrings. This allows them to craft different illusions.

**Role and Consequences:** Gold priests, along with blue priests, are involved with defense and security of buildings and kingdom borders. Gold priests are employed in battle, to distract and confuse enemies. They are also essential to many religious festivals and ceremonies, to create impressive imagery for the crowds' benefit.

### Ixis

**Element:** Copper

**Colour:** Red

**Charge:** Mania

**School of Magic:** Destruction

**Chain End:** Howlon

**Description:** Ixis may be depicted as either gender, but generally carries two swords and has red metal wing-shaped protrusions from its back. Ixis is often shown walking over piles of bones, but this may be censored by the authorities of the Faith. Lightning is also a common feature of depictions of Ixis. Either gender.

**Magic System:** These priests can identify weaknesses and insecurities in people's minds, and magnify the intensity of these emotions. This is achieved by having the target wear copper shackles.

**Role and Consequences:** Red priests often work as Inquisitors, extracting information from crime suspects. They may also be responsible for tracking down and capturing the mentally insane and runaway priests, alongside grey priests, and are consequently feared by the general populace.

### Stronn

**Element:** Iron

**Colour:** Grey

**Charge:** Law

**School of Magic:** Restoration

**Chain End:** Astor

**Description:** Stronn is usually depicted as a bulky warrior carrying a huge hammer. Male. The patron god of Astor.

**Magic System:** Priests of Stronn wear iron bracers around their wrists that enhance their strength. These priests often become paladin and fight for the Faith or for the government.

The increase in strength is proportional to a) the size of the bracer and b) the purity of the iron. Over the first few months of use, the bracers melt the skin and fuse to the bone, becoming permanent.

#### The Blight

Over a period of several years, the iron bracers begin to grow warm. As a priest's bracers become hotter and hotter, the priest loses their humanity and become silent but ferocious beasts in a process called The Blight. Priests who have undergone this transformation are called Ironbrutes. Ironbrutes can restore their humanity by releasing their rages in enormous fits of destruction aimed at living beings; however, this cannot take place in any civilized location. Most Ironbrutes travel to the Game Pits of Dragha and participate in the Strength Challenges, where they can kill the criminals who are forced to participate.

The Blight occurs as an 8 - 12 year cycle for each priest.

**Role and Consequences:** Grey priests often fight on the front line of battles, as powerful superhuman soldiers. They may also be tasked with tracking down fugitives, alongside red priests.

### Valeron

**Element:** Bronze

**Colour:** Bronze

**Charge:** Freedom

**School of Magic:** Kineticism

**Chain End:** Lost Continent of Dulz'sha

**Description:** Valeron is usually illustrated as a bare-chested male with a long mane of hair and feathered wings. Valeron may wear a mask or a bandanna around his face. Male.

**Magic System:** Bronze priests wear bronze finger rings. These rings enable the priests to push and pull objects. The magnitude of the force depends on the total size and bronze content of the rings - a hand wearing multiple heavy rings may exert a large force, whereas a single thin ring may exert a small force. The left hand is used to pull, and the right hand is used to push.

**Role and Consequences:** The Bronzeway is a transcontinental railway in Astor, powered entirely by the magic of bronze priests. The train carts and the track have been engineered such that a single, focused push from several bronze priests wearing dozens of heavy rings each can accelerate the cart several miles. Priest stations are located at a number of points along the tracks, providing a constant acceleration. Bronze priests are also involved with construction and mining.

### Parradon

**Element:** Cobalt

**Colour:** Blue

**Charge:** Guardianship

**School of Magic:** Conjuration

**Chain End:** Fallen Dwarven manor

**Description:** Parradon is generally shown in a bulky sword of armor, holding a great-sword, in a defensive or passive stance. Some artists depict Parradon as resembling a stone statue. Male.

**Magic System:** Each blue priest carries a cobalt-imbued staff unique to that priest, and crafted as part of that priest's initiation into the Faith. Each staff, when active, creates a magic shield. The size and shape of the shield differs between staves; one staff may create a tall wall that can protect multiple people at once, whereas a different staff may create a blade-shaped staff that can deflect sword strikes.

**Role and Consequences:** A blue priest's role depends on their cobalt staff. A priest with a sword-based staff may work in security or as a bodyguard, while a priest with a shield-based staff may work defending squads of soldiers in combat.