Gods of Toivoa

This page is dedicated to the pantheon of Toivoa

## Gods of Abundance

There are two Gods responsible for nature in the world of Toivoa, the Twin Gods Emesh and Enten. They are jointly responsible for woods, fields, stables, livestock, and the abundance of Toivoa.

### Emesh

Emesh is responsible for the summer in Toivoa. He labors to produce fruits on the vines and tree, bring vibrancy to the colors of flowers, gives birds their songs to sing and other uniquely summer effects. Emesh also protects the natural movement of the season from those who would divert that process. While he is laboring, his brother Enten rests.

### Enten

Enten responsibilities come to fruition during the long winter months. Enten supervises the safety of the resting animals and plants during the long freeze, ensuring a safe return after the winter. It is said you can feel Enten's presence in the stiff northern breeze on your face, hear his voice in the silence of a snow-covered field, and feel his love around the warmth of a campfire. While toiling during the winter hours, his brother Emesh rests.

### Joint Seasons

During the spring and fall, they two brothers work in tandem to rotate the seasons. During the spring they work together to bring in new growth and newborns into the world. In the fall they help paint the world with new colors in celebration and preparation for a new year.

### Appearance

Both Emesh and Enten appear as young, tanned, and muscular men. They are often portrayed as carrying farm implements and simple, homespun breeches and vests.

## Gods of Nature

There are three gods of nature in the Toivoan pantheon, Fufluns, Hana, and Lingle. Each one represents a different aspect of nature. The trifecta of the gods of nature can be used to explained most natural events that happen across the lands of Toivoa.

### Fufluns

Appearing either as a young boy with a cherubic smile or as an old man with long flowing beard of the softest hair, Fufluns is the aspect that is the peaceful, pleasurable, playful and all-around nice part of nature. When you see those squirrels at play or hear the peaceful babbling of a brook, it is Fufluns that you should give thanks to. Just as there is always a smile on his joyful face, he is the aspect of nature that brings smiles to those who travel across Toivoa.

### Hana

All that is beautiful and elegant is nature is under the purview of Hana. She brings balance to nature, and just like nature itself, that balance is ever shifting just like Hana's moods themselves. Whether she is soft and gentle like the mist rising out of a valley or angry and volatile like a volcano she is ever beautiful. Her presence can be seen and felt in all of the magnificence that is found in nature. The cascade of a waterfall. The slow curve of a riverbend. The wind whispering in the sails of a galleon. Hana is depicted as a beautiful woman adorned in a dress of flowers that slowly descends like a prismatic waterfall until it ends in a gentle mist.

### Lingle

The tall and proud Lingle towers over his domain of nature. He is the ferocity of nature. Often feared because of his power and retribution, he is responsible for the guile of the predators that roam Toivoa, the terrifying lighting that touches the earth, and the tough rock and hard metals in the earth itself. Lingle is often depicted as the wrath of nature itself, often looked to by the other gods for his viciousness when nature is offended. Under dark, ominous eyes a bare chest bristles with blades and his visage has caused many a mortal to quiver in fear.

### The Triangle

Many natural wonders and disasters of nature across Toivoa can be attributed to these three's love triangle. Both Fufluns and Lingle vie for the favor of the beautiful Hana and their friendly rivalry causes all kinds of occurrences on the surface of Toivoa. A beautifully sunny day could be a the result of Fufluns and Hana walking hand-in-hand or a fierce storm could be a passionate night between Hana and Lingle. Even the dance between predator and prey could be the work of Fufluns' and Lingle's flirting.

### Seshia

Seshia is the Mother Goddess of Nature, and the mother of Fufluns, Hana, and Lingle. Very few have heard of her and those who have know little of her.

## Gods of Sun and Moon

The dancers Onwa and Usil are responsible for change in Toivoa, allowing one dance to move unto the next. Without the others presence the world would stagnate and exist in a world of perpetual sameness.

### Usil

The god of the Sun. Usil is the unchanging sun. Persistent. Steadfast. Neutral. Usil is the powerhouse of the Toivoan Pantheon.

### Onwa

The god of the Moon. Onwa is Usil's loyal companion, but the opposite. They are responsible for change across Toivoa. Onwa is identified as sexually transient, as the phases of the moon changes, so does Onwa's identity.

1. New moon - Onwa is androgynous
2. Waxing moon - Onwa is male
3. Full moon - Onwa is hermaphroditic
4. Waning moon - Onwa is female

### The Dance

Because of the diametric relationship of Usil and Onwa a beautiful dance exists between the two. They sway and flow throughout all of eternity, constantly changing lead and follow and causing days to change, months to pass, years to move, and eons to exist.

## God of Death

Imkael reigns as the god of death in Toivoa. Imkael's name is often often cursed by those who misunderstand their intentions, but they are neither good or evil, they just are. Imkael's demeanor is patient, long-suffering, and calculating. Should they be driven to direct action, it is swift, decisive, and complete. They are rumored to have a sense of humor, but without facial features, they are hard to read.

### Domain of Death

Imkael's domain is death itself. They abhor undeath as unnatural, heretical, and necromancers as blasphemous. That said, Imkael does keep a limited number of Revenants, which are living embodiments of once-dead souls. These Revenants are fully alive, and infused with divine power of Imkael. Rather than necrotic devastation, they employ the power of both shadows and light to fulfill their master's goals.

### Appearance

Portrayed as a slender, androgynous bald human nearing 2 meters tall, their face is featureless except for two piecing purple eyes. Their holy symbol is that of a gloss white, full faced, featureless porcelain mask with almond-shaped eyeholes. In vision, the face takes on various traits, shapes, and colors as embellishments, depending on the emotion of Imkael.

### Worshipers of Imkael

Worshipers are typically buried with a thin porcelain death mask, either clasped across the chest, or worn on the face. These masks are typically decorated with the accomplishments, virtues, and as much story as possible about the deceased's life. It is common for these masks to be very elaborate, and filled with minute details. The craftsmen who work on these masks are know as Threadpainters, both for their association with the threads of life, as much as to their skill in being able to paint fine details.

## God of Undeath

Orkus is the evil tyrant god of undeath. He rules his section of the hells with an iron grip. Hordes and hordes of undead of all forms form his enslaved ranks preventing access to him. Orkus is patient, to a point, then bursts forth with reckless abandon to smash any foe of interloper. He typically chooses to act, rather than observe, but does understand prudence when necessary. His holy symbol is a skull, wreathed in thirteen flames. These holy symbols can vary in color and skull shape, based on the various sects of the religion.

### Appearance

Portrayed as a massive blood-red monstrosity with wings and horns. Orkus stands 20 feet tall, with wings that span 120 feet wide. He carries a magical artifact known as the "Wand of Orkus", which appears as a skull with spine attached, glowing green, and infused with necromantic powers.

## God of Battle

Supuru is the honorable god of battle in Toivoa. He strives for perfection in all aspects, especially in the martial fields. A famous teaching attributed to him is,

> *"Just as the blade did not start as a blade, nor do you. From stone to club, club to hammer, hammer to spear, spear to blade, so will you evolve through the attrition of combat. For combat cares not for your wants..."*
>
>

As achieving perfection is something to constantly be worked on, it is common for worshippers to wear very rough round stone balls that over time, through wear and tear, become more and more smooth. A worshipper of Supuru traditionally salutes, and honors another person by casting down their weapons to the ground, and raising their right hand over their heads in a clenched fist, and their left hand outward, open-palm upwards towards the recipient of the honor.

### Appearance

Supuru is depicted as a massively muscular man with a brazenly bare chest. Wearing nothing but a loincloth his is covered in a myriad of markings. The markings are hard to identify and scholars debate back and forth. The common conclusion is scars worn proudly earned in combat. Others assert that they are ritual tattoos or just dirt and grime from a hard days work.

## Gods of Man

Between the Land and the Sky, there is "Man." Man is inclusive of anything that lives and moves on the surface of Toivoa, be they beasts or humanoids. There are three gods whose respective domains describe this aspect of Toivoa.

### Zayu

God of the air. Their domains include Truth, Service, Loyalty, and Honor. They are depicted as a cloud, or a swirl of wind. They are viewed as being reliably present; there is always air to breath, and when deprived of everything else, Truth, Honor, and Loyalty will always remain.

### Erat

God of the land. Their domains include Family, Communities, Clans, and Tribes. They are depicted as a grass-green sphere. They are viewed as the place that supports life. Erat gives us the place for groups of people to eat together, travel together, and meet others.

### Eziok

Eziok is the father of both Zayu and Erat. His domains include Creation, Creativity. Invention, and Inspiration. With Zayu providing the stability and trust for Man to collaborate; Erat providing the place for civilizations to grow; Eziok supports those great deeds and works that are accomplished by groups. Especially creations that span across generations or diverse communities.

## Gods of Fate

The fates are divided between 4 sisters. They are depicted as four woman. Their holy symbol is that of three interlocking rings, with a fourth ring encircling them.

### Malite

The goddess of beginnings. She is worshipped as the one who controls birth, initiations, and the start of all things. When a woman turns for guidance for fertility Malite is called upon. When a new merchant opens shop and prays to be successful, its Malite's name that he speaks. She is depicted as youngest sister.

### Buru

The goddess of the present. She is worshipped as the present, the here and now, and the status quo. Buru is the goddess for those that want to live in the moment and don't want the world they live in to change. She is very popular among performers, mummers, actors and others in the arts. She is depicted as a woman in her prime.

### Nodinihu

The goddess of the future. She is worshipped as the endings and finalities. Often called upon only in the worst of times, like during the passing of a loved one or for a mortally wounded soldier dying upon the bloody field. Nodinihu is also the personal friend of the god of death, Imkael. She is depicted as an old woman.

### Odighi

The goddess the potential. She is the unrealized potential, things that never were, or things that might yet be. While astoundingly powerful, she is seldom called upon at all. Sometimes called the Unseen Servant or Sister. She is depicted as a faceless woman, usually in a pose gazing out towards the horizon.

## The Trickster God

Myani is the goddess of trickery, luck, and games in Toivoa.  She is an extremely jovial and fun loving god that is very often directly involved in the lives of the people of Toivoa.  Myani often manifests in person to people that travel across the land of Toivoa.  Because of this, she is also praised as a goddess of travel by many of the populace of Toivoa.  Her symbol is that of a red bean with a single white pip on it.

### Role as a Deity

Myani moves the wheels of chance for the people of Toivoa.  It is not understood why and she involves herself in the lives of the people, but when she does intervene it almost always causes major changes.  Myani’s love for the people is incredibly strong and she visits very often.  She appears almost exclusively as playful animals along the roadside, her favorite animal being the red panda.  She’s known to follow caravans, sneak into campfires at night, and to be a companion to lonely travelers.  She uses 5 red beans with white pips to help decide chance.  The 5 beans represent her 5 believed outcomes:

* Success - 1 Pip showing
* Failure - 2 Pips Showing
* Successful Failure -3 Pips Showing
* Failed Success - 4 Pips showing
* Unsettled - 5 Pips

### Followers

Myani’s followers tend to be gamblers and gamemasters.  Many casinos and halls of chance are built to praise her.  Many bards and performers are known to speak her praise as well.  No matter why they choose to follow Myani, they all know that she is a fickle goddess and that, just like the goddess herself, you may not get what you expected.  Travelers also reach out to her to give them luck on their travels.  It is said to be good luck to have animals follow you when you are traveling because then you may be in the presence of Mya the trickster goddess herself.  You can spot a worshiper of Myani by the strings of red beans that can be seen hanging around necks, wrapped around the tops of wagons, or through the plethora of tattoos dedicated to her.

### Appearance

Myani hardly ever actually appears as a humanoid, preferring the playful nature of animals, with the red panda being her favorite.  She is also known to embody the likeness of dogs, raccoons, large colorful birds, and other spirited animals.  According to ancient text and writing, her human appearance is that of a large, full-figured woman.  Her round, freckled face and thick arms and legs would fit in at any rural tavern and her laugh can be heard from towns away.

## The Blood Goddess

Mosaba, the goddess of blood and revenge. Once a 'good' goddess, her blood was used for life and the culmination of living things. Perfection and beauty twisted her into what she is now, a powerful being of revenge and gatherer of blood. The blood mages of Shau revere her as the creator of blood magic, and while blood magic is performed across the world it's considered blasphemy and evil to most.

Rumor has it that the blood goddess is looking for a new vessel to carry her Voice as the last one failed her.