The Elder Gods

In the realm of Eldoria, the lore speaks of the Eight Elder Gods, ancient and immensely powerful beings who are said to have played pivotal roles in shaping the world and its inhabitants. Each Elder God represents a fundamental aspect of existence, embodying various elements, virtues, or forces within the realm. Though their stories vary across cultures and legends, most races tend to agree on the core aspects of the Gods themselves.

## The Eight

### Aurelius, the Celestial Artisan

Revered as the god of creation, Aurelius is associated with craftsmanship, creation, and innovation. He is said to have shaped the fabric of reality itself, sculpting the landscapes and laying the foundations for life across Eldoria.

### Lysandra, the Eternal Weaver

Lysandra is the goddess of fate and destiny, weaving the threads of time that bind every creature's life. She governs the flow of destiny, shaping the fates of individuals and civilizations. She is sought after for guidance and foresight, offering glimpses into the future and unraveling the mysteries of the past.

### Thalgrim, the Primordial Guardian

Thalgrim is the keeper and creator of the primordial elements, revered as the guardian of the natural energy that flows throughout Eldoria, giving it life and fuelling the magic that resides there. He commands the primal forces of earth, fire, water, and air, and maintains the balance between his two sons, the god of creation (Aurelius) and the god of destruction (Senthilkumar).

### Ilyria, the Scholar

Known as the goddess of knowledge and inspiration, Ilyria holds the wisdom of the cosmos. She is responsible for blessing Eldorians with divine inspiration, planting ideas of grand designs within their dreams and knowledge of constructing them in their minds.

### Varian, Champion of Righteousness

Varian is the god of courage, valour, and protection. He stands as a beacon of bravery, safeguarding the weak and championing justice across Eldoria's realms. He was originally a mortal warrior, known throughout the lands for his prowess in battle and courage defending those who cannot defend themselves. He sacrificed himself against overwhelming odds for this purpose, and thus was ascended to Godhood for his valiant acts.

### Sylphira, the Songstress

Sylphira is the muse of art, music, and hope. Her ethereal melodies are said to echo through the lands, inspiring creativity and bringing harmony to the hearts of all who hear her song.

### Zephyrion, the Wanderer

Zephyrion embodies freedom and exploration. He governs travel, adventure, and the boundless spirit that drives beings to explore new horizons and seek the unknown.

### Senthilkumar, the Fallen

Senthilkumar, God of Destruction, is associated with darkness, secrets, deceit, and the unknown. His motives and grand plans for the most part remain veiled in secrecy, and many tales warn of the dangers lurking within his realm of shadows.

*Legends speak of how these Elder Gods once walked among mortals, shaping civilizations and leaving behind relics and divine artifacts imbued with their powers. Some stories tell of their conflicts and alliances, influencing the course of Eldoria's history. Despite their influence waning as time has passed, their legacies endure in the tales, myths, and beliefs of the races inhabiting the realm of Eldoria.*

## Creation

In the beginning, Eldoria was a formless expanse, a swirling chaos of elemental energies coalescing within the cosmic ether. It was a canvas waiting to be shaped, a symphony of primordial forces yearning for form and purpose. Legend whispers that the original 5 Elder Gods—Aurelius, Lysandra, Thalgrim, Sylphira, and Senthilkumar—congregated amidst the unformed void. Together, they summoned the essence of the Cosmic Forge, a celestial crucible of boundless potential. This forge, a convergence of raw elemental energies and divine will, glimmered with the promise of great creations.

With the Cosmic Forge at their command, the Elder Gods embarked on an extraordinary endeavour. Thalgrim, the Primordial Guardian, brought forth the elemental essences from the forge—earth, fire, water, and air—infusing the cosmos with the foundation of natural forces. With each fiery roar of the Cosmic Forge, the elements intermingled, birthing the very essence that would sustain life across Eldoria's diverse landscapes. These elements were a part of him, just as he is a part of all matter in the universe as the original God. Once he had used this power alongside the cosmic forge to provide a canvas for creation, he called back the elements unto himself, and shaped them into divine beasts to be sent forth throughout the land, Thalgrim was connected to each of these beasts, as they were each a part of him though acted of their own free will when they were not within his body. A Salamander to bring forth water, a flaming fox to bring forth fire, an airborne Jellyfish to breathe the wind currents into the atmosphere, and lastly, a great bison covered in the foliage of the earth whose step upon the soil sprung forth plants and animals of every ecosystem.

Aurelius saw the beauty of these elements which his father (Thalgrim) had provided, and in him was rooted the inspiration to create vectors for them. Onto this canvas, he sculpted the celestial bodies, forged the continents, and created the physical constructs that would become the first species to walk into the newborn world of Eldoria. His deft hands crafted mountains, carved rivers, and seeded the realms with myriad forms of life. He touched the western lands and from beneath his fingertip sprung three majestic trees. The trees towered above the landscape, their colossal trunks stretching hundreds of feet into the heavens. Its bark, adorned with intricate patterns resembling ancient runes, shimmered with an iridescent sheen that shifted in hue. From ethereal silver to deep emerald, all those to set eyes on it from that day forth would never again see such natural beauty. The tree's branches, lush and expansive, formed a canopy that blankets the sky, creating a verdant dome of foliage. This was the first time Elder Trees graced Eldoria.

While Aurelius shaped the physical realm, Lysandra the Eternal Weaver worked in tandem with her husband, spinning the threads of destiny within the cosmic fabric. Her divine loom wove intricate destinies, binding the lives of all beings to the tapestry of time. It is said that she alone sees past, present, and future, all laid out in her grand tapestry. Each loop of thread represents one single individual as they knot and weave their way through life.

The last thing the Eldorians required was bestowed by Sylphira, the Eternal Songstress. Eldoria had been created in all its physical glory, and all that was left to do was instill the physical constructs made by Aurelius with the ability to think, ponder, and feel, for without these they would be nothing but mere statues of flesh and blood. Sylphira gazed down upon Eldoria and began to sing. Her song felt endless, though it was by no means unpleasant. As her voice rang out through the once-empty void, she infused the land with beauty and creativity, her celestial melodies resonating throughout the realm, inspiring artistry and harmony in all who lived there.

However, not all was at peace within the winding cogs of creation, as Senthilkumar had grown envious of his brothers' creations. Senthilkumar and Aurelius were two sides of the same coin, whilst Aurelius embodied the joy of creation and light, his brother had only ever known the cold embrace of darkness. Senthilkumar sought to corrupt his brothers creations, to show their flaws and prove that they were not as perfect as he and his father believed them to be. He knew how deeply Aurelius cared for his creations, he knew that seeing them suffer and fight amongst themselves would break his heart. Within the Cosmic Forge he had seeded a piece of himself, a raw black voidheart which manifested itself in the darkest corners of Eldoria as abyssal horrors and malevolent monstrosities. Thanks to him, Eldorians were flawed with all the negative traits that Aurelius had tried to omit. The Eldorians had the ability to create, yes, but now they also had the ability to devastate, to destroy the lands around them as well as each other...

## The Celestial Triad

As time passed and the races of Eldoria graduated from their infancy, the last 3 of the 8 Elder Gods were birthed into existence. These 3 Gods were known to work closely together, often having common goals and aspirations for Eldorians and carrying out their divine will in tandem.

The first of the three, Ilyria the Serene Oracle, born from mortal curiosity, bestowed wisdom upon Eldoria's inhabitants. Her whispers guided mortals in their pursuit of knowledge, enlightenment, and the understanding of the world's mysteries. It is said that she came to be the moment Eldorias inhabitants thought their first idea and made their first discoveries. Ilyria loved nothing more than to observe the mortals, finding joy and childlike wonder at what new creations they came up with. It amazed her that these beings, created by the gods, had the ability to create things without the divine powers that had been bestowed upon herself and her fellow Gods. She cared and nurtured their curiosities, much like a mother would her own children, and would often appear in the dreams of mortals, gifting them divine inspiration and guiding them on the path to their true potential.

The second of the triad, Zephyrion the Wanderer, offspring of Aurelius and Lysandra, imbued Eldoria with the call of adventure, fostering the spirit of exploration and discovery among its inhabitants. It was he who channeled the winds that blew in the sails of the first Human explorers, twas he who coaxed forth fireflies to guide those lost in the exploration of the depths, and it was he who carved natural paths through the forests and mountains so that those with the trepidation to step forth from their doorsteps could do so with confidence.

Last of the Celestial Triad was Varian, Champion of Righteousness, youngest of the Elder Gods. He was once a legendary warrior who refused to back down against overwhelming odds. He died a valiant death for those less able than he, impressing Thalgrim, and thus was reborn as a God. Varian instills courage into the hearts of all beings, ensuring that bravery and protection will thrive amidst the challenges of Eldoria's existence. He is the only God who is known to still walk the mortal plains, defending the weak and upholding a shining visage of Righteousness

These three Gods were seen as the embodiment of mortal Wisdom, Ambition, and Willpower, and thus they were referred to as the Celestial Triad. Often working alongside each other to spur Eldorians on to greatness and achieve their true potential, these three love Eldoria's inhabitants the most of all the Gods, cherishing them as their own children.