The Cult of the Celestial Gods

### God(s)

Ether, Nupia, Orkus, Pyor, Demora, Amos, Nex, Atynerva, Loua, Sol, Melor, Merniot.

The Cult of the Celestial Gods (or just Celestialism) is the ancient religion of the Balliñanora people (Nynpheaic Kingdom of Balliñanor) with gods worshiped since the very dawn of time.

It is a religion based around the worship of Celestial Gods and, less commonly, the other generations of deities such as, the Colossos, the Estelares, or the Universals. Worship is done at the temples and at home on private shrines. Central to the religion are the Celestial deities headed by Aros. Each god is honored with temples and statues, and sanctuaries, which, although dedicated to a specific deity, often contain statues commemorating other gods. The cities conduct various festivals and rituals throughout the year, with particular emphasis directed towards the patron god of the city.

Religious practice would also involve the worship of heroes, deified commanders and great leaders.

## **Customs**

### **Prayer**

Prayer is done at worship sites such as temples, statues and sanctuaries. Prayer is often accompanied by offering gifts, such as food and sacrifice, even though sacrifice rites are not common throughout practices.

### **Sacrifice**

Animal sacrifices are either made during festivals, prayer or before a war to be blessed by a god. Human sacrifice is taboo and not accepted by most gods except for the sea deities, the underworld deities and dark spirits and entities, such as Daemons.

#### **Sea deities:**

Sacrifices for sea deities consist of drowning and throwing their body onto the sea.

#### **Underworld deities:**

Sacrifices for underworld deities consists of dedicating the sacrificed person as a gift to join the gods of the underworld.

#### **Daemons and Entities:**

The most important part in this sacrificial rite is using the blood of the victim and burning it, calling upon the entity.

### **Baptism**

Baptism is common within sailors, fishermen and pirates, as it is a mandatory rite in the worship of the god of the sea, Pyor. Baptism consists of being ritually drowned and then revived by priests.

### **Ancestor Reverence**

Followers of celestialism call upon ancestors to grant them guidance in their day-to-day affairs. Ancestors are believed to intercede on behalf of the living, often as messengers between humans and gods.

### **Funerary Rites**

#### **Burial:**

The deceased is to be washed, dressed and anointed with oil and placed on a high bed inside the house. Relatives and friends would then visit to pay respects and mourn. The deceased would then be taken to the cemetery in a procession.

#### **Mummification:**

A process reserved for royalty, nobility, high officials and the wealthy. The body is embalmed and mummified by priests of the god Orkus, later put in a finely and wealthily decorated sarcophagus and a procession would follow the deceased to its tomb. In case of royalty and important leaders, their body is paraded for a day where relatives, friends, admirers and supporters would then visit to pay respects, mourn and grant gifts to the deceased. Later, the body is to be sent to the burial place, such as a mausoleum.

### **Oracles**

An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future granted by the god Sorleios.

### Foresight

There are three ways to predict the future, all gifts grant by Sorleios, or the Silver Sisters. Xharuma, grants visions to oracles. Eramos is the act of reading the entrails of sacrificed animals and Augas is looking for signs of the nature to predict the future.

### Divine Marriage:

The blood of the divine runs through the veins of our kings and queens, therefore, the royal family usually intermarries to keep that divine blood pure.

## **History**

### The Universals

In the beginning there was only nothingness, a deep darkness without gods, without stars, without light. A large explosion of light erupted and Omne and Syntena appeared. Omne, the universe, and, Syntena, the celestial bodies. After eons alone in the universe, they mated and had twin children, the Estelares: Kaertiz, the sky, and Terña, the planet itself. Omne and Syntena, after thousands of eons of ruling the universe alone, expanding more and more, went into a deep hibernation for the rest of eternity, still expanding and existing, only sleeping and resting after the eternity they had spent.

Kaertiz and Terña became the Estelares Kings. Rulling the universe as supreme beings and descendants of the Universals as well as being personifications of the World itself. Beyond them the only other entities in existence are the Colossos, the children of the Estelares born yet during the reign of the Universals.

### The Estelares

After the Dormancy of Omne and Syntena, Kaertiz and Terña found themselves in the position of taking the power of the universe for themselves. Terña created flowers, plants, trees and animals, Kaertiz created clouds, rain and flying birds. Together they had: Horos, Colossos of Time, Ciano, Colossos of the Seas, Zelmaia, Colossos of the Sun, Moernarya, Colossos of the Moon and Collis, Colossos of Mountains and Hills. During that time, Terña also created the Garden of Creation (Azazmah).

After thousands of years, Kaertiz and Terña fought.

Terña descended from the heavens and remained on the planet, and Kaertiz remained in the heavens. And the War of the Stars began, where the Colossos took sides, Ciano, and Collis took the side of Terña, Zelmaia and Moernarya took the side of Kaertiz. Only one did not manifested: Horos.

The first battle was fought. Zelmaia and Ciano battled. Zelmaia almost killed his brother who fled to the protection of his brother, Horos, who alone forged the Spear of Destiny. The spear was forged with the most divine ore that existed, Aegilian silver, and then bathed in the waters of Gardens of Creation. Horos revealed to his brother the plan to usurp their parents' power. Ciano offered to participate in the plan, Horos accepted.

Zelmaia arrived to finish the battle with her brother, but Horos stopped her and explained the plan.

She also joined Horos. Horos created two swords made of Aegilian gold, somewhat weaker than silver, but still powerful. Together, the three went into battle. He called Kaertiz, and he descended from the heavens.

"What do you want, my children?" he said in a deep, booming voice that echoed for miles. His sons responded by battling him. Ciano controlled the seas to make him unable to fly, Zelmaia blinded him with sunlight, and Horos battled him. Ciano and Zelmaia cut off his arms and the blood gushes into the sea. Horos thrusts the Spear of Destiny into his father's neck and he dies. A ray of blue light exploded in the sky. The Spear of Destiny is destroyed during the battle, and from the splinters, the Silver Sisters, Xharuma, Eramos and Augas.

With Kaertiz's death, and his golden blood spilling onto the ground, a being emerged, a new god. As an adult, he introduced himself under the name Nex, the personification of Death. The God of Death, murder and violence. He was not a Universal, Estelar or Colossos. His blood created normal gold used by mortals. He was a Celestial, the first of the future Gods.

The world remained the same, the sky did not fall, but the personification of it had died, and now Terña was the last Estelar alive. The other Colossos joined Horos and Terña relented, giving the throne to the Colossus of Time. Horos banished his mother to the darkest pit of the Underworld, chained with the strongest chains ever created, considered unbreakable, untiable and made of celestial bronze, the strongest material ever made, which also inhibited her power. Thus Horos became King of the Colossos.

### The Colossos

Horos imprisoned his mother and destroyed his parents' respective thrones in the Garden of Creation, and forged a golden throne for himself. Needing a wife, he took Zelmaia, his sister, as his consort and Queen of the Colossos. Ciano and Moernarya married for love, the first love mating in the universe. From this love arose a goddess named Amos, The Goddess of Love.

After a while they generated Kassan, the Colossa of Prophecies. When Kassan turned 10, she had a prophecy: The Cycle will continue, and Horos will be replaced by his most powerful son.

In the same year, Zelmaia gave birth to a girl named Laelia. Afraid of the Cycle Prophecy, he ordered Zelmaia to imprison the girl and her grandmother, Terña, in the underworld. Then over the years came: Nupia, Orkus, Pyor and Demora, which were all imprisoned as well.

Furious that she would need to give another child away, Zelmaia hid her son, Aros, from his father's eyes in a cave. Horos never noticed. Aros grew up with the help of a being created by her mother, named Lucy. She was the first human. A mortal being created in the image of the gods to worship and help the immortal beings who rule the universe. Zelmaia bestowed gifts upon Lucy, so that she would help Aros take her father's throne when she grew up. Lucy taught him the history of the gods thus far, how Omne and Syntena created Kaertiz and Terña, how they had the Five Colossos, and how Horos killed his father and imprisoned his own mother in the Underworld.

Meanwhile, from Terña's torment in the Underworld, a creature emerged that lives and feeds on the torment, fear, and energy of beings, creatures of pure evil: Daemons. They fed on the torment of Terña and her grandchildren, spreading to every corner of the Underworld. Horos became aware of the Daemons and created a supreme daemon named Malodeus to guard the gates of the Underworld and the divine prison he created for his family. Malodeus is a demon unlike any other, as he was created by Horos himself, he is extremely beautiful with two forms: his beautiful form and his demonic form, a beast with a head similar to a goat with two horns and paws. He was nicknamed "The Great Other" becoming the King of Daemons, answering only to Horos.

Filled with grief by Lucy's death, Aros finally begins his campaign for revenge on his father. With his powers, he forged a powerful sword. Forged with celestial bronze, the power of heaven and earth itself, capable of defeating the Axe of Eons itself, a weapon forged by Horos after the Spear of Destiny was destroyed. He called it the Celestial Blade.

Wielding the Blade, he set out for the Underworld to free his brothers. Once there he fought tirelessly against Malodeus, but eventually defeated him. Malodeus asked the new God for mercy. Aros accepted, but only if he submitted to all of Aros's orders for all eternity. Malodeus accepted and Aros granted him the title of King of Pandaemon (The deepest Abyss of the Underworld), God of Daemons, and Dark Magic, the Punisher of the Guilty.

Using the Celestial Blade, he freed his brothers from their golden cages. His grandmother begs for her release. She swears allegiance to Aros and is freed by her grandson.

### The Great War

After freeing his brothers and grandmother from their torment, Aros was chosen as their leader. Horos was warned by a group of rebel demons, who were quickly killed by Malodeus. Horos declared war on his children and imprisoned his sister Zelmaia in the Garden.

With his brothers freed, the gods chose Aros as their king. With this he named his group of gods: "As before there were the Universals, then the Estelares, and now the Colossos, so will the Celestials, once shackled by these chains, rule all for all eternity!"

As they were imprisoned in cells that inhibited their powers, the gods did not understand that they had powers, but they began to appear quickly. First was Laelia, the oldest. Like everyone else, she demonstrated immense strength and extreme speed. But some demonstrated specific powers like Aros could control the heavens and manipulate and control lightning, Pyor could manipulate and conjure water and cause earthquakes, Orkus could control and conjure souls and shadows and Demora with the power to control seasons and any type of plant: trees, grains, flowers, etc.

Aros, with the Celestial Blade, forged weapons for his two most powerful brothers: Orkus and Pyor. From the seas, Aros forged a trident for Pyor, with the ability to dominate the water, and from the River Tolkas (meaning the Inevitable River), the largest river in the Underworld, Aros forged two claws for Orkus, with the ability to rip out the soul of any being.

With the power of the Celestials growing, Amos, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, and Nex, the God of Death, declare to side with the Celestials. Aros accepted this by making them officially celestial. After this, Aros ordered Laelia to find a location and create a palace so grand and powerful that the power of the Celestials would never be challenged. Laelia left quickly and was never seen again until the end of the war. A small circle with stone thrones was created in the place where Aros was raised, this circle was named Celest.

Zelmaia joined the Celestials, but did not renounce her status as a Colossa. Moernarya, Collis and Ciano joined Horos.

The first battle was fought between Ciano and Pyor. Fought in the open sea, Pyor called upon earthquakes and tsunamis to strike Ciano, who also controlled the seas to strike Pyor. Ciano, unarmed, tries to forge a weapon during the battle, out of pure water. But it fails and Pyor summons Aros who banishes Ciano to the depths of Pandaemon with the Blade of the Celestials.

The second battle was the battle between Moernarya and Zelmaia. The two fought resulting in the death both, cracking the moon, and from inside Lunaris came out fully grown. Collis' suffering could be heard in every corner of the world. The Earth shook, volcanoes erupted and new mountains rose, forging what would become the mortal world. The Colossus never returned to the battlefield and walked to the Underworld willingly.

Orkus and Nex joins forces to fight the guardians of Horos, while Aros goes to fight Horos. The battle thundered through the dark sky, being lit up with the Blade of the Celestial's lightnings and Aros's own powers. The battle ended with Horos being beheaded by Aros and his remains sent to a safe place in Pandaemon.

With the defeat of Aros, the Great War is over.

### The Celestials

With Aros taking his place on a golden eagle throne, his first act was to divide the world between him and his most powerful brothers: Orkus and Pyor, based on their natural abilities. Aros took the skies for himself, granted the seas to Pyor and the Underworld to Orkus.

Aros built a place on top of the clouds as the residence for the gods which he called High Celest. High Celest is a beautiful land, filled with valleys, rivers and creeks which the water that taste like your favorite drink, trees bearing fruits of all kinds, with the land escape dotted with villages and villas, and in the center a great palace for the major celestials that take part on the Celestial Council, with Aros king among them.

(To be continued)

## **Pantheon**

### **The Celestials**

The Celestials are the major deities of the celestial pantheon. The Celestials are a race of deities, primarily consisting of the fourth generation of immortal beings, worshiped as the principal gods. However, only the major gods are part of the Celestial Council, the only exceptions being Orkus, who resides on the Underworld and Laelia, who prefers to reside on her forest, both of them don't take part of the Celestial Council, while still being considered a major deity. They replaced the Colossos after a war that dethroned Horos, the King of the Colossos. These deities are:

* Aros - God of the sky, lightning, thunder, law, order, justice and King of the Celestials.
* Nupia - Queen of the gods and the goddess of nature, flowers, marriage and women.
* Orkus - God of the underworld, volcanoes, wealth, earth, fertility and the dead.
* Pyor - God of the seas, water, storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes.
* Demora - Goddess of the harvest, fertility, agriculture, and the seasons.
* Amos - Goddess of love, pleasure, passion, procreation, fertility, beauty and desire.
* Nex - God of death, murder and violence.
* Paernas - Goddess of wisdom, handicraft, warfare, and hope.
* Arasta - God of war, bloodshed and strength.
* Loua - Goddess of the moon, archery, and hunt.
* Sorleios - God of the sun, light, prophecy, truth, and healing. Twin of Loua.
* Melor - God of the forge, craftsmanship, invention, and fire.
* Laelia - Goddess of the hearth, childbirth, fire and the family.
* Mernio - God of wine, viticulture, male fertility, festivities and freedom.

### **The Colossos**

The Colossos are the third generation of deities. They descend from the Estelares, whom they replaced after a bloody war.

* Horos - Colosso of cycles and the King of the Colossos.
* Ciano - Colosso of the sea.
* Collis - Colossa of mountains, hills, caves and volcanoes.
* Zelmaia - Colossa of the sun.
* Moernarya - Colossa of the moon.
* Kassan - Colossa of Prophecies.

### The Estelares

The Estelares are the second generation of deities. They are personifications of what forms the Earth. They descend from the personifications of the universe and the stars: Omne and Syntena.

* Kaertiz - Personification of the Sky.
* Terña - Personification of the Earth.

### The Universals

The first generation of deities and creators of the universe. They are personifications of what composes the universe.

* Omne - Personification of the universe.
* Syntena - Personification of the stars and heavenly bodies.

### **Minor Deities:**

* Lunaris - Goddess of Night, Personification of the Moon.
* Malodeus - God of Pandaemon, Dark Magic and Punisher of the Guilty.
* Tarmeasis - Goddess of Victory.
* Aello - Goddess of Revenge and justice.
* Haracaeña - Goddess of witchcraft, ghosts & magic.
* Florema - Goddess of springtime and Queen of the Underworld.
* Tramia - Goddess of arts, inspiration, poetry, and music.
* Saersa - Goddess of Luck.
* Mpassi - Goddess of Peace.
* Arcor - Goddess of Rainbow and Messenger of the gods.
* Noxnir - God of sleep and dream.
* Ñasteri - Goddess of stars, and planets, and the art of astrology.
* Aeron - God of Lust, Affection and Desire.
* Theros - God of medicine and healing.
* Acron - God of spirits and ferryman of the underworld.
* Daego - God of rain.
* Olois - God of winds.
* Orter - God of winter and ice.
* Dany - Goddess of summer and daylight.
* Pernor - God of autumn.
* Phoeimos - God of fear, terror, panic, and dread.

### Other beings

#### The Silver Sisters

Xharuma, Eramos and Augas, they are the personification of destiny and control the fates of every being of the universe besides the gods.

#### Daemons

Creatures that lives and feeds on the torment, fear, and energy of beings, creatures of pure evil that inhabit Pandaemon.

## Mythological Locations

### The Garden of Creation (Azazmah)

The holy garden created by Terña in honor of her father, the birth site of the Colossos and the point of the Earth's creation. It is now the entrance to the High Celest.

### High Celest

The city of the gods built ontop of the clouds. It holds the Celestial Palace, the Celestial Council and homes all major deities. Most minor deities live in small villages around the beautiful meadows.

### The Underworld

Deep under the ground, the Underworld is the kingdom of the dead, where all whom die goes after death. It is ruled by the god Orkus and his wife, the minor goddess Florema. It is divided in four regions:

#### The Gardens of Florema

The gardens of Florema is where Orkus palace is located, surrounded by a deadly garden, filled with traps, puzzles and sphinx quizes, created by Florema after her marriage with Orkus.

#### The Érdemah

The Érdemah is a sunny meadow near the Gardens. It holds the most excellent or pure souls. The major inhabitants are the souls of children.

#### Fields of Orkus

The Fields of Orkus is a meadow for the souls of the majority of ordinary people. It's neither a paradise or Pandaemon.

#### Pandaemon

Although officially part of the Underworld, Pandaemon is not governed by Orkus, but by the minor god Malodeus. It is the location in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, often torture, as eternal punishment after death, also serves as the home of all Daemons. Formerly used as a prison for Terña and the elder celestials by Horos.