Pantheon

## Creation

Before there was the world, all that existed was the swirling void of chaos. Over aeons, the void spun and coalesced into two forms, for even chaos could not stay unchanged forever. The first form was the Ohm, an egg of stone, and the second was the Ohgda, the primal spirit of life. As soon as the two forms met, the Ohm cracked open, and the world was formed from the shell. With the land arose Morrigan, the Lady of the Earth, and Mannanan, Lord of the Sea. Half of the shell formed the dome of night over the world, the thin barrier between chaos and creation. The other half of the shell became the Otherworld, the pale reflection of the land. From this Otherworld arose Maeve, who together with Morrigan and Mannanan became the Lords of the Earth. It was the Ohgda, however, that brought life into the world, filling it with vibrant forests and creatures of all shapes and sizes.

To this world of unchecked life, from a place beyond the sea of chaos, came Pellenor the Radiant One. Seeing the beauty of the land, he went to Morrigan and asked her to be his wife. The proud Lady of the Earth refused his every request, insisting she would not marry anyone lesser than herself. Undaunted, Pellenor went to Mannanan and asked how he could prove himself. Mannanan told him to gather his radiant light into an orb and affix it to the sky, so that Morrigan would be surrounded by his brilliance. He did as the Lord of the Sea suggested, and brought light to the world. Life thrived, yet still Morrigan was unimpressed, for all his light only illuminated her own greatness. Pellenor then went to Maeve and asked again how to impress Morrigan. Meave told him that Morrigan would need to fear losing his power to respect it, and so he withdrew his light from the world. The life which had thrived suddenly withered, and the starving creatures hid from the hideous black hole where the sun had once been. Still, however, Morrigan would not yield, and in the darkness new life emerged. In desperation, Pellenor sought out the Ohgda, the primal force of life itself that had coalesced from the raw chaos of the void. He searched and searched for it in vain until, nearly at the end of hope, he found instead the young mortal races. Seeing their potential, he imparted on them the capacity to learn and the drive to conquer the world around them. Morrigan too had grown fond of the mortal races and saw what Pellenor had given them. She at last agreed to be his wife, on the condition that each day he bear his fiery orb across the sky, and each night return to her. Thus, all life would have a chance to thrive.

Together Pellenor and Morrigan had four children. Radament the Shining Lord was the patron of conquerors and heroes, the celestial prince and champion. Vashaul the World-Forger was the patron of artisans and taught the mortal races the secrets of stone, steel and craftwork. Gwenevre, the Princess of Light, gave healing to the world and mercy to the downtrodden. Finally came Nimue, the Little Sister of the Moon and the mistress of secrets, magic and transformations. Pellenor ruled over them all, the God of the Sun and Father of Civilization. Together with his children they were known as the Lords of the Sky, and for an age they watched over the mortal races.

### The Lords of the Sky

* Pellenor, deceased god of the sun
* Radament, the Shining Lord, disgraced and fallen first son of Pellenor
* Vashaul, Inheritor of the Sun, second son of Pellenor
* Gwenevre, Lady of Dusk and Dawn
* Nimue, Little Sister of the Moon

### The Lords of the Earth

* Morrigan, Widow of the Earth
* Mannanan, Lord of the Sea
* Maeve, Lady of the Otherworld

## Risen Heroes

### Lugh Longstrider

"In the distant days before the Kings of Avalon lived a man named Lugh who left his home to learn the lore of all the tribes. Taking with him his great spear and his loyal dog, he set off into the wilderness. Each day he would carve a path through the wilds, his tread making roads where none had ever been, and his spear carving pathways through the mountains themselves. Each night, he would sleep by the fire while his dog chased away the nameless horrors that lurked in the darkness, and when he awoke he would be surrounded by a grove of gold-barked trees. When he found a new tribe, he would live with them for a year and a day, learning their arts and their lore. When he left, he would leave them with the learnings of all the other tribes, with a common language, and with sons or daughters to carry on his line. He traveled this way for many years, his loyal dog always by his side and his spear always in hand, until at last he returned home with the lore of all the tribes. His people asked him to tell of all the strange peoples he had seen, but he told them he could not, for everywhere he had been now knew the same stories and spoke the same tongue. Where once there were many tribes, they were now joined as one people."

Lugh Longstrider is a mythical hero considered to be the father of Avalorn culture. His likeness is commonly seen on coins and public works in cities, and many houses have a totem of him somewhere.

### Rivin the Knight

Rivin was a loyal retainer and friend of Hygeld Silverhelm, one of the last great warlords who stood against Arthur. For many years he had served his liege lord, offered him counsel and friendship, and shared in his many triumphs. Both knew a final battle was coming, however. Arthur's great host approached them from the south, while to the west the famed general Lancelot raced across the mountains. If those two armies were to join, Prydain would surely fall. As Arthur's armies grew close, Hygeld visited Rivin at Tor Wyrlock and the two old friends sat down together for a drink. All night they spoke of old victories, fallen friends and the dreams they had shared so many years before. Both knew that this would be the last time they ever met. In the morning, Hygeld left and Rivin readied his defenses. His small force of 100 knights would be the first to face Arthur's armies, but they were determined to sell their lives dearly. For six days and six nights Tor Wyrlock held. On that night, Rivin wrote a letter to his young son in Carwyn. The letter spoke of the true obligations of a knight, of loyalty in both ascent and decline, and that the rewards of a life of honour were greater than any treasure or holdings. He ended the letter by stating:

"It is not the knightly way to be shamed and avoid death even under circumstances where one's death would amount to little more than satisfying one's honour. For myself, I am resolved to make a stand within the castle and to die a quick death. Even now, it would not take much trouble to break through a part of their numbers and escape, no matter how many tens of thousands of horsemen approached for the attack or by how many columns we were surrounded. But that is not the true meaning of being a warrior, and it would be difficult to account as loyalty. Rather, I will stand off the forces of the entire country here, and die a resplendent death."

On the 7th day, Rivin at last fell, one of only three defenders who remained at the walls. Though they were defeated, his small force had held back Arthur's armies long enough for Hygeld to crush Lancelot's western advance. Facing a war on only one front, Hygeld's armies were able to check Arthur's advance, and while Pyrdain would eventually join Avalon as its final dukedom years later, it was spared the vicious rampage that had followed so many of Arthur's conquests.

Rivin is remembered as the examplar of the knightly ideal, placing honour and loyalty above all else. His final stand remembered across Prydain, and is honoured as part of the midsummer festival when effigies are offered to the fire, representing his sacrifice. Knights and warriors will often carry an icon representing him or his sigil, a winged wolf.