Gods and Domains

People of faith or holy origin, such as druids, clerics, paladins and priests most often strive for greater purpose in life or the betterment of the world. These wishes are often influenced by a deity that the person in question holds particularly dear or who aligns well with the persons wishes or character traits.

In the pantheon of Alera, there are three tiers. The Greater Gods, who stand ancient and all-mighy, the Lesser Gods, who embody a fraction of reality, and the saints, who are, or were, mortals so strongly embodied by a belief that they were worshiped and gained a measure of their deity's power.

In Alera, the gods are ideals whose purity gives them power. They embody whatever concept they represent. Each God has a shard of divinity that grants them a level of power, and although the Shards are eternal, a deity's vessel can be weakened enough to extract the Shard. If it is removed from its vessel, the original body withers away and the shard will try to claim a new body as its own. The only way to break a shard is to destroy what it embodies.

In this world, the gods tend to be distant and avoid acting directly within creation. A tenuous peace is maintained between them all due to a complex web of alliances, and the collapse of these alliances would spell doom for the mortal races, whose actions and affiliations the gods rely on for power.

## **The Pantheon of Gods**

### **Knowledge**

Craft, inventions, lore and secrets

**Nador** - A very large black owl with eyes like spotlights. God of dreams, science, investigation, research, and above all else: the truth. Patron god of wizards, teachers, detectives, and fortune tellers. Associated with books and learning. Often appears in dreams. Never speaks. Symbol: The eye, can be found at most libraries. “None can hide from the eye of Nador”

**Nälij** - Goddess of knowledge. Legend says she lives in an eternal archive with the knowledge of all that does, has, or will exist.

**Ismaros** - God of stalking. The hooded figure looks a bit like the grim reaper, but without being a skeleton. He is not very popular, but he is always there, always watching everyone and everything. If you wish to make a deal with him for information, it will come at a great price.

### **Life**

Vitality, health, healing of the sick and wounded, caring for those in need, opposing the undead

**Euz** - A half-demon, the first to gain the ability of High Art (magic). Also referred to as the Vanquisher of Demons, Closer of Gates or the Protector of Man.

It is said that the art of magic came from Euz, along with the gifts of his blessings, among which three are known - the Art of Making, the High Art and the ability to talk to spirits.

Before Euz, demons was said to roam the material plane and the humanoid races were little more than food for them. Some say that it was he who locked them away and diverged the planes.

**Calais -** God of vigilance and domesticity. Keeper of homesteads and of vigils he comforts the wives whose husbands have gone off to war and keeps hope alive in the hearts of men in the darkest of hours.

**Achreil** - Humanoid woman, solid gold eyes, long curly hair, light brown skin, radiates a warm light. Dressed in white robes. Goddess of hospitals, harvests, the home, and family. Patron goddess of parents, doctors, and patrolmen. Described as being very warm and friendly. Symbol: The shield, can be found carved into the cornerstones of fortresses and above the entrances of homes.

**Samuqan** - God of the Desert, Sun and Stars. He is known as a god of little mercy because of what he did to the land, but also as a guide for people, using the stars to help travelers find their way and tell their history.

**Naphistim** - God of the Sea and Sand, people worship him when they need to travel through harsh and unforgiving places. They often give thanks to him by way of sacrifice as a reminder of their mortality, but also their strength.

### **Light**

Rebirth and renewal, truth, vigilance and beauty. See through deception

**Shiri** - The Morning Dove. To some male, to others female, he or she is known for the calls of the morning, revealing what was hidden by the darkness. Brilliance and life, these are the things the Morning Dove cherishes and supports. Whether in male or female form, this gender-neutral god cherishes knowledge, exposes secrets and provides guidance. In the beginning, the only sibling they had was The Night Raven. They opposed him, and contained him, leaving room for life to spring forth.

They reward worshipers with knowledge of life and light. Those who study their deepest secrets can even divine for knowledge and expose the unseen.

**Orholam** - Often represented by a prism, is believed to bestow magical powers onto his chosen through how they perceive and can interact with light. These chosen subjects are referred to as drafters as they posses the power of Chromaturgy.

However, due to the short lifespan of these subjects, his followers became fewer and fewer as the centuries went and now range in the few thousands across the entirety of Alera.

**Azoth** - The formless. God of darkness and the absence of light.

### **Nature**

Love, youth, growth, birth and natural death

**Elysia** - Goddess of love with the symbol of an ankh. A woman wearing a silken dress and bear flowers in her hair.

**Plera** - the Black Elk: Goddess of the Forest, gracious to those who respect her domains and creations, patron of hunters, druids and rangers. Might bless one by appearing in the form of a black elk on a forest clearing; one will be granted safe passage through her domain without needing to worry for food and water.

**Fýsi** - Goddess of the reclaiming wilds. When disaster strikes a town and buildings or lives are lost, that is the work of Fýsi, she takes back the man-made. Followers of Fýsi are nomadic and travel between villages on the outskirts of the wilds. Followers of Fýsi are not so much protected by her, or sent by her for specific bidding, but rather understand that Fýsi will act and it is a question of disaster, or a safe offering. They understand that Fýsi acts to protect nature and her disasters are akin to the lashing out of a scared animal, when her home is encroached by mankind. Followers are often offered respite in abandoned buildings in the village. Often, disaster can be warded off when followers arrive at the village and suggest safe homes and objects to offer to nature, so that disaster can be averted. Rangers and hunters will seek out these followers for blessing to avoid animal attacks and other dangers of the wild. A common ward is a packet of seeds kept in a cloth pouch with dry earth from their village. As long as the traveler keeps the soil dry, they will be safe.

### **Tempest**

Violence, strength, courage and justice

**Sangasu** - God of Storms, known as a destructive force of nature, but necessary for renewal.

**Issha** - God of Courage. Despite being a storm deity, Issha does not control the storm. The force of weather is a force too massive and too chaotic to be controlled. Rather, she holds back the destructive power of the storm, because left unchecked, it would render the world asunder, leaving a barren and uninhabitable plane.

**Duathal** - Dwarf deity of wanderers and expatriates. He is also the dwarven god of lightning, which he uses as an omen. His symbol is an upright mace over a single leather boot trimmed with fur, or a mace clutched by a pair of gauntleted fists. Weighs heavily on the unjust and rewards those who take up the mantle of carrying out unselfish deeds for the betterment of the people for those who are incapable of such.

### **Trickery**

Subterfuge, pranks, deception and theft (treachery, deceit and scheming)

**Folco** - Hates administration, bureaucracy and outlines. A writer is expected to sit down and write until the play is done, not plan it out, follow your muse. Discover the work, see where it leads.

**Lady Donisa** - Embodying fate and fortune. Everyone who is up will soon come down and vice versa.

**Dren** - Gambling. Considers drinking a virtue. Sailing to the horizon in quest of wealth and fortune is a noble act, through trade when possible or theft when necessary. Risk is virtuous and rewards those who take bold chances "Fortune favors the bold". Even more so when deliberately stacking the deck against one-selves, if you come out on top if you play the hand you are dealt.

### **War**

Honor, chivalry, destruction, pillage, conquest and domination

**Toam'aron** - God of tactics and battle strategy. He helps his followers see into the tactics of their enemy and place themselves to fight the easier battle. Encourages laziness and letting the enemy overwork themselves to fight you rather than go to fight the enemy, making the fight more unfair.

**Erou** - One of two gods of war. Generally the more worshiped of the two, being seen as the goddess of honorable war. Loves the thrill of battle and she appreciates it most when her worshipers fight battles in her name.

**Silias** - Embodies nobility. Aspiration that anyone, through luck, chance, treachery or patience, can become nobility and assume that everybody, sooner or later will get their shot at it.

### **Grave**

**Ophelia** - The Pale Lady, goddess of death and time. A lonesome widow, clad in black, sometimes seen weeping over a fresh grave when visiting a graveyard late at night.

**Karyssk** -Wyrm-Mother. All dragon born are hers, she watches over and knows them from birth to grave.
Jealously protecting all of dragon kind as a dragon over its treasure. Fearless as the most terrible of her kind. Her usual form is that of an obsidian dragon, scales seemingly glistening from whatever light strikes them. She is also known to appear as a dark-skinned woman, eyes of midnight with hair that shines of midnight. She mostly has disdain for those without dragon blood, but a few worshippers can be found among most races.

Her worshippers learn to protect their own, fighting to the grave if required. Those who study her deepest secrets can harness the powers of the elements, the very elements dragonkind use in their breath weapons.

Holy symbol: a dragon carved in onyx, often with blood red gems for eyes.

**Sharoom** - A black fox or a ghastly shadow of an old man.

Often a disputed subject of two interpretations. One observes the fox as a wise and noble messenger. The other views the fox as a trickster playing pranks, luring one to demise.

### **Forge**

**Farshnir** - The Tireless Smith. His strength and craftsmanship is second to none, always working and never ceasing in his pursuit of perfection. A smith starts his day at the forge. Before he begins, he whispers a little prayer to his patron. A dwarven barbarian commander leads her men into another battle, marching onward after days without rest and glances down at the tattoo emblazoned on her wrist. A father stands against invaders, protecting his town and way of life praying for strength

All of them worship The Tireless Smith, he who works while other rest. She offers strength, protection, and steadfast focus on craft. Among her worshippers are often soldiers, heading to war in protection
of their homeland and the smiths who arm them. Those that study her
deepest secrets learn about protection, banishment and defense. They
learn to suppress others magics and place barriers in the way of their enemies.