Religion

Once, there were two tribes of traveling gods: the Three Sisters known as the *Shasha;* and the Three Brothers, known as the *Aeryi.*

Both tribes came from the Realms Beyond, and scouted the multiverse in search of fortune, adventure, and a home of their own. As they followed the threads of destiny together the two tribes met on the godless lands of Ylos, a beautiful world swollen with life and possibility. When the gods arrived in the world, it was bereft of divinity save for a single, childlike god. This nameless waif, who would become known as The Orphan, was the last remaining god of the previous pantheon.

But the gods were young and impetuous, and did not ask why only one god remained, or how it had come to be. Instead, they only saw a fertile world with limitless opportunity for adventure and faith. They could not see the dangers that lay before them. They could not see the monsters that had survived whatever had purged the last host of gods from the plane.

The *Shasha* and *Aeryi* swore an oath of peace and called for their families and friends to follow them. They opened the gates of Ylos to all gods who would share this ripe world with them.

## **The Greater Gods**

There are seven **Greater Gods** on Ylos, which each possess aspects and govern three Domains.

Each of the Greater Gods has a chosen favored creature and have the ability to transmogrify their followers and fated chosen into those races.

Their clerics select one of their deity's three Domains when they are ordained.

### **The Shasha**

#### **Vaella**

(NG) goddess of Sky, Day, and Storms, known as the Breaker of Night. Vaella is the twin sister of Nyrn and youngest of the *Shasha.* She is a temperamental goddess who holds is known to hold grudges against those that wrong her or defy her. She is a known consort of Arkaris and has a deep affection for her chosen creatures: aasimar.

* **Domains**: Tempest, Light, Zeal
* **Appearance:** Vaella most often appears as an imposing female of whatever race she is addressing, with curly hair the color of fire and hetero-chromatic eyes. She is often dressed in shining mail that shimmers like the sun on water.
* **Symbol:** the sun shining around a gibbous moon
* **Favored race:** Aasimar
* **Other names:** Ahm Veela (on Apesh)

#### **Sof**

(N) goddess of Waves, Nature, and Animals, known as the Howl of the Waves. Sof loathes the company of others, and resides within the spirits of wild animals whenever possible, often hiding in the sea where only a select few intelligent races can bother her. She is the progenitor of lycanthrope, which is seen by her followers as Sof's Blessing.

* **Domains**: Nature, Life, Solidarity
* **Appearance:** When Sof appears in physical form, it is as an animal or plant with a strange mutation, such as a fawn with a thousand eyes across its flanks. She has been known to appear through multiple animals at once
* **Symbol:** a lashing, ragged wave
* **Favored race:** Lycanthropes
* **Other names:** Softat (on Apesh)

#### **Nyrn**

(NE) goddess of Night, Earth, and Darkness, known as the Eater of Light. Nyrn is an ambitious goddess with a wicked sense of humor. She is a patient, cutthroat goddess who enjoys giving mortals enough power to destroy themselves. Her chosen are tieflings, and she takes particular pleasure when these chosen breed, as the infernal blood often goes dormant for several generations, but is always interesting when it returns.

* **Domains**: Arcana, Darkness, Ambition
* **Appearance:** Nyrn appears as a seductive humanoid (most often a human, elf, or tiefling) with rich brown skin, flowing white hair, and brilliant purple eyes. Her form is somehow always appealing to mortals, regardless of normal preference
* **Symbol:** three eyes in the shape of a triangle
* **Favored race:** Tieflings
* **Other names:** Nurnir (underdark), Nu-Rinur (on Apesh)

### **The Aeryi**

#### **Arkaris**

(LN) god of Battle, Oaths, and Protection, known as the Lord of Oaths. He was once the pupil of Grenn and took the older god's place as the god of warriors after their defeat of Iomungr. Arkaris is a noble, proud god who puts one's word before all else. His chosen are aasimar, though he rarely calls upon them. Arkaris is a known consort of Vaella.

* **Domains: War, Strength, Peace**
* **Appearance:** Arkaris appears as a man in his physical prime, dressed in an idealized version of the local armor
* **Symbol:** a blade piercing a heart
* **Favored race:** Aasimar
* **Other names:**

#### **Thias**

(N) god of Knowledge, Magic, and Secrets, known as the Thoughtful One or the Teacher. He is a solitary god that puts learning above all things. He is a reclusive god who only interacts with mortals who are able to pique his interest through conversation, debate, or creation. He has been known to help guide mortals toward breakthroughs in magical or logical thinking, and is known to have been the mentor of Eddigone the Wise. He has no chosen creature, but is venerated by all magic users, and many believe that sorcerers owe their innate talents to his whims.

* **Domains:** Knowledge, Arcana, Order
* **Appearance:** Thais appears as a slight man in plain, dark, hooded robes, usually reading a book
* **Symbol:** two open books
* **Favored race:** None, but he is known to spontaneously bless individuals with sorcery
* **Other names:**

#### **Xialos**

(CN) god/dess of Love, Lies, and Trickery, known as the Clever One, Mistress of Mischief and Lord of Lies. Xialos is an agender (polygender?) deity whose personality and physical form shift to suit their mood and intentions. They are a being of paradox, loved and reviled in equal measures by the other gods, but seen as a necessary evil at worst and part of the family at best. Their chosen are the shapeshifters, and only bless their priesthood with their abilities. Except when they don't.

* **Domains**: Trickery, Arcana, Chaos
* **Appearance**: Xialos has no common appearance or gender presentation and their presence is usually only made known by the chaos that follows in their wake
* **Symbol:** a curved smile
* **Favored race:** Changelings

### **The Old Gods of Ylos**

#### **The Orphan**

(N) god of Death, known as the Nameless One or the Lonely God, is the only one of the Greater Gods to originate in the lands of Ylos. The Orphan is the last surviving deity from whatever gods inhabited the lands before the current pantheon. Although he is a god of death, he is not cruel. Most civilized cultures believe that a natural death is merely being called home to the side of the Lonely God, who seeks eternal companionship. While the Orphan doesn't prevent resurrection, he takes great issue with the undead, who pervert the natural order beyond. Rarely, he allows the creation of such creatures, usually in the form of the Undying, a type of undead kept alive by the prayers of their loved ones, and revenants, who return for a specific purpose; if anything, these are his chosen.

* **Domains:** Death, Life, Grave
* **Appearance:** The Orphan appears as a golden skinned boy with eyes made of black, starlit skies
* **Symbol:** a smiling child's face or a golden ball
* **Favored race:** Aasimar

## **The Medial Gods**

The **Medial Gods** occupy the less prominent, but still everyday domains of the pantheon. Many scholars recognize the strange fact that many of the gods' histories, such as Grenn, appear to predate those of the Greater Gods. Should not their power be greater?

### **Grenn**

(LG) god of craftsmen, known as the Great Smith and the Old Warrior. Grenn was a powerful god of war in the World Before, who was known for creating and using weaponry with unparalleled might. He traveled to Ylos at the behest of his pupil, Arkaris. Grenn was grievously injured in the battle against Iomungr, the titan of wrath. Unable to maintain his status as god of war, Grenn embraced his talents as a craftsman and creates the weapons and armor of the gods. He is the patron deity of craftsmen, and shares the role of patron deity of merchants with his wife, the goddess Cazmirea.

* **Domains:** Forge, Strength
* **Appearance:** Grenn most commonly appears as a stocky dwarf in early old age, covered in callouses and scars, who walks with a limp.
* **Symbol:** is a six-spoked wheel with an upright hammer in the center
* **Other names:** Grennnhaert (old form), Grenhardt (dwarvish), Tal'as (elven)

### **Cazmirhea**

(CG) goddess of travel and song, known as the Traveler and Lady of Songs. She is the patron deity of travelers and bards, and has waystones placed at crossroads to guide travelers. She loves nothing more than to be on the road seeing new places, usually alongside her husband, the god Grenn.

* **Domains:** Light, Protection
* **Appearance:** Cazmirea appears as fair haired elven woman of matriarchal beauty, dressed in comfortable clothing and carrying a harp
* **Symbol:** a dove or pigeon

### **Basir**

(CN) goddess of wine, parties, and sex, known as the Lady of Good Times, the Hostess, or the Favorite Guest. She is known to be a wild and unpredictable goddess who is unable to be pinned down or captured. Many myths tell of the downfall of arrogant mortals who attempt to enslave her against her will. She is the patron deity of prostitutes, vintners, and anyone who wants to throw a particularly good party.

* **Domains:** Life, Trickery
* **Appearance:** Basir appears as a vivacious young woman in a state of partial undress, usually bearing one naked breast
* **Symbol:** an overflowing cup (or sometimes genitals)

### **Hisk**

(CE) goddess of murder and violence is known as the Silent Knife, the Poison Princess, or the Unwelcome Shadow. She is a goddess of murder and violence who murdered her twin brother, Ulo, the God of Peace, while they were in their crib.

* **Domains**: Death, War
* **Appearance:** Her appearance is not known, though her clerics make active use of cloaks and masks, leading many to believe that they represent her on earth
* **Symbol:** a kris (wavy-bladed dagger) dripping with venom

## **Lesser Gods**

The **Lesser Gods** occupy unique roles, specialty domains, or are the newest or least known of the main deities. Many of them are immigrants to the lands of Ylos, but some are the children of the other gods or mortals who found themselves somehow elevated to godhood. Others have unclear origins.

Most Lesser Gods possess a single domain, but some, such as Samira, have multiple to show their growing influence.

### **Samira**

(LG) goddess of healing and music, known as the Nursemaid, the Gentle Hand, or the Last Friend. She is a kind goddess known for the sweet dreams she brings to patients under her care. She is the patron deity of healers, midwives, and dreamers, and and has a particular love of children.

* **Domains**: Life, Twilight
* **Appearance:** Samira usually appears as a diminutive young woman or girl with hair the color of fresh wheat
* **Symbol:** is a cupped hand holding water
* Zonos and Samira are rumored to have once been lovers, separated by their respective roles. It is said that they still meet through the dreams of the dying, which explains their unique portfolios.

### **Zonos**

(LE) god of disease and prophesy, known as Plagued One, Farmer of Flesh, and Dark Doctor. Zonos is a deity of plague who does not enjoy his work, but deems it necessary. He is known to bring prophetic visions to those who risk death at his touch. He is the patron deity of the insane and diseased, but also plague doctors, and is widely worshiped in many cities as a preventative measure. He has a particular fondness for the elderly.

* **Domains**: Death, Grave
* **Appearance:**
* **Symbol:** is a plague doctor's mask
* Zonos and Samira are rumored to have once been lovers, separated by their respective roles. It is said that they still meet through the dreams of the dying, which explains their unique portfolios.

### **Bryg**

(NG) god of fire and hospitality.

* **Domains**: Light, Unity
* **Appearance:**
* **Symbol:** a lit candle
* **Other Names:** The Welcoming Flame

### **Kressius the Undying**

(LE) god of Undeath known as the Lord of Death, Eternal Emperor, and King of the Damned. He is a once-human lich who used his immortality and guile to elevate himself to an unliving god. He reigns from his spires of death in Nefos, his undead capital, and continues to extend his influences toward the living realms.

Ironically, Kressius is largely seen as a fair and amenable businessman. Every single member of his undead hoard is acquired legally through bargain or trade, either performed with directly with the deceased or with their families. The ministry of undeath offers pre-death payouts of honest gold for future servitude, which usually lasts one thousand years. Once the contract is complete, the undead's soul is given the opportunity to sever their connection to the mortal world or to gain a promotion under new, fixed terms.

His clerics are powerful necromancers who also offer more glamorous forms of undeath to souls of power, influence, or wealth on a case-by-case basis. It is not unheard of for an ailing noble to purchase the curse of vampirism along with strict terms that provide the Ministry access to his domain for all time. His chosen people are, of course, the undead, and many of his clerics are either liches or vampires in training.

If any Lesser God is a threat to the Greater and Medial Gods, it is Kressius.

* **Domains**: Death, Undeath, Grave
* **Appearance:**
* **Symbol** is a smiling skull

### **Kaz/Kazan, God of Adventure**

* **Domains**: Light, Protection
* **Appearance:** Appears as an androgynous elf adventurer wearing a mask or shawl around their face
* **Symbol:** a lone feather

### **Omesh, God of Agriculture**

* **Domains:** Nature, Solidarity
* **Appearance:**
* **Symbol** is a shovel diagonally thrust into the ground
* Omesh and Bitris are husband and wife, and their symbols are often depicted as a shovel crossed with a claw hammer

### **Bitris, Goddess of Cities**

* **Domains**: City, Peace
* **Appearance:** Bitris and Omesh are husband and wife, and their symbols are often depicted as a shovel crossed with a claw hammer
* **Symbol** is a brick wall or a claw hammer

### **Machios, God of Muscular Strength**

(LG) a recently born god of strength and the perfection of the physical form. Machios is more of a demigod than anything at this point, but he's slowing developing a cult following by performing miracles across the land.

* **Domains**: Strength
* **Appearance:** Machios is a human male in impossible physical condition in the prime of his life, though his face betrays that he may be much younger than his body suggests
* **Symbol:** a flexing arm or a triangular weight

### **Shegar/Ulot, the Harlot Queen, Saint of Orcs**

(CN) goddess of orcs and liberation, also known as the Chainbreaker. She is a deity worshiped by those of orcish descent and some few others who share their history of imprisonment.
In life, she was an orc during their enslavement by the elves. By all accounts, she was a strangely mild looking orc, likely a half breed, who was comely enough to be sorted into the exotic brothels of the day. Her tenure lasted for many years until she killed her clients and burned the building to the ground. To make an example of her and recover some profit to her owner, she was sold into the gladiatorial arenas as bait for the monstrous creatures. This plan backfired when she not only survived, but climbed the ranks of the arena and later led a riot that killed most of the spectators, her former owner included. This riot grew to a full scale slave revolt, which under her leadership led to the orcs gaining their freedom from the elves.

In elvish society, it is taught that she was caught and burned alive, but the orcs believe that she survived and still lives on as a lesser deity and immortal symbol of their freedom.

* **Domains**: War
* **Symbol**: a broken chain

### **Keppikus, God of Thieves and Goblins**

(CN) god of finding and keeping. This lazy, greedy god encourages his followers (basically all goblins) to steal continuously and give their prizes to his temples, which are always built atop vast, seemingly bottomless holes. The treasure is unceremoniously deposited into these holes.

* **Domains**: Trickery
* **Appearance:**
* **Symbol:** an outstretched and grasping green hand

## Titans (Monstrous Gods)

Also known as Titans, Monstrous Gods are beings that exist outside of the deific ecosystem of Ylos. Worshiped by monster races, these creatures are either divine, possess godlike power, or predate the fall of the previous pantheon. All of these thoughts

* **The Carrion Queen, The Raven Mother,** (LE) goddess of Death and Deceit
* **Murlatch**, (NE) God of the Depths
* **Iomungr**, (CE) God of Might and Blind Rage
	+ Many Orcs are known to be followers of **Iomungr**.
* **Frydhr**, (LE) God of Ice and Cold
	+ Yetis and other creatures of the cold and ice tend to worship **Frydhr**.
* **Shaset**, (NE) God of Serpents and Transformation
	+ Yuan-Ti worship **Shaset** among other evil snake gods
* **Baalmut**, (LG) God of Good Dragons
* **Shedra**, (LE) Goddess of Evil Dragons
* **Romardin**, (CN) Trickster God of the Dragons

## **Dead Gods**

Ylos was not always under the control of the current tribes. Evidence exists that thousands of years before their arrival, another pantheon of gods governed the world, and perhaps created it. Only the greatest of scholars or creatures can even begin to confirm their identity, worship, and domains. It would take a creature olden than a dozen millennia to even begin to shed more light on the world's true history, and those are in short supply.

One such ancient, Fera the gold dragon, has confirmed the existence of the following gods:

* **Rhiotor**, God of Light, Daylight, and the Sun
* **Tylon**, God of Earth and Death
* **Lodros**, Goddess of Night and Darkness
* **Sigea**, Goddess of Hearth, Home, and Childbirth
* **Aris,** Goddess of the Hunt and Nature
* **Arruk**, God of Humans, Walls, and Conquest
* **Traelion**, God of Elves and Secrets
	+ Traelion is responsible for the curse of the Wyld Hunt that affects all elves
	+ Traelion's essence is believed to exist in the Fey Wyld in the site of the last elven city. Lady Mareen is presently attempting to harvest this energy to break the curse of the Wyld Hunt
	+ Traelion gifted the ***Thorn of Arcadia*** as a divine symbol of office to the first elven emperor of Ylos.
* **Yshar**, Goddess of Beauty, Love, and Purity (and later Beholders)
	+ Yshar was killed in her temple by Kelanzarnak, the Great Wyrm, during the extermination of the old gods
	+ Some of her essence gave birth to Yshana, a great beholder, who was defeated and spared by Nothing Ventured and Wanderlust
	+ The remainder of Yshar's essence may have been captured by Wanderlust in a strange vessel
* **Hapacia**, Goddess of Law and Justice
* **Baeli**, Twin God of the Forge
* **Caeli**, Twin Goddess of the Forge
* **Borea**, Goddess of Wind and Travel
* **Atrix**, Goddess of Bloodshed, Strength, and Combat
* **Kalon**, God of Fire, Metal, and Warfare
* **Kore**, Goddess of Plants and Seasons
* **Kolas,** Goddess of Water, Rivers, and Lakes

Other known gods: Golvena, Asirta, Hacena,and Anesus,

## Trivia

* It is considered something of an open secret in Dwarven society that the gods Cazmirhea and Kaz are probably the same god.
* The Earth Scar is said to be caused by a great battle between Grenhardt, the once God of Battle, his apprentice Arkaris, and the Monstrous God, Iomungr. The outcome of that battle left Iomungr blinded and the landscape forever cleaved open. Grenhardt's injuries led him to relinquish his title as God of Battle, which he passed on to Arkaris.
* Malia Sunsworn is a Cleric of Vaella.
* Both male and female clerics of Basir copy the goddess's fashion style, which can be problematic in colder climates.
* Clerics of Xialos regularly infiltrate other priesthoods as a test of their skill at deception.