Religion

The gods of Tanicus were once a pantheon of deities separated into five basic groups: the gods of light (Good-aligned), the gods of balance (Neutrally-aligned), the gods of darkness (Evil-aligned), the draconic deities, and the outsiders. The gods of light, balance, and darkness were the core of the pantheon and are worshiped by most intelligent peoples on the continent of Ceilar and the surrounding islands. The lesser, draconic gods were worshiped by the scaly folk and, of course, the great dragons. The outsiders were gods considered apocryphal or are not part of the core pantheon, but that still found worshipers on Tanicus.

Since the Third Incursion of Kaos and the awakening of Io, the primordial mother of the greater gods, the pantheon of Tanicus suffered an unprecedented upheaval, resulting in a complete restructuring of not only the pantheon, but of the very method of worship in the world. The deities were re-aligned into the greater gods -- those original deities that survived Az's attempt at usurping the heavens --, the intermediate gods, and the eidolons, powerful demigods that serve as intermediaries for the other deities.

The new purpose of the elder gods is the maintenance of the universe, focusing on keeping the laws of the cosmos in check. No longer served by clerics, their memory is kept alive in the monasteries of the world by monks and scholars. They are separated from Tanicus by Io, the Earth Dragon, and interact with the mortal world solely through the intermediate gods and their eidolons. The intermediate gods, on the other hand, serve to maintain the higher, more abstract concepts of existence in the mortal world. Their agents in the world are their paladins, serving to enforce the very nature of being.

Finally, the eidolons, divided into the saints of light, thains of balance, and vhails of darkness, are a collection of lesser gods and demigods that serve as intermediaries between the gods and the clergy. Sometimes worshiped as individual entities, sometimes as groups of similar ideals, they are the beings that directly empower clerics and priests of the realm. The eidolons are all formerly mortal beings chosen by the gods to serve their roles as the paragons of one or more specific ideals, concepts, or pillars of reality.

Clerics **must** share one aspect of their eidolon's or eidolons' alignment(s) that is not in opposition to the other aspect. For example, a cleric of Kellen, the Wise (a Lawful Good staint) could be Lawful Good, Neutral Good, or Lawful Neutral. Chaotic is in opposition to Lawful and Evil to Good. Good-aligned deities do not accept Evil clerics.The greater gods are beyond the concept of good and evil, and are generally seen as existing outside of the concepts of mortal morality, though they are generally thought to work in the best interest of the universe.

## The Greater Gods

The greater gods do not directly empower clerics,
their focus being on the maintenance of the multiverse and the world in which
mortals live their lives, rather than meddling in mortal lives, themselves.
Instead, they are venerated and their faith kept alive by the monks of the Five
Spires, a monastic order found across the continents of Tanicus, once separated
but now merged into a collective of different capabilities.

The
Way of the Five Spires includes monks from each of the following traditions:
the four elements, the open hand, the long death, the sun soul, the warding
soul, and the winter wolf. The open fist is also known as "the core"
and the other five traditions are collectively called "the spires."

Other monasteries exist on Tanicus
dedicated to intermediate gods or eidolons. Most prominently, the way of shadow
monasteries in Korvis are dedicated to Catira, the goddess of evil impulses,
monks of the way of the dunken master venerate Brom, the eidolon of brewing,
and there are traditions among the Rakasta known as the So (open hand), Shino
(shadow), and Kenso (kensai). There are also hidden monasteries around the
world dedicated to worship of some vhails, the eidolons of evil.

* Bilé, god of darkness and death
* Emanyn, god of weather and the seasons
* Io, the Earth Dragon, goddess of the world
* Roan, god of civilization and progress
* Seane, god of light and life

## The Intermediate Gods

Among
adventurers, the intermediate gods are primarily venerated by paladins. While
they do have clerics, the role of their clergy is to serve in cities and at
their temples. It is the purpose of their paladins to go out and carry out
their purposes into the larger world. Because Io's direction was that the
intermediate gods should focus more on maintaining the balance of the mortal
world and less on meddling with it, adventuring clerics among their adherents
are very rare and almost always acting against the will and direction of their
church.

* Arwin, goddess of Law that protects (LG)
* Caradoc, god of Law that oppresses (LE)
* Catira, goddess of malice and evil impulses (NE)
* Cymber, goddess of chaos and chance (CN)
* Myrddin, god of redemption and good impulses (NG)
* Riva, god of balance and the Weave (N)
* Saegan, god of history, knowledge, and memory (LN)

## The Eidolons

A collection of
minor gods, demigods, and former mortals who led eventful lives, the eidolons
wield power granted to them by the elder gods, serve as emissaries of the
intermediate gods, and in many cases serve as successors to the dead gods,
managing the portfolios that their absence left behind. Some of them were
granted that power for righteous lives or deeds, others for embodying the
ideals of their portfolios, and still others were powerful enough to seize
power for themselves.

The eidolons are
grouped into three sub-pantheons: saints, thains, and vhails, depending on
their moral tendencies. Saints are those eidolons that serve the light, aligned
towards the achievement of the greater good. Thains are the eidolons of
balance, embodying the portfolios that exist in the middle or beyond the
concepts of good and evil. And the vhails are the eidolons of shadow,
exemplifying the deplorable and granting power to those that would spread
darkness and chaos.

## Eidolons: Saints

* Aeana, patron saint of curiosity and freedom (LG)
* Bahamut, father of metallic dragons, patron saint of guardianship and protection (LG)
* Cyrilalee, patron saint of friendship and companionship (LG)
* Daelen, the phoenix-lord, patron saint of rebirth and vindication (NG)
* Gliscorin, patron saint of gem-cutting and insight (NG)
* Hlal, patron saint of humor, storytelling, and hope (CG)
* Ilfanwyn, patron saint of inspiration and the arts (NG)
* Kellen, the Wise, patron saint of righteousness, charity, and mercy (LG)
* Novis, patron saint of strategy and tactics (LG)
* Portir, patron saint of travel, roads/rivers, wind, and messengers (CG)
* Tamara, patron saint of longevity, health, and healing (NG)
* Valarian, patron saint of purity and romantic love (LG)
* Yondalla, patron saint of fertility, family, and security (LG)

In Kaeryn, the eidolons Bahamut, Kellen, and Novis are known as "The Three," and are celebrated as the Hand, Voice, and Hammer of Arwin, respectively.

In Kaeryn, the eidolons Aeana, Corellan, Cyrilalee, Hlal, and Valarian are known as "the Joys" and celebrated as the patrons of those things that bring peace and happiness to the common folk.

## Eidlons: Thains

* Astilabor, patron thain of commerce, wealth, and travel
* Brandobaris, patron thain of stealth and self-reliance
* Brom, the godfather of Gnomes, patron saint of brewing, ale, and perseverance (LN)
* Chronepsis, patron thain of time, ancestors, and prophecy
* Dumathoin, patron thain of mining and exploration
* Eshara, patron thain of storms and thunder
* Inessa, patron thain of arcane magic and the Weave
* Laera, patron thain of destiny and adventure
* Lendys, patron thain of nature and wild places
* Leira, patron thain of mystery and divination
* Lethik, judge of the dead, patron thain of the dead and judgment
* Moradin, patron thain of craftsmanship and blacksmithing
* Rillifane, patron thain of hunting

In Kaeryn, the thains Laera, Leira, and Inessa are known as "the Sisters," and are venerated as the patrons of adventurers.

## Eidlons: Vhails

* Abbathor, patron vhail of fear, dread, and darkness
* Chemosh, patron vhail of nightmares, madness, and the Unknown
* Falazure, patron vhail of corruption, decay and entropy
* Firvaal, patron vhail of destructive impulses, primal rage, and indulgence
* Garyx, patron vhail of avarice, destruction, and pillaging
* Golgarion, patron vhail of apathy, gluttony, and sloth
* Gruumsh, patron vhail of aggression, savagery, and violence
* Lolth, patron vhail of hatred, envy, and vengeance
* Nacrol, patron vhail of treachery, subterfuge, and insincerity
* Phaedra, patron vhail of extreme climates, wildfire, and natural disaster
* Raask, patron vhail of poison, pestilence, and famine
* Tiamat, mother of chromatic dragons, patron vhail of arrogance, tyranny, and conquest
* Ullestra, patron vhail of vanity, obsession, and lust

The three vhails Abbathor, Chemosh, and Nacrol are sometimes worshipped together under the name of "the Asylum of Despair."

## The Dead Gods

* Az, the All-Seeing Eye
* Annwn, the Dark Lady
* Dyanae, the Storm Queen
* Faylinn, the Stern Teacher
* Fergus, the Master Craftsman
* Kaos, the Primordial Wild
* Nephys, the Plague-Bringer
* Qord, the Vile Betrayer
* Tulani, the Great Mus
* Siyri, the Blessed Lady
* Un, the Primordial Balance

## The Outsiders

* the Demon Princes
* the Dukes of Hell
* Ungolthra
* the Elemental Lords
	+ Akadi
	+ Grumbar
	+ Istishia
	+ Kossuth

## Cosmology of Tanicus

* The Cosmology
	+ Æden
	+ The Astral Plane
	+ Baator
	+ Celestia
	+ The Elemental Planes
	+ Elysium
	+ The Ethereal Plane
	+ The Feywyld
	+ Gehenna
	+ The Great Forge
	+ The Mists
	+ The Opheleum
	+ The Pit
* Evil, defined - the Four Great Sins

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