Deities

## The Beginning

In the beginning, there was Hūn. Hūn was said to have been created among the cosmos, for the cosmos. Adrift in nothingness, Hūn’s existence was unknown and without purpose, for there was nothing but Hūn. Hūn was curious, curious of the purpose of his life and of the lives of any who may be. The cosmos was a mystical place, and Hūn thought it unfit to be experienced alone. So it was then that Hūn created the seven Celestials.

## The Seven Celestials

Hūn began by crafting **Shonak**, the Iron Orb, and **Ericia** the Dawnstar. Close to his warmth, Shonak and Ericia were pristine and warm. But life would not grow there. This saddened Hūn. If he were to share the cosmos, it could not be with them. Hūn then created the twins **Shar’ha, and Shar’yen**, far from him where they would not be tarnished from his warmth. But they grew cold, and were always distant. This too saddened Hūn, as the twins began to experience the cosmos together, without him. He wanted this feeling as well. Hūn made **Marhan the Red**, and his sister **Lunestr, the Evening Star**, closer this time. The siblings warred with each other. Marhan was fierce and angry, but was too Lunestr soft and caring to fight her brother. He chased her across the sky, and they too were preoccupied with one another. Hūn was alone still. Hūn was saddened by his inability to find purpose, and he shed a tear. This droplet tumbled through the cosmos, passing the iron hills of Shonak and the light of Ericia, before resting between Marhan and Lunestr. Seeing their creator so saddened caused pause in their bickering, and Lunestr breathed hope and Marhan whispered determination into the orb of water, iron, light, and darkness. Hūn was joyed to see what his creations had done for him, and bathed this orb in his warming light. Hūn and his cosmic children had created **Ahrd**, the first world.

## The Chaos of Life

Though all powerful, Hūn was unable to create this new world without the help of his children. What else might he be able to make with the help of others? He breathed life down into the soil and the oceans of Ahrd, creating Chaos of Life. Docile plains existed one minute, and were ravaged by firestorms the next. Hūn’s wanton creation of all things was painful for him to bear, but he knew all things as they were, and knew to create more he would need more. This chaos reigned for many years, and again, Hūn grew sad. What must he do to have the company he craved?

## The First Wife of Hūn

Longing to console their father, the cosmic bodies of Ericia and Lunestr came to comfort him. The twin stars of the sky were drawn to its sun, and it was not long before they began to resent the company he spent with the other. The daughters began to fight over Hūn’s attention, and it ravaged the Lands of Ahrd. Hūn saw this and became worried at the state of his favored creation, and demanded they stop. He cared for all of his children, but the creation of Ahrd was the purpose he had craved for his entire existence. But they would not relent. To settle the dispute, Hūn called for a race between the two of them. They would circle the realm of Ahrd sixty times, and she who came back to Hun after the task would complete would enjoy his company for eternity. Though Ericia was fierce and determined, the grace of Lunestr could not be matched. While Ericia had a loving relationship with her brother Shonak, the constant war of love and hate with Marhan had left Lunestr with the strength to finish her task, and the determination to leave him and join Hūn forever. Ericia was angered in her loss, and wanted nothing more than to share her days with Hūn, and his Ahrd. She vowed to return and defeat Lunestr when she had the strength to do so. It was so, and the Dawnstar joined Marhan in the outer cosmos to learn to defeat his sister, showing herself on Ahrd to challenge Lunestr once every year. Lunestr has joined Hūn in the protection of Ahrd, and watches over the realm in his absence. In a short time, Lunestr birthed the first son of Hūn, whom they named Titus.

## Titus, the World Whale

This strange creature brought Hūn much joy. After long last, his joining with Lunestr had given him renewed hope, as the Whale Titus plunged into the oceans of Ahrd and calmed the tides. Though the storms persisted, strange begins began to emerge from hiding all across Ahrd. Now able to drink from the rivers, and travel the seas, he witnessed these beings invent tools, create homes, and wage wars. They loved, they lost, and they died, and it was beautiful. Life had sprung from life, thanks to the goddess Lunestr and their son Titus. Hūn was enticed by their society, and ventured down to live among the people every night from now until eternity.

## Magic, and the Races of the World

Hūn soon realized that the cosmic power he breathed into this world created more than just life. Magic had sprung into being. The magic and prayers of these people had created other beings like him. The death of these people led to spirits seeking purpose after life. Hūn sympathized with the plight of all of these beings, as he felt these feelings in his existence.
The first of these people were the Elves. Living in archipelagos and large island areas towards the southern areas of Ahrd, the Elves were the most advanced race that had settled Ahrd. The magic in the soil there was rich, and the Chaos of Life had granted them immortality and a deep understanding of the world around them.
The next was the race of Dwarves, who were said to have dug up from the deep Ahrden earth to settle in hilled and mountainous regions in the east of the world. Though not immortal, the magics of the world had granted them long life, and a hardy resistance to the elements and magics.
The Humans were the last of the civilized races created in the Chaos of Life. Average in every way, their spirit is what gave them the strength to survive the times before Titus, and the wisdom to thrive afterwards. They have been the architects of the future of Ahrd, and are those who shape it to this day.
Since then, other races have begun to settle in small corners of the world: Halflings, Orcs, Trolls, Dragons... as well as the various plant and animal life of the world. Many of these were a product of Hūn’s breath, and some were created by the influence of others in the world. Some have been birthed by darker powers, but few can trace their lineage definitively to the creation of all things.

## Recent Memory

Since then, the celestial bodies have begun to rest. Marhan has sheathed his axes, and Ericia’s hair blows no more. They have rested to join with their new sister as planets as well, and await the ending of all things.

## The Seven Wives and Seven Sons

The tales of Hūn are many, and vary from region to region. The most common tales told are his exploits in the world of Ahrd, of his Seven Wives and Seven Sons and how he and they shaped our world.

### The Seven Wives of Hūn

#### Lunestr, the Evening Star

The goddess of the night, the moon, and Winter. Lunestr was one of the first celestial bodies created by Hūn, and fought with her sister Ericia for the love of Hūn. It is said she watches over Ahrd at night, when Hūn leaves his throne in the heavens to mingle among its people. The first and the least jealous of his wives, she encourages his philandering, and the ebb and flow of all things that stem from it.

**Worship**: Lunestr is rarely worshipped, as she is a passive goddess. The night and the Winter are shunned by crop and animal farmers. Worship of Lunestr is typically adopted by priest orders in the northern realms.

**Symbol**: The crescent moon, eclipsed by a starburst.

**Son**: Titus, the Whale.

#### Gefh, the Huntress

The goddess of animals, the hunt, and survival. Gefh was a nymph created in the earliest Chaos of Life. Of Elven origin, she was the first to discover the magic breath of Hūn in the elven isles. Before Gefh, Hūn was unable to differentiate between the many species of fauna across Ahrd. It is said that upon meeting the Nymph, Hūn was fearful of her ferocity and attempted to kill her. She could not be caught by him, no matter what his tactic, and he soon began to admire Gefh. It was when their hunt turned to play that they fell in love and sired a son. She taught him of the animals of Ahrd, the tools men and elves made to grow their kingdoms, and in return he granted her the immortality she deserved as the goddess of the hunt.

**Worship**: Gefh is traditionally worshipped among the elves and in many of the less civilized areas of Ahrd. Sacrifice to her is typical, in the form of a small wild animal, but never livestock. Fanatical devotees of Gefh will defend their realms with bow and spear and the fervor of the native animal hunters within.

**Symbol**: A north-facing spear, growing antlers from the middle of the haft.

**Son**: Jaal, the Warrior.

#### Leah, the Maiden

Goddess of love, fertility, and the Harvest. Leah was the human daughter of a farmer in the region that became Valoren before the first of its Kings rose. Hūn came across her as he was travelling downriver, and witnessed her scrubbing the dirt from the linens of her family. Unnaturally beautiful, Hūn fell deeply for her, and desired to be with her forever. At first, she refused. Knowing she had a family, Hūn expressed the desire to buy her from her father, who rejected and struck Hūn. Hūn offered them endless summers and bountiful harvests, to which they still refused. Hūn was distressed at her need to have the woman, but his inability to sway her. It was then that Hūn discovered love. For once, he was not motivated by the ability to create or exist, but for his heart’s need to be with Leah. He offered a year of service to her family, to tend their fields by the day, wash and cook by night, and spend an hour each night to learn more of this woman, and profess his love for her. Once the year was up, Leah revealed that she did want to be with him, but suspected he was indeed Hūn, the Warming Sun, and did not know if they could be. He blessed her with immortality, and invited her to live among him in the heavens forever.

**Worship**: Leah is most commonly worshipped at the Temples of Leah across Valoren. Typically her name is invoked during weddings, but old livestock is typically slaughtered at the beginning of a Harvest or upon discovery of pregnancy, and this will be prepared as a meal for the family that night. A plate must always be set for Leah to receive her blessing.

**Symbol**: A robin’s egg.

**Son**: Sorin, the Scholar.

#### Fortuna, the Trickster

The goddess of luck and fortune. In his journey through what would be known as Khii, Hūn came across a small riverside port, annexing a forest. His human form weary from travels, Hūn decided to visit the inn at port. He found it to be a small waystation for nearby traders, and inside were a dozen farmers, hunters, and fishermen playing rounds of dice games. The innkeeper rejected his gold and his silver, having no need for such materials in pre-dynasty times. But a woman offered to play him for it. Taking his hand and leading him to a table, she placed several dice in a cup and offered it to him. The stakes for losing would be his wealth, and the stakes for winning would be a room. Hūn shook his cup and placed it on the table. Unbeknownst to the woman, Hūn cast a spell to land the most favorable roll. When the cups were removed, it was shown that she had won. Shaking his head in disbelief, Hūn demanded a second chance. Again casting his spell, he failed for a second time. He rose in anger and accused the woman of cheating. She shrugged, and asked how he could know she was cheating, when the dice they cast were unknown to them before their cups were lifted. Words escaping him, she laughed at his anger, and conceded to him, granting him a stay in her room. She revealed to him in her chambers that she was aware of his antics, as he was aware of hers. In a moment of respect for each other’s guile, Hūn allowed himself to relax and bed the woman. He awoke the next day without a belonging to his name, save a small papyrus note marked with the scarlet ink she wore on her lips.

**Worship**: Worship of Fortuna is rare, and her name is more commonly invoked by thieves, pirates, and gamblers in desperate plea for luck. There are brothels and schools of street magic that have shrines to Fortuna, but are rarely blessed by the goddess herself.

**Symbol**: A loaded die.

**Son**: Lucas, the Spite.

#### Auros, the Doe

Goddess of nature, Spring, flowers, and art. It is said that Hūn was awoken by Auros in his first Spring on Ahrd. Resting from his journey, he fell asleep against a rock in a fierce snowstorm. He slept for many weeks before the snow began to thaw. Blessed by the magic in the Chaos of Life, it was the half-doe, half-human girl who would venture from forest to forest to wake the flora and fauna that slept during Lunestr’s long winters. A tap from her finger woke the moss on the rocks, a fidget of her tail bloomed the flowers from the frost. She was startled when Hūn woke from a bank of snow, but saw the wonder in his eyes as the world he created was birthed again before his very eyes. It is said that his long nights during Lunestr’s winters are spent with Auros, in anticipation of the Spring to come. When Spring finally breaks, the jubilant Hūn leaves Auros to spend more time in the heavens, joyfully gazing down on the world becoming green once more.

**Worship**: Auros is heavily worshipped in the Elven Isles, and among less civilized peoples, prayed to for a short winter and longer days. She has also had a resurgence of worship within modern cities, with the practices of art and floriculture becoming more popular.

**Symbol**: A blooming rose.

**Son**: Agni, the Dragon.

#### Wuri, the Storm

Goddess of thunder, wind, and snow. Wuri is the first of Hūn’s wives to approach him for favor. Wuri was one of very few survivors from a coastal village, and recognized him upon his arrival and prayed that he help. Reluctant to meddle in their affairs, he was saddened hearing her tale. The village was constantly beset by storms, leaving few alive in the summer seasons each year. Scavengers and beggars, her people would never be free without a means to control their fate. Wuri was granted this power by Hūn with a heavy heart. Embracing him in joy, she took him into their village and spent many moons with him, learning of the history of their world, and the cosmos above. Hūn was quite taken by Wuri, but needed to leave to continue his journey. His vessel away from the island was visited by Titus, his first son and the god of the Sea. ‘Do you know what you have done, father?’, he spoke. Hūn shook his head. He saw the pain in the eyes of the great whale, who looked backwards towards the island. They were in ruins, lightning and rain decimating the adjacent villages. “The human was filled with anger. An anger towards those they needed to beg and borrow from. Humans were not meant for this power”. Hūn knew his son was right. Taking a godly form, he hastily returned to the island and calmed the storms. But the damage Wuri caused was already irreversible. He cursed her, to live with the pain and anger she had caused, and for their child to be split between the worlds of Gods and Men for all time, or until she learn humility and love for the people she once lived among. Hūn vowed to never again grant a living being the powers of the gods, and Wuri’s wrath continues till this day.

**Worship**: Wuri is prayed to for storms to abate, but traditionally only when prayers are not answered by Titus. Desperate sailors or port towns may sacrifice one of their own, when words to Titus fall on deaf ears.

**Symbol**: The jagged bolt of lightning.

**Son**: Medios, the Horseman.

#### Yaga, the Crone

Goddess of old magic, associated with chaos, and curses, and undeath. Yaga was the last of Hūn’s wives, and her story begins at the rise of the Valoren nation. During the reign of the first King Vincian, Hūn arrived at his keep to witness the rise of the first kingdom of Ahrd. Unlike the elves of the southern isles, Vincian ruled his nation by his word alone, but allowed a council to advise him on the state of the land. Hūn requested a seat on this council for just a single night, and with some cosmic influence swaying the King, it was allowed. Listening in on the council proved to Hūn that Vincian was a just king, but a member of his council was worrisome. Known only as Yaga, Hūn approached her to inquire as to her mysterious motives, and which of the Valoren people she represented. Over tea, she provided only vague answers and twisted the conversation to always learn more about Hūn then he did about her. When he was frustrated at her games, she offered to provide any answers to any questions he had, would he bed her and grant her a son. He obliged, and from her bed she told him of her plot. Though he had worries that she would attempt to manipulate the King, her goal was in actuality, to manipulate Hūn. She knew who he was, and was deeply gifted in the magical arts. With the son of a cosmic being, she could deepen her ties to the cosmic realm and with her magic, bind herself to the soul of any magic user who prayed for her gifts of power. Though Hūn was relieved that his Ahrden children were not in danger, it was with time he realized the thorn that Yaga would become, and the raw evil that inhabited his final son.

**Worship**: Yaga is not openly worshipped, but many mages and sorcerers turn down the dark paths of Necromancy and Witchcraft. She is prayed to and bargained with in secret, and this practice is outlawed in many nations.

**Symbol**: The shriveled hand.

**Son**: D’kar, the Demon.

### The Seven Sons of Hūn

#### Jaal, the Warrior

God of war, nobility, honor. Originally an elven deity, Jaal was the natural counterpart to Gefh. Though at the time, the elven people lived in peace, it was the arrival of Jaal that caused the rift in their people. Now, they live in the forests of Adhren under the worship of Gefh, or the Isles of Eldiri under the worship of Jaal. Since the division of the elves, Gefh and Jaal have both left the isles. Where he strode into battle, shrines to Jaal began to grow. One of the most widely celebrated Sons of Hūn, his deeds are told throughout Ahrd. Attempting to bring honor to the name of his father, he has melded warring nations, defeated tyrants, and slain dragons, though he cannot mend the rent in the Elven people. Though it can be impossible to know the truth behind such claims, this rarely stops knights from shouting his name at the height of a charge.

Worship: The worship of Jaal is very popular and open in most cultures. The most common deity of Knights and Barbarians, worship rarely extends beyond a toast or words to the heavens on the eve of battle.

Symbol: A downward facing sword, encircled by a simple crown.

Mother: Gefh, the Huntress.

#### Sorin, the Scholar

God of knowledge, literature, and wisdom. Legends say that Ahrd had not heard nor read a word until they were spoken by Sorin. The love and emotion that Hūn poured into wedding Leah was born into Sorin, and in turn, created a man brimming with knowledge and academic rigor. He invented the book, song, and the school, and was said to have pushed the realms of men from the ages of darkness to the age of enlightenment.

Worship: Sorin is invoked in nearly every academy in Valoren, and is the chief deity of magicians and wizards across the realm. It is a known practice that learning as an act is akin to praying to Sorin, but this will not stop a prayer from a student before an exam, or a praise from an alchemist making a discovery.

Symbol: The open book.

Mother: Leah, the Maiden.

#### Lucas, the Spite

God of lies, deceit, and treachery. Would Fortuna know what her son would have become, she may have left Hūn’s gold in his pockets. While Fortuna delights in the random chance of games, bets, and luck, Lucas enjoys only the despair that it brings others. Lucas will visit shrines to Fortuna only to bless them himself, tricking gamblers into losing their homes and families. A bored Lucas will see him sneaking into Valorean camps to rig their handguns to misfire, and their clockwork swords to malfunction. Fortuna has spent many years attempting to even the odds against her son, to even the playing grounds in the events he seeks to corrupt.

Worship: Few are foolish enough to worship Lucas directly, but may ask his help in deceiving or cheating someone else. If Lucas answers, however, the price for the prayer will be great.

Symbol: The sharp-toothed grin.

Mother: Fortuna, the Trickster.

#### Titus, the Whale

God of the sea, tides, and safe voyages. The most benevolent of Hūn’s sons, it was Titus who first calmed the seas and allowed life to flourish on Ahrd. Titus wanders the seas, helping those born by its waves to their destination, regardless of their intent. Titus frequently croons to his mother Lunestr, and can be heard by many a wanderer and sailor. And he wars with his aunt Wuri on the coastal towns of Eldiri and Valoren. He is a tireless Son, and always favored of Hūn.

Worship: Titus is a favored god in coastal towns, who care little for a bountiful harvest and more for a safe passage. Sacrifice of fish, or the last catch of the day is a common occurrence to feed the Worldwhale, but there are few chapels or shrines to his worship.

Symbol: The whale.

Mother: Lunestr, the Evening Star.

#### Agni, the Dragon

God of stone, metal, mountains, mining, and artifice. A very reclusive god, Agni dwells within the Mountains of Shonak in the east. Like his mother, Agni is a creator. But where she creates life, art, and song, he creates weapons, stone edifice, and fortresses. He taught the realms of Ahrd about fire, and smithing and creation after. The first swords and shields were passed from his hands to the Elves of Eldiri, and the dwarfs and dragonkin of the mountains were raised from tribes of nomads with his help. There are some who even believe he was the first of the Dwarves, who stayed on Ahrd to guide his children.

Worship: While rare in much of the world, the Dwarves and Dragonkin of Shonak are fervent believers and worshippers. Branding, scarification, and body modification are all used to show devotion to his creed.

Symbol: A vertical hammer, bisecting an anvil.

Mother: Auros, the Doe.

#### Medios, the Horseman

God of passage to the afterlife, the ferryman, prowler of battlefields and graveyards. Medios lives a cursed life. Through no fault of his own, the deeds of his mother Wuri have condemned him to walk between worlds. He cannot interact with those outside of the world of the dead, and the gods of the heavens and afterlife. A somber existence, he is commonly depicted riding a pale horse, a decrepit carriage, or a rotted ferry. Souls that encounter Medios are judged by a heart unburdened by the worries of gods and men, as dead in tone and bias as a corpse. Those that are judged worthy to join Hūn in the heavens are permitted passage, and those that are damned are ferried to the underworld, into the slavery of D’kar.

Worship: Outside of morbid cults, the most common nods to Medios are ebony coins carved with the likeness of a skull and a horse. Two of these are kept by men expecting death, in an attempt to bribe the Horseman into a favorable judgement, and are found most often by mercenaries, and other men with questionable consciences and dangerous lines of work.

Symbol: The skull and the horse.

Mother: Wuri, the Storm.

#### D'kar, the Demon

God of blood sacrifice, debtors, prison, and the Underworld. Frequently, tales are told of the innocence of the world before the birth of D’kar. There was war, famine, and death, but the horrors of men now make even the most average life full of fear. It was D’kar that first demanded blood sacrifice, a practice used in misguided religious gatherings and by wayward kings across the land. He was the first to whisper of slavery, prison, lending and debt-collection: all horrors made by men and perpetuated at the promise of profit. And when these tortured souls and evil men die, they are condemned to an eternity in D’kar’s service. Though his power grows every day, D’kar’s motives are purely self-serving: he seeks not to overthrow or topple the world order, but only to delight in the pain and suffering of the creations of his father.

Worship: Only the darkest hearts worship D’kar, and though he cares little for the worship, he welcomes the atrocities committed by those that pay him tribute. Due to his nature, sacrifice and slavery are common methods to gain his favor, as are self-mutilation by various slaves, convicts, and debt-prisoners to turn his eye to their plight.

Symbol: The jagged dagger.

Mother: Yaga, the Crone.

## The Celestials After Ahrd

### Ericia, the Dawnstar

The Blood Moon, the Dark Star, the Princess of the Dawn.

## The Forgotten

In the darkest corners of Ahrd, there is speech of other gods, as old as Hun, but forgotten. They spin tales of they being the creators of all, or defeated by Hun and locked away, but as time passes, slowly, their influence creeps out to infect those awakened to their existence. Do the other gods even know of the Forgotten? Or will their eventual uprising be the downfall of they, as well as we? For they are gods of nothing, and live only for themselves - and those that want for nothing but themselves have often proven the downfall of men.

### Y'nnorith, the Black

Y'nnorith is said to be imprisoned at the bottom of Titus's great blue, the oceans of Ahrd herself. Some adherents of the Black even say that Y'nnorith is Ahrd herself, and that her awakening will crack the very land they call home. Y'nnorith's followers meet in dank, sunken places: flooded temples to Wuri or Tidus, sewers, and coves. The deeper they sink into adherence, the more they resemble the creatures of the deep: growing suction cups, gills, tentacles, and scales. Covens that have been infiltrated or dismantled often seek powerful artifacts of other sea gods to feed to Y'nnorith, hoping one day he will awaken and cleanse Ahrd of its filth.

## The Afterlife

Many cultures view the afterlife in a different light, some of which are highlighted below:

#### The Sevenfold Path

Within the lands of Men, it is believed that the Son you follow is the path that you will take in death. The followers of Jaal become his golden angels, the followers of Medios work as his mediums in the veil beyond… and those that work the dark deeds of D’kar are damned to his realm of demons for all of eternity.

#### The Eternal Starlight

The northern lands of Khii have a different view of the afterlife: believing less in the realms that cannot be seen, but in the heavens above. They believe that all of the dead, if they live a good life as good men, they are reborn as a star. Families form great constellations, and whether or not they can be seen from the peaks of Khii are relative to their deeds in life.

#### The Land of the Ancestors

The southern tribes of the Shonak and the men of Mutar are not religious in the traditional sense, and view the gods as existing beings that have impacted our world and should be respected as such. Because their respect is such an anchor for their people, they believe that when the spirit dies, it meets with the best and greatest of their ancestors, dating back to the Chaos of Life. Gods are great, but family is above all else.

#### The Worldpyre

The Dwarves are already a fanatical people, so it is of little surprise that their view of the afterlife too is extreme. It is said that those that have devoted the most to their god, the Iron Serpent Shonak, will be reborn as an egg in his great clutch. As the sin and hubris of Hun grows, his light will shine brighter and brighter, and when the heat of his ego bathes the iron eggs of Shonak, his faithful will be reborn as iron dragons, and bathe the world in cleansing fire. Sin will die and only the faithful will remain.

#### Oblivion

The elves are the only race to have truly died and been reborn, through their experimentation with profane magicks. Their findings have led them to a deep fear and somber understanding of the afterlife: there is nothing. When the body dies, the spirit can be captured and its energy and emotion twisted into spirits, demons, or other monsters that serve the gods, but the truth is that they who have died, no longer exist. The elves share little of this with those they travel to teach, and it is many elves that may unlearn or ignore these facts or refuse to teach their peers, as the burden of this knowledge weighs heavy even on them.