Temples and Gods

The Three Great Beings together created the universe of Asteria and all that is.

**Yan the Creator, the Wheel of Light**

Yan is considered female and is depicted as a giant wheel of light and energy, perfectly circular and with many spokes, spinning somewhere out in the nothingness. As the Wheel constantly turns forever, specks of light and energy fall away and travel throughout the universe, creating matter as well as patterns through any existing matter, to form everything that is. Yan created the Overworld and embodies it. Yan represents love, light, joy, creativity and, among mortals, the pursuit of closeness to other beings.

**Rho the Void, the Destroying Dragon**

Rho is considered male and is depicted as a giant black dragon, with the Underworld being his domain. Rho is bigger and more ferocious than any creature in existence. He is able to create and manipulate shadows of any size, simply with his dark presence and massive wingspan. The Dragon also breathes a great, black fire which instantly destroys anything in its path. Rho represents death, greed, darkness, destruction and, among mortals, the pursuit of absolute power.

**Kef the Storm, the Eternal Wind**

Kef is considered genderless and is depicted as a massive tornado or cyclone. Kef is known as the wind and force which constantly flows through all of existence, creating motion and affecting everything, including the state of the universe itself. Kef is the creator and master of the Otherworld, a neutral plane of passage between the Underworld and the Overworld. Kef represents time, balance, change, chaos and, among mortals, the pursuit of self-realization.

**Creation and Existence**

There are essentially three divine forces at work in the realms, though each could be called by a variety of names and each has its own domain. In the most simple terms, the forces could be described as light (Yan), darkness (Rho) and change (Kef). Rho is believed to embody the Underworld and all darkness, while Yan emanates the Overworld and its many creations, as Kef, of the Otherworld, causes perpetual change throughout all of existence. Although some fanatics would claim otherwise, it is generally understood that The Three have not made themselves readily visible to mortals since the time of creation itself.

**Planes of Existence**

The Overworld refers to the realms of the living and light in Asteria. The oceans, the skies, the land, and every living creature, all of Yan's creations make up the Overworld. Yan is the Great Being of the Overworld.

The Underworld is a boundless ocean of darkness where all fallen souls find themselves after death. Sometimes, for different reasons, souls can drift beyond the Underworld Gates, leading into the deeper regions, where terrifying creatures are said to roam. Rho is the Great Being of the Underworld.

The Otherworld is a neutral plane between the realms of the living and the dead. This is where many souls travel through in order to be reborn in the Overworld, by passing through some bodies of water. Kef is the Great Being of the Otherworld.

**Temples and Followers**

The mortals who identify as spiritual believers most commonly worship all three of the Great Beings in some shape or form, respecting and appreciating what each brings to creation. This faith is known as the Temple of the Three, and their beliefs are the Teachings of the Three. There are also temples throughout the realms where one Being has been chosen and is worshiped as the greatest. Rhojidan, for example, is a city said to be founded on the site where Rho first came into being, and today it's home to the largest Temple of Rho.

**Venyvera the Gatherer, High Priestess of the Three**

Venyvera was a half-elven priestess who joined and deserted the Temple of Yan and then the Temple of Kef, before going on a spiritual journey and then establishing a new temple upon her return. This was the first Temple of the Three. Venyvera was dubbed The Gatherer for bringing together the separate faiths of the Three and combining them into one, and also for gathering countless lost souls and bringing them to the Teachings of the Three. As punishment for her desertion, she was executed by radicals from the Temple of Kef, who also destroyed her temple and prevented anyone from resurrecting her. Shortly after her death, the dwarves built a Temple of the Three in her name in the underground city of Brunmar. Today, Venyvera the Gatherer is remembered in texts and honored with statues throughout Asteria.