Pantheon

Many people in the world of Delve believe that gods exist.

Swearing by the Gods (plural) is pretty common, as well as thanking them. More rarely in the story are specific gods mentioned by name specifically.

## Theories and beliefs

Gods might be ascended mortals. The first generation of gods are El and Rekzakurax, representing order and chaos. The second generation includes Karum, Dystees and Samahleah, while the third generation rose from humanity after Rekzakurax broke El's order. Fourth generation-gods rose after the founding of the Majistraal.

Each god surveys their own aspect, or domain. Depending on who you ask, there are hundreds of gods, but those of the first and second generation are considered as the most important ones.

Some do believe that people are deified when they reach Level 100 or above, as Jamus once mentioned. Most people think this is superstition. Warden Vatreece professed her belief that gods may die, like she believes Karum did.

## Practices

There has been extensive meddling by priests in the past, who tried to stomp out any beliefs that contradicted their own truth. This has lead to the current obscurity of the God's origins. Eventually, the Ellish Dogma took hold in most of the world, which presents the idea that everyone can become a God, if dedicated to the church's teachings and leveling up high enough.

As of the 31st century, priests representing the gods are present in many locations, although there has been no mention so far of grandiose places of worship. If those do exist, they may be open to the sky. Vestvall apparently had just one priest of El, while the gods were hardly ever mentioned by name in Fel Sadanis were the people apparently weren't that much into them.

During religious ceremonies such as weddings, Gods get to be impersonated by priests or alternatively laypeople who dress up with regalia representing that god. Veils obscures the face of the god-actors, to establish that they merely play a role. Attendees of the ceremonies are expected to appear in their day-to-day attire.

## Known Gods

* **El, god of order** and seen as the head of the pantheon in most places.
* **Rekzakurax, god of chaos**, a dark god of rage and destruction, presiding over a Hell named after him. That hell is called **Rek's Pit** for short.
* **Dystees, goddess of light**.
* **Karum, god of the craft.**
* **Samahleah, goddess of procreation**. Her symbol is a ship, and her color is silver. Religious belief has it that the lewd goddess is present during sex, and that she rewards worthy women in her domain with getting pregnant. The cult of Samaleah's Fire takes this belief quite literally. Hegar swore by her "bounteous tits".
* **Me'ke** the Shrike, god of swordfighting and birds, a third-gen god. One of the gates in the Eastspar Guild's arena is named after them.
* **Ember**, unknown fight-related domain. Likely the patron god of the thus-named country in Rellagia, also one of the Eastspar Guild's arena gates is named after them.

The next entities have not been confirmed in their status as gods, but may assumed to be gods:

* **Lix**: an entity supervising a Hell, named "The Waste"
* **Annaret**: shaped like a humanoid monster/sex goddess with ram-like horns, scales all over her body, fangs, and razor-sharp talons.
* **Melo**: known only from "Thank Melo", uttered by Citizen Northharbor
* **Leeka**: the main god(dess?) of officer Sana, referenced twice within short time

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Chapter 181
2. ↑ Chapter 52
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapter 206
4. ↑ Chapter 101
5. ↑ Chapter 134
6. ↑ Chapter 178
7. ↑ Chapter 127
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Chapter 215
9. ↑ Chapter 139
10. ↑ Chapter 171
11. ↑ Chapter 94
12. ↑ Chapter 203