Deities & Religion

The existence of deities is undeniable in the Astral Reach. Their influence is felt in every corner of the Material Planes; their most devoted followers gain mystical and powerful abilities as rewards for their faith and for living according to their patron deity's wishes, and they have also been known to speak directly to many people in visions and dreams. There are few atheists or agnostic persons in the Reach (and those few are widely considered lunatics or liars), but even so, not every person in the Reach is devoted to a religion.

Scientists, Theologists, and Arcanogists have studied and experimented for centuries to ascertain the true nature, scope, and powers of the deities that govern the pantheon, as well as the rules that govern their existence, with little success.

## Cosmic Forces and Dimensions

Science, magic, and divine-granted insight offer no explanation for how the biggest foundational rules of the cosmos were set in place, or why they seem to be universal constants. Collectively as "The Cosmic Forces", these concepts govern reality as the denizens of the Reach know it, and while their behavior can be observed, it cannot be explained.

* Gravity --- A force which attracts objects with mass to each other. The greater an object's mass, the greater its pull.
* Electricity --- A force which can be harnessed using magnetism or magic to transmit energy along a suitable, conductive material.
* Magnetism --- A force which attracts or repels attuned objects - more specifically, aligning them to a "field".
* Magic --- A force which can convert matter to energy or vice versa, controllable using conscious thought and conductive materials. It can also harness or simulate all three other forces.

Most individuals know of these deities, but seldom pray directly to them. In most religions, the Cosmic Forces are seen as founts of power, from which lesser (but still very powerful) deities draw their strength.

## The Gods and their Sparks

Deities draw their power from their own Divine Sparks - shards of what scholars theorize must be the true essence of magic itself. Due to their nature, deities can destroy and consume one another if given the chance, and in these cases the survivor adds the other's spark to their own. No spark energy is ever lost.

Just as sparks can combine, they can also be split. Often deities grant tiny fractions of their sparks to their servants, and even to very faithful followers. For example, every demon in the Hells has a tiny fraction of a spark, which grants them their immortality and power. The same goes for every angel and every elemental, and indeed all the immortal creatures of the planes.

## Religion

Because of the nature of deities and sparks, the pantheon is always changing, albeit slow by mortal reckoning. Civilization changes with it; cults rise and fall with the rise and fall of their masters, and religions often shift so the new gods inherit the name and depiction of the old ones. Few people in history have ever met one of these gods in person, so it is hard to say whether the gods truly reflect what their worshipers believe. Despite this, observation and records show that deities, like mortals, have a defined alignment. Some gods act in selfish, destructive ways, while others consistently act justly and compassionately.

Often small cults and communities spring up and die down surrounding the worship of "demigods" or "lesser gods". These beings have a fraction of the power of a true deity, but are still more than capable of influencing the material planes and rewarding faithful followers with gifts and abilities.

In mortals, religiosity is widespread because most gods answer the prayers of their faithful with signs, visions, and blessings of supernatural power. To a god, followers are very valuable, as tools that can enact the god's will. In numbers, such tools can help a god achieve their goal of a higher state in the consumption of other spark-fractions. These followers rarely understand the greater plot that a god has, but they have faith that their god's designs will serve them or their moral values in the end.

## Commonly Worshipped Gods

These are widely known deities that have a strong following in the Astral Reach. This is by no means a complete list, but it may be of use to players for inspiration, reference, or popular deities.