The following is a (brief) history and overview of the many gods in the pantheon of the Ferroverse setting. These are not ALL of the gods, and their history is condensed to the extreme. It is also simplified, as no mortal can fully understand what it means to be divine. Even once a spirit has left its mortal shell, the spirit may be among the divine, and of the divine, bit is not divine itself.
In the beginning, there was nothing and everything. All that had been of the last existence was but a single point, a spec of creation from the death of everything. In the first moment of the new world, Deleth spoke himself into existence, and with him, creation. In that exact same moment, split from the point of nothing, was Zanduchi, to mark that existence would come to an end as it always had. As time and memory had not yet come to be, these two gods were unaware of themselves, let alone each other.
Deleth is considered to be the father of everything. He spoke himself and the universe into creation, as well as the first of the gods. His form is unknown and unknowable, as he existed before the concept of form and life. With words and voice, he speaks the universe into being. As time had not yet been spoken into being, it is hard to judge the order of things, but it is widely accepted that he came to the realization of self. And with that, he felt a loneliness, and spoke to being others. He is called the king of the gods, as he rules the others with respect and fury in equal measure.
Of the first of his creations was Bianis, considered his queen and second in what would become known as the Court of the Gods. Bianis is the goddess of life itself. And with life comes form and shape. She is often depicted in the form of a bear. She is often associated with hospitals, particularly maternity wards, as she is also considered to the the mother of all gods. However, many of her devout do not like this, as she is not the god of birth or fertility.
Next was Demok, god of thought and knowledge and memory. Often seen in the form of a fox, he keeps record of all things from the moment of his spoken creation. Later depictions show him as the curator of a vast library, filled with books, tomes, and scrolls with all history written. The likeness of a fox with a book is often used in libraries, both physical and online. Many universities also use depictions of Demok among their symbols and crests.
The trickster god Thenitas came soon after this. With the depiction of a wolf, he brings joy and mischief, levity and trickery, and cunning above all else. While not counter to Demok, he takes great delight in upsetting the fox with lies and falsehoods. Patron god of thieves and liars, Demok is also known as the most cunning of the gods, and many among the less fortunate worship him. Beggars and thieves, and any who live on the streets or in the underworld of society. This has given him a somewhat negative reputation, but not by all. He is also the god of inventors, alongside Demok's knowledge, the cunning of Thenitas must be used to see new perspectives and angles of the known to make something new.
With knowledge, life, and cunning, soon comes conflict. And with it, Ket, the goddess of war. More accurately, the goddess of opposition and conflict. Whenever there is a difference of opinion, Ket is there. With the form of the lioness as her common symbol. Worshiped and feared in equal parts by soldiers. But Ket is not a cruel goddess, and opposes violence for the sake of violence. War and conflict must serve a purpose beyond the act itself, at least in her eyes. And yet, many weapon manufacturers use her symbology in their signatures and logos, from blacksmiths of old to gunsmiths of the modern era, and many armies likewise also use her symbology.
With life and form comes nature. Anima Natura is the goddess of nature. With the form of a buxom, motherly doe, she holds sway over the natural world. Often seen as the god of trees, her sphere is much broader than that. All manner of plants, fungus, instects, wildlife, and even bactera and moss. Everything that makes a forest green, an ocean team with life, and even deserts thrive. Often thought of as a kind goddess, she is also known to be harsh to those that would corrupt nature. There is a saying of old, that one must respect mother nature, for her anger makes other gods tremble.
With life and nature comes death. While not the god of death itself, the god of the dead is Mors Lucis. With the form of a wolf with black fur, he presides over the spirits of those that have died. Considered the caretaker of the dead and ruler of the realms of the dead. Often feared by the living, yet he has little interaction with them. He seeks not to kill, or for mortals to die. Those that meet him known him as kind, almost fatherly. While he is the ruler of the dead, and the realms of the dead, he only stakes his claim to one section of the afterlife, having given others to every other god, letting them all have a place for their devout followers. His primary job is simply to keep the spirits within the afterlife. It is widely thought that Mors Lucis and Anima Natura are a couple, opposites married, but unable to see each other in all but the most extreme of times.
Yendor was the first god to be born, instead of spoken into being. Son and daughter of Deleth and Bianis, they are the god of birth and beginnings. Their aspect is that of a bear cub, both male and female simultaneously. While not the god of fertility, they are often worshiped around maternity wards, and are considered to be the protector of children. It is said their birth also marked the birth or creation of the god of love, and the two are often seen depicted together, along with Deleth and Bianis as parents.
The god of love is the wild rabbit Ginasis. Shown as a man with a wild nature, as love and passion can often boarder on insanity and fixation. Ginasis is often thought of as erratic, throwing stones (or grains of rice in some depictions) to strike at random any in the way, marking them with the curse of love and infatuation. The depiction of stones and scars is shown that love can strike suddenly, and leave pain in its wake. Yet those marks remain for all time, and in many cases, are not unwelcome. Gems are stones, and thus why gemstones used among lovers to signify their binding to each other.
Jatal is the goddess of magic. Born of an argument between Thenitas and Demok, and Ket's intervention. She is considered the daughter of all three. As Ket was involved in the argument, she found their petty argument childish, and spat between them. Of this spit sprang Jatal, clever and knowledgeable, but wild and violent, the source of magic. Her form is wild and untamed, often depicted as elemental, be it storms or water or a raging fire. While the modern world has no knowledge of magic, a secret kept hidden from the public eye, she is the patron of the secret world of the magi. Through her, mages are able to tap into the raw element of creation and destruction. And yet there are forms of magic that even she did not create, a testament to the cunning and perseverance of mortals... in in some cases, the blasphemy of mortals.
At last, we come to Zanduchi, most nebulous of the gods. As they were split from Deleth at the moment of creation, their origin predates even Demok and thought. A god of balance in all things, but primarily known as the god of death. Ruler of the act of dying and killing. Yet somehow, paradoxically, also the god of fertility, the act of creating life. This is the nature of balance, but often misunderstood. Among their devout, Zanduchi is considered the god of mortality itself. It is through the act of fertility, and eventual death that mortals mark their existence. Without death, life would grow unchecked. Without fertility, it would never begin at all. Zanduchi also holds the aspect of the hunt, something gained through taking the domain of another onto themselves after proving that gods, too, can die. Their form is ever-shifting, yet most depict them as both masculine and feminine in the extremes, usually in the shape of a doe, but with skeletal features and bone-like antlers.
Gods and Death
It is possible for gods to die, though not an easy task. Beyond the purview of even the most powerful of mortals and mages. Thus far, only a dozen gods have ever died. Yet even the concept of death for a god is not the same as for a mortal. When a god dies, their domain does not end. Instead, the essence of the god is bound to another god, often the one that slayed them. In this way, gods grow more powerful, gaining more responsibility. Yet the act of a god killing a god is not taken lightly. The first god to die was Venarta, goddess of the hunt. Challenging Zanduchi to a fight, she lost and was killed by the god of death. Zanduchi used this to show the gods that such a thing was possible, and took the aspect of the hunt upon herself.
Unknown to the gods, this is the fate of all of them. As the universe starts to spin down, the gods were start to lose their power as mortals dwindle in number. Zanduchi will be there to ease them to their end one by one, taking their aspects into herself. In the end, only Zanduchi and Deleth will remain, and their origin will be known to them both. Once of the same being, they will again join at the moment of the universe's end. And in doing so, create a new reality, splitting from the speck of nothing to begin again, with no knowledge of the past.
Gods and Necromancy
Necromancy is not a magic created by the gods, but one purely of mortal minds, as it would take those that fear death to corrupt the very thought of it. It is considered one of the highest blasphemies among the gods. Even among those of death, it is considered a corruption of their aspects. It is unknown how the magic first came to be, but there are theories among the gods (more on that later).
To Mors Lucis, it is robbing the spirits of the fallen from their resting place. Using perverse magics to steal those under his care. To Jatal, it is a corruption of her gift to mortals, used not in honor of the gods, but to spite them. To Anima Natura and Bianis, it is a corruption of life, being unlife and unnatural. To Zanduchi, it is of the highest offense. The act of death is beautiful. Necromancy is undoing the beauty of death, spitting in the face of the natural end, and unbalancing the world of the living.
Most gods hold similar views, and there is no god of necromancy, despite some inventions by mortals. Zanduchi is the most active against necromancy. Her followers, devout, and champions are tasked with rooting out and eradicating necromancers and the undead. Yet she is not fully heartless, and understands those struck by necromancy are often not at fault. Ghouls, zombies, unbound spirits, and even some vampires are to be pitied, and granted the death and rest they were denied with kindness.
The only exception are those being punished by banishment from death, a favorite punishment of Mors Lucis. This is not considered to be necromancy, but instead a divine judgment. Denial of death is also a gift Zanduchi gives to her champions, allowing them to reject their deaths and continue to serve, with the understanding that one day, they will willingly accept death and join her embrace in the afterlife.
Gods and the Afterlife
Mors Lucis is the god of the dead, and as such, rules over the realms collectively known as the afterlife. They are plains of existence within the godly realm beyond that of mortals. Every god has such a realm, made specifically for those that followed them in life. Each is suited to their followers and their aspects in some way. And each has their own variation of a punishment within this realm for those that wronged them. Every god rules over their own heaven and hell, with Mors Lucis residing as gatekeeper of it all.
Among the realms, there is a collective realm for those that did not worship, often called limbo. It is devoid of pleasure and punishment, and is more of a void that spirits are left within. Those that had no faith have no afterlife, yet they had spirits. There is also a collective among the realm for those that truly worked against all the gods, the ultimate hell for the spirits of those that wronged creation itself. Though it is often considered to be a part of Deleth's afterlife.
The shape and nature of each realm can also shift for each spirit inside it, punishment or blessing.
When a god dies, their afterlife is combined with the god that also took their aspect. It is unknown what happens happens to the spirits when Zanduchi and Deleth rejoin at the end of existence. Possibly all the spirits that ever lived and died cease to exist, or possibly they are scattered to be reborn anew, much like the gods themselves. As thought and knowledge stop existing in the moment of renewal, only theory can speculate.
Gods and the Multiverse
Ever reality has its own gods. Most are similar, or even the same, yet they are not the same god. No god rules over multiple realities at once. Afterlives and godly domains are more akin to pockets within the same reality. So if one were to be able to walk between timelines, they could encounter iterations of the same gods, much like they could encounter iterations on the same people. The same, yet different.
However, as with all multiverse theory, the farther away from a point of reference, the more variations emerge. A different god may rule the same aspect as the one the traveler is familiar with. There may be aspects that the traveler never knew, and some aspects they knew simply not existing in the first place.
The gods are aware of the multiverse, but cannot travel between. The act of crossing between realities is considered unnatural, something that should never be done, as it can lead to instability between realms and realities, and introduce unknowns into a universe that cannot be dealt with, much like an invasive species. Demok theorizes that necromancy may be one such invasive thought, brought to their reality from another where it may have its own deity.
Court of the Gods
To mortals, the collective of the gods is often referred to as the Court of the Gods. However, among the gods themselves, it is something else. The court does not meet regularly, only when a matter of great import requires the views of many.
It is the ruling body, comprised mostly of the first gods, who are considered to be the most powerful. Deleth sits as king and ruller, with Bianis as his queen. Demok sits as council and adviser, historian and record keeper. Thenitas sits as challenger to reason, offering opposition and often playing devil's advocate to add a new perspective. Ket sits as war leader, encouraging the debate between the views. Anima Natura sits and represents life, while Mors Lucis sits to represent the dead. Finally, Zanduchi, who is rarely welcomed and often feared by the other gods, sits as the quiet observer that rarely offers much to any debate. When Zanduchi does add something, it is almost never challenged, though not for fear, but simply that she does not speak unless required.
Decisions made by the court are absolute among the gods. Matters such as the existence of new magics, incursions from other realities, or even the birth of new gods may cause a meeting. One such meeting was about Zanduchi, and it was here that Vanarta challenged and lost, her seat going to Zanduchi. Another such meeting is where necromancy was decided a blight on reality, to be stamped out wherever possible. Yet at the same time, another ruling said that gods cannot directly intervene in the lives of mortals. It is by this ruling that gods have champions.
The devout and champions of gods
Every god has worshipers. They gain influence among the mortals in this way. Some are public, some are secret, but all have some form of 'church' or religion around them. Yet they all make sure that they do not deny other gods, even if they are opposed to them. This is a ruling from the court.
Another ruling from the court is that gods cannot directly effect the lives of mortals. With only a few notable exceptions. Devout followers may be granted boons, and the most devout may be ordained as champions. Champions are allowed a portion of power from their god, often given powerful magic, extended life, or other such blessings in exchange for their service. Most champions are also marked in some way, be it a change in color to their skin, fur, or scales, or additions such as antlers where they would have none, or tails that are not of their original species, or unique eye patterns.
The other exception are those punished directly by the gods. Exceptionally rare, those that work against a god directly can be punished by the god. Though most often this sort of punishment is given to those that desecrate the land dedicated to the worship of the god. Most often, punishment is to be dealt by champions, as that is their purpose. But in the cases of a champion turning against their patron, or other extreme cases such as burning of temples or blasphemy within temples, specific punishments may be given out by the god. This most often takes the form of sickness or deformities, but may be more extreme, such as blindess, or cutting off access to magic. The most extreme punishment is banishment from death, forcing the punished to exist far beyond their years, and suffer through life, seeing any and all attachments fade and die around them. Once the punishment is considered atoned, they may be allowed to finally die and be welcomed to the afterlife.
Not really a story so much as an infodump. I've talked about the court of the gods before, but this is a more detailed thing about each of the main gods, magic, their opinions, how they work, and so on. It's simplified, of course, as I'm not going to sit and write a whole damned bible or something. Even I'm not THAT insane. But it should be a nice little about and reference for everyone (and myself) of any major deities I mention in my stories.
Now, this specifically is the pantheon for my main setting (The one with Noxumbra and D-gen), but it is also almost unchanged for most of my settings, such as The Republic of Pekia, The Novaverse, The Astraverse, and so on.
This is also the kind of thing that I post to my SubscribStar every sunday. See below for more info! ^_^
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Good loredump! I especially liked seeing how different gods and goddesses in a pantheon are represented in a modern setting, their likenesses making their way into iconography, institutions, and corporate branding.
Good loredump! I especially liked seeing how different gods and goddesses in a pantheon are represen
It is an important thing to consider with worldbuilding. And we see it in today's modern world, too. Hermes and the winged sandals for messenger or delivery services, the lightning bolt of Zeus is the universal sign for electricity, we still say Hades when talking about a hell-like area (though it should be Tartarus to be more accurate, but cultural drift is also a thing)
It is an important thing to consider with worldbuilding. And we see it in today's modern world, too.
And the rod of Asclepius being used as a symbol for health and healing. I guess they're just so prevalent that they become background noise. It really takes someone pointing them out!
And the rod of Asclepius being used as a symbol for health and healing. I guess they're just so prev
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