A digression on terminology
Alright, this is going to get a little weird. For the sake of familiarity, people who are granted divine favor and a small amount of power in exchange for service to that god are called clerics. Put what you know about clerics out of your mind. They’re not a pure support class that only ever heals the party. Depending on the god that you pledge yourself to, you can be anything from a scrying lightning user to an undead-turning warrior of justice. They are very rare, since the gods are quite busy doing something beyond Earth, and don’t have much power to spare. Clerics of any degree of power, of any god, are one in a hundred thousand people. And at any time, each of the Five True Gods has an avatar on this earth, that seeks out great evil and uses their body as a conduit to smite it with the full power of a god. They don’t live very long.
Clerics are voluntarily granted these powers by one of the Five, or more rarely by a major spirit. Although they can be priests, they don’t need to be, and may have little to no knowledge of actual scripture. They are able to communicate with their patron god, at first vaguely and through emotions, and later through speech and thought. They must always abide by the moral code of their patron, and will never be caught off-guard by an accidental breach (they get a head/stomach-ache whenever they so much as consider breaking the code).
About the Gods
The Gods of Man did not create the world. They are not omnipotent, although they are the biggest fishes in the pond that is our solar system (but not far beyond). They were once humans of great virtue who were empowered by Osis, the cosmic being that actually made (or rather, remade) the world. They were given the task of shepherding humanity towards virtue and against vice, and each stands in opposition to one of the five Devils. Their interests are always those of humanity in the long run.
Tubul (too-bull) - God of Death and Justice, the Wise and Terrible
Commonly depicted as a muscular nude man, with a face-covering helmet. He is shown with a bloody sword in his left hand, and in his right hand he holds a medallion or charm. Statues and paintings depict him in black.
Tubul is the god of death and justice, patron deity of all honorable combatants, (soldiers, knights, gladiators, honorable mercenaries) and judges. He shepherds human souls to an unknown, but surely peaceful and benevolent afterlife.
His enemies are dishonorable warriors (dishonorable mercenaries, bandits, traitors), criminals and necromancers. His nemesis is Baal, Devil of Deception.
Priests of Tubul often serve as judges and arbiters within nations. They have no direct connection to Tubul, but know intimately the extensive moral and penal precedents set in scripture.
His clerics are commonly called Justicars. They have a direct connection to Tubul and his wisdom. They are called to service to solve particularly thorny moral and legal problems. They don’t have all the answers, however. When dealing with problems without clear morals, such as political disputes, they have no comment. Though they are sometimes offered official positions, most Justicars wander from place to place, knowing that Tubul will guide them to their next trial.
They have the deep respect, though not always the liking, of all people, as death speaks through them. In times of great crisis, Justicars are known for deputizing people, from farmers to town guards to whole legions against a common foe. They are martial combatants, experts in their chosen weapon and style. They have literally no fear of death.
It is also their duty to deal with the undead. Creatures such as revenants, mindless raised flesh, are put down immediately. Other undead, such as ghosts are more sympathetic, and Justicars may actively quest to finish their unsolved work. For their perversion of the natural order, necromancers are hunted and executed with great prejudice.
The ultimate goal of a Justicar is to be selected as a Reaper. If they have served with true talent and zeal in life, they are offered the option of continuing their service in death. As Reapers, they track and recover the most wicked and elusive souls, such as those of liches.
Saris (sare-is) - Goddess of Sky and Storms, the Diviner
Commonly depicted as a woman in flowing robes wearing a blindfold. She is shown with bolts of lightning in the left hand, lifted upwards, and a crystal ball in her right hand held over her stomach. Statues and paintings depict her in light blue.
Saris is the Mistress of the skies, patron of astronomers, diviners, soothsayers and prophets. She seeks the truth of the world, reveals the secrets of the cosmos and serves as an intermediary between the earth and the stars.
Her enemies are false prophets and destroyers of knowledge: book burners, those who impede teaching and dishonest soothsayers. Her nemesis is Flauros, Devil of Wrath.
Her priests are often librarians, teachers, philosophers and natural philosophers, especially astronomers. They follow their goddess’s example in studying both their world and the beyond.
Her clerics are questing scholars who search for hidden knowledge. Whether deciphering ancient texts or exploring ruined cities, their hunger for discovery is insatiable. They often step on the toes of those who would much rather such secrets remain. Attempts to bribe them rarely work, unless you are willing to give up another secret.
Saris is often considered first among the gods, since she is the contact between the mortal world and the beyond. As such, her clerics are responsible for dealing with spirits and creatures of outer origin.
They have the ability to scry objects and people, and even see flashes of the immediate future. They are often adept with bows and have wind and lightning magic at their disposal.
There are grand mysteries which the followers of Saris have been invested in solving for centuries. Most notably, the true origin of the earth and the means to travel the cosmos have been the subject of research and study as long as recorded history.
Karn (karn) - God of the Sea and Secrets, the Keeper
Commonly depicted as a stout man bearing a spear and a sea lotus. Statues and paintings depict him in dark blue or turquoise.
Karn is the god of the sea, secrets, sailors and guardians. He governs the open water, from grand lakes to the oceans, which are the resting places of hidden and secret things.
His enemies are seekers of dangerous and forbidden knowledge, betrayers of trust and spies. His nemesis is Zagan, Devil of Treachery.
His clerics, though they have their own sects and groups, are commonly called ‘Keepers’. Though followers of the water god, they keep temples and monasteries in many secluded places, such as high mountaintops, dark caverns and, some rumor, at the bottom of the oceans. Their mission is to secure and protect the most dangerous knowledge and artifacts in the world, only destroying them in the most dire circumstances.
His priests often seclude themselves in the same monasteries, aiding the Keepers’ work.
His worship is most common on the coasts, where fishermen and sailors are protected, unless they search for the hidden things that are safe on the ocean floor. His name is also invoked to hide secrets, bind people in an oath, and for protection from the horrors that lie in the dark and deep settings of the world.
If you need to hide an artifact of tremendous power, prevent forbidden knowledge from spreading, or seal a terrible evil away, call upon the followers of the sea god. They are everywhere. And if they throw something into the sea, don’t be offended. There is no place safer.
Tayv (tayf) - Goddess of Life and Fertility, the Gardener
Commonly depicted as a homely woman carrying a quiver of arrows and extending a hand outwards. Statues and paintings depict her in light green or gold.
Tayv is the goddess of cultivation, gardens, birth and motherhood. She is the patron of healers, midwives and farmers.
Her enemies are those who would harm children and the defenseless and destroyers of crops. Her nemesis is Astaroth, the Devil of Poison.
Her priests preach her word while serving as physicians, surgeons, midwives and orphan-wardens.
Clerics of Tayv fall into two camps. They may be wandering mystics who travel from town to town, maintaining the physical and spiritual health of the people; or they may be Rangers, traveling into the wilderness to explore, tame and civilize it. Tayv is not the goddess of the woodland or of nature, but of human life and the sown earth.
Her worship is found everywhere, but is strongest in rural areas, where her priests are pillars of the community and centers of town life. She is at once the giver of life and the purifier. Fire is a favored tool of her clergy.
Jalla (yah-la) - God of Dreams and Magic, the Mad Sage
Depicted as a wizened man in a long robe carrying a walking staff and a large book. Statues and paintings may show him in red, white, purple, blue or orange, as artists can’t seem to agree on a single color scheme.
Jalla is the god of dreams and magic, guide of mages and sorcerers. His enemies are nightmares, insanity, and the people who bring them into the world. His nemesis is Andras, Devil of Madness, although some scholars believe that the two have a more dual relationship.
Jalla is the strangest and least worshiped of the gods. However, his acolytes make up some of the most influential and powerful individuals in the world. He has no priests, clerics or scripture. Instead, he has the grudging respect of magic-users, for he was the first of them. He receives the prayers of artists, inventors, mystics and wizards, all of whom ask for inspiration.
This inspiration comes in their sleep, chaotic, unpredictable and unreliable. But those who manage to parse the dream-signs can access a sliver of a god’s unbounded creativity. The most willful of his followers can take control of their own dreams, explore them, and unlock the great potential that exists within the human mind.
In recorded history, there exist five mages so powerful that they uncovered the secret of magic, virtually becoming gods in their own right. They have been called to the personal service of Jalla, and are rarely seen back on Earth.
Many believe that dreams exist in a physical place, and that it is possible to enter it while awake. It is called the Faery, and is the home of the Fae (can be used as either singular or plural, also called Faeries, literally “of the faery” and sometimes misspelled ‘fairies’). Like dreams, the land and people of this place are mercurial, capricious and incredibly strange. They are caught in a tug of war between the creative energy of Jalla and the maddening nightmares of Andras.
Alright, this is going to get a little weird. For the sake of familiarity, people who are granted divine favor and a small amount of power in exchange for service to that god are called clerics. Put what you know about clerics out of your mind. They’re not a pure support class that only ever heals the party. Depending on the god that you pledge yourself to, you can be anything from a scrying lightning user to an undead-turning warrior of justice. They are very rare, since the gods are quite busy doing something beyond Earth, and don’t have much power to spare. Clerics of any degree of power, of any god, are one in a hundred thousand people. And at any time, each of the Five True Gods has an avatar on this earth, that seeks out great evil and uses their body as a conduit to smite it with the full power of a god. They don’t live very long.
Clerics are voluntarily granted these powers by one of the Five, or more rarely by a major spirit. Although they can be priests, they don’t need to be, and may have little to no knowledge of actual scripture. They are able to communicate with their patron god, at first vaguely and through emotions, and later through speech and thought. They must always abide by the moral code of their patron, and will never be caught off-guard by an accidental breach (they get a head/stomach-ache whenever they so much as consider breaking the code).
About the Gods
The Gods of Man did not create the world. They are not omnipotent, although they are the biggest fishes in the pond that is our solar system (but not far beyond). They were once humans of great virtue who were empowered by Osis, the cosmic being that actually made (or rather, remade) the world. They were given the task of shepherding humanity towards virtue and against vice, and each stands in opposition to one of the five Devils. Their interests are always those of humanity in the long run.
Tubul (too-bull) - God of Death and Justice, the Wise and Terrible
Commonly depicted as a muscular nude man, with a face-covering helmet. He is shown with a bloody sword in his left hand, and in his right hand he holds a medallion or charm. Statues and paintings depict him in black.
Tubul is the god of death and justice, patron deity of all honorable combatants, (soldiers, knights, gladiators, honorable mercenaries) and judges. He shepherds human souls to an unknown, but surely peaceful and benevolent afterlife.
His enemies are dishonorable warriors (dishonorable mercenaries, bandits, traitors), criminals and necromancers. His nemesis is Baal, Devil of Deception.
Priests of Tubul often serve as judges and arbiters within nations. They have no direct connection to Tubul, but know intimately the extensive moral and penal precedents set in scripture.
His clerics are commonly called Justicars. They have a direct connection to Tubul and his wisdom. They are called to service to solve particularly thorny moral and legal problems. They don’t have all the answers, however. When dealing with problems without clear morals, such as political disputes, they have no comment. Though they are sometimes offered official positions, most Justicars wander from place to place, knowing that Tubul will guide them to their next trial.
They have the deep respect, though not always the liking, of all people, as death speaks through them. In times of great crisis, Justicars are known for deputizing people, from farmers to town guards to whole legions against a common foe. They are martial combatants, experts in their chosen weapon and style. They have literally no fear of death.
It is also their duty to deal with the undead. Creatures such as revenants, mindless raised flesh, are put down immediately. Other undead, such as ghosts are more sympathetic, and Justicars may actively quest to finish their unsolved work. For their perversion of the natural order, necromancers are hunted and executed with great prejudice.
The ultimate goal of a Justicar is to be selected as a Reaper. If they have served with true talent and zeal in life, they are offered the option of continuing their service in death. As Reapers, they track and recover the most wicked and elusive souls, such as those of liches.
Saris (sare-is) - Goddess of Sky and Storms, the Diviner
Commonly depicted as a woman in flowing robes wearing a blindfold. She is shown with bolts of lightning in the left hand, lifted upwards, and a crystal ball in her right hand held over her stomach. Statues and paintings depict her in light blue.
Saris is the Mistress of the skies, patron of astronomers, diviners, soothsayers and prophets. She seeks the truth of the world, reveals the secrets of the cosmos and serves as an intermediary between the earth and the stars.
Her enemies are false prophets and destroyers of knowledge: book burners, those who impede teaching and dishonest soothsayers. Her nemesis is Flauros, Devil of Wrath.
Her priests are often librarians, teachers, philosophers and natural philosophers, especially astronomers. They follow their goddess’s example in studying both their world and the beyond.
Her clerics are questing scholars who search for hidden knowledge. Whether deciphering ancient texts or exploring ruined cities, their hunger for discovery is insatiable. They often step on the toes of those who would much rather such secrets remain. Attempts to bribe them rarely work, unless you are willing to give up another secret.
Saris is often considered first among the gods, since she is the contact between the mortal world and the beyond. As such, her clerics are responsible for dealing with spirits and creatures of outer origin.
They have the ability to scry objects and people, and even see flashes of the immediate future. They are often adept with bows and have wind and lightning magic at their disposal.
There are grand mysteries which the followers of Saris have been invested in solving for centuries. Most notably, the true origin of the earth and the means to travel the cosmos have been the subject of research and study as long as recorded history.
Karn (karn) - God of the Sea and Secrets, the Keeper
Commonly depicted as a stout man bearing a spear and a sea lotus. Statues and paintings depict him in dark blue or turquoise.
Karn is the god of the sea, secrets, sailors and guardians. He governs the open water, from grand lakes to the oceans, which are the resting places of hidden and secret things.
His enemies are seekers of dangerous and forbidden knowledge, betrayers of trust and spies. His nemesis is Zagan, Devil of Treachery.
His clerics, though they have their own sects and groups, are commonly called ‘Keepers’. Though followers of the water god, they keep temples and monasteries in many secluded places, such as high mountaintops, dark caverns and, some rumor, at the bottom of the oceans. Their mission is to secure and protect the most dangerous knowledge and artifacts in the world, only destroying them in the most dire circumstances.
His priests often seclude themselves in the same monasteries, aiding the Keepers’ work.
His worship is most common on the coasts, where fishermen and sailors are protected, unless they search for the hidden things that are safe on the ocean floor. His name is also invoked to hide secrets, bind people in an oath, and for protection from the horrors that lie in the dark and deep settings of the world.
If you need to hide an artifact of tremendous power, prevent forbidden knowledge from spreading, or seal a terrible evil away, call upon the followers of the sea god. They are everywhere. And if they throw something into the sea, don’t be offended. There is no place safer.
Tayv (tayf) - Goddess of Life and Fertility, the Gardener
Commonly depicted as a homely woman carrying a quiver of arrows and extending a hand outwards. Statues and paintings depict her in light green or gold.
Tayv is the goddess of cultivation, gardens, birth and motherhood. She is the patron of healers, midwives and farmers.
Her enemies are those who would harm children and the defenseless and destroyers of crops. Her nemesis is Astaroth, the Devil of Poison.
Her priests preach her word while serving as physicians, surgeons, midwives and orphan-wardens.
Clerics of Tayv fall into two camps. They may be wandering mystics who travel from town to town, maintaining the physical and spiritual health of the people; or they may be Rangers, traveling into the wilderness to explore, tame and civilize it. Tayv is not the goddess of the woodland or of nature, but of human life and the sown earth.
Her worship is found everywhere, but is strongest in rural areas, where her priests are pillars of the community and centers of town life. She is at once the giver of life and the purifier. Fire is a favored tool of her clergy.
Jalla (yah-la) - God of Dreams and Magic, the Mad Sage
Depicted as a wizened man in a long robe carrying a walking staff and a large book. Statues and paintings may show him in red, white, purple, blue or orange, as artists can’t seem to agree on a single color scheme.
Jalla is the god of dreams and magic, guide of mages and sorcerers. His enemies are nightmares, insanity, and the people who bring them into the world. His nemesis is Andras, Devil of Madness, although some scholars believe that the two have a more dual relationship.
Jalla is the strangest and least worshiped of the gods. However, his acolytes make up some of the most influential and powerful individuals in the world. He has no priests, clerics or scripture. Instead, he has the grudging respect of magic-users, for he was the first of them. He receives the prayers of artists, inventors, mystics and wizards, all of whom ask for inspiration.
This inspiration comes in their sleep, chaotic, unpredictable and unreliable. But those who manage to parse the dream-signs can access a sliver of a god’s unbounded creativity. The most willful of his followers can take control of their own dreams, explore them, and unlock the great potential that exists within the human mind.
In recorded history, there exist five mages so powerful that they uncovered the secret of magic, virtually becoming gods in their own right. They have been called to the personal service of Jalla, and are rarely seen back on Earth.
Many believe that dreams exist in a physical place, and that it is possible to enter it while awake. It is called the Faery, and is the home of the Fae (can be used as either singular or plural, also called Faeries, literally “of the faery” and sometimes misspelled ‘fairies’). Like dreams, the land and people of this place are mercurial, capricious and incredibly strange. They are caught in a tug of war between the creative energy of Jalla and the maddening nightmares of Andras.
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