The Mythos of Aerune
The mythos of Aerune is primarily divided into two groups:
The gods who dwell in the heavenly gardens of Auralis recognize the god Aradach as their sovereign lord. These gods are known as the Ordained, and are the only gods recognized by the Church and the Inquisition.
The foul gods of the Black Court reside in the Labyrinth of Oeruin, forever exiled from the gardens of Auralis, and are debased before the Tyrant God Azerial.
Outside of the Courts lie the Unaligned and the Forbidden gods; gods which either hold neutral alliance with the Courts, or those gods so debased and foul that not even the darkest Court of all will call them their own.
The worship of any gods not of the Ordained is blasphemy, and carries with it a punishment of death for any who do not repent.
The White Court
The gods of the White Court follow Aradach and dwell in the heavenly garden paradise of Auralis. These gods recognize the potential of the Gifted Races, and they seek to guide them so that the Gifted Races will flourish. These gods are approved and recognized by the High Church of the Ordained in Trechele, and their priests have the right to their worship so long as they do not break the law of King or the Church.
"While it is difficult to follow the path of good and righteousness with an unerring step, it is harder still to lead others down that path."
Souls can be lost without guidance, and Aradach provides that guidance through inspiration and his servants. He is the patron of those who would guide others as sovereign rulers, and he is also the god of truth. As ruler of the gods, Aradach must settle disputes, and his word is never questioned. Though few would challenge his wisdom, it is certain that the unquestioned support of Myrkorim provides additional incentive to follow his judgement. Aradach has ruled than none of the gifted races should pay twice for one crime, and thus when one pays for their crimes with their life, they are seen from that point forward as innocent in the eyes of the Ordained.
"Whether you raise a sword against me, or watch the war and do nothing, you serve the darkness in either case."
A war rages across Auralis and Oeruin, and Myrkorim is ever prepared to fight it. He prefers a clean, honorable fight, but he knows the other side fights dirty. Myrkorim has never been bested in personal combat, and the other gods admit, perhaps begrudgingly, that it is Myrkorim's personal prowess and sense of tactics that has kept the host of Oeruin at bay for so long.
"One cannot feed a belly or a soul with virtue alone."
The Lord of Bounty feeds both the flesh and the spirit. He is the patron of material and spiritual wealth, and both merchants and artists pay him homage. Naveril promotes the concept of charity, and the concept that hard work is rewarded. The god does not believe in decadence, and has no patience for those who are lazy or whose greed harms others. Passionate to a fault, he inspires passion in the Gifted Races, and is sometimes seen as the patron of romantic love. It is said that in the darkest moment of the War of Tears, when Myrkorim faltered and Azerial rose above him, that it was the music of Naveril which empowered his spirit and turned the tide of the dark host. He is the god of creative energy, and those who are seeking to create call him for inspiration. In recent times, Naveril has come to be associated with travel and wanderlust and, perhaps most importantly, the freedom to engage in those pursuits.
"Remain pure of spirit, for you must walk the landscape of your soul each night."
As the goddess of dreams, Sereness is responsible for inspiring the gifted to follow their dreams in the waking world, and protecting the dreams of the sleeping. When her sister, Khelvaan, was forced to retreat across the Dreamscape, Sereness was given the task of maintaining that realm against her. The Dreamscape remains divided between the Goddess of Dreams and the Princess of Nightmares, although in recent years there have been rumors of Vespera claiming a place in the Dreamscape. Sereness inspires people to conquer their fears and gives them the courage to create and protect in spite of their fears. She has no patience or love for apathy, jealousy, and envy. She encourages people to find and follow their own dreams, not become obsessed with the accomplishments of others. She is also the goddess of the Hearth, and is invoked to protect children and homes against invaders.
"Have the persistence to reveal the mysteries around you, and the wisdom to know which secrets to keep"
Vespera is the Lady of Mystery, the goddess of both secrets and knowledge. Her priests both reveal secrets that might endanger the Church, and they guard the secrets of forbidden arts that might corrupt the spirit. Her servants are often trained in intrigue, and act as spies and hidden agents who watch the common, merchant, noble folk of the land. Priests of Vespera tend the Veiled Library, a hidden place that holds the dark knowledge which presents a danger to the followers of the White Court. For many years the Lady of Mystery traveled outside of Auralis, gathering dark knowledge, but it is said she has returned from her sojourn and her church has once again joined the White Court, though her return is distrusted by many, most of whom have secrets that they would prefer to remain in the shadows. Priests of the Vesperan church acted to save many folk during the War of the Maw, including the eldest lord of House Rouen, who became a faithful supporter of the church.
The Black Court dwells in the Labyrinth of Oeruin, forever exiled from the gardens of Auralis. The Black Court look on the world with disdain, and see it only as way to satisfy their appetites and to bring them the power to fuel their hatred and spite. The Gifted Races are as puppets and slaves to them, and the Black Court recognizes no potential or glory other than their own.
"The Gifted Races have not the heart nor the stomach to reach their true potential. Only those with the strength and vision to rule can lead them from chaos to excellence."
It takes will and power to build, and those with weak wills and lack of vision threaten the progress of the world. It is the responsibility and right of the strongest to lead the flock to greatness. Each person has their part to play, and Azerial's part is to be the lord and ruler of all. He is the Lord of Oeruin, the Tyrant, and the Dominator. He leads the Dark Gods with an iron will and an unyielding grip. He plans the day when he will once more rule supreme among all the Lords of Aerune, and will not rest until all pay homage to him.
"Everyone, deep down, fears something."
The Princess of Nightmares is the goddess of terror, and she reveals the fears of the Gifted Races and feeds off despair and horror. She has been charged with weakening the servants of Auralis by inflicting such doubt and fear that they fail to act against the Lords of Oeruin. She is loyal to Azerial and, like the Tyrant, she knows the world is in need of true guidance, which the gods of Auralis are unable or unwilling to provide. She also controls the dark side of the Dreamscape, and her creations roam its borders urging and coaxing sleeping spirits away from the Realm of Sereness.
"The world is for the taking, and only those with the proper appetites will be driven to take what they wish."
Murthean is the ever-hungry, a dark god who believes that it is the appetites of the gifted races that drive them to greatness. It is only by seeking indulgence that the Gifted Races may find absolution. Only the desire for what is around them will drive them to change the world, and it does not matter if that change is for better or worse. To Murthean the passion of a soul is a lie, and it is greed that drives all of the Gifted. The greatest show of strength is to pursue those desires and hungers, even if it causes one's own destruction.
"Every being has locked deep inside a primal, savage hunter waiting to be set free."
The Prince of the Beasts is the merciless hunter, and his favorite prey is the Gifted. Wyrlok does not hunt for food or for survival; he hunts for the sheer pleasure of it. He is brutal, and enjoys cruelty and slaughter, but does not always kill his prey. Sometimes he will twist their forms and their minds into rampaging beasts, or fill them with a frenzied desire to kill. Wyrlok is the progenitor of lycanthropes and all sorts of twisted races bent on slaughter and destruction. Wyrlok hates the animal spirits, and takes particular pleasure in killing the Shoathri.
"Wisdom is in the tongue and heart of the fool who laughs at the tragedy around him. Life is a comedy of errors, the blackest humor, for in the end, what else can we do but look on it and laugh?"
The Jester holds a special place in the Black Court. He is able to say things in the court none of the other gods would dare say in the Black Court of Azerial. Xerelos has a biting, sarcastic wit, and he sees the world as a dark joke. He has little concern with the Courts unless he can gain some advantage or twisted amusement from some aspect of the war. He is also the god of disease and deformity, and he is particularly fond of visiting these torments on the Gifted and laughing at their expense.
"All things must die."
Grim and foreboding, Nielus takes no sides in the war. He is the god of the dead, and he oversees the spirits of those who have died. He takes those who have died from age or natural illness, but he will allow those who have died from the hand of another of the Gifted to return to life if their spirit and will is strong enough. Gates to the Realm of death draw the spirits of the dead, and they appear in many places where violent or suspicious death is common. As a result, there are many gates to the Realm of Death in the land of Aerune. Nielus calls none of the Gifted Races as his servants; he is served by mysterious beings called the Reapers. The Reapers carry out the business of their lord, act as his voice, and if need be, act as his hand.
Arasha, Lady of Air
"Gentle and fierce, eternal and ever-changing, the seething elements make up the essence of the world and the Elemental Lords are every bit as chaotic as their namesakes."
Wild, fickle, chaotic and temperamental, the Elemental Lords have inherited the power of the fallen god of the primal elements, Khormed. The Elemental Lords were born when the Prince of Elements could no longer contain the conflicting elements within himself, and he was destroyed from the effort which created his successors. The Elemental Lords grew in power quickly, and without the guidance or teaching of the older lord they became wild and untamed. They often argue among themselves, and take no part in the war unless it will bring benefit to them. The lords have a delicate balance of power between them, and it is common for one of them to aid the enemy of another to prevent a sibling from gaining too much power. The elemental servants of these lords are constantly at war. The Elemental Lords have no priests among the Gifted Races, and they pay little attention to the cults which follow them, unless their own war spills into this realm.
"Each step, each breath, each stroke of the blade or of the pen changes the weave of the Tapestry, and forever affects the world."
Three sisters share the power of the goddess of fate. They appear as three hideous old crones, Ciarda, Fainche, and Sciath. When Arcalia fell in the War of Tears, her power was passed to her three children. They have taken up the tapestry of their mother: one weaves the present, one watches the past for loosened threads, and one prepares the loom for the future. They often switch positions so they remain attentive to their task. All things are recorded in the Tapestry, and only the three sisters may look upon it in its entirety.
The natural world is filled with free spirits; they dwell in the earth and stone, the wind and water, and in the trees and creatures all around us. The boundary that seperates their world from ours is called the Pale. The ways of the Pale are the ways of natural law, of the land wild, uncorrupted and free of the bindings and ravishes of the civilized hands of the Gifted Races.
Before cities, before the Courts and the Gods, there was the Pale - the dwelling place of animal, plant and natural spirits, and of the Three Brothers.
The Three Brothers are the Green Man, who stands for Courage and Compassion, the Grey Man, who stands for Truth and Vengeance, and Lord Oberon, now called the Gold, who stood for Creativity and Passion. Lord Oberon was destroyed long ago by the Fey-Killing Sword, and what remains of his essence is embodied within the unicorns.
The Green is associated with spring, growth, renewal and life. It is the ascending half of the life-cycle of nature, and those who follow the Green seek strength and serenity to guide, teach and remember. The Green Man is the Lord of the Weald; his druids call upon the Sphere of Weald.
The Grey is associated with winter, decay, change and death. It is the descending half of the natural cycle, and those who follow the Grey seek truth and vengeance to protect the natural world and visit retribution against those who would despoil it. It is thought that the Grey Man's followers call upon the Sphere of Gloaming.
The Gold is associated with passion, love, creativity and diversity. It is the realm of the song and rhythm of nature, and those who seek to follow the Gold trust the paths of their heart and passions to lead them along with the natural rhythms of life. There are those who have dedicated themselves to regaining this path, lost since Oberon's death, and they believe it was once linked to the Sphere of Chimera.
The Animal Lords of the Leindrel Elves and the Shoathri also dwell in the Pale. Some are Green, some are Grey, and then there are others who have become corrupted, lost, or who are too far from the basic natures of the Gifted Races to understand fully.
The Leindrel and the Shoathri are marked by the spirit who claims them; the Leindrel bear the green mark of the Forest and the Shoathri bear the red mark of the Blood Hunt. The marks appear on the face, usually indicative of the spirit of their particular Animal Lord.
The commonly known Animal Lords are:
While there are rumors of other Animal Lords (such as Fox, Lizard, Bear, Snake and Hyena), it is exceptionally rare to even hear mention of their names. No player may initially create a character marked by one of these other, rarer Animal Lords.
The followers of the Pale - be they Druids, Shamans, Rangers or Beastmasters - have studied arts, skills and spells that allow them to call upon the aid of the Animal Lords and natural spirits.
Druids, Green or Grey, study magics that nurture and protect nature, and they commune with natural spirits. Rangers learn protection and defense, tracking, hunting and other special skills depending on their nature. Shamans speak with their ancestors and the spirits of the dead, learning magics and wisdom long forgotten. Beastmasters take Animal Spirits as their totems to learn from them the natural skills of predators and hunters. Arch Druids, like High Priests, are leaders and teachers in the Pale community, and posess more advanced experience and learning.
The Green, Gold and Grey each emphasize different teachings, skills and practices.
"It is my divine right and duty to hunt those who are undeserving of the Gifts. None shall deny my birthright or my divine sight."
The Huntress stalks the edges of the shadows, seeking out those who are unworthy of the Gifts. She knows she is alone, but she will not set aside her birthright or her divine sight. Her worship is illegal; her priests are cast out, persecuted, and hunted themselves. Many have left the priesthood, disillusioned or dissuaded by a life of hardship and secrecy. Those that remain carry on her work or pray to her for strength in their own path of vengeance or hunting, always staying one step ahead of the Inquisition and the agents of the Goddess of Mystery.
"The Obsidian Heart resonates throughout the Foul, like the drums of war that call those who are worthy to war against the undeserving."
When the lord of the Obsidian Heart ascended he took for himself the Foul and all of Malediction as his providence. As he stepped into the divine realm, his essence became a host of dark spirits and corruptors rather than a single divine being. His essence manifests throughout the lands like grasping talons. Although many dark spirits carry his divine shadow, the Lord of the Obsidian Heart is the power behind them all. Each corruptor and dark spirit are a set of eyes and ears bringing dark knowledge to their lord.
Aradach, The Sovereign Lord
Myrkorim, Lord of War
Naveril, Lord of Bounty and Art
Sereness, Lady of Dreams and Hearth
Vespera, Lady of Mystery
The Black Court
Azerial, The Tyrant, Lord of Oeruin
Khelvaan, Princess of Nightmares
Murthean, Prince of Hunger
Wyrlok, Prince of Beasts
Xerelos, the Black Jester
The Unaligned Gods
Nielus, Lord of the Dead
The Elemental Lords
Karakesh, Lady of Fire
Qualash, Lord of Water
Urgroth, Lord of Earth
Ciarda, Fainche, & Sciath, The Sisters of Fate
The Pale
Bayastri the Cat
Choenta the Crow
Skaleen the Rat
Tlurolo the Boar
Urugar the Wolf
The Forbidden Gods
Elshea, the Huntress
The Nylachia, the Obsidian Host, Lord of the Obsidian Heart
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