The strangest of the known gods are the Mundus Triad, three separate entities which invested the whole of their celestial energies into creating the mortal plane. In a sense, the ''are'' the plane, a single system formed by a trinity of gods, forged by their sacrifice into a working whole. Each of these gods still exists, however they are in a de-centralized state which operates under largely subconscious direction.
The strangest of the known gods are the Mundus Triad, three separate entities which invested the whole of their celestial energies into creating the mortal plane. In a sense, the ''are'' the plane, a single system formed by a trinity of gods, forged by their sacrifice into a working whole. Each of these gods still exists, however they are in a de-centralized state which operates under largely subconscious direction.
The Strictum is less a personality and more a set of rules and calculations, a pure expression of internally consistent law. It provides the backbone of Mundus, freezing time into a unidirectional constant upon which is built causality and the entirety of physics, the laws which all matter upon the plane must follow.
The Strictum is less a personality and more a set of rules and calculations, a pure expression of internally consistent law. It provides the backbone of Mundus, freezing time into a unidirectional constant upon which is built causality and the entirety of physics, the laws which all matter upon the plane must follow.
Caelius is the polar opposite of the Strictum. It is a spirit of chaos and chance, said to be the source of luck and the freedom for life to grow and change. Caelius is also the patron of sorcery, the granting mortals access to arcane energy which allows practitioners to warp and overrule natural law.
Caelius is the polar opposite of the Strictum. It is a spirit of chaos and chance, said to be the source of luck and the freedom for life to grow and change. Caelius is also the patron of sorcery, the granting mortals access to arcane energy which allows practitioners to warp and overrule natural law.
==== The World Tree ====
==== The World Tree ====
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[[File:Great deku tree by thejfp-d3cbuqj.jpg|thumb|238x238px]]
The many-skins, greatest of the triad, forms the spirit of the world itself. It formed all of the matter of Mundus, and then shattered its great soul into innumerable pieces, each of which formed the seed for a mortal life. It is said that even in this state, the will of the World Tree prevails. The many mortal shards commune through their dreams, the time at which one's spirit is moored loose and allowed to roam.By doing so, the Tree prods its mortal lives toward the completion of its aims.
The many-skins, greatest of the triad, forms the spirit of the world itself. It formed all of the matter of Mundus, and then shattered its great soul into innumerable pieces, each of which formed the seed for a mortal life. It is said that even in this state, the will of the World Tree prevails. The many mortal shards commune through their dreams, the time at which one's spirit is moored loose and allowed to roam.By doing so, the Tree prods its mortal lives toward the completion of its aims.
Revision as of 23:31, 10 February 2020
The Outer Planes are a sort of crystallization of temperament and elemental force into purpose-built biomes. The purpose is supplied in by a guiding will, the embodiment of all which the plane and its denizens represent. It is natural, of course, that this role belongs to the strongest entity calling that plane home--the spirit with strength enough to subdue and direct all the other souls in the plane. These beings exist at a stratus of power which is completely incomprehensible to all but the most learned mortals. Those who have revealed themselves to the peoples of Mundus have been called "gods," due to the seeming limitlessness of their powers--a title which most of the celestials are happy to take. These powers are, however, limited in a curious capacity. The gods may only use their power upon the mortal plane of Mundus by channeling it through a living mortal conduit. And so it is that priesthoods and cults have formed around the various gods, each with more or less the same arrangement. THe god grants a portion of its powers to its mortal followers so long as they continue to act out its will upon the earth.
Most gods are happy to leave it thus, and live under a mutually beneficial arrangement with their followers. Others, however, rage at the barrier separating them from Mundus, ever seeking for loopholes through which to invade and conquer.
As the planarverse is infinite, it is certain that there are gods which have never shown themselves to the mortal plane and others still which were once worshipped and eventually forgotten. As such, the Pantheon is merely an enumeration of those gods with current dealings on the mortal plane. In the current era, these are generally said to consist of the Six Outer Gods and the Mundus Triad.
The strangest of the known gods are the Mundus Triad, three separate entities which invested the whole of their celestial energies into creating the mortal plane. In a sense, the are the plane, a single system formed by a trinity of gods, forged by their sacrifice into a working whole. Each of these gods still exists, however they are in a de-centralized state which operates under largely subconscious direction.
The Strictum
The Strictum is less a personality and more a set of rules and calculations, a pure expression of internally consistent law. It provides the backbone of Mundus, freezing time into a unidirectional constant upon which is built causality and the entirety of physics, the laws which all matter upon the plane must follow.
Caelius
Caelius is the polar opposite of the Strictum. It is a spirit of chaos and chance, said to be the source of luck and the freedom for life to grow and change. Caelius is also the patron of sorcery, the granting mortals access to arcane energy which allows practitioners to warp and overrule natural law.
The World Tree
The many-skins, greatest of the triad, forms the spirit of the world itself. It formed all of the matter of Mundus, and then shattered its great soul into innumerable pieces, each of which formed the seed for a mortal life. It is said that even in this state, the will of the World Tree prevails. The many mortal shards commune through their dreams, the time at which one's spirit is moored loose and allowed to roam.By doing so, the Tree prods its mortal lives toward the completion of its aims.
The Six Outer Gods
The Outer Gods fill more traditional roles of godhood, attempting to guide and control the mortal world through the actions of their worshippers.
Lluvia
Lluvia is a benevolent goddess of law and order. Patron of the celestial plane and favorite of Paladins, her glittering legions wage eternal war against the evils of the planes, replacing them with benign but stifling Law. She takes interest in the affairs of mortals, trying to guide them toward the creation and expansion of lawful societies which are molded in her understanding of justice. Many empires have been built in her name, spreading her writ far across the known world.
Alma
Alma is known as Mother Mercy, a goddess of peace, healing, and forgiveness. She is the patron of the positive energy plane, and friend to all things living. She grants use of her power strictly to healers, so that they may protect and restore the precious gift of mortal life. The Cult of the Youth in Lazar claims their patron deity to be her offspring, but the truth of this matter is unconfirmed. It is more likely that the Youth was merely a mortal of great magical potential, whose body was utilizard by the goddess as a conduit to protect the Lazarenes.
Victus
The Axe of Victus
Victus is the God of Thunder, a warrior's god. It is said that he leads a great warband through the Outer Planes in a never ending crusade against evil. Further, some claim that the souls of those who die in righteous battle are allowed to join his ranks, though this is based on an erroneous apprehension of
how souls work. There is little in the way of organized worship of Victus, for his nature is chaotic and free. Such that exists comes in the form of soldier cults which often form spontaneously among campaigning armies. These have no unified rituals or canon law. The only holy symbol Victus claims is the axe, in any of its many forms.
Ignotean
Ignotean, Scourge of the Planes
Ignotean is the Archfiend of Hell, an unusual plane shared by two opposing factions: the lawful devil legions, and the chaotic hordes of daemons. Ignotean is ambitious and powerful, with the ultimate goal of dominating all sentient spirits in the planarverse. He is in constant war with the other Powers of the Outer Planes, including those who cohabit Hell with him. His devil legionnaires are constantly battling the daemons of Hell, the corrupted spawn of the Chiaropticae. The armies of Hell enslave the wild daemons, cage them, and use their destructive power to wage war on the other planes. Most of all, Ignotean covets the plane of Mundus, seeing it as a rich prize to be earned by one clever enough to snatch it. For Ignotean knows that in the process of creating Mundus, the Triad has made themselves vulnerable, incapable of utilizing their power for self defense. With the right opportunity, the Dark God could claim their essence for his own, unmaking three gods with one stroke, and empowering himself enough to conquer the planarverse. In the aeons since the creation of the Mortal Plane, Ignotean has made several attempts to breache and destroy it--each of which eventually failed in the face of mortal resistance.
Chiaropticae
The Chiaropticae are twin spiders, primordial beings of chaos and insatiable hunger. Their goal has ever been for each to devour the other, but being perfect twins in power and cunning, neither has been able to succeed. So instead they rampage the planes, devouring lesser spirits. These spirits are warped and changed by the dark gods' foul chaotic essence, and rebirthed as cruel daemons which infest the planes.
Soltis/The Nameless One
Originally a god of indiscriminate punishment, Soltis resided upon a plane of fire and light, aspected as the Sun. With the creation of the Mortal Plane, Soltis saw an opportunity. There, his punishments took on a permanence not found among the planes. He could use them to shape results. And so he did, taking patronage over the Lizard Tribes of the young earth, speaking through their dreams. Upon gathering a priesthood, he used them to harshly forge the Tribes into a fledgling civilization, and thence into a massive empire. In the process, the God did not realize that he was changed as well--taking on a sense of paternal duty toward his followers. When he finally discovered this change, it served to be a brutal lesson. Ignotean, seeing Soltis as a rival for the prize of Mundus, jockeyed to destroy his religious following. Of course, the easiest way to do so was to wipe the entire Lizardfolk culture from the planet, killing most of them and enslaving the survivors with a terrible, parasitic curse designed to prevent them from ever being able to restore what they had lost. Soltis was devastated. The god turned inward and in his despair, his entire plane was swallowed in darkness, radiating misery, misfortune, and tragedy into the planarverse. In time his identity was forgotten, and he was known only as The Nameless One, a harbinger of Doom. And so it would stay, until a group of mortals conspired to right the ancient wrongs against him, and restore his followers to freedom.
