It is well known that there are eight deities who came together and breathed the world into existence, choosing for themselves tribes of followers to shepherd and guide. To their most devout and favored they granted great powers, be they physical, mental, or magical.
For centuries these gods walked the land alongside their chosen peoples, then disappeared from the world after the great sundering and Torak’s war on the West. It is said their incluence can still be felt as try to aid and provide succor and guidance to their faithful, even if no longer physically present among them.
While individual devotees of each deity can be found in almost all corners of the world, most nations were founded by ancient tribes and groups specifically shepherded by a patron god, making the practice of religion a very regional affair.
Aldur, the Owl
One of only two gods not to choose any followers at the dawn of time,
Aldur—and that select handful who would later be accepted by
her—dwelled in a vale to the south of modern-day Algaria. She was wise,
contemplative, and always mindful of the effect her actions and decisions
would have on the future. Her disciples are almost universally powerful
wizards whose actions have reshaped the world on multiple occasions.
Arcane Schools: Abjuration, Divination
Cleric Domains: Arcana, Knowledge
Belar, the Bear
God of the Alorns—Rivans, Chereks, Drasnians, and Algarians—Belar
was the youngest of the gods, brash and fierce of emotion, loving and fighting
in equal measure. He encouraged his chosen people to fully embrace their
feelings and drives. It is said he had the most difficult time leaving the world
as his care and devotion to his followers was second to none.
Arcane Schools: Evocation, Transmutation
Cleric Domains: Nature, Tempest
Chaldan, the Bull
Proud and strategic-minded, Chaladan invested his people—the
Arends—with a strong sense of justice, even though his followers have
spent centuries disagreeing about what the word truly means. Strong of will, it
is said he never changed his mind once he made a decision, a trait his people
seem to have universally inherited.
Arcane Schools: Evocation, Abjuration
Cleric Domains: Death, War
Issa, the Snake
Lady of swamps, the Nyissans revere all serpents in honor of their goddess.
Cold and calculating, Issa was said to act without hesitation once she was
sure of her aims, striking without warning—a lesson her followers have
taken to heart perhaps too well. The goddess loved a mortal woman named
Salmissra, and in her honor all Nyissan queens take her name.
Arcane Schools: Divination, Enchantment
Cleric Domains: Nature, Trickery
Mara, the Bat
Little is known about Mara, owing to the complete extermination of his peoples
and their culture by the Tolnedrans. Now known as the "weeping god," the spirit
of Mara haunts their destroyed home and causes grieving insanity in all who
dare enter the lush, beautiful, and gold-filled valley.
Arcane Schools: Abjuration, Enchantment
Cleric Domains: Life, Peace
Nedra, the Lion
Materialistic and skeptical, Nedra and her followers focused on physical
practicality rather than speculative mythology or ideation. The Tolnedrans grew
their vast empire under her care and developed the world's first standard for
trade and commerce.
Arcane Schools: Conjuration, Transmutation
Cleric Domains: Knowledge, Order
Torak, the Dragon
God of all the Angaraks on both continents, Torak took a more direct approach
in the management of his peoples than any other deity. Serving directly as
their king, he demanded unflinching obedience to his caprecious whims and
constant reverence to his glory. He was a cruel and vain god, and even
centuries after his death at the Battle of Vo Mimbre, his servants continue
his dark work.
Arcane Schools: Enchantment, Evocation
Cleric Domains: Order, War
UL, the Albatross
Other than by name, UL is largely unknown and unrecognized by the people of the
world, except for her small group of followers known as the Ulgo. It is said
she is the god of the discarded, the abandoned, and the cast off, and that she
cares for the monsters of Ulgoland—those beasts and horrors which no
other god deigned to claim.
Arcane Schools: Abjuration, Transmutation
Cleric Domains: Life, Nature