Abar

Alignment

Neutral

Domains

Knowledge, Magic, Mind, Protection

Favoured weapon

Dagger

Titles

God of Knowledge; God of Magic; Learned One

Keywords

discovery, education, intelligence, knowledge, magic, wisdom

Sacred places

Libraries

Adjective

Abarite

Lord of mysteries, arcana, and the study of the unknown, Abar is revered by many mortals and respected by all of his fellow deities. He is also the patron of all who seek knowledge and who dispense it wisely. Despite his widespread worship, Abar has a relatively small clergy; his followers are mostly found seeking out, preserving, and sharing new knowledge, for good or ill, rather than preaching.

Very few single-purpose temples or shrines to Abar exist; mostly, one finds libraries that also happen to host Abarite lectures, or reading desks carved with prayers for understanding and knowledge. Adventurers often revere him as the god of magic, though this is a relatively minor aspect in the minds of common folk.

Abar is usually depicted as an elderly male (of varying race), carrying a book.

Asara

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Domains

Chaos, Charm, Good, Protection

Favoured weapon

Dart

Titles

Goddess of Love and Passion; The Ruling Lady

Keywords

love, passion, romance, sex

Sacred places

Flower gardens

Adjective

Asaran

Revered in all parts of the world and under many different names, Asara is the Ruling Lady of the unruly passions of the heart and body.

Other deities are concerned with such matters as marriage and the raising of children; Asara’s concern is for the affections of the heart, not the rules and customs that surround it. Indeed, many ascribe to Asara the blame for infidelities and jealousies. However, she is also praised for the selfless devotion inspired by romantic passion.

Darom

Alignment

Lawful Good

Domains

Artifice, Creation, Good, Law

Favoured weapon

Warhammer

Titles

God of Making; The Maker

Keywords

building, crafting, design

Sacred places

Workshops

Adjective

Daromite

Master craftsman to the gods, Darom and his attendant deities craft the tools of the gods, their celestial mansions, even (so Darom’s followers say) the planes themselves. In his province are all who make, fashion, and build up (especially things of a practical more than aesthetic nature), though some crafts are more specifically overseen by his attendant deities.

The clergy of Darom are often found assisting other orders in building temples, forging tools, and other projects. They also bless construction sites and aid in the raising of all manner of buildings. Temples of Darom are always sturdy, functional buildings, whatever their size; all manner of crafts are conducted in the forges and workshops attached to the larger ones. His clergy are likewise practical, and a traveller entering a temple of Darom will often be greeted promptly by a cleric who will attempt to ascertain why they have come, and to meet their needs.

Eknys

Alignment

Neutral Evil

Domains

Destruction, Evil, Strength, War

Favoured weapon

Battleaxe

Titles

God of War; Lord of Battle

Keywords

battle, strife, violence, war

Sacred places

Battlefields

Adjective

Eknysian

Eknys is the god of war and strife, and probably the most widely worshipped of the evil-aligned gods of the Taleron. It is not his nature to care for just causes or chivalrous conduct in war; Eknys cares only for the conflict itself, and anyone who goes to war for whatever reason had best seek his blessing if they want to win.

Even so, Eknys is not a mindless patron of slaughter (for that, see Kuram); battle tactics and well-laid plans are within his province. Clerics of Eknys are very common among the advisors of lords and generals for this reason. Many are commanders of armies in their own right.

Ferugh

Alignment

Neutral

Domains

?

Favoured weapon

Sling

Titles

God of Commerce; Wealth-bringer

Keywords

commerce, money, negotiation, numbers, trade, wealth

Sacred places

Harbours and counting-houses

Adjective

Ferughan

Being the god of wealth and commerce makes Ferugh a popular god indeed. His icons are seen practically everywhere that business is conducted; in Celadia, the usual sort is two outstretched hands, one empty and one holding coins.

Diplomats and emissaries are also common among his worshippers, for a treaty and a business deal have much in common. To many worshippers of Ferugh, the act of negotiating, haggling, and striking a deal is a better reward than the money. (Many, but not all!)

Hothos

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Domains

Chaos, Darkness, Death, Evil

Favoured weapon

Heavy flail

Titles

God of Terror; Lord of Fear and Pain

Keywords

danger, darkness, fear, pain, terror, undead

Sacred places

Sites of disasters, massacres, etc.

Adjective

Hothotic

Hothos is one of the twelve greater gods of the Taleron, not because he is widely worshipped, but because he is the patron of all fears. Prayers to Hothos are usually of the averting kind rather than the invoking kind.

Dread Hothos, I am afraid;
Be satisfied and pass me by today.

Such prayers are muttered by those menaced by feared presences, hidden dangers, and lurking terrors in the darkness. Feared presences, hidden dangers, and lurking terrors in the darkness also happen to be the preferred weapons of his small but devoted following. He is known to have been worshipped, for instance, by assassins who were a little fonder of their work than is typical. And unsurprisingly, a number of his clerics spend their time as… assassins who are a little fonder of their work than is typical.

Though not a death god per se, Hothos is associated with death—and undeath—because of the fear these things inspire in mortals. Spectral undead in particular are associated with him. Howlers are also his creatures.

Irari

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Domains

Law, Knowledge, ?

Favoured weapon

Spear

Titles

Counter and Measurer; Goddess of Time; Keeper of Ages

Keywords

fate, inevitability, time

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Irarian

Irari, the goddess of time, rose to prominence as one of the twelve greater gods of the Taleron during the year of the Darkened Sun. Prior to that, in Celadia and elsewhere, the solar worship of Rahel had been much more prominent, and Irari was his attendant, merely counting his journeys and keeping his records.

Nowadays, the situation is reversed. With the Darkened Sun inevitably shaking faith in the sun god, the constant march of time itself has inspired more followers and brought Irari to prominence. Now Rahel, and his nocturnal counterpart Laqua, are called Irari’s attendants.

This is not wholly an innovation; devout Irarians have long claimed that their goddess is greater than the other gods, for though she sets herself apart from their struggles and labours, she sets the times and boundaries within which they act, right down to scheduling when lives come into the hands of the Three Deaths (Veidras, Perha and Kuram). This claim has now gained mainstream acceptance, however.

Katris

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Domains

Air, Chaos, Water, Weather

Favoured weapon

Javelin

Titles

Sea-Lady; Storm-Queen; Tempestuous One

Keywords

lightning, ocean, sea, storm

Sacred places

Rocky cliffs and promontories

Adjective

Katrisian

Katris is the wild and tempestuous goddess of storms and the sea. Sailors are known to speak of her in familiar terms (as if of a passionate but inconstant lover) that shock followers of more prim and proper gods. Clerics of Katris are, if anything, worse than the sailors. Mysticism, the practice of intimate communion with the deity, is widespread among them, often taking the form of throwing themselves into stormy seas and trusting to be washed ashore hours or even days later.

Mairene

Alignment

Neutral

Domains

Earth, Plant, ?

Favoured weapon

Quarterstaff

Titles

Goddess of the Wild; Holly-queen; Lady of the Trees

Keywords

forest, trees, wilderness

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Mairenean

Once the Holly-queen, one of the Triad, Mairene is now the Taleron goddess of wilds and woodlands.

Micara

Alignment

Lawful Good

Domains

Good, Law, Protection

Favoured weapon

Light shield or heavy shield

Titles

Arbiter; Goddess of Justice; Merciful Judge; The Just

Keywords

honesty, justice, mercy, truth

Sacred places

Law courts

Adjective

Micaran

Talera

Alignment

Neutral Good

Domains

Community, Good, Healing, Protection

Favoured weapon

Quarterstaff

Titles

Goddess of Community and Family; The Good Mother

Keywords

community, compassion, family, home, providing

Sacred places

Hearths

Adjective

Talerian

Etymologically, Talera’s name and the word ‘Taleron’ (the ‘family’ of gods) are both related to a root word for ‘family’; common folklore links the two by also giving the name Talera to the hall of the gods, ruled by the goddess Talera, who oversees her domain from her wooden chair by the hearth.

Generally, worshippers of Talera do not stress obligation and loyalty when they speak of family; she is the Good Mother, not the Godmother. Her doctrine is about care, providing, and the warmth and safety of home. There are nonetheless a few who take a more community-centred view, focusing on responsibility to the common good. This variation is well illustrated in Talerian folktales, which sometimes seem to contradict each other: one will be about a misbehaving child who is nonetheless welcomed home and cared for, while another will be about the dire consequences afflicting someone who refused to pull their own weight in a community.

Veidras

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Domains

Death, Evil, Law

Favoured weapon

Heavy mace

Titles

Accuser; God of the Dead; Grim Judge; Lord of the Grave

Keywords

condemnation, death, judgement, undead

Sacred places

Cemeteries

Adjective

Veidratic

Veidras is the Lord of the Grave, the greatest of the Three Deaths (Veidras, Perha, and Kuram). All souls come to Veidras when they die, and they must plead their case before the Grim Judge. While a minority of his worshippers hold that Veidras is a harsh but fair judge, most of his followers, as well as followers of other gods, say that he delights in nothing more than condemning souls to eternal torment.

The worship of Veidras is normally conducted at small shrines carved from dark stone, rather than in temples. Shrines are normally found in or near cemeteries, or occasionally, near rivers, especially river mouths (symbolising the inevitable flow of life and its end). Despite this lack of major places of worship, the Veidratic clergy are strikingly unified in their doctrines and practices, although, as with any of the darker gods, schismatic and cultic elements exist and seek to push their own views of death onto others. Midnight is his sacred hour.

Clerics of Veidras have no compunctions about the raising of undead, seeing it as but another means of serving punishment upon the souls of the departed. In contrast, only on very rare occasions would they consider raising a mortal from the dead.

It is not commonly agreed whether Veidras has any minions peculiar to his service. Some say that he is aided by legions of canine beasts (possibly hell hounds) that bring the souls of the dead to their judgement, but others say that there is only one such, and it is Kuram.

Sorokan

Alignment

Neutral Evil

Domains

Darkness, Evil, ?

Favoured weapon

—

Titles

Dark One; God of Shadows; Outcast

Keywords

darkness, shadow

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Sorokanic; Gorothic

Sorokan is the Dark God, the most wholly evil and despised force in the cosmos. Every god of whatever bent is united against him.

This animosity stems from time uncounted, when Sorokan was simply one of the Taleron; the most powerful of them, by some accounts. At the dawn of time, the gods of the Taleron came to this world (fashioned it from nothing, according to some; found it already existing, say others). They established their realm and rule over it, and set Sorokan to watch over the outer darkness to ensure no other gods came to wrest power from them.

Wandering alone in the outer darkness for timeless ages, Sorokan’s heart grew twisted and hateful. In secret, he created the shadow realm, as a mockery of the living world, which some say he wanted to supplant with his own creation. But his most terrible creation was a blade forged of utter darkness: Na-Daca.

Bearing this blade, Sorokan came before the other gods, and demanded with scarcely veiled threats that they bow down before him and acknowledge him their lord. The gods were incredulous and yet afraid; but Larasal laughed and mocked him. But Sorokan brandished Na-Daca, the blade that might slay even a god, and he struck down Larasal. As the God of Music died, still he defied Sorokan. The other gods now knew fear of death for the first time, and some would have fled; but they rallied, and together they overcame Sorokan and deprived him of his blade.

Sorokan was then cast out from among them, though the exact nature of his banishment—where he was sent and whether he might ever return—is debated by theologians. Also unknown is the fate of the hideous blade Na-Daca; no other of the gods would take it up, but it may be that they could not destroy it and have perforce hidden it away for all time.

To speak Sorokan’s name is considered unlucky or even blasphemous, so various euphemistic names are used instead. The most common in the Celadian tongue is Goroth (which is Sorokan, corrupted to Thorogan or Thorog, and then reversed). Even these are rarely spoken; Sorokan is simply called the Dark One, and his followers (who are few, but widespread) are Darkservants.

Dalemannen

Alignment

Neutral

Domains

Protection, Travel, ?

Favoured weapon

Club

Titles

God of Travellers; Traveller’s Friend

Keywords

roads, travelling, voyages

Sacred places

Crossroads

Adjective

Dalemannic

The Traveller’s Friend is honoured as the companion and protector of all who travel the roads, sail the waterways, or walk untrod paths in the wilds. He is also named the messenger of the gods, protector of merchants, and variously an attendant deity to Ferugh or Mairene.

Even travellers who do not specifically worship Dalemannen will generally honour (or at least pay lip service to) Dalemannen’s Code, which prescribes good behaviour for, and towards, travellers. Among other things, the Code requires the sharing of food, fire, and advice about the road with any in need. Notably, the Code only outlaws indiscriminate banditry; many highway robbers consider themselves faithful servants of the Traveller’s Friend!

Dalemannen is particularly revered by the nomadic halflings, and his usual appearance is like one of them: a short, merry figure on a simple cart pulled by a donkey. His alignment is Neutral; while he has more chaotic worshippers than lawful ones, Dalemannen’s Code is observed by all those truly faithful to the Traveller’s Friend.

Daxan

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Domains

Chaos, Fire, Luck, Trickery

Favoured weapon

Whip

Titles

The Deceiver; The Trickster

Keywords

deceit, humour, fire, laughter, pranks, theft, trickery

Sacred places

Thieves’ dens

Adjective

Daxanian

One of the most popular of gods, Daxan is somewhat marginalised by the official theology of Celadia. He is, however, universally worshipped in many forms, and has the perpetual adoration of the common folk, in spite of his roguish nature and the best efforts of more strait-laced clergy. Officially, he is an attendant deity of Ferugh, but it is an ill-fitting pigeon hole. In this and other respects, he has much in common with Dalemannen.

Daxan has aspects both genial and malign: he is the god of good humour and of spiteful mischief, of clever pranks and cruel deceit. Tales about him vary widely; he has, for instance, variously been both the companion and the nemesis of Rall. He is also strongly associated with fire, again in both positive and negative aspects, but always unpredictable. Because of their fiery aspects, he is sometimes conflated with Uvoro.

Gulmesh

Alignment

Neutral Evil

Domains

Evil, Strength, Trickery

Favoured weapon

Morningstar

Titles

God of Avarice; God of Hordes; The Many

Keywords

greed, hoarding, minions

Sacred places

Hoards and storerooms

Adjective

Gulmeshian

Attendant to Eknys, Gulmesh is the Many, the patron of all who dominate through weight of numbers and massed resources. Adherents of Gulmesh believe that might makes right, and many makes might. The greedy accumulation of assets and minions is his way.

Gulmesh receives particular reverence from all the goblin races. Cults to him are not uncommon among humans as well, since many humans believe their prolific kind are destined to rule all. He also favours wolves and is the master of their monstrous cousins, such as worgs. Barghests are his servants.

Iasav

Alignment

Neutral Evil

Domains

Evil, Knowledge, Trickery

Favoured weapon

Throwing knives (often poisoned)

Titles

God of Secrets; The Secret Lord

Keywords

concealment, knowledge, misdirection, secrets

Sacred places

—

Adjective

Iasavite

Iasav is, appropriately, an obscure deity. He is acknowledged in Celadian theology, and accounted an attendant of Hothos. (Some have tried to recast him as an attendant of Abar, but most Abarites strongly object to this.) But he has no publicly known clergy, and no known doctrines not founded in folklore or the teachings of other gods.

Iasavite teachings are said to be that knowledge is to be jealously guarded, and that other seekers of knowledge are to be misled at every opportunity. Knowledge is power and power is to be hoarded, not shared. Such is the common perception; and since he undoubtedly must have genuine followers, somewhere, it is hard to credit that their beliefs could differ too much from this core.

Still, it is not even known whether ‘Iasav’ is the name used for this god by his followers. It is the name used for him in Abarite allegorical tales, in which he appears as a figure representing the jealous guarding of secrets, in contrast with the uncovering and sharing of knowledge that Abar promotes.

Irtana

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Domains

Artifice, Chaos, Good

Favoured weapon

Short sword

Titles

Goddess of Art and Craft; Songstress of the Gods

Keywords

art, beauty, craft, dance, music, poetry

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Irtanian

Irtana is the goddess of arts and crafts, an attendant to Darom and the inheritor of Larasal’s responsibilities. All visual and performing arts fall within her rule, as do crafts practised for aesthetic value rather than the practicality valued in the worship of Darom.

Lillends are her creatures, and Irtana is commonly depicted like one of them. She is said to hold special favour for elves, though it is mostly elves who say this.

Karnai

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Domains

Chaos, Evil, ?

Favoured weapon

Claw or short sword

Titles

Bringer of Nightmares; Queen of Hags

Keywords

fear, nightmares

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Karnaian

Karnai is the goddess of nightmares, the consort of Hothos. The two of them are often given reverence at the same shrines.

As the Queen of Hags, Karnai is worshipped by nearly all of these loathsome creatures, though her agenda is a mystery to most other mortals. The demonic night hags are her servants and messengers; they are often mounted on the demon-horses punningly called nightmares, though they may also ride howlers, the minions of her consort.

Karnai herself is said to have the aspect of an incomparably foul hag, and many depictions of her go to great and fanciful lengths to make her look as horrendous as possible. Other depictions (particularly those created by worshippers of other gods) simply show her under a hood and cloak, perhaps with a hooked nose protruding.

Kuram

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Domains

Chaos, Death, Destruction, Evil

Favoured weapon

Greataxe

Titles

God of Violent Death; The Ravener

Keywords

death, destruction, violence

Sacred places

Mass graves and sites of many deaths

Adjective

Kuramic

Kuram is the god of violent and sudden deaths, one of the Three Deaths, along with Veidras and Perha. He is usually depicted as a large and vaguely dog-like beast; it is not unheard of for rustics to merge the aspects of Kuram and the Hound.

The darkness just after dusk is his sacred hour, and any place where many died or are buried is likely to be sacred to him. His worshippers rarely erect visible shrines at such locations, but they meet there nevertheless. The only such places they avoid are old battlefields where worshippers of Eknys are known to come—even though Eknys and Kuram are not opposed to one another by any stretch of the imagination, Kuram’s worshippers prefer absolute privacy for their twilight rituals.

Laqua

Alignment

Neutral

Domains

Chaos, ?

Favoured weapon

Sickle

Titles

Lady of the Moon

Keywords

change, light, moon, night, patterns

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Laquian

Laqua, the goddess and personification of the Moon, is a somewhat contradictory figure. She is an agent of change, yet her wanderings always return to the same patterns. She is commonly portrayed as rebelling against the strictures of Irari, to whom she is an attendant.

Although Laqua herself is Neutral, her clerics cannot be Lawful, and may choose the Chaos domain.

Larasal

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Domains

—

Favoured weapon

—

Titles

God of Music

Keywords

chant, dance, music, poetry, song

Sacred places

—

Adjective

Larasalian

Larasal is the dead god of music; while cults devoted to him still exist, Irtana is now the deity responsible for Larasal’s former portfolio.

Larasal was murdered by Sorokan, which act resulted in the latter’s casting out by the other gods. In the moment of his death, Larasal dispersed his divine essence into the flows of magic, so that his power might not be completely lost—an act known as ‘Larasal’s Gift’.

This Gift has enabled mortals to call upon the power of Larasal through music, casting spells that are otherwise beyond the power of the arcane (most notably healing spells). A bard or other character need not revere or even acknowledge Larasal in order to receive the Gift. (Indeed, even in life, Larasal was not overly concerned with the tenets or principles of those who served him.)

Mazad

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Domains

Law, Nobility, War

Favoured weapon

Unarmed strike

Titles

God of Honour and Just Warfare; Oath-keeper

Keywords

honour, oaths, truth

Sacred places

?

Adjective

Mazadian

Mazad is the paragon of honour, the ideal of the noble warrior. According to legend, in times past he went into battle wielding a sword of pure light, armoured in steel and gold. However, he was tricked by Daxan into promising the Trickster any service he asked for, and Daxan asked that Mazad never again wield a weapon or wear armour.

Mazad kept his word, but became just as feared when fighting unarmed. Some have also said that he became an expert at wielding everyday objects as weapons, but others claim that this would violate his oath and so he only ever fights empty-handed.