The Nine Major Gods
The nine major gods were all once humans from another plane who attained godhood upon touching an artifact in Avlis called the Eternal Spark, and thus became Avlis' first indigenous deities. Each god's alignment corresponds to one of the nine AD&D alignments, and each god is the patron deity of a race he created on Avlis to worship him.
Gorethar
Alignment: LG
Worshippers' Alignment: LG
Domain: Dwarves, Craftsmen, Warriors of Goodness
Colors: Silver
Holy Warrior: Paladin
The world is constantly beset by forces of good, evil, law, and chaos. These factors are very black and white. Something is either good, bad, orderly or chaotic. All who follow Gorethar are born into this world with the important job of making sure the pull towards goodness and law is the most dominant one.
The creator of the dwarves stresses virtue through hard work. Evil must be contained or destroyed at all costs. The world is meant to be orderly and productive.
Goodness and order take work! Gluttony and laziness are the bane of Gorethar and anyone who follows him. The forces that are constantly pulling at the world must be constantly countered. This is the path chosen by the devout of Gorethar. The hope of all who worship Gorethar:is that each person who is helped and enlightened may help an enlighten two others to bring about peace and tranquility for all.
One should also not forget that Gorethar is a warrior first and foremost. Sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice a local peacetime to bring about goodness and order. When there is a fight to be had in support of these things, Gorethar is never far behind, and neither are his followers. Hate, mistrust, theft, murder, rape, plunder and destruction are always things that Gorethar will violently oppose. Mercy is to be had and quarter is to be given to those who surrender, however it is acceptable to make sure they are contained in the future.
O'Ma
Alignment: NG
Worshippers' Alignment: Any good
Domain: Fairy Races & Forests
Colors: Earthen Red, Tan, and Silver
Holy Warrior: Champion
Catering to the greater good is the main precept of the master of the fairy races. Actions may not be blatantly good or evil at first. It may take some time for their results to become evident, but once it is known where the results stand, action must be taken.
A person who has surrendered their individuality and personal needs in favor of working for the greater need of the universe will know O'Ma's will. This is why followers of O'Ma are constantly striving to protect nature and work for the greater good. By moving things towards the side of goodness they are repairing the world and repairing the people in it as well, one by one.
Whether an action is lawful or chaotic does not matter to those who follow O'Ma. It only matters whether the action will bring more good than ill. Whatever must be done to further that end will be done, and the situation may vary locally.
Dru'El
Alignment: CG
Worshippers' Alignment: NG & CG
Domain: Elves & Nature
Colors: Green and Brown
Holy Warrior: Avenger
"When the heart is known, the path is clear."
True goodness is often clouded by illusions of law, justice, and procedure. While these things do have their merits, the followers of Dru'El believe that they should be used in moderation. Laws and rules are very useful for giving people a guideline and basis for acting in society, however they should be used with discretion and not followed blindly. The spirit of the society is what is most important.
Goodness does not necessarily mean zealousness or apathy, or order. The god of the elves believes that rules can sometimes get in the way of what's really good. Breaking a rule for this reason is not such a bad thing. The world should look out for the little guy and not let legality interfere.
Knowing what is in one's heart is the key. When a person is inherently good, their inner intention is focused on helping others in society. Once someone succeeds in making contact with that inner voice or inner intelligence, they will know which way to act, and almost invariably they will be led towards bettering those outside of themselves.
Toran
Alignment: LN
Worshippers' Alignment: LN
Domain: Dracon & Soldiers, Discipline
Colors: Blue
Holy Warrior: Justicar
War, evil, or even peace and goodness do not really concern the creator of the Dracon. His message is one of order. If everyone can go about their business in an orderly way, things will run much smoothly, whether they are wars, or good deeds. Absolute discipline is the key.
Discipline. Strict, unflagging, unfailing discipline, this is the path to enlightenment in the eyes of Toran. There is no other way. The only way to bring about the stillness that comes when one's thoughts and actions are controlled is to enforce discipline on oneself and on the outside world. The chaos of the world can "leak" into a person. If one is in a quiet environment, it is much easier to become quiet along with it.
Battles are fought by the followers of Toran in all wars on the face of Avlis. They are highly prized as mercenaries because they will fight for almost anyone, and they do so in an extremely well disciplined and organized shock troop manner.
If there's a war that Toran's clerics cannot stop, then they will do their best to make sure it's fought in an orderly fashion as opposed to having chaotic assemblies of ragtag troops going at it. Toran does not much care whose side you're on, or even why you are fighting as long as the cause requires an orderly military solution.
Mikon
Alignment: N
Worshippers' Alignment: Any
Domain: Humans & Balance
Colors: Grey
Holy Warrior: Equalizer
"Be disciplined, if you may. But let the present moment decide when discipline evaporates and gets replaced by freedom."
According to Mikon, everyone has the right to choose their own path in life. Good is of course always preferable to evil in terms of living harmoniously. We all want to live in a safe and enjoyable world. However, Mikon is a warrior and he's used to fighting. Sometimes it is necessary to further an evil end in order to achieve stability and harmony in the long run. The good and the evil will often not see this. They merely look at what is happening at that moment. It is Mikon's job, and the job of his followers to find out how to turn a situation so it comes out for the best down the road.
Many different types of people and philosophies exist. Mikon is tolerant of them all. He understands that in order to have the light, you will need the darkness to compare it to. Order will not exist without chaos either. Most do not understand these points and only wish to have their own beliefs dominate. This is one thing Mikon will not allow. The dance is everything. There is no goal or destination. The journey is why we are here, and without those opposing sides going against each other the journey will cease.
After the nine warriors were changed to gods by the eternal spark, and the N'Gerai was defeated, the new gods all went back to their respective planes of appropriate philosophy.... except for Mikon. He remained behind on the Prime Material Plane. The Supreme charged him with the task of keeping all Gods out of the Prime Material Plane, so that the balance is not destroyed. This is his job to this day.
Forian
Alignment: CN
Worshippers' Alignment: CN
Domain: Changelings, Chaos
Colors: Orange, Yellow and Green... Maybe. Sometimes, could be?
Holy Warrior: Confounder
Um, 42, yeah that's it. 42. That's the answer to everything. Remember that, and you'll be fine. Now good. Always remember 42. Or was it 52?
We do whatever feels right in the moment. People spend too much time worrying about what they have done, or what they will do. They never see where they are, or what they are doing NOW. Even the ones who DO concentrate on the moment often spend a lot of time trying to categorize it or judge it. "Is this the right thing to do?" "How will this effect me down the road?" That's dire bear shit.
To know Forian's will, one must simply act in the NOW, without regard to past or future. If it feels good, hey, why not do it? If you don't want to do it, then don't. If you hate something, deal with it right then. If you like something, show it. Want to help someone? Go ahead. Only care about yourself? That's fine too.
Valok
Alignment: LE
Worshippers' Alignment: Any Lawful
Domain: Orcs, Politics & Intrigue
Colors: Gold
Holy Warrior: Dominator
Enlightenment is within. If doing something for someone else will not help YOU, then you have no business doing it. Only self-discipline and devotion can help YOU. Focusing on things outside of yourself is a waste of time, because you are not responsible for anyone else but you.
It is ok to get what you want, but don't make people hate you in the process and having friends can be very helpful for getting what you want later. Now, if someone screws you over, by all means, 'take care of them' but not in public! Ideally, we can all get along with everyone else if only they just wouldn't get in our way. We don't want to destroy them. We just want to win as much as we can.
The one who has disciplined their mind and calmed their inner senses will know Valok's Glory and Will. Glory is a better term to describe a "good" feeling that is directed inward. Valok hails glory. We should all strive for glory for it is Valok's way of condoning our actions and telling us that we are making improvements within ourselves.
If there are people who do not approve of your self-improvement quest, then you should have understanding towards them. However do not let them walk all over you? Get around them. Intrigue was the tool Valok gave us to help ourselves when others will not allow it. If you cannot go through something, go around it. Compose yourself and be disciplined.
Aarilax
Alignment: NE
Worshippers' Alignment: NE
Domain: Murder, Lizard Men & Sahuagin
Colors: Black, Dark Green
Holy Warrior: Annihilator
Lizard folk and sahuagin tend to follow their creator, Aarilax. Getting what you want is essential. You may have to work with others to get it, or then again, you may have to eat them. He doesn't care if anyone else exists or not, so long as he can get what he wants. This does not necessarily have to involve hurting everyone in sight, but it could.
The most holy thing ever created is desire. When you are left without a path to enlightenment or other higher places, the only thing you have remaining is your desire and your feelings.
Keeping Aarliax's precepts means worshipping him as the one who teaches it to all of his followers. However, worship of Aarilax is secondary to worshipping YOURSELF. Every being has the right to get what they want. The strong ones will of course have an easier time with this, but it does not make the weak any less privledged. They just have to work harder.
Paying attention to your own inner emotions and feelings is the important key. You must not only simply pay attention to your feelings, however. You must also do whatever you can to satisfy them. They are your guide, and your direct link to Aarilax's will. When it is all said and done, all you have left is your feelings.... so they better be worth having.
Maleki
Alignment: CE
Worshippers' Alignment: CE
Domain: Giant-Kin, Hatred, Slaughter & Disease
The god of ogres and giant-kin is pure evil, and so are his followers. Organization is not a concern. Taking what you want is a concern. If it's given freely, good. If it needs to be taken by force, better. Working with others is tough, but can be done in a pinch.... stupidity is only a trait of SOME of the giant-kin specimens. For the intelligent ones, subtle means are key.