Pg:Demigods
Aryeh Gidol
Alignment: LN
Worshipped by: Any Wemics
Domain: Wemics
Wemics are a centauroid race of lions that exist mainly in two different areas on Avlis. In the west, they roam the plains of the Kurathene Empire. In the east, they inhabit the jungles of Jechran and Drotid. Both lines draw their ancestry from the same roots, and have similar cultures, with minor differences.
Wemics are the creation of the god Balgar, and almost all of their race worships him as "The Son". Balgar is the son of Mikon and a mortal woman whom he conceived with named Aryeh Gidol. Later on, Aryeh's existence was preserved by Mikon, and she came to be equally worshiped by the wemics as "The Mother". Both gods play important roles in the daily lives of the wemic.
All wemics trace their roots through their mothers, who are generally regarded as the elders of the family units or prides. Most prides will wander the plains or jungles where they are accustomed, rarely settling down. They are at one with the land, feeding off of game in the area until they feel it is time to move on to better grounds. Though this existence seems simple, the wemics are by no means primitive. Every pride is networked with all its neighboring units, and through this network, the wemics have a pretty good idea of what passes through their territory.
Please refer to the entry for Balgar, under Indermediate Gods, for further information.
Bobil
Home Plane: Baator
Symbol: A greatsword flanked by a set of horns
Colors: Rusty Red
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Worshipper’s Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Area of Control: Special
Domains: Animal, Earth, Strength
Unlike most other gods that control some aspect of life or philosophy, Bobil is an attendant. In life, the minotaur Bobil was a faithful companion to Angadar, who is now the god of Arcane Knowledge, Deceit and Trickery. Shortly after Angadar ascended to godhood, he deified Bobil and charged him with the eternal task of guarding his realm from attack. For this reason, Bobil does not have too many worshippers, and the few that he does have are mostly serving in the city of Grantir, where Angadar’s stronghold in the physical realm is located. As with Bobil himself, the worshippers of this deity all swear themselves to the service of the city and the drangonari elves who inhabit it. In fact, most of these worshippers are drangonari elves themselves, however there are a good number of minotaurs who have come in from other realms to serve this deity. The majority of these folk are stationed at temples to Angadar within Grantir, though a few are sent out on missions with the drangonari under special circumstances. Bobil has no temples of his own, because most of his holy duties take place at temples of Angadar in small shrines located off to the side.
Cha'reth
Alignment: CG
Worshippers' Alignment: Any Good
Domain: Healing and Peace
In life Cha'reth (Nanshilae for "Sunheart") was a devoted priest of Dru'El. He served as High Priest of Dru'El for Western T'Nanshi, and founded the Hands of Dru'El, for whom he acted as Speaker until his death. Working tirelessly to help those in need, he created two hospitals - one in Elysia, attached to the Temple of Dru'El, and one in Blandenburg, in the Temple of O'Ma. He was known for his generosity, and gave millions of gold worth of gifts to friends and strangers alike.
Cha'reth campaigned tirelessly to end the war between T'Nanshi and M'Chek, and though he was a staunch supporter of T'Nanshi, he remained neutral in the war, because he wished to be able to help all in need, regardless of political affiliations. A naturally gifted healer, Cha'reth devoted himself to developing his skills as much as possible, and stories tell of him healing even the most devastating wounds with one bandage.
As he neared his 200th birthday, he was offered a chance to give his own life to bring his brother back from the dead. Cha'reth accepted this opportunity with joy, choosing to use his death as he used his life - to show others the path to selfless service.
Upon his death, Mikon and Dru'El spoke to Cha'reth, offering him a chance to serve as a member of the Avlissian pantheon. Cha'reth happily accepted, and now acts as God of Healing and Peace. Since his ascension to godhood, Cha'reth has been courting the Goddess Mishlekh, and they dwell together in Arborea near Dru'El's halls. Cha'reth now strives to bring peace and wellbeing to all, and works to keep the other gods from coming into conflict, as many of them are prone to do.
Cha'reth's worshippers are most often bards, clerics, druids, and rangers (all those who can cast divine healing magics) but he accepts any who seek to help others and serve the peace.
Evrak
Home Plane: Carceri
Symbol: A skeletal hand
Colors: Black, Green, and White
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Worshipper’s Alignment: Any evil
Area of Control: Famine, Strife, Suffering
Domains: Death, Evil
Wherever there is suffering, famine, or strife, the followers of Evrak are usually not far away. If anyone is responsible for the troubles in the world, Evrak proudly takes up the blame. His main purpose, as he and his followers see it, is to create strife through natural, supernatural, and any other means available. These actions can range from simple torture and intimidation, to the magical creation of famine and natural disasters. The larger the population, the better the opportunity to serve this purpose.
Naturally, this makes the followers of Evrak, as well as the deity himself, extremely unpopular in regular circles. To argue against this, some of Evrak’s clergy will argue that their place in the world is as natural as any other, since the bad things and life that make us suffer also allow us to see the good and the beautiful. The argument goes on to portray Evrak as a simple bringer of karma, which springs from every day existence.
Though Evrak’s clergy only has a few isolated temples in discreet places throughout Avlis, the clergy takes an active role in seeing sites of suffering and famine, often taking pilgrimages to these places to see how they can make things even worse off for the locals. To a point, this takes some organization, which the church of Evrak provides by cataloguing areas that are suffering and having troubles. These records have even been known to make reliable historical documents after the fact.
Evrak is the child of Maleki and Verossa, and like his parents, he has a penchant for destruction and a degree of chaos. However, Evrak's followers tend to me more discreet about where chaos is spread, and how it is spread, which implies some order to their existence. No one is quite sure of these rules, but they do tend to note how famine and suffering often strike areas which were recently prosperous. Corruption also seems to be a magnet to Evrak's followers, since they have a high believe in karmic tendencies. By its nature, corruption requires some order, and though it is not a mantle possessed by Evrak, it is a closely associated companion wherever his work is found.
Kelvos
Alignment: NE
Worshippers' Alignment: Any
Domain: Lost Love, Star Crossed Lovers, Envy, Lost Causes, Lust
Before Kelvos became a demigod, he was a wizard of immense power. After many trials and adventures he became an immortal. All his life he was a calculating man who did little that was not to his benefit, at least until he met Lesa. She was like a spring day after a long winter, and thawed out his cold heart. She was a kind person, and encouraged Kelvos to perform many kind and selfless acts to please her. Alas, her father did not approve of the relationship, and when he found that, due to Kelvos' powerful magics he could not keep the two apart, he sent an assassin to kill him. The assassin came upon the two, walking in the woods holding hands, and took the opportunity to slay Kelvos. Alas, the poisoned crossbow bolt was turned aside by Kelvos' magics, and struck Lesa instead. She died instantly, and there was nothing that Kelvos could do, aside from tracking the assassin, capturing him, and torturing the truth out of him. He then traveled to the house of Lesa's father, told him what had happened, then after cursing him to wander forever as a doomed spirit, slew him with a single word.
For many years Kelvos sought to gain enough power to bring his beloved back, but his quest was in vain. As time went by, he began to amass followers, and eventually became a demigod.
After all this time, Kelvos still misses his beloved, and seeks to do things that please her. He also seeks more power in the hope that if he became a true god he would be able to bring her back.
He will oft grant prayers for couples who circumstances place them in jeopardy, and will sometimes tip the balance in favor of someone who seems to have no hope of success. He has been known in the past to steer a person to meet a potential lover.
There is no real hierarchy or formal church of Kelvos. There are many small shrines about the land, and some have caretakers, some do not. For some reason it seems that most clerics are female.
The duties of the clerics are simple… Gather more followers, match make, as well as help anyone who seems to be in a hopeless situation.
It is customary for a lovers to make an offering to him. This offering is to appease him, and it is said that, if the offering pleases him, he will leave the couple alone. The proper offering should be made by the woman, at night, and should consist of: a flower, a bottle of wine, a suit of fine clothing, and a small gem or gems (value to be about 30-50gp). She enters the shrine alone, place the items in the bin, and then kneels, make a short prayer then backs out of the shrine.
Stephanus
Home Plane: Baator
Symbol: A tiger claw and a moon in the background
Colors: Brown and Black
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Worshipper’s Alignment: Any evil
Area of Control: Finesse, Special
Domains: Air, Evil, Knowledge, Water
The weretiger Stephanus was a companion of the god Angadar when they were both mortals. Though they were never really fast friends, Stephanus recognized the power that surrounded Angadar and stayed close to him in order to bask in that glow. When Angadar ascended to godhood, Stephanus’ strategy paid off and he was placed in charge of the holy city of Grantir, where the drangonari elves were first spotted on Avlis. Under the leadership of Stephanus, Grantir became a stronghold for the followers of Angadar in a land surrounded by enemies such as the shaahesk and the avariel. Shortly after the leading the armies of Grantir through the destruction of the avariel city of Toostan, Stephanus and his assistant and worldly bodyguard, Bobil, were called to Angadar’s side at his realm in Baator, and they ascended as demigods to take their places there. Though Stephanus had no mantle when he first ascended, he was charged by Angadar to be a guardian of his realm and worshippers. Over time, Stephanus slowly put his exptertise into practice and artfully acquired the mantle of Finesse. His worshippers, who were largely based in Grantir, began to extert their influence in tandem with that of Angadar, while simultaneously staying loyal to the realm and the tutelage of the drangonari’s patron deity. Today, Stephanus’ worshippers play a role as spies and guardians for the churches of Angadar, while they conduct their own business behind the scenes. Though they never actively or covertly go against their word, which seals them in duty to Angadar’s service, the worshippers of Stephanus have become quite adept at subtly obtaining their own agenda.
Paragus
Alignment: LE
Worshipped by: Any minotaur
Domain: Minotaurs
Paragus is the mysterious deity and creator of the minotaur race. Nearly all minotaurs revere him in some way, and most worship him exclusively. As a race, the Avlissian minotaurs are fairly ancient. They established themselves on various spots around the planet, with the most well-known place being in the northeastern part of Jechran. The main bulk of minotaur civilization is a theocracy paying homage to Paragus. Those who are not trained as fighters or servants often become his clerics. Most often it is the more intelligent minotaurs which choose this route as an outlet for their brilliance.
Paragus' beginnings are mysterious. It is known that he created the minotaur race, and has little interest outside of it. However, it is not known exactly where he came from. No Avlissian god claims his creation, and in fact Paragus is far older than any Avlissian god which was born during the Age of Peace, nor does any god remember giving him access to the planet.
Followers of other deities worry about this sometimes, because it has been whispered that Paragus may have been created by the Supreme himself, or perhaps by other unknown gods which were created by the Supreme. These mysteries are usually dismissed by clerics who stipulate that no other gods could exist within the same sphere as Avlis without the main gods knowing about it, or even allowing it. However, once in a while, there will be visitors from far off islands or continents that seem to disprove this fact. The argument rages in scholarly circles, but the gods are silent on the matter. It is a mystery known only to them.
Pelar
Alignment: NG
Worshippers' Alignment: Any good
Domain: Hunters and Rangers
Pelar, the son of O'Ma and a mortal woman, was conceived during the Age of Peace. His area of domain is a subset of O'Ma's. He is the god of the hunt, and those who live off of the forest.
In particular, Pelar's essence focuses on the male aspect of hunting, which covers the planning, the strategy, and the chase... and of course, the killing. He tends not to focus on the female aspects of hunting, those of animal fertility to increase population, the acts of providing food for sustenance, and the influence of the seasons and environment on the local game.
Pelar's major temple is located within the elven capitol city of Le'Or T'Nanshi. He has many shrines all over the woods, and often his priests appear as normal rangers indistinguishable from other non-clergy. Pelar is one of the few minor gods who can make druids in addition to clerics.
Ra-Ghul
Alignment: CN
Worshippers' Alignment: Any chaotic
Domain: Warfare, Combat, Berserkers
Ra-Ghul can be considered one of the deific success stories of the barbaric nation of Tyedu. It is not widely known exactly which tribe he originated from, but the story goes that he was one of the many small "deities" created from Mikon's agents who watched over Tyedu at one point in its history. Whereas most of the deities created there were connected to a natural formation or area, and thus did not have much chance to perpetuate their following outside their resident tribe, Ra-Ghul's worship was transferred from tribe to tribe. This was due to his sphere of influence being a popular motif among many tribes in Tyedu, and as his legend and worship grew, so did his power. Ra-Ghul gained true godhood among the tribes of Tyedu, and interestingly enough, his worship slowly spread south to the Kurathene, where it was transferred all over the continent via the harbor cities located there.
Ra-Ghul's portfolio concerns any kind of fight that is done in an animalistic, chaotic manner. He is also revered by many different flavors of battleragers and berserkers around the globe. Ra-Ghul's priests still dress in fairly primitive skins and have many "rituals" to invoke the god's rage in a person. Some of them actually work, depending on the recipient. Though in the heat of a ceremony, it is more often the crowd pleasing measures and manipulation that count the most.
Followers of Ra-Ghul can be found on all sides of a conflict, for the god cares not for causes or reasons. Only the rage of the fight is what concerns him.
The Harpinger
Alignment: CE
Worshippers' Alignment: Any
Domain: Music, Messenger of Death
The Harpinger is a mysterious figure among the gods of Avlis. No one knows its true name, or even its gender. Most accounts of The Harpinger give a different description of what it looks like, depending on what function it was fulfilling at the time. Some have described it as a beautiful maiden in flowing light blue robes, carrying a magical harp which can charm even an elven onlooker. Others have told tales of The Harpinger appearing as some form of skeletal undead in tattered black robes, with a one-handed sickle hanging on its belt, and that good old trusty harp in its hands once more. Less common accounts have described encounters with a charismatic bard who seems to have an endless supply of tales to tell, set to music once more with a harp. Stories of a female bard of this same description are also told.
The mystery of The Harpinger deepens when one considers its function. It is said that musical inspiration is granted by this entity. Bards who are looking to write a new tune often turn to The Harpinger with cautious prayer, for those who get too close often run into The Harpinger's other major function: the agent of Death. In this function, The Harpinger is said to be in charge of escorting a departed person's soul to their proper afterlife, making sure they arrive safely and then departing. Those who have been on the edge of death often tell tales of hearing a harp playing, and following the sound through a wide open grey area and a bright light, which seems to be the origin of the sound. When they pass through the light, they find themselves in the afterlife.
Some theories exist on the connection between inspiration and death. One theory put forth by The Harpinger's priests states that inspiration, especially musical inspiration, is granted directly to the soul by this entity. In order for the inspiration to come through, a person must loosen their bond with their own soul so that it may soar to the heights of the planes and receive the new gift. If this is true, then it would mean that The Harpinger is really just a keeper of souls, who insures that they go through their proper changes and receptions during the course of their life and death.
The Harpinger's followers can be everywhere. Many times they are bards, who devoutly pray to this deity as their source of musical skill. Other times, they are individuals who deal with death in one way or another, whether they are a murderer, or a white necromancer trying to insure that a patient does not die.
The Harpinger's clergy are also diverse in this respect. Many concern themselves with music, preferring to enrich the art itself. Some concern themselves with death, by either dealing it out swiftly to those they believe deserve it, or by insuring that proper internment rituals are performed on the deceased.
The Harpinger's symbol is that of an upright harp, with the straight edge of the harp being a blade. Colors are black when dealing with death, and light blue when dealing with music.
The'ton
Alignment: LE
Worshippers' Alignment: Any Evil
Domain: Fear, Intimidation
Scary stories around the campfire, as well as tales that mothers tell their children to frighten them often center about The'ton. If there were ever a "Boogie Man" on Avlis, it would be him.
Wherever there is fear, or intimidation caused by a bully or oppressor The'ton is controlling it behind the scenes. Among most inhabitants of Avlis, The'ton is a bedtime story and nothing more. Laymen will often say things to "ward off The'ton's evil" in a harmless habitual sort of way. However, those who work with fear for a living know better. The'ton is a force to be reckoned with in situations where fear can ruin everything. Contrarily, he can be an ally when fear is used as a weapon such as intimidation tactics. The'ton's clerics often demand great sacrifices to him whenever they have set up a local shrine or temple. They argue that The'ton is willing to stay away from people's lives for a price, and that by donating their lives to him and working to get sacrifices from the population, they can keep him at bay. These pleas for wealth can range anywhere from harmless to very abusive.
However, on the lighter side of the Church, their clerics are often known as great storytellers. Many bards who specialize in ghost stories and horror will give tribute to him. Some have figured out that The'ton's area of control, that of fear, can be very entertaining and they don't hesitate to make a good living off of it.
Xenon
Alignment: CE
Worshipped by: Any lycanthrope
Domain: Lycanthropes
Early legends hold that Xenon was the first lycanthrope on Avlis. His arrival on the planet may have even pre-dated the creation of many of the major Avlissian races, although it is assumed that he was not a deity at that time. The only thing that is known for sure is that lycanthropy has been around since anyone can remember. Human legends surrounding the curse are as old as the race itself, and even the elves can remember fearing it in their early days. It was presumably one of the first evils to plague the planet after the war between the gods and the Negerai concluded.
From other sources in the literature, it is known that there are "True" lycanthropes and "Afflicted" lycanthropes. True lycanthropes are born with the ability to convert between an animal and hybrid animal form, along with a humanoid form in many cases. They can do this at will and are not dependent on any triggering factors. Afflicted lycanthropes are pretty much the same, except that they were not born with this ability but rather obtained it through being bitten or scratched by another lycanthrope. It is a disease, essentially. These lycanthropes most often do not have full control over their form changes, and can be forced to change sometimes through triggers.
Xenon is the originator of both the curse and all breeds of true lycanthropes. It is said that he is a mixture of all known lycanthropic races at once, and that as the humanoid races of Avlis were created, he inflicted them one by one through interbreeding and cursing in the usual way.
Most true lycanthropes worship Xenon, just as many members of the major races worship the god who created them. Afflicted lycanthropes do not always worship him, especially if they do not agree with what he does. Like most selfish deities, Xenon wants to spread his race and his afflictions everywhere in the hopes that these new subjects will become his worshippers. Unfortunately, he has not been too successful at it in a large scale. At one point in history, he managed to achieve lesser deity status, but through significant losses and battles, he was demoted again.
Xenon's clergy are always lycanthropes of some sort, though they need not always be true lycanthropes. His church is dedicated to the management and proliferation of its kind. Clerics of Xenon are often seen wearing black and platinum-colored vestments. They are closely in league with the Church of Wilsash because of the moon being a trigger for many lycanthrope types.