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
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.
Dru'El
Alignment: CG
Worshippers' Alignment: NG & CG
Domain: Elves & Nature
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.
Toran
Alignment: LN
Worshippers' Alignment: LN
Domain: Dracon & Soldiers
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.
Mikon
Alignment: N
Worshippers' Alignment: Any
Domain: Humans & Balance
When Mikon wanted to create a race for himself, he was undecided. With the help of an older god named Ptah, he decided to create humans. Unlike the other races, the humans would not be forced to believe as he did. Instead, they would be given the right to choose their own destiny and way of thinking. If they chose to follow his laws of Balance so be it, if not then it is all for the best.
According to Mikon, everyone has the right to choose their own path in life. Too much of any extreme is unpleasant to Mikon. He dislikes any who are too good or too evil, as well as any who are too rich or too poor. He will often help the poor to bring them out of their hole, but not so much that they are no longer struggling. His actions against the rich.... they are undocumented.
Forian
Alignment: CN
Worshippers' Alignment: CN
Domain: Changelings, Chaos
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?
Valok
Alignment: LE
Worshippers' Alignment: Any Lawful
Domain: Orcs, Politics & Intrigue
Orcs were created by Valok in a different manner than orcs from other worlds. They follow his mindset in that it's 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.
Aarilax
Alignment: NE
Worshippers' Alignment: NE
Domain: Murder, Lizard Men & Sahuagin
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.
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.