Post by Weaver of Fates on Jul 29, 2015 13:41:00 GMT -5
The Followers of the Seven believe that there are seven major gods who watch over Éolan and all of its creatures. The rulers of these gods are Aethus, god of life and light, and Velia, goddess of death and darkness. These two gods created Éolan at the beginning of time, and they still watch over Éolan today as the sun and the moon.
The Followers of the Seven tend to worship one or two of the gods from their pantheon more than they worship the others. It is the most widespread religion, rivaled in popularity of belief only by the Faith of the Four-Pointed Star. The Followers of the Seven tend to keep small statues or talismans of the gods and goddesses that they follow, and it is believed that giving a small sacrifice to these statues or talismans can bring you good luck. The sacrifice tend to take the form of coin, vegetables and fruit fresh from the harvest, or other tokens that might please the gods. These statues can occasionally be found along major roads and in city squares.
Each of the seven gods in this religion has a unique personality. Some are fickle and quick to please or displease, others are more temperate in their humors. Each has both good and evil domains, though none of them are believed to be fully good or evil as their followers understand them. The following is a list of the seven gods of this religion:
Aethus
Domains: Life, light, passion, strength
Patron of kings and crusaders, leaders, and seekers of truth
Personality: Aethus is thought of as the strong leader of the gods, passionate and willful with everything that he does. He is all seeing, and he is aware of everything that his sunlight touches. He is one of the two gods who are actually visible to the people of Éolan. He is the sun, his body so brilliant that no one can fully see him, but always present to watch over his creations. He is believed to have a fiery personality, and he can be quick to anger or quick to please depending on how he is dealt with.
He created the world with Velia at the beginning of time. The two of them were alone in a vast darkness, and they wanted to use their power to fill the void with colors and laughter, music and light. So they created four children, and together the six of them worked to create the world as we know it today. Tiberius became the fifth of their children long after the world was created by proving himself worthy in the mortal lands.
Velia
Domains: Death, darkness, elusiveness, secrets, and trickery
Patron of thieves, tricksters, strategists, and vagabonds
Personality: Velia is the opposite of Aethus – cool and calculating where he is passionate and sometimes blinded by his ideals. She knows the secrets that are whispered in dark places, the plots that are being planned. She is one of the two gods who are actually visible to the people of Éolan. She is the moon, her face cloaked with a white hood with the stars as the small glittering gems of her black gown. Every move that she makes is calculated, and when she chooses to respond to the inquiries of her followers she often does it in mysterious and enigmatic ways.
Elianna
Domains: Love, beauty, creativity, craftsmanship and inspiration
Patron of lovers, artists, and craftsmen of all professions
Personality: Elianna is the loveliest of all the gods, but she is also the most fickle. She is often called upon as a muse for any sort of artistry from dance to acting to music. She is thought to be extremely fickle and occasionally cruel, but her followers believe that presenting gifts of flowers or hand crafted goods to her statues could bring them good luck. She is also the patron goddess of lovers, and many believe that someone who is scorned by a lover has somehow fallen out of Elianna’s better graces.
Tiberius
Domains: The hunt, dedication to a cause, war, honor, strategy, and exhilaration
Patron of guards, huntsmen, athletes, and fighters of all types
Personality: Tiberius is a tall, dark figure who often rides on the back of a black stallion with blazing red eyes, hunting mortals who have dishonored themselves in battle. It is said that he’ll string the chase on for hours at a time, sometimes even days, taunting his prey with the illusion that they can escape from the hunt. When he finally catches them, he uses his mighty axe to cleave their head from their shoulders. He is always moving, always hunting someone or something, caught up eternally in the frenzy of battle. However, it is also believed that he has a great respect for strategically planned battle strategies and to dedication to a difficult cause.
Tiberius didn’t start out as a god. He was born a mortal ïoden, a famous warrior from the first war ever recorded in history. He proved himself time and time again, his ferocity in battle a terrifying sight to see for friends and foes alike. The story goes that he fell in love with the daughter of the bastion, but he was low-born. He fought and trained day and night to gain the position of the general of the bastion’s army so that he might be closer to his love. He gained this rank and held it for many years, and one day he confessed his feelings to the bastion. The bastion considered the marriage.
However, there was another who was seeking the hand of the bastion’s daughter. A highborn noble arranged the death of the bastion, framing Tiberius for his murder. Tiberius was beheaded, his body brought to the catacombs. The next morning the noble was found beheaded in his chambers and Tiberius’s body was nowhere to be found. It still hasn’t been found to this day.
Kiera
Domains: Nurturing, growth, the harvest, the earth, resolve, healing
Patron of mothers, farmers, alchemists, and healers
Kiera is believed to have a personality as steadfast and unchanging as the earth itself. She is largely a benevolent force, but she is slow to anger and slow to please. Her followers realize that they can’t improve themselves without consistently working toward their goals, like the waves gradually eroding a rock. She shows favor to those who work hard at their trade, especially when they work with the materials of the earth.
Caluso
Domains: Travel, change, wind, and chaos
Patron of travelers, merchants, sailors, and messengers
Caluso is the least predictable of the gods, capricious and whimsical. Some even say that the god has a touch of madness. However, Caluso’s shrines and idols are some of the most prevalent in Éolan. They can be found at crossroads, in markets and bazaars, and at the docks in many cities. The followers of Caluso often pray for a safe and swift journey but keep an eye out for any opportunities along the way. They are more likely to seek out the less traveled path, and many of them perceive oddities and irregularities in their lives as ways in which their god is trying to communicate with them.
Rhysa
Domains: Wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, and solitude
Patron of scholars, writers, investigators, monks, and teachers
Rhysa is the goddess of wisdom and scholarly pursuits, and her followers believe that inspiration and discovery come from study and a dedication to learning new things. She is believed to be quiet and committed, learning all that there is to know in the world, and that she has read everything that has ever been written. When knowledge is being passed from master to apprentice, it is said that her grace will lead both of them to a higher level of understanding. Statues and idols of Rhysa are often found in places of learning such as libraries, arcane universities, and monasteries.
The Followers of the Seven tend to worship one or two of the gods from their pantheon more than they worship the others. It is the most widespread religion, rivaled in popularity of belief only by the Faith of the Four-Pointed Star. The Followers of the Seven tend to keep small statues or talismans of the gods and goddesses that they follow, and it is believed that giving a small sacrifice to these statues or talismans can bring you good luck. The sacrifice tend to take the form of coin, vegetables and fruit fresh from the harvest, or other tokens that might please the gods. These statues can occasionally be found along major roads and in city squares.
Each of the seven gods in this religion has a unique personality. Some are fickle and quick to please or displease, others are more temperate in their humors. Each has both good and evil domains, though none of them are believed to be fully good or evil as their followers understand them. The following is a list of the seven gods of this religion:
Aethus
Domains: Life, light, passion, strength
Patron of kings and crusaders, leaders, and seekers of truth
Personality: Aethus is thought of as the strong leader of the gods, passionate and willful with everything that he does. He is all seeing, and he is aware of everything that his sunlight touches. He is one of the two gods who are actually visible to the people of Éolan. He is the sun, his body so brilliant that no one can fully see him, but always present to watch over his creations. He is believed to have a fiery personality, and he can be quick to anger or quick to please depending on how he is dealt with.
He created the world with Velia at the beginning of time. The two of them were alone in a vast darkness, and they wanted to use their power to fill the void with colors and laughter, music and light. So they created four children, and together the six of them worked to create the world as we know it today. Tiberius became the fifth of their children long after the world was created by proving himself worthy in the mortal lands.
Velia
Domains: Death, darkness, elusiveness, secrets, and trickery
Patron of thieves, tricksters, strategists, and vagabonds
Personality: Velia is the opposite of Aethus – cool and calculating where he is passionate and sometimes blinded by his ideals. She knows the secrets that are whispered in dark places, the plots that are being planned. She is one of the two gods who are actually visible to the people of Éolan. She is the moon, her face cloaked with a white hood with the stars as the small glittering gems of her black gown. Every move that she makes is calculated, and when she chooses to respond to the inquiries of her followers she often does it in mysterious and enigmatic ways.
Elianna
Domains: Love, beauty, creativity, craftsmanship and inspiration
Patron of lovers, artists, and craftsmen of all professions
Personality: Elianna is the loveliest of all the gods, but she is also the most fickle. She is often called upon as a muse for any sort of artistry from dance to acting to music. She is thought to be extremely fickle and occasionally cruel, but her followers believe that presenting gifts of flowers or hand crafted goods to her statues could bring them good luck. She is also the patron goddess of lovers, and many believe that someone who is scorned by a lover has somehow fallen out of Elianna’s better graces.
Tiberius
Domains: The hunt, dedication to a cause, war, honor, strategy, and exhilaration
Patron of guards, huntsmen, athletes, and fighters of all types
Personality: Tiberius is a tall, dark figure who often rides on the back of a black stallion with blazing red eyes, hunting mortals who have dishonored themselves in battle. It is said that he’ll string the chase on for hours at a time, sometimes even days, taunting his prey with the illusion that they can escape from the hunt. When he finally catches them, he uses his mighty axe to cleave their head from their shoulders. He is always moving, always hunting someone or something, caught up eternally in the frenzy of battle. However, it is also believed that he has a great respect for strategically planned battle strategies and to dedication to a difficult cause.
Tiberius didn’t start out as a god. He was born a mortal ïoden, a famous warrior from the first war ever recorded in history. He proved himself time and time again, his ferocity in battle a terrifying sight to see for friends and foes alike. The story goes that he fell in love with the daughter of the bastion, but he was low-born. He fought and trained day and night to gain the position of the general of the bastion’s army so that he might be closer to his love. He gained this rank and held it for many years, and one day he confessed his feelings to the bastion. The bastion considered the marriage.
However, there was another who was seeking the hand of the bastion’s daughter. A highborn noble arranged the death of the bastion, framing Tiberius for his murder. Tiberius was beheaded, his body brought to the catacombs. The next morning the noble was found beheaded in his chambers and Tiberius’s body was nowhere to be found. It still hasn’t been found to this day.
Kiera
Domains: Nurturing, growth, the harvest, the earth, resolve, healing
Patron of mothers, farmers, alchemists, and healers
Kiera is believed to have a personality as steadfast and unchanging as the earth itself. She is largely a benevolent force, but she is slow to anger and slow to please. Her followers realize that they can’t improve themselves without consistently working toward their goals, like the waves gradually eroding a rock. She shows favor to those who work hard at their trade, especially when they work with the materials of the earth.
Caluso
Domains: Travel, change, wind, and chaos
Patron of travelers, merchants, sailors, and messengers
Caluso is the least predictable of the gods, capricious and whimsical. Some even say that the god has a touch of madness. However, Caluso’s shrines and idols are some of the most prevalent in Éolan. They can be found at crossroads, in markets and bazaars, and at the docks in many cities. The followers of Caluso often pray for a safe and swift journey but keep an eye out for any opportunities along the way. They are more likely to seek out the less traveled path, and many of them perceive oddities and irregularities in their lives as ways in which their god is trying to communicate with them.
Rhysa
Domains: Wisdom, knowledge, enlightenment, and solitude
Patron of scholars, writers, investigators, monks, and teachers
Rhysa is the goddess of wisdom and scholarly pursuits, and her followers believe that inspiration and discovery come from study and a dedication to learning new things. She is believed to be quiet and committed, learning all that there is to know in the world, and that she has read everything that has ever been written. When knowledge is being passed from master to apprentice, it is said that her grace will lead both of them to a higher level of understanding. Statues and idols of Rhysa are often found in places of learning such as libraries, arcane universities, and monasteries.