NOTICE: This book can be found in the game in Temple of All Gods by certain means (which are left as an exercize to the readers.) RETRIEVED/UPDATED: Sat Jan 3 10:13:08 EET 2009. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Of Gods and Goddesses, Their Offspring and Heroes Edited by Brother Hauftalius Page OF DEITIES ....................................... 2 Aveallis, Lord of Light .......................... 3 Lumine, Mistress of Twilight ..................... 4 Draen-Dalar, Overlord of Darkness ................ 5 Aeo, the Flow of Magic ........................... 6 Beldarus, the Hammer of Worlds ................... 7 Loraen, Goddess of the Earth ..................... 8 Oxtoth, God of Decay ............................. 9 Tarmalen, God of True Healing .................... 10 Sa'hr, Goddess of Blood .......................... 11 Curath, the Designer of Deception ................ 12 Galean, the Selfish .............................. 13 Burglefloogah, God of Chaos and Reptiles ......... 14 Kauwenda, the Goddess Beyond the Veil ............ 15 Ahm, the Ever-changing, the Unstable ............. 16 Las, the Anvil of Good ........................... 17 Faerwon, God of Holy War ......................... 18 Cipro, God of Merchants .......................... 19 Hemet, the Drunken God ........................... 20 OF HEROES ....................................... 21 Noitulove, the Forger of Songs ................... 22 Grundor, The Bulwark of Lorenchia ................ 23 Sparchak, Hero of Atie, Weaponsmaster ............ 24 Sashita, Heroine of the Oppressed ................ 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OF DEITIES Here are the legends and myths of Gods and Goddesses told. The knowledge within these covers is vast, ancient, and sacred, salvaged from the corrosive bite of tooth of Time. The words this Tome contains are collected from the legends of the past, old as the History itself. I, mere servant, have now, after decades work, completed collecting these legends to a single volume from various sources. Let the credit of this saga go directly to its source, All Gods. --Brother Hauftalius, Keeper of the Temple of All Gods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aveallis, Lord of the Light From the repurcussion of the Hammer of Worlds on the barrier of the primordial stuff of Earth arose three distinct beings. These were the gods of Evil, Good, and Neutrality. Aveallis personifies the force of Good in the universe, drawing his initial being from the creative and life-sustaining power of Light that was scattered from this great blow. In creating his form, Aveallis drew into himself light of every color and brightness that he was able, and grew in strength with each captured beam. From the beginning, Aveallis recognized his enemy, Draen-Dalar, who cloaked himself in the darkness left by the very light that Aveallis had chosen as his raiment. At first, the two strove only against each other, but their might was equal and neither could be victorious. Aveallis chose to cease battling Draen-Dalar directly, and instead laboured to instill the essence of his own goodness in mortalkind. At first this plan worked, and the effects can still be seen in many of the oldest Laws that Las inspired in mortals. Draen-Dalar caught on quickly however, and moved to counter Aveallis' work, and now the battlefield has merely shifted to the mortal plane. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lumine, Mistress of Twilight Besides the mighty gods of Good and Evil, a third form also arose from the great opening of the Universe. Lumine is the goddess of Neutrality, sometimes called the Hidden Goddess, and she has appointed herself the thankless job of ensuring that neither Good nor Evil gain too strong a hand against the other. Her form was left indistinct in her birth, for her attention was instantly drawn to the two other forms whose genesis had coincided with her own. These two hugely powerful forces were scavenging as much of the dissipated force of their creation as possible, and striving against each other all the while. Lumine contented herself to watch, and settled down onto the flat surface of the Hammer's impact in the sky. From here, she was able to pick up some of the more subtle bits of scattered power floating around, but she knew she could not contend with either of the combatants for long. She does have the means to act in her own interest, though. The Mistress of Twilight has never had to resort to brute force or overt action. Though her machinations tilt the battle back and forth, never has either the Dark or Light God suspected that there is a third force, unseen, who will forever prevent one from triumphing over his brother. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Draen-dalar, Overlord of Darkness In the beginning, matter collided with power, and thus came about the creation of many new things. Among these was the formation of the gods of Good, Neutrality, and Evil. The God Draen-Dalar came into being in that cataclysmic event as an embodiment as pure malice and spite, evil incarnate. His first sensation was one of great pain, though. This was emanating from another being, who was frantically wrapping itself in light from the collapsing fabric of the old reality. Just as swiftly, Draen-Dalar started absorbing every mote of power from the dying screams left behind in the wake of this other entity. Hate rose up in Draen-Dalar as he rushed to attack his sworn enemy, but he paused just long enough to snatch the breath from another newly-awakened goddess, that he might use it himself. Draen-Dalar attacked his natural enemy, Aveallis, the Lord of Light, and the two evenly matched gods fought a war neither could win. Eventually they drew apart, and Draen-Dalar was left to consider the warped and twisted breath of Aeo in his hand. He moulded it a bit further, then released Oxtoth the Rotted God, in hopes of fouling the untainted forces of Nature. Draen-Dalar hunted again for Aveallis, and saw him also meddling in the affairs of the mortals, and began to shape a counterattack. And ever since, their struggle has only rarely left their scheming and plotting of the mortal plane. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Aeo, Goddess of Mana, The Flow of Magic Aeo is the Goddess of Magic. It is no accident that she is referred to as 'The Flow of Magic', for she is mana personified. Her exact origin is shrouded in mystery, for no other God was aware of her presence until Loraen found a rift in the fabric of Nature that she could not heal. From this blemish, Aeo arose. Beldarus rose to his wife's aid, but just as magic cannot be controlled by nature, neither has it any true form to manipulate. It may be that Aeo is the only remnant of the original power of the universe untouched by Beldarus, or it may be that she arose from the necessity of a counterpoint to Nature's potent structure. Whatever the case, Aeo does not say. Being a primal being, she has little to do with mortal beings. She instead gives aid and comfort to her husband, Tarmalen, and her children Ahm and Kumenda. She cares little for other gods, but bears some resentment towards Draen-Dalar, who stole her first breath as she began her song of Magic, and used it to create the loathsome form of Oxtoth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Beldarus, God of Creation, The Hammer of Worlds Beldarus is a primordial god, seldom interfering in the affairs of mortal, or even immortal affairs. The embodiment of matter itself, he is known as the Hammer of Worlds because of his destruction of the barrier between the void and the light - between substance and energy. Loraen is his true love. It was for her sake that he sundered the perfect harmony of the early universe. Beldarus does not rule the gods, though he is easily the most powerful of them all. He is content to give form to his wife's creations and revel in her attention. Besides the gods of good, evil, and neutrality which arose from his great blow against the primordial light, his initial embrace of Loraen gave rise to Tarmalen and Sa'hr, as well life itself. Thus were both healing and blood born of nature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Loraen Goddess of the Earth Once an embodiment of formless power, Lorean came into her present state by the force of matter itself thrusting upon her. Beldarus, her beloved husband, gave unto her a channel for her energy in his embrace. From this, the world was created, life was begun, and Nature herself received her calling. From this union, Tarmalen the god of Healing and Sa'hr, goddess of Blood arose and saw their place in the service of Nature. Unlike her husband, Loraen does take an interest in the doings of all of her children, both mortal and immortal alike. She is quick to temper, violent in her passions, and unswayable in her actions. Despite her mercurial moods, her love of Beldarus never fades, nor does her fondness for her children by him. It is said that she occasionally takes a physical form, to inspect her handiwork in person, and that these forays will only take place when the moon and the mark of violence it represents is absent from the sky. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Oxtoth, God of Decay and Undead When Aeo, the embodiment of Magic, began the first note of her powerful song, the first breath out of her mouth was stolen and soured by Draen-Dalar, the overlord of Darkness. This breath he twisted and wrung and finally contrived to give shape to Oxtoth, the God of Decay. Imbued with unalloyed Evil, and bereft of the benefits of Nature, the spark of Aeo's magic was warped into the crushing hatred of life that was Oxtoth. He has no love for anything or anyone, and cannot be shaken from his purpose. For a while, he was loved by Sa'hr, who saw in him a kindred spirit for the balancing life and health for death and ruin. She bore him two sons, Curath and Galean, but he had no love for them or her, and his enmity towards all life drove them away. Oxtoth's hatred applies equally to the other gods, save perhaps for Draen-Dalar, for whom he feels something more akin to jealousy. Strangely enough, Oxtoth is worshipped by mortals who would seek to use his power for personal gain. Though many would shun his horrible favour, there are those, both alive and undead, who genuinely seek to see unlife prevail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tarmalen, God of True Healing Tarmalen is the god of True Healing, the healing that springs from the power of Loraen, Warder of Nature and All-Mother, behind it. Tarmalen is the result of the happy union of Loraen with Beldarus, He who gives Form. Tarmalen bears no ill towards his sister, Sa'hr, despite their very different means of serving their mother. Tarmalen strives to support and sustain life, and will even brave Death itself in this. To Tarmalen, all living things are precious embodiments of his mother's power, and must be protected. Of course, such is not the way of the world - that which lives is born to die. This causes him hurt, but he continues his duties nonetheless. The will of Tarmalen is to see that life is as free of suffering as possible. Such it is that worshippers of this god are required to live wholesome lives, and to atone and purge themselves frequently. The balm in the wound of the Healer God is his devoted spouse, Aeo, she who is Magic. She is the mother of his children, Kauwenda and Ahm, who are able to ease their father's grief somewhat by offering hope to the souls of those who go on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sa'hr, Goddess of Draining and Death Sa'hr, along with her twin, Tarmalen, is the child of nature and that which gives substance, Loraen and Beldarus. Like her brother, Sa'hr carries much of the responsibility of life formed by Nature. To her is given the power to drain. Sa'hr is not evil, she does not act as she does out of malicious intent. If life were allowed to continue unchecked, with no balance, then chaos would soon follow, and paradoxically, disruption of Nature. Aging, corrosion, and entropy are her tools, and with them she recycles the raw materials that new growth requires. Unlike her dour brother, Sa'hr is given to fits of gaity and great warmth. She has few mortal adherents, but those that she does have are able to use her destructive power to the fullest. She once took Oxtoth, God of Decay, as her lover, but he soon drove her away with his remorseless hate of life and Nature. Their two sons, Curath and Galean stayed with their mother, but the taint of their father caused them too to shun the service of Loraen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Curath, God of Deception and Murder Curath, known as the Designer of Deception, has the unwholesome distinction of being the inventor of murder. He was the first being to ever shed blood without reason, and the violence of this act created the abomination known as Burglefloogah. He slew his younger brother, Galean, through deception and betrayel, and found that he enjoyed this new idea. His mother, Sa'hr, could not abide her son's newfound hobby, and cast him out. Since his father, Oxtoth, had long since abandoned him, Curath received neither praise nor damnation from that angle, but one cannot but suppose that Oxtoth would have approved. Curath turned his attention to the young civilizations of the sentient beings of the land, and taught his dire lore to those who he met. Mistrust, fear, and hatred were the result, and many a society was forever altered by the works of this god. He still walks amongst the people, working his sinister plans and indulging his love of undeserved strife. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Galean, God of Personal Gain, The Selfish One Galean is the god of self modification. The younger child of vivacious Sa'hr and the loathsome Oxtoth, he could not reconcile the differences between the two. After his father rejected his mother and her children, Galean slipped into unhappy contemplation. He spent his time alone, and observed the teeming varieties of life from a distance. But he could not find joy in their doings. Instead he withheld himself from all, and concentrated on himself instead. He began to change and distort himself, yet could never be happy with what he saw. One day, in the midst of another metamorphosis, his brother Curath came upon him, and cajoled Galean into assuming a form of Curath's design. The shaping was of a weak skinned creature, unable to support itself, yet Galean thought nothing of it, until his brother grasped his changing form and rent it asunder. From the blood of this first murder arose the monstrous god Burglefloogah, whom Curath drove into the swamps in his fury. The power that enabled Galean to alter himself so drastically was not spent, however. His body pooled into itself, and began to renew itself. As this body took shape, Curath struck it down again. The process repeated itself over and over, until the elder brother took leve in disgust and went to teach his new craft to mortal kind. Thus Galean the Selfish was able to continue his introspection, and to use his power solely for his own shaping, never content with its appearance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Burglefloogah, God of Chaos and Reptiles Burglefloogah, God of Chaos and Reptiles, was destined for ill from his very beginnings. After the departure of their father, the gods Curath and Galean began to try to find their place in the order of things. Galean was lost in his thoughts when Curath first found his purpose. His brother had no chance, for before this time, murder had not existed. As the first ever blood without purpose was spilled, it lept into the edge of the great swamp beside which Galean had sat. The swamp seethed and boiled from this potency of this virgin ichor, and after a while a shambling mass of corruption presented itself to remaining brother. Curath hated the sight, and drove the creature back into the swamp, where it sank out of sight. The creature found solace in the denizens of the swamp. They gave him his name, and he shared his spite. He accepted their worship and gave them venom. He gave power to the Slaad and they pledged their loyalty. He knew his purpose. The children of blood and decay had come to murder - with a lineage twisted up in magic and evil - he would slay any who dare oppose him. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kauwenda, Goddess Beyond the Veil From the union of magic and healing, two potent beings were born. The first was Kauwenda, who came into the world distraught at the pain of the living world around her. Immediately after her birth, she hid herself away, enfolding herself in the skirts of her mother, Aeo. The second child of this marriage resulted in a boy, Ahm. He too felt the distress of beings that were born doomed to die, but unlike his sister, he was drawn to them. And so the Everchanging God walked among them, taking their forms and sharing their experiences, until he had seen them all. He returned to his mother, and explained his desire to give living beings a chance to return to life in a new form, that they may experience all that he had. His mother listened and agreed, but said that there must also be a route for the dead that wished to return to the life they knew. At this, Kauwenda stepped forward and claimed that responsibility. Despite her newfound purpose, she ripped a shred of her mother's skirt to hide her face from death, and went forth with Ahm the Unstable to turn back death eternal. Their love grew beyond that of siblings, and when their children, Las, Faerwon, Cipro, and Hemet were born, they sent each into the world of mortals to be raised and to find their purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ahm, God of Rebirth and Change, The Unstable From the union of magic and healing, two potent beings were born. The first was Kauwenda, who came into the world distraught at the pain of the living world around her. Immediately after her birth, she hid herself away, enfolding herself in the skirts of her mother, Aeo. The second child of this marriage resulted in a boy, Ahm. He too felt the distress of beings that were born doomed to die, but unlike his sister, he was drawn to them. And so the Everchanging God walked among them, taking their forms and sharing their experiences, until he had seen them all. He returned to his mother, and explained his desire to give living beings a chance to return to life in a new form, that they may experience all that he had. His mother listened and agreed, but said that there must also be a route for the dead that wished to return to the life they knew. At this, Kauwenda stepped forward and claimed that responsibility. Despite her newfound purpose, she ripped a shred of her mother's skirt to hide her face from death, and went forth with Ahm the Unstable to turn back death eternal. Their love grew beyond that of siblings, and when their children, Las, Faerwon, Cipro, and Hemet were born, they sent each into the world of mortals to be raised and to find their purpose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Las, God of Law and Justice, The Anvil of Good The eldest child of Ahm and Kauwenda, Las was sent into the world of mortals to live at an early age. Las was accepted into a very primative Elvish community, and was appalled by the lack of order among them. Las began his work by converting the social norms into an informal code, and then guided the early elves as they established their own rules. The elves prospered under this guidance, and even now Las is known to them as the Lawgiver. Seeing that his work was good, he travelled the land and brought many a culture into a less chaotic, if not civilized, existance. His many travels brought Las eventually back to some areas he had visited previously, and often the laws of the region had lost their significance. Here, Las made his most profound contribution - the idea of Justice. He taught that law was not arbitrary, but neither was it unadaptable. Justice lies in recognizing the use of law to those who live by it. So long as order does not become restrictive, Justice will be maintained. Many ages have pessed, and Las still wanders the world extolling virtue, but his way is long, and his voice is less easily heard than it once was. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Faerwon, God of Holy War The second of the sons of Ahm and Kauwenda to venture out into the world of mortalkind, Faerwon was much impressed by the work that his brother Las had wrought. Everywhere were the peoples of the land thriving; enjoying the order which Las had helped them create, cultures were growing quickly. Eventually, however, the close contact of differing peoples with differing views brought conflict. Faerwon was distressed and sought his brother's aid, but Las was confidant that things would work out to the benefit of all. Alas, this was not to be, as the younger brother noted. Chaos reigned on both sides. Faerwon feared that in a conflict of this sort, both sides would lose sight of the laws that once gave them their identity. Thus did Faerwon set out to inspire the combatants. He gave them strength to fight for a cause, to strike blows for their way of life, and to die if they must for the sake of their beliefs. So did the earliest peoples battle to maintain their own culture and law. A cause for both oppressed and oppressor, Holy War is Faerwon's call to arms for the faithful, the brave, and the virtuous. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cipro, God of Trade and Craftsmen When Cipro, the third son of Ahm and Kauwenda, was sent forth into the world of mortals, he beheld a world of blood and strife. Las had given Law, that the people could prosper, and Faerwon had given Holy War, that these laws may be preserved in the face of opposition, but as a result of this, contact between peoples now led to naught but bloodshed. So when Cipro found himself among a beseiged tribe of Gnomes, he worked to give them the means to deal with other people in a more peaceful manner. In a flash of brilliance, he conceived the idea of Trade between peoples, and set to his prupose with enthusiasm. He taught them how to mine for gems, to create ornate baubles, and to recognize the worth that others might see in these things. Soon enough, the Gnomes were living in relative peace with their neighbors, and even farther beyond. In truth, Cipro did not have to travel as his brothers did, but was able to spend his time on his craftsmanship, that he could trade for work from others. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hemet, God of Drunken Debauchery The youngest son of Ahm and Kauwenda, Hemet travelled the mortal world just as his three brothers had done. Mortalkind had achieved a certain maturity by this time. Hemet looked upon the things that his brothers had achieved and was glad, but was also uncertain of that which might be left for him to accomplish. He travelled from city to city, and saw that mortals did indeed have a need left to be fulfilled - they were all far too serious. To alleviate this deficiency, Hemet invented the art of fermentation. To this remarkable brew he gave the power to ease pain, dull the mind, and give solace. It made mortals forget their worries and lose their inhibitions. So that men would not drink of it continuously he added confusion, clumsiness, and the sickness that comes of over indulgence. Not surprisingly, alcohol became very popular. Hemet himself is extremely fond of his creation, and his revels amongst mortal drinkers are the stuff of legend. Hemet's close contact with mortals has led him to sire many children, among them are Noitulove and Grundor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OF HEROES Here are the stories of few great heroes, and even some of those who are known to be direct descendants of Gods themselves. Their names and deeds have echoed in the words of many. I leave you now to enrichen your knowledge, and lay to my final rest, read and learn, my child, and use your knowledge wisely! Go with Gods! --Brother Hauftalius, Keeper of the of Temple of All Gods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Noitulove, The Forger of Songs Noitulove, the Forger of Songs, was born to a lovely Human woman after her dalliance with Hemet. From his father, Noitulove acquired a taste for gaity and song. Noitulove did not just love his music, however. He sensed that there was power in it, and was able to hear the reverberations of the divine music of the singing of Aeo in many a tune. So did Noitulove strive to fashion music from an idle passtime into art. To enable his studies, he invented many styles of notes, and found many ways to express his music - systems of notes and tones, of pure vibration, and other more arcane means. Eventually, Noitulove found that he could fashion magical effects from the playing of certain songs. Once he established this, he realized that he was alone in this pursuit, and set out, in the tradition of his father and uncles, to teach his arts to others. It is said that some of his original songs are still played by the wandering bards of today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Grundor, The Bulwark of Lorenchia The Drunken God Hemet has always been fond of consorting with mortalkind. One particular stout Troll lass took a fancy to him one drunken eve, and aspired to seduce him. This she accomplished admirably, and her son was a healthy specimen. The most famous of the Troll heroes, Grundor, known as the Bulwark of Lorenchia, was the finest master of defense to ever draw a blade. His native land of Lorenchia was under constant assault from the Slaad of the swamp that bordered it's rocky highlands. For years, the Trolls had retreated and lost both land and life to these evil creatures. But Grundor saw the benefits of fighting from higher ground, and persuaded his countrymen to stand firm under his leadership. Under his tutelage, the Lorenchian Guard was formed, and they learned how to anticipate an opponants strike, to avoid harm, and to turn these strikes aside and retalliate. The Slaad were decimated by these tactics. The Guard continued the art of Grundor, and his tactics are now widespread. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sparchak, Hero of Atie, Weaponsmaster Minotaurs have a well-deserved reputation for their fierceness. Sparchak, the brutal Hero of Atie, contributed significantly towards this with his exploits. Atie is a small island just lying off the western coast of the continent, and it's inhabitants have always been feared because of their raiding forays. Often, whole villages were left abandoned at the sight of a pirate's sails, so Sparchak was not surprised when he and his men found a harbor and city devoid of inhabitants. They disembarked to plunder what was left, but as soon as dusk arrived, the town sprung to life again - they had raided a Necropolis. Sparchak had to hack through literally hundreds of screaming undead before he was able to win his way to the necromancer who controlled them. With one great swing of his axe, Sparchak was able to silence the entire city by destroying it's source of power. On another occasion, Sparchak and his fellows came upon an area that they sought to raid which was being hotly contested between two Ogre clans. Upon sighting the pirates, the conflict was forgotten, and Sparchak had to hold off two seperate armies while his men got away with as much loot as they could muster. Sparchak was not much on subtlety. As a way of reply when challenged, he would generally cut his questioner into little pieces. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sashita Heroine of the Oppressed Many of the peoples of the world have a history of oppresion. For the downtrodden and persecuted, there is hope that one day they will have a Hero the equal of the famed Sashita who will release them from bondage. Sashita's tribe of gnolls was held in thrall by a powerful force of Drow. Every season, the Drow overlords would ride in to take their tribute, as well as every able-bodied male able to slave for them. This had gone on for years, and the depleted Gnolls had no hope of escape. Sashita was driven to fight, and convinced many of the old men, women, and children of her village to make preparations to free themselves. They took to the hills, and began laying seige to their overlords with savage guerilla warfare. Pits, snares, and hidden spikes all took their toll. The gnolls learned to strike without being seen, and caused more fear than actual harm to the Drow. When finally Sashita was able to free her tribe's men, their force was even more able. Before long, the yoke of oppression was lifted from their heads, and the Drow forced to withdraw. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------