Gods

Cosmology: The Prime Material, the Void and its Saints, the astral realm and the Weave.

Pantheon

The Prime Material in which Avendar resides was created by the Overgods Iandir, Jolinn, and Ashur. They in turn created many deities of Their own to help steward Their new creation; over time, yet more deities came from elsewhere or ascended to godhood from ordinary mortality to preside over various aspects of the Prime. All deities ultimately bow to the will and might of the Overgods, whose power is absolute, though some more resentfully than others.

The gods are ubiquitous in Avendar and intervene regularly to the degree the Compact allows in the lives of mortals. Even the casual, passing attention of a divinity can leave a mark on a person's soul that manifests on their body in some way, known as a god touch. Particularly notable devotees of a god will sometimes be given a sigil, a usually-visible symbol of their devotion and a visible representation of a deity's investment in that mortal. These individuals will usually be quite long-lived at the very least, and some are even functionally immortal.

Deities of Avendar

Deity	Chosen Lineage	Values	Icons
Iandir	None	Earth, order, law, leadership, honesty, creation	a crown of any style
Aeoleri	aelin	Purity, romance, gallantry, refuge, guilt, charm	roses, silver blades
Alil	aelin	Empathy, liberation, responsibility, spectacle, transformation, reaction	lotuses, butterflies
Serachel	aelin	Corruption, provocation, secrecy, grief, obsession, preservation	forget-me-nots, masks, hedgehogs
Enirra	alatharya	Balance, equality, rebellion, vigilance, stability, lost causes	an equilateral triangle, a single open eye
Alajial	caladaran	Peace, healing, diplomacy, mercy, compassion, charity	lilies, flowers in general, bumblebees
Chadraln	caladaran	Knowledge, precognition, history, diligence, continuity, pedagogy	a lemniscate, an open book, a quill, an hourglass
Jalassa	caladaran	Transcendence, reason, patience, meditation, restraint, penance	a set of scales, a snowflake, a mandala
Elanthe	chaja	Stories, narratives, inspiration, heritage, drama, the bardic arts	moths, any musical instrument
Kurion	chaja	Fate, dread, apathy, pessimism, misery, depression	a spiral, spiders, a web
Kyana	chaja	Perseverance, prophecy, defiance, sympathy, suffering, comfort	the stars, a candle, a weeping eye
Rystaia	ch'taren	The Weave, freedom, passion, joy, zeal, revelation	a pegasus
Vaialos	ch'taren	Hope, sacrifice, martyrdom, poignancy, memory, insight	a teardrop, a mote of light
Elar	ethron	Cultivation, symbiosis, renewal, nurturing, natural magic, growth	a leaf or new shoot, any tree
Nariel	ethron	Hunting, anarchism, heroism, mischief, vivacity, disobedience	an arrow with white fletching, a longbow
Lielqan	ethron	Mortality, surrender, fate, rebirth, hard truths, boundaries	the sunset, sharks
Dolgrael	human	War, honor, pride, metalsmithing, victory, defeat	any weapon, a forge hammer, a hound
Jolinn	human	Water, life, protection, community, purification, healing	a spear, shield, or chalice made of sapphire or diamond
Lilune	human	The moons, blood, wonder, ambition, duality, enervation	various phases of Lunus or Rhos, a black orchid
Ayaunj	nefortu	Trade, contracts, wealth, cooperation, strategy, discretion	coins of any denomination
Yolsei	nefortu	Air magic, travel, trickery, cunning, luck, ephemerality	the wheel of fortune, a lightning bolt, a crossroads
Bayyal	nefortu	Fire, wrath, ruin, violence, consumption, malice	a flame, a screaming face
Arkhural	shuddeni	Domination, bloodlust, sadism, larceny, pleasure, excess	a clenched fist, a knife, a scorpion, teeth, a bite mark
Ashur	shuddeni	The Void, death, demons, apocalypse, silence, finality	a void dragon or drake, a black scale
Rveyelhi	shuddeni	Tyranny, subjugation, industrialization, efficiency, bureaucracy, attrition	a black staff, interlocked gears
Fenthira	srryn	Swamps, evolution, fertility, shelter, supremacy, gratification	a clutch of eggs, a nest
Sitheus	srryn	Undeath, punishment, jealousy, obedience, decay, exile	a black serpent
Sythrak	srryn	Expedience, territoriality, the hearth, xenophobia, loyalty	the hearth, claw or bite marks, red scales

Nature of the Divine

The gods of Avendar are a diverse group of immortal beings of miraculous and immense power. Each god pursues their own interests, purposes, and plans, and most of the various native lineages each have their own presiding trinity of deities that lay claim to that lineage's destiny and which have heavily shaped their chosen peoples' culture and history. Alongside this focused stewardship, deities freely welcome worshippers from any lineage or culture provided they act in accordance with that deity's values and purpose. Through their following, religious artifice, Great Houses, and individually chosen and sigiled immortal divines, deities may enact their designs and spread their influence upon the world in accordance with the ancient Compact laid down by the Overgods.

Deities rarely manifest bodily in the world, but when they do it is usually in the form most familiar to their chosen lineage, even to those not of it. The exception is the Overgods themselves, who appear in various forms appropriate to the lineage they are manifesting for. Each lineage or culture thus has wildly different ways of perceiving each of the Overgods, down to their species, gender, and general disposition.

God touch

In Avendar, the gods offer a certain background presence to the lives of all people. Some find themselves touched in ways that profoundly affect their lives, typically leaving a visible mark. This is commonly manifested at birth, but can occur at later points in life. Most consider this a sign of the god's favour, but may simply represent a passing interest. That said, if one so marked profoundly displeases a god, or is chosen as an exemplar of another god's faith, the mark will be removed.

Creating a character with a god touch costs 3 trains upon character generation, but they may be earned for free in play through good roleplay. One may only have a god touch from a single deity. Should the mark be removed for any reason, any cost will not be refunded.

The effects of these touches are as follows:

Deity	Effect	Mark
Aeoleri	+1 max Charisma, +2 Charisma.	A deity has marked (Character) with a pink beauty mark in the shape of a rose.
Alajial	-22 armour class; aggressive monsters will be passive ten levels sooner than usual	A deity has marked (Character) with flowers that sprout from the crown of (his/her/their) head.
Alil	+1 max Charisma, +2 Charisma	A deity has marked (Character) with sprays of bright metallic feathers.
Arkhural	First strike, -10 saves vs poison	A deity has marked (Character) with unusually sharp teeth.
Ashur	Ashur does not care to mark mortals.	None
Ayaunj	You receive an additional 20% discount when making purchases	A deity has marked (Character) with teeth and claws of precious metals.
Bayyal	+10 resist fire, -10 resist cold	A deity has marked (Character) with a terrible claw-shaped burn scar.
Chadraln	+1 max Intelligence, +2 Intelligence	A deity has marked (Character) with a knothole shaped like a lemniscate.
Dolgrael	+1 max Strength, +2 Strength	A deity has marked (Character) with teeth and fingernails made of iron.
Elanthe	+1 max Dexterity, +2 Dexterity	A deity has marked (Character) with fingertips that shine like moth-wing scales.
Elar	+1 max Wisdom, +2 Wisdom	A deity has marked (Character) with sprouting vines twining lovingly around (him/her/them).
Enirra	+7% damage vs any character with resonance stronger than faint.	A deity has marked (Character) with black and white heterochromia.
Fenthira	+1 max Constitution, +2 Constitution	A deity has marked (Character) with a swath of gold-edged scales.
Iandir	-66 armour class	A deity has marked (Character) with a faceted gemstone embedded in (his/her/their) head.
Jalassa	Unarmed damage is calculated as if the masterwork weapon flag were applied	A deity has marked (Character) with perpetually ice-rimed features.
Jolinn	+1 max Constitution, +2 Constitution	A deity has marked (Character) with eyes of sparkling sapphire.
Kurion	+11% damage against targets with golden aura	A deity has marked (Character) with silky cobwebs shrouding (his/her/their) vision.
Kyana	+11% damage against targets with red aura	A deity has marked (Character) with sparkling horns.
Lielqan	Chance to not lose a death upon dying; you do not suffer penalties from the Gamaloth domain	A deity has marked (Character) with a row of jagged, sharp teeth.
Lilune	+1 max Intelligence, +2 Intelligence	A deity has marked (Character) with a crescent-shaped beauty mark.
Nariel	+1 scan range, first strike	A deity has marked (Character) with a pair of small tusks.
Rveyelhi	+1 max Wisdom, +2 Wisdom	A deity has marked (Character) with a second shadow, always following.
Rystaia	-10 saves vs negative	A deity has marked (Character) with a faint halo of light.
Serachel	Your aura is always treated as if it were 25% of its true value.	A deity has marked (Character) with a shadow that sometimes moves independently.
Sitheus	Unarmed attacks deal disease damage	A deity has marked (Character) with a single mummified but fully functional limb.
Sythrak	+1 max Dexterity, +2 Dexterity	A deity has marked (Character) with a heat haze perpetually mantling (his/her/their) body.
Vaialos	Vaialos is dead, unable to mark anyone.	None
Yolsei	Bonus lightning damage (max 12 points) on all melee attacks	A deity has marked (Character) with exceptionally long, pointed ears.

Sigil

Due to the restrictions the Compact places on direct divine intervention, gods must primarily act through mortals (or once-mortals) to enact their designs. This is done by placing a sigil upon a mortal, which appears in the branded slot.

Sigils are marks invested with divine power, granting their bearers longevity and an array of powers appropriate to the purview of their god. In return for these boons, they are typically tasked with furthering the values of their god in some way; this can be in capacities as mundane as a court clerk bearing an iron crown sigil to the famous Champion leader Akraelyn, the Son of Jolinn. It is also possible for a sigiled individual to convert to a different god; this is more common within the trinities of the various lineages. When this happens, their sigil will change to reflect their new deity, though often some trace of the old will be left and will continue to shape their new powers in some way. Finally, it is possible for a person to be stripped of their sigil entirely if they have displeased their deity in some fashion. If this happens outside of a mortal's normal lifespan, and no other deity intervenes on their behalf, they will typically die instantly.

Sigils superficially resemble tattoos in the form of iconography associated with the god but are distinctly supernatural in appearance, often moving on their own, glowing, or possessing a sense of indescribable immanence in observers. There is no mistaking a sigil for anything but what it is, and forgery would be beyond the ability of any mortal.

Upon being sigiled, a person may age more slowly, stop aging entirely, or even revert to a younger body. They are immune to the maladies of senescence and are granted resiliency against final death. Sigils often allow their bearers to perform minor miracles, granting boons or performing other seemingly impossible actions. The greater the god's regard, the more power will be invested in the sigil, and the greater the miracles they are able to perform. Sigils are therefore very powerful, and are only given to the most sincerely devoted of a god's followers.

Player characters may pursue and receive sigils of varying levels of power upon reaching level 51. Please send an in-character note to immortal and include the name of the god you are interested in. Please be aware that sigils are not guaranteed, and will require the completion of a storyline or a long-term pattern of excellent roleplay.

Non-god sigils

The School of Heroes employs its own brand of uncertain provenance for graduates. It is not connected to any specific god and has no accessible divine powers, but does act as an aegis against certain dangers or rites that would otherwise be deleterious to the soul (such as being sacrificed on a deity's altar) just as a divine sigil does.

Some demons, namely the Thirteen Saints of the Void, are known to sigil mortals, but very little is known about the blasphemous rites involved or the benefits of such a thing.

Immortal Divines

Individuals with powerful sigils are broadly referred to as immortal divines, saints, or even demigods, depending on their degree of divine investment and the kind of religious following they attract. The lifespan of any sigiled follower is generally at least a few centuries, but most will eventually begin to age and die. A rare few are made truly immortal, transforming over time into living avatars of a divinity's will, capable of performing true miracles. These individuals tend to be leaders or founders of significant followings or religious sects of a god, performers of great services or deeds in a god's name, or are otherwise exceptional in some way.

Player characters may not be immortal divines, but may become one once the character leaves play.

Notable Immortal Divines

Anirim the Pure, King of the Titans
Adralya the Avatar of Iandir