The Mythos of Aerune
The mythos of Aerune is primarily divided into two groups:
The gods who dwell in the heavenly gardens of Auralis recognize the god Aradach as their sovereign lord. These gods are known as the Ordained, and are the only gods recognized by the Church and the Inquisition.
The foul gods of the Black Court reside in the Labyrinth of Oeruin, forever exiled from the gardens of Auralis, and are debased before the Tyrant God Azerial.
Outside of the Courts lie the Unaligned and the Forbidden gods; gods which either hold neutral alliance with the Courts, or those gods so debased and foul that not even the darkest Court of all will call them their own.
The worship of any gods not of the Ordained is blasphemy, and carries with it a punishment of death for any who do not repent.
The White Court
The gods of the White Court follow Aradach and dwell in the heavenly
garden paradise of Auralis. These gods recognize the potential of the
Gifted Races, and they seek to guide them so that the Gifted Races will
flourish. These gods are approved and recognized by the High Church of the
Ordained in Trechele, and their priests have the right to their worship so
long as they do not break the law of King or the Church.
"While it is difficult to follow the path of good and righteousness
with an unerring step, it is harder still to lead others down that
path."
Souls can be lost without guidance, and Aradach provides that guidance
through inspiration and his servants. He is the patron of those who would
guide others as sovereign rulers, and he is also the god of truth. As
ruler of the gods, Aradach must settle disputes, and his word is never
questioned. Though few would challenge his wisdom, it is certain that the
unquestioned support of Myrkorim provides additional incentive to follow
his judgement. Aradach has ruled than none of the gifted races should pay
twice for one crime, and thus when one pays for their crimes with their
life, they are seen from that point forward as innocent in the eyes of the
Ordained.
"Whether you raise a sword against me, or watch the war and do
nothing, you serve the darkness in either case."
A war rages across Auralis and Oeruin, and Myrkorim is ever prepared to
fight it. He prefers a clean, honorable fight, but he knows the other side
fights dirty. Myrkorim has never been bested in personal combat, and the
other gods admit, perhaps begrudgingly, that it is Myrkorim's personal
prowess and sense of tactics that has kept the host of Oeruin at bay for
so long.
"One cannot feed a belly or a soul with virtue alone."
The Lord of Bounty feeds both the flesh and the spirit. He is the
patron of material and spiritual wealth, and both merchants and artists
pay him homage. Naveril promotes the concept of charity, and the concept
that hard work is rewarded. The god does not believe in decadence, and has
no patience for those who are lazy or whose greed harms others. Passionate
to a fault, he inspires passion in the Gifted Races, and is sometimes seen
as the patron of romantic love. It is said that in the darkest moment of
the War of Tears, when Myrkorim faltered and Azerial rose above him, that
it was the music of Naveril which empowered his spirit and turned the tide
of the dark host. He is the god of creative energy, and those who are
seeking to create call him for inspiration. In recent times, Naveril has
come to be associated with travel and wanderlust and, perhaps most
importantly, the freedom to engage in those pursuits.
"Remain pure of spirit, for you must walk the landscape of your soul
each night."
As the goddess of dreams, Sereness is responsible for inspiring the
gifted to follow their dreams in the waking world, and protecting the
dreams of the sleeping. When her sister, Khelvaan, was forced to retreat
across the Dreamscape, Sereness was given the task of maintaining that
realm against her. The Dreamscape remains divided between the Goddess of
Dreams and the Princess of Nightmares, although in recent years there have
been rumors of Vespera claiming a place in the Dreamscape. Sereness
inspires people to conquer their fears and gives them the courage to
create and protect in spite of their fears. She has no patience or love
for apathy, jealousy, and envy. She encourages people to find and follow
their own dreams, not become obsessed with the accomplishments of others.
She is also the goddess of the Hearth, and is invoked to protect children
and homes against invaders.
"Have the persistence to reveal the mysteries around you, and the
wisdom to know which secrets to keep"
Vespera is the Lady of Mystery, the goddess of both secrets and
knowledge. Her priests both reveal secrets that might endanger the Church,
and they guard the secrets of forbidden arts that might corrupt the
spirit. Her servants are often trained in intrigue, and act as spies and
hidden agents who watch the common, merchant, noble folk of the land.
Priests of Vespera tend the Veiled Library, a hidden place that holds the
dark knowledge which presents a danger to the followers of the White
Court. For many years the Lady of Mystery traveled outside of Auralis,
gathering dark knowledge, but it is said she has returned from her sojourn
and her church has once again joined the White Court, though her return is
distrusted by many, most of whom have secrets that they would prefer to
remain in the shadows. Priests of the Vesperan church acted to save many
folk during the War of the Maw, including the eldest lord of House Rouen,
who became a faithful supporter of the church.
The Black Court dwells in the Labyrinth of Oeruin, forever exiled from
the gardens of Auralis. The Black Court look on the world with disdain,
and see it only as way to satisfy their appetites and to bring them the
power to fuel their hatred and spite. The Gifted Races are as puppets and
slaves to them, and the Black Court recognizes no potential or glory other
than their own.
"The Gifted Races have not the heart nor the stomach to reach their
true potential. Only those with the strength and vision to rule can lead
them from chaos to excellence."
It takes will and power to build, and those with weak wills and lack of
vision threaten the progress of the world. It is the responsibility and
right of the strongest to lead the flock to greatness. Each person has
their part to play, and Azerial's part is to be the lord and ruler of all.
He is the Lord of Oeruin, the Tyrant, and the Dominator. He leads the Dark
Gods with an iron will and an unyielding grip. He plans the day when he
will once more rule supreme among all the Lords of Aerune, and will not
rest until all pay homage to him.
"Everyone, deep down, fears something."
The Princess of Nightmares is the goddess of terror, and she reveals
the fears of the Gifted Races and feeds off despair and horror. She has
been charged with weakening the servants of Auralis by inflicting such
doubt and fear that they fail to act against the Lords of Oeruin. She is
loyal to Azerial and, like the Tyrant, she knows the world is in need of
true guidance, which the gods of Auralis are unable or unwilling to
provide. She also controls the dark side of the Dreamscape, and her
creations roam its borders urging and coaxing sleeping spirits away from
the Realm of Sereness.
"The world is for the taking, and only those with the proper
appetites will be driven to take what they wish."
Murthean is the ever-hungry, a dark god who believes that it is the
appetites of the gifted races that drive them to greatness. It is only by
seeking indulgence that the Gifted Races may find absolution. Only the
desire for what is around them will drive them to change the world, and it
does not matter if that change is for better or worse. To Murthean the
passion of a soul is a lie, and it is greed that drives all of the Gifted.
The greatest show of strength is to pursue those desires and hungers, even
if it causes one's own destruction.
"Every being has locked deep inside a primal, savage hunter waiting
to be set free."
The Prince of the Beasts is the merciless hunter, and his favorite prey
is the Gifted. Wyrlok does not hunt for food or for survival; he hunts for
the sheer pleasure of it. He is brutal, and enjoys cruelty and slaughter,
but does not always kill his prey. Sometimes he will twist their forms and
their minds into rampaging beasts, or fill them with a frenzied desire to
kill. Wyrlok is the progenitor of lycanthropes and all sorts of twisted
races bent on slaughter and destruction. Wyrlok hates the animal spirits,
and takes particular pleasure in killing the Shoathri.
"Wisdom is in the tongue and heart of the fool who laughs at the
tragedy around him. Life is a comedy of errors, the blackest humor, for in
the end, what else can we do but look on it and laugh?"
The Jester holds a special place in the Black Court. He is able to say
things in the court none of the other gods would dare say in the Black
Court of Azerial. Xerelos has a biting, sarcastic wit, and he sees the
world as a dark joke. He has little concern with the Courts unless he can
gain some advantage or twisted amusement from some aspect of the war. He
is also the god of disease and deformity, and he is particularly fond of
visiting these torments on the Gifted and laughing at their expense.
"All things must die."
Grim and foreboding, Nielus takes no sides in the war. He is the god of
the dead, and he oversees the spirits of those who have died. He takes
those who have died from age or natural illness, but he will allow those
who have died from the hand of another of the Gifted to return to life if
their spirit and will is strong enough. Gates to the Realm of death draw
the spirits of the dead, and they appear in many places where violent or
suspicious death is common. As a result, there are many gates to the Realm
of Death in the land of Aerune. Nielus calls none of the Gifted Races as
his servants; he is served by mysterious beings called the Reapers. The
Reapers carry out the business of their lord, act as his voice, and if
need be, act as his hand.
Arasha, Lady of Air "Gentle and fierce, eternal and ever-changing, the seething elements
make up the essence of the world and the Elemental Lords are every bit as
chaotic as their namesakes."
Wild, fickle, chaotic and temperamental, the Elemental Lords have
inherited the power of the fallen god of the primal elements, Khormed. The
Elemental Lords were born when the Prince of Elements could no longer
contain the conflicting elements within himself, and he was destroyed from
the effort which created his successors. The Elemental Lords grew in power
quickly, and without the guidance or teaching of the older lord they
became wild and untamed. They often argue among themselves, and take no
part in the war unless it will bring benefit to them. The lords have a
delicate balance of power between them, and it is common for one of them
to aid the enemy of another to prevent a sibling from gaining too much
power. The elemental servants of these lords are constantly at war. The
Elemental Lords have no priests among the Gifted Races, and they pay
little attention to the cults which follow them, unless their own war
spills into this realm.
"Each step, each breath, each stroke of the blade or of the pen
changes the weave of the Tapestry, and forever affects the world."
Three sisters share the power of the goddess of fate. They appear as
three hideous old crones, Ciarda, Fainche, and Sciath. When Arcalia fell
in the War of Tears, her power was passed to her three children. They have
taken up the tapestry of their mother: one weaves the present, one watches
the past for loosened threads, and one prepares the loom for the future.
They often switch positions so they remain attentive to their task. All
things are recorded in the Tapestry, and only the three sisters may look
upon it in its entirety.
The natural world is filled with free spirits; they dwell in the earth
and stone, the wind and water, and in the trees and creatures all around
us. The boundary that seperates their world from ours is called the Pale.
The ways of the Pale are the ways of natural law, of the land wild,
uncorrupted and free of the bindings and ravishes of the civilized hands
of the Gifted Races. Before cities, before the Courts and the Gods, there
was the Pale - the dwelling place of animal, plant and natural spirits,
and of the Three Brothers.
The Three Brothers are the Green Man, who stands for Courage and
Compassion, the Grey Man, who stands for Truth and Vengeance, and Lord
Oberon, now called the Gold, who stood for Creativity and Passion. Lord
Oberon was destroyed long ago by the Fey-Killing Sword, and what remains
of his essence is embodied within the unicorns.
The Green is associated with spring, growth, renewal and life. It is
the ascending half of the life-cycle of nature, and those who follow the
Green seek strength and serenity to guide, teach and remember. The Green
Man is the Lord of the Weald; his druids call upon the Sphere of Weald.
The Grey is associated with winter, decay, change and death. It is the
descending half of the natural cycle, and those who follow the Grey seek
truth and vengeance to protect the natural world and visit retribution
against those who would despoil it. It is thought that the Grey Man's
followers call upon the Sphere of Gloaming.
The Gold is associated with passion, love, creativity and diversity. It
is the realm of the song and rhythm of nature, and those who seek to
follow the Gold trust the paths of their heart and passions to lead them
along with the natural rhythms of life. There are those who have dedicated
themselves to regaining this path, lost since Oberon's death, and they
believe it was once linked to the Sphere of Chimera.
The Animal Lords of the Leindrel Elves and the Shoathri also dwell in
the Pale. Some are Green, some are Grey, and then there are others who
have become corrupted, lost, or who are too far from the basic natures of
the Gifted Races to understand fully.
The Leindrel and the Shoathri are marked by the spirit who claims them;
the Leindrel bear the green mark of the Forest and the Shoathri bear the
red mark of the Blood Hunt. The marks appear on the face, usually
indicative of the spirit of their particular Animal Lord.
The commonly known Animal Lords are: While there are rumors of other Animal Lords (such as Fox, Lizard,
Bear, Snake and Hyena), it is exceptionally rare to even hear mention of
their names. No player may initially create a character marked by one of
these other, rarer Animal Lords.
The followers of the Pale - be they Druids, Shamans, Rangers or
Beastmasters - have studied arts, skills and spells that allow them to
call upon the aid of the Animal Lords and natural spirits.
Druids, Green or Grey, study magics that nurture and protect nature,
and they commune with natural spirits. Rangers learn protection and
defense, tracking, hunting and other special skills depending on their
nature. Shamans speak with their ancestors and the spirits of the dead,
learning magics and wisdom long forgotten. Beastmasters take Animal
Spirits as their totems to learn from them the natural skills of predators
and hunters. Arch Druids, like High Priests, are leaders and teachers in
the Pale community, and posess more advanced experience and learning.
The Green, Gold and Grey each emphasize different teachings, skills and
practices.
"It is my divine right and duty to hunt those who are undeserving of
the Gifts. None shall deny my birthright or my divine sight."
The Huntress stalks the edges of the shadows, seeking out those who are
unworthy of the Gifts. She knows she is alone, but she will not set aside
her birthright or her divine sight. Her worship is illegal; her priests
are cast out, persecuted, and hunted themselves. Many have left the
priesthood, disillusioned or dissuaded by a life of hardship and secrecy.
Those that remain carry on her work or pray to her for strength in their
own path of vengeance or hunting, always staying one step ahead of the
Inquisition and the agents of the Goddess of Mystery.
"The Obsidian Heart resonates throughout the Foul, like the drums of
war that call those who are worthy to war against the undeserving."
When the lord of the Obsidian Heart ascended he took for himself the
Foul and all of Malediction as his providence. As he stepped into the
divine realm, his essence became a host of dark spirits and corruptors
rather than a single divine being. His essence manifests throughout the
lands like grasping talons. Although many dark spirits carry his divine
shadow, the Lord of the Obsidian Heart is the power behind them all. Each
corruptor and dark spirit are a set of eyes and ears bringing dark
knowledge to their lord.
Aradach, The Sovereign Lord
Myrkorim, Lord of War
Naveril, Lord of Bounty and Art
Sereness, Lady of Dreams and Hearth
Vespera, Lady of Mystery
The Black Court
Azerial, The Tyrant, Lord of Oeruin
Khelvaan, Princess of Nightmares
Murthean, Prince of Hunger
Wyrlok, Prince of Beasts
Xerelos, the Black Jester
The Unaligned Gods
Nielus, Lord of the Dead
The Elemental Lords
Karakesh, Lady of Fire
Qualash, Lord of
Water
Urgroth, Lord of Earth
Ciarda, Fainche, & Sciath, The Sisters of Fate
The Pale
Bayastri the Cat
Choenta
the Crow
Skaleen the Rat
Tlurolo the Boar
Urugar the Wolf
The Forbidden Gods
Elshea, the Huntress
The Nylachia, the Obsidian Host, Lord of the Obsidian Heart
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