The Forbidden Ones

"Upon the world preside entities greater than our understanding; those who wish to provide for their creations and exist in a manner harmonious to that of mankind - and against them exist those whose goal lies solely in that harmony's dissolution."

— "The Forbidden Ones" Synopsis

  The Forbidden Ones is a series of non-fiction novels written and published by Gath Wranric.  

Volumes

VOLUME I - Lulir, God of Hatred and Anger

  Lulir, the god of hate and conflict, is a special case in terms of the forbidden deities. Unlike the others this series will cover, Lulir remains apparent in the Helthoria Pantheon, while the others are not present.
  The reasoning for this oddity can be traced to the ancestry of the Lord of Spite; Lulir is not one of the old ones, but rather never had a title of old like the chief goddess and many others. As well as this, Lulir was born a full-blooded god, sired from Iyuun and Mulena, gods of the land and family, respectively.
  It is quite peculiar how two peaceful gods can give rise to the embodiment of bitterness himself, but this may have something to do with the events that led to his elder godhood.
  When he was manifest, his parents strived to keep his conception secret from the sight of Chaos incarnate, wishing to keep him from disorder and malice.
  Upon his birth, Lulir was taken to an alcove in the mountains whereupon it was intended he should remain there until this full godhood. However, Chaos divined that his nephew had begotten a child, and became furious that it had been hid from him. As punishment, Chaos cursed the child with anger and bitterness unbeknownst to the worlds both new and old.
  Anger and negative emotion is seen as an omen of Lulir, and those who experience great anger are often thought to be possessed by the god of himself.
  Although his worship is frowned upon across the Known World, temples and shrines are erected in his honour, often as an offering to keep his anger at bay.
     

VOLUME II - Dromas, The Augur of Demise

  This deity’s presence stretches far back in time, well before the cataclysm that claimed the lives of the entirety of both mortal and Altar realms. In fact it was rumoured that Lord Dromas himself was the one to enact the prophecy.
  Hundreds of years preceding the great Cataclysm, the prophecy was divined to the Goddess we know now as Azra, which foretold Twelve individuals meeting at the gate between the realms and causing the two to become one with their combined power. Of course you all know this prophecy, taught to everyone in their youth as a lesson to the learned about our world’s past. It is also well known that Lord Dromas was the one to provide her with the prophecy, whether it was divined by him or simply crafted entirely by the fiendish lord.
  The “heretical'' popular belief concerning this is that Dromas intended the cataclysm in his own right, knowing that his birthrealm, the Underrealm, would remain untouched by the destruction, and his kind would emerge once both sides were vanquished in one fail swoop. As apparent as it is, this did not come to pass due to actions taken by Lady Azra.
Returning to the topic at hand, Dromas himself is a devil lord and son of Az'ganoth the inherent successor of Chaos incarnate. Dromas has direct blood ties to the creators of both realms and the Underrealm, which can be rare said about the other deities of the Pantheon, even those descended from Chaos such as Lord Cylarae.
  Lord [Dromas] has ties to the present day, rumoured to be alive among the new gods and ruling the Underrealm alongside his father. Many fanatical groups have formed as of late in lieu of recent archeological discoveries in Thal and surrounding areas. These cults are secretive and remain active only underground within surrounding cities. Dromas is widely seen as a Forbidden Deity for his partaking in the Cataclysm of yore, and so worship of him is clearly seen as a violation of the gods’ good will.
  Dromas’ friendish form has never been seen in our realm, though through distant rumour has he been thought seen in a dumoid guise and roaming the streets as a mortal. However these rumours are baseless and it is advised to take them lightly. His followings are often thought to be based in the vast, barren region of Asphodel along with many of the other Forbidden Ones, thought like most other things concerning Lord Dromas.
  He has also been known to have signs, like the others, which consist of little things that often act as omens concerning other deities.   These are some things associated with the Augur;
  ~ A dark, moonlit room painted with silhouettes.
  ~ Dying flora in a place with otherwise plentiful vegetation.
  ~ Cold air in a warm place.
    These signs of Dromas are to be taken as omens of terrible misfortune, and his name “Augur of Demise” should indicate. Despite his nature, it is always wise to respect the Powerful Ones despite all else. It does not mean to worship, but only to be aware of their power.
   

VOLUME III - Ziona, Goddess of Trickery

     

VOLUME IV - Ruther, The Fortune-Bringer

  The chaotic fiend deity, known by many as the Fortune Bringer, is the major, controversial fiendish god whose prose is akin to that of Pre-Cataclysm Djinn.
  His worship was first practised in the badlands of Asphodel, along with several his brother deities including Morovas, Dromas and the goddess Ziona.
  Many poor souls, in seeking fortune and finance, stumble upon Lord ruther by fated chance, The god promises wealth, fame and often simply the idea of stability. Those most desperate will often fall to his offerings.
  Beware, for those who sell their souls for the promises made by the fiendish god are then found by controversy and infamy, though it is said that his promise of wealth will come to pass each time without fail, though its cost higher than the worshipper can often afford to pay.
    The signs of Ruther are as follows;
  ~ A tasselled, wooden mask effigy.
  ~ A stack of dented gold coins atop a black silk cloth.
  ~ A leaking cask containing dark-coloured wine.
    His manifestations have been documented across the expanse of Helthoria, with stories being told of his curse befalling good, honest people from Ara to Norwich.
  He is often worshipped using wine and spirits, and setting ablaze a small pile of wood. Worship is seldom used to honour the god, even by his small following; it is used rather as a tool of summoning, to call upon the aid of Ruther and to his request or accept his blessings. It should be said that in all cases, Ruther is a treacherous being that will only ever offer blessings if the worshipper is fated to be betrayed or to betray, olr is seen by Ruther as worthy of the Curse.
  It need not be reiterated that Lord Ruther is a dangerous, chaotic being that should not be crossed or summoned if one is not prepared to deal with the consequences of doing so.
       

VOLUME V - Morovas, Oceanic God of War

  In the days of old, the waters of the Altar realm were virtually untraversable; living in a constant state of storms and unrest, ruled by the malevolent oceanic god of wear called Morovas.
  Due to his tyrannical hold over the seas, worship of him was frequently used as a method of appealing to the god for safe passage across his vast and dangerous domain. Any deaths at sea are, even to this day, often acquitted to him.
  As the Cataclysm caused his realm of birth to merge with that of the mortals’, his power was divided as a new god was conceived from the element of Chaos; though comparatively, his demeanor was akin to that of still water.
  The two gods feuded at the dawn of the new era, and Cylarae proved victorious, and for his actions against the new gods, Morovas was given no authority over the oceans of the new world.
  At present, worship of Morovas is seen as heretical to the lord of the cerulean waters, and offerings to him are seen as asking the divergent god to bring harm on those who travel by sea.
  Though worship of him has never been proven to bring curses upon those that worship him, followers of Cylarae see this act as heretical and evil, and in some oceanic provinces, worship of him can be charged criminally. Some of these places include the former capital Thal, and Mulwater, as well as fishing villages like Arkaley and Valdei.
  Morovas has seldom been heard since his defeat in battle, many believe it to be due to the war god’s shame of having not prevailed in war against Lord Cylarae. However, some natural phenomena are attributed to his presence;
    ~ Whirlpools, both large and small.
  ~ Bloodied streams that follow in the wake of battle.
  ~ Odd, flickering lights beneath the deep ocean water.
  The lights mentioned prior are astronomically rare, but in many cases past have been documented, and are believed to be a sign that the old war god is trying to break through the watery depths to once again challenge Cylarae and reclaim his domain. Though worship of him is greatly frowned upon, there are still methods of which he can be worshipped.
  Offerings of blood, cast in the bowls and crucibles crafted of bone, coral, or shells are often seen as acceptable to Morovas. Occasionally, offerings of rare wood bark, plants, or other land materials never touched by the sea are offered, and some believed by some to claim the offerer’s allegiance to the old god. Rituals of offering are rare, and rarely practised due to their taboo nature, but it is believed that they exist, somewhere in modern Helthoria.
  Of all his old world strength, Morovas is a god that is still feared by many a seafarer. Who is to say that one day the god may not appear once more, after his waiting has passed and a new war dawns in the lands of Helthoria?
         

VOLUME VI - Baeyok and Baeyna, Twin Purveyors of Sin

       

VOLUME VII - Veah, Goddess of Witchcraft

         

VOLUME VIII - Satris, God of Gateways and the Underground

  Due to factual errors published in the first submitted copy of this volume, it was discontinued and never formally published. As such, there is currently no record of this novel's existence.