The Twelve
Avatars
The forms and appearances listed in the portfolios of The Twelve are how the dieties appear to the eyes of mere mortals, otherwise known as "avatars". This is so mere mortal minds can comprehend the divine being before them. The gods can assume any shape or form, but risk breaking the Divine Compact if they venture to the Natural World. To disguise herself, Serrenna likes to take the shape of a silver unicorn when visiting her followers, for example.Ranks of Deities
There are three overall "ranks" of divine power, which you will see listed on the deity's portfolio page. There ranks are:- Greater deities are beyond mortal understanding. They can’t be summoned, and they are almost always removed from direct involvement in mortal affairs. On very rare occasions they manifest avatars similar to lesser deities, but slaying a greater god’s avatar has no effect on the god itself.
- Lesser deities have a physical form located on some plane, which can be slain. They may also manifest avatars. Tiamat, goddess of evil dragons, may be such a deity; Serrenna, who sneaks away to the Natural World often, definitely qualifies.
- Quasi-Deities have a divine origin, but they don’t hear or answer prayers, grant spells to clerics, or control aspects of mortal life. They are still immensely powerful beings, and in theory they could ascend to godhood if they amassed enough worshipers. Quasi-deities fall into three subcategories: demigods, titans, heroes, and vestiges.
- Demigods are born from the union of a deity and a mortal being. They have some divine attributes, but their mortal parentage makes them the weakest quasi-deities.
- Titans are the divine creations of deities. They might be birthed from the union of a deity and other otherwordly being, manufactured on a divine forge, born from the blood spilled by a god, or otherwise brought about through divine will or substance. Serrena being the daughter of a god and a nymph, originally fell under this category.
- Heroes are typically humans (or legends of other species) who ascended to entry-level divine status because of their legendary feats and heroics.. Also called "sainthood" Saint Cuthbert ascended orginally to this divine position.
The Divine Compact
A treaty drafted by Primus himself, after the defeating Asmodeus and his legions from the Nine Hells. the Divine Compact is a deeply involved document, but boils down to five major clauses.- The Balance of Souls Neither gods nor devils shall claim dominion over all mortal souls. The righteous and the faithful shall ascend to the Divine Isles, while the corrupt and the wicked shall descend into the Nine Hells. Those unclaimed by either shall pass into the Endless Sea, beyond the reach of both parties.
- The Law of Non-Interference The gods shall not directly impose their will upon the Nine Hells, nor shall the archdevils set foot upon the Divine Isles. Their influence upon the mortal plane shall be carried out through agents, champions, and fate, but neither side shall wage open war upon the realm of the other.
- The Covenant of Mortal Will No god nor devil shall strip mortals of their right to choose their path. Temptation, guidance, and prophecy may be given, but the soul must walk freely into light or darkness. Forced conversion, corruption, or salvation voids any claim upon the soul.
- The Binding of Infernal Armies The Nine Hells shall not unleash their legions upon the mortal plane unless mortals themselves invoke them through pact, war, or cataclysm. Likewise, the gods shall not rally their celestial hosts to battle unless the devils break this oath. A violation of this clause shall bring divine retribution upon the transgressors.
- The Sealed Gate of War The gods and devils acknowledge that a final war, the breaking of this Compact, shall herald the end of all things. Until that time, the gates between the Divine Isles and the Nine Hells shall remain shut, save for those few souls and emissaries who cross by right of pact, duty, or judgment.
Mythology & Lore
In the dawn of creation, the Pantheon of Twelve, led by Primus and Prospera, strove to shape the world in harmony. They battled eldritch beings: the Great Old Ones, that sought to unravel reality itself, sealing them deep within the cosmic abyss. Victorious, they ushered in an age of prosperity and growth.
After gaining dominion of this material plane of existence, known as the Natural World, the four pillars of creation-Primus, Notcurna, Naussica, and Silvanus reshaped the world infusing it with their own divine power. Primus became the sun, Nocturna the moon, Silvanus became the soil and the green life that grew from it, Naussica filled the great chasms with water and became the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers. Silvanus brought the Elves to this realm from his home in Arboria to protect his creation, while Volturnus forged the Dwarves from molten rock and iron to guard the his realm from invasion from the Abyss. The Halflings came after being shaped from the best qualities of the the elvish and dwarvish species. Primus took the primoridial life once used as thralls and food for the Great Old Ones and imbued them with some of his divine spark creating the Humans.
The gods creations drew the attention of darker forces. From the Nine Hells emerged the Lords of Inferno, led by Asmodeus, seeking dominion over the mortal realm. A cataclysmic war ensued, shaking the very foundations of existence. Tempus hurled storms against infernal legions, while Tyrannus led armies in fierce clashes across planes.
After millennia of strife, the Twelve prevailed once more; Asmodeus and his legions were banished. The Divine Compact was created; a treaty preventing direct interference in the affairs of mortals from god, and devil alike . Thus, the Twelve retreated to the The Divine Isles and The Endless Sea where they could heal and safeguard their power. They entrusted the mortal races with the stewardship of the world, leaving behind remnants of their wisdom and relics imbued with divine essence. From then on, their presence faded into legend, leaving behind only myths and prayers to remind mortals of their sacrifices and teachings.
Divine Origins
But in the gods absence came the day when the gates of the Abyss opened, and the demons of the Nether-world destroyed the Celinadian Empire, the gods were nowhere to be found. It was assumed that the mortals fell out of favor with their gods, and would not help their worshipers. Rather than be destroyed, they turned their attentions away from the Natural World never to return.
But it was the binding of the Divine Compact that stayed the hand of the gods, knowing that direct involvement would break the treaty between the Twelve and the denizens of Hell. The gods could only watch from atop their palaces within the Divine Isles as Celinad was razed. But it was during the invasion from the shadow demons of the Abyss, that the Twelve found a loophole to exploit in the contract that they themselves created.
In solemn council atop the Celestial Spire on Helios, the gods decided that instead of interfering directly with the Natural World and breaking the treaty, they would appoint mortals to act as their agents and enforce their will and tenets on the world below. They would do this by bestowing divine magic upon the most devout of worshippers, but first enough time must pass so that Asmodeus and his minions would lax their lustful gaze upon the mortal realm so as not to raise suspicion and break the treaty.
Almost a hundred years after the fall of Celinad, priests and monks from other lands to the east began to appear in the kingdom known as Galador. Their message was that The Twelve were ready to return; their strength renewed from the almost devastating battle with the legions of the Nine Hells. They would help the people of the former kingdoms of the Celinadian Empire in return for their worship.
The denizens of the The Silver Shores had suffered from one hundred years of raiding and pillaging from the barbaric horse lords of eastern Katar. In hopes of salvation, prayers to The Twelve began. Churches were built, ceremonies established, clergy blessed and empowered by the gods themselves, as the religion of The Twelve had begun.
Cosmological Views
The Divine Isles and The Endless Sea are the home of the Twelve. Scholars and sages call these realms "The Higher Planes." Each island, or plane, is the home to a particular deity of The Twelve, such as Ysgard being home to Tempus , for example. The islands are surrounded by the The Endless Sea home to goddess Naussica and surrounds the world as well.
A river of molten fire, named Infernus , ruled by Revanna , runs through the center of the world connecing all of existences to the "Lower Planes," where the unfortunate can find the realms of evil, such as the Nine Hells and the Six Hundred and Sixty-Six Layers of the Abyss.
Tenets of Faith
To accept that the Twelve are the creators of all and who fought to deliver the world from evil.
To do good works.
To work towards godliness by commiting acts as the gods themselves have done.
Upon death each soul is taken by Revanna to Infernus. There she escorts the soul through the river, Infernus. guiding souls to their final resting places. Infernus serves as a purifying crucible where souls are cleansed before their passage to the afterlife. If the mortal was deemed worthy, their soul is taken to sit alongside their god whose tenets they most embodied. If the sould is deemed unworthy they may wander the The Endless Sea, or if a mortal sin was committed, then sent to the Nine Hells to spend an eternity of pain and torture.
To believe that that all people are fallible and to commit wrongs means praying to the Twelve for forgiveness or suffer eternity in Hell after death. All wrongs may be forgiven, but mortal sins shall not. Those who commit mortal sins are sentenced to an eternity in the Nine Hells.
Each god in The Twelve also has their own set of edicts and tenets as well. These will be listed under that god's entry. Someone that has chosen that god as a patron diety need follow that particular god's tenets of faith lest their soul wander the eternal sea upon death.
Ethics
Belief in the teachings of the Twelve, and the origins of the faith. That Primus created the sun, Nocturna the moon, Naussica the seas, and Silvanus nature, and they in turn procreated and birthed the other remaining gods. Not believing or losing faith can be forgiven if a heart is pure and repentant.
All people are called to do good things. To be honest and not commit acts of deceit, to be generous and not greedy, to love and not hate, to be brave and not weak. These are also forgivable faults if a person repents and prays for forgiveness.
To be godly by offering aid and shelter to the weak, seek to right terrible wrongs, and protect one's family, community, and kingdom. To embody the traits of each particular god when a situation presents itself to do so.
All beings are fallible and commit faults. Failure to do the above are considered committing a fault which may be forgiven by a member of the clergy or by asking the god directly for atonement, if a person failed in the eyes of the god. A follower,priest or cleric of Vecna may even seek atonement if they renounce their devotion to the god of secrets.
Mortal sins can never be forgiven, nor atoned for. These would be consorting with devils and demons, seeking to overthrow the Twelve as Vecna has done, or giving up one's soul for any reason.
Worship
All beings in the Silver Shores are beckoned to worship The Twelve. Your everyday citizen of the Silver Shores prays to the gods of the pantheon as a whole, and then a specific deity if they seek favor or fortune that would fall under the domain of that particular god. The farmer would pray to Tempus to bring rain to end a drought, or to Prospera for a bountiful harvest.
All people of the Silver Shores venerate and pray to the entire pantheon, it is possible for a profession, settlement, or kingdom to have a patron deity, with clerics being the most obvious example. A blacksmith would have Volturnusas a patron deity, as an example. A location would as well, but this choice is typically based on the purpose of that particular settlement. A farming town could select Propsera, a fortress would choose Tyrannus, a druid circle Silvanus, etc.
The holy day of the week is Godsday, the middle of the week according to the Imperial Calendar established during Celinadian times. On Godsday, worshippers halt their daily toils and tasks and gather at the closest Temple of The Twelve. There they pray and give their offerings to the pantheon of gods. Most people seek spiritual guidance and strength, or pray to the Twelve for their aid with a particular trouble.
In each temple there exists an individual shrine dedicated to each deity. Each temple is tended to by a priest. All gods are worshipped here, even the not-so benevolent ones. Tyrannus would be prayed to by a soldier's mother to spare her son from death in an upcoming battle, and even vile Vecna could receive a prayer to be granted knowledge or insight; just as examples. When praying to a single god of The Twelve, that god usually demands an offering or sacrifice, and even possibly a specialized prayer, according to that god's tenets of faith. The temple priest would lead that person in whatever ritual needs to be performed.
Vecna is the only deity from the Twelve who is not represented by a shrine or priest at a Temple of The Twelve. Open worship of Vecna is illegal and considered heresy (though it is fine to utter a quick prayer, praying and worhsipping are considered two seperate acts), and priests of Vecna are typically feared, shunned, and even imprisoned throughout Galador.
Priesthood
Priests make up the vast majority of the clergy for The Twelve. Priests are called to a simple life of temple service, carrying out their gods’ will through prayer and sacrifice. They reside in and oversee maintenance of the temples to the gods. There they perform religious ceremonies such as weddings, preside over funerals, lead their worshippers in prayer and worship on Godsday, and deliver atonement and spiritual advice to those that require it. The number of priests assigned to a temple depend on the size of the temple.
The clerics are considered holy warriors or missionaries for a particular god. Each cleric picks a patron deity whose ideals and tenets they embody, and they receive divine magic from that deity upon performing their daily prayers. Most clerics serve at a city or temple, but many wander the lands doing their god's will. All clerics are ordained to perform certain rites and rituals as determined by their patron god's aspects.
- Clerics of Revanna prepare the deceased bodies for burial, and are trained to fight and vanquish undead.
- Clerics of Prospera bless farming communities for a successful planting and harvest season, as well as bless births of both man and beast, and deliver blessings for wedding ceremonies.
- Clerics of Notcurna perform appropriate ceremonies during different phases of Obscura (the moon), as well as help interpret dreams and omens,
- A cleric of Naussica often blesses a ship before it sets forth on a voyage at sea. They also beseech the ocean goddess for bountiful catches for fishing vessels, and perform rituals for calm waters.
- The clerics of Primus participate in healing and helping the less fortunate. They also conduct rituals praying to the sun for continued light and warmth.
- Serrenna and Silvanus has no real clerics. Instead they are worshipped by elves, druids, rangers, and people of the wilds. Vecna does not have any clerics in an official capacity, but he does have clerics who serve as sect leaders for the Cult of Vecna.
- Tempus's clerics perform rituals for the coming of rain and pray to the god of storms to abate devastating weather in a region. They also officiate contests of strength and bravery.
- The war clerics of Tyrannon plan, strategize, and oversee battles and warfare. They also perform rituals to bless an army as they march off to war.
- The clergy of Saint Cuthbert oversee legal matters and administer justice, often acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
- Volturnus's clerics are all highly trained and accomplished blacksmiths. As their creator, the dwarves bow to him, and serve as his mightiest clerics and artisan craftsmen.
Granted Divine Powers
Each god of the The Twelve grants to their clerics who serve a patron diety, divine powers from the domains (also known as apsects), that they preside over. Primus grants his clerics powers that relate to the sun and healing, while Volturnus grants his clerics powers relating to earth and fire.
The powers of paladins come from being the holy champions of The Twelve and include laying on hands to heal the sick and wounded, to increase their own strength and fighting spirit, to detect and smite evil, and to summon a holy mount. These powers are to aid this holy warrior in his fight against the forces of evil.
Political Influence & Intrigue
High ranking priests and clerics are not only spiritual advisors to kings, nobles, and lords, but often hold some sort of political office as well. Clerics of Saint Cuthbert are judges and magistrates that uphold and enforce the Lord Regents laws throughout Galador. Volturnus's clerics often lead smithing guilds. Tyrannon's clerics are generals and commanders of armies, to list a few examples.
In Vaszkya, Tyrannus is that kingdom's patron diety. While faith and belief in the rest of the Twelve is necessary other gods prayed to, worship and devotion to Tempus is illegal and punishable by imprisonment.
Heresy is conidered illegal in all the kingdoms of The Silver Shores. What is considered heresy differs from kingdom to kingdom.
Sects
As stated above, each temple of the Twelve contains a shrine to each god of the Twelve save Vecna. Some smaller villages and settlements may not possess a temple but often contain shrines devoted to one or more particular patron deities, or even a small modest church that contains an altar and some holy receptacle for receiving offerings or sacrifices surrounded by bas reliefs of each god's holy symbol.
Vecna is the only god where open worship and devotion is illegal and ruled a heretical act punishable by imprisonment in Galador. Thus his priests and followers meet in secret. in dark and foreboding locations. Asking favor from Vecna is not heresy however, as prayer and devotion are considered two different things.
Demonic cults and the worship of devils exist as well. These sects and worship of these evil beings (for they are not gods, even Asmodeus was stripped of his divinty) is considered heresy and therefore illegal.
The holy symbol of The Twelve carried by priests.
Type
Religious, Pantheon
Leader
Permeated Organizations
Deities
Location
Controlled Territories
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
The Murdered Gods
- Mana
- Ketsimus
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