The New Gods

Before the Great Schism, almost every inhabitant of Tilendrel worshipped one or more of the seven New Gods, beings believed to have once been mortal heroes who ascended to godhood after defeating the Old Gods and freeing the mortals of the world from their influence.   The New Gods are:    

• Minara, goddess of light
• Queth, god of wisdom and knowledge and patron deity of the Kalashtar
• Renthven, god of war
• Henrich, god of mischief and trickery
• Yithtar, god of death
• Irgond, goddess of the sea and storms and wife of Jothir
• Jothir, god of nature and husband of Irgond

Little is known of the New Gods' mortal lives outside of legend and myth, though records of the battle with the Old Gods portray them as great heroes, in some accounts facing down Old Gods one-on-one. These records lead some to question how some became gods of evil concepts like death, an argument that many schismatics commonly use.   Minara   Minara, the goddess of light, is mainly worshipped in the Baronies of Everflame, since the Everflame was lit in a temple devoted to her by one of her legendary clerics. While no records exist of her prior to the Final Pact, she appears to have been a powerful divine magic-user that some hesitate to call a cleric due to the lack of a god to grant such power. This record is also used by many schismatics as an explanation and example of how clerics and paladins could wield such magic without the existence of gods.   Queth   Compared to the other New Gods, Queth's life as a mortal was relatively well-documented, with him being widely credited for convincing the first Kalashtar to make the Third Pact. As the god of wisdom and knowledge, he is worshipped mainly by sages, researchers, librarians, and the like, often for help with difficult problems or advice.   Renthven   While the god of war, Renthven stands more for order and discipline than actual battle. Generals, soldiers, and sometimes other disciplinarians like tutors and parents might make a prayer to Renthven for assistance. Records of the battle seem to indicate that he was more of a footsoldier than a magic-user, but he was nevertheless extremely deadly.   Henrich   Henrich's motivations seem to be more to do with the thrill and chaos of trickery than good or evil, giving him a wide range of worshippers, from thieves to actors. While mentioned as one of the seventy-seven who made the pact and as one of the survivors, he seems to have been completely absent from the battle itself, leading some to draw the conclusion that he attacked entirely from stealth, and others to argue that he ran away, too cowardly for an actual fight.   Yithtar   Yithtar is someting of a paradox. Records of the battle describe him as 'heroic' and 'masterful', but his representation of death contradicts this completely. No definitive explanation has been given, by his worshippers or otherwise. Some say the magic he used corrupted him. Others see him less as a patron of death and more of a gatekeeper; a servant to a greater force, making an effort to resist it but unable to stop it. Such people might pray to him for the health of a friend or loved one, but otherwise only a few grim cults worship him.   Irgond   Records claim that Irgond came from a land far north of Tilen to join the seventy-seven, crossing the vast ocean with nothing but a rowboat and a single oar. During the battle, she reportedly called down lightning from a clear sky onto the battlefield and shrouded the horizon in fog. Her bond with her comrade and husband Jothir was incredible; it was said that the pair defeated one of the old gods single-handedly, wielding primal forces of nature to create unparalleled levels of destruction.   Jothir   Many modern arcanists believe Jothir wielded the power of the Elemental Chaos during the battle with the Old Gods, unable to otherwise explain his mastery of the primal elements. Druids, rangers, and others who feel a strong connection to nature often revere Jothir, who seems to keep the Elemental Planes in check for the most part.     Worship of the New Gods   While all non-atheists acknowledge the existence of the New Gods, they do not necessarily worship all of them. In fact, most inhabitants of Tilendrel only worship one or two of them, depending on their ideals and needs. In Tilendrel, 'monotheist' refers not to a person who believes in only one god, but a person who worships only one. Likewise, 'polytheist' refers to anyone who worships more than one god, whether they revere only two or the entire pantheon.