The True Gods
Originally seven in number, the True Gods are the creators of the World and the parents to all of her Children. At the creation, there were four Gods and three Goddesses who bore the title of True Gods. The death of one and fall of another are well remembered in history and legend, but in the tumult born of the Turning the other five have also passed beyond any knowledge. It may well be that all of the True Gods have perished, and the Children of the World must fend for themselves against the cruel whims of Fate.
The All-Father
Husband to Braialla and Master of the Three Companions, the Men of Ardan named Him Pandarrion, while the Elves call Him Palandramil, the Wanderer, or Brallankoth, the Tyrant. Not all of Aerynth’s children venerate the All-Father, but few can deny His influence on the World. This mighty God created Aerynth, it is said, and awakened Braialla, the green Mother, who brought the newborn World into bloom. He sired the Elves, and later fashioned both the Giants and Humanity. The All-Father’s deeds have driven all of Aerynth’s history, for good or ill. Both the Temple of the Cleansing Flame and the Holy Church praise the All-Father above all other Gods, and the All-Father is almost universally revered among the Sons of Men, the Dwarves, and the Centaurs. Praised as a Creator, a Wanderer, and an omnipotent Warrior, the All-Father is known both for his jovial manner and awesome temper. Some have called the All-Father the most Human of all the Gods, for across the Ages He has known success and failure, triumph and tragedy, but His commitment to His vision and His children has never wavered. The All-Father’s voice fell silent at the turning, and many believe He died as Aerynth shattered. Others believe that the Lord of the Gods has embarked on another epic quest beyond the Void, and that He shall return to destroy the wicked and heal the hurts of the World, as he has done twice before.
Braialla the Green Mother
Oldest of the True Goddesses, Braialla is the mother of all that lives and grows upon the face of Aerynth. Trees and plants are her favorite creations, and nearly all folk revere the Green Mother as the mistress of bounty and fertility. Mother of the Elves, Braialla has always has little to do with the affairs of the Children of the World, renouncing their strife in favor of the purity of nature’s tapestry. Braialla married the All-Father at the beginning of the World, though the Green Mother has seen little of her husband in the Ages since. Revered by the Druids, Braialla has always worked to heal the corruptions and disruptions brought about by war and civilization. The Green Mother nearly perished in the Turning, and the Druids say that they can still hear her screams of pain. There is, it is said, a sundered aspect of Braialla on every fragment of Aerynth, and these broken pieces will be paralyzed and powerless until the World is healed.
Kenaryn the Hunter
Merriest and freest of the All-Father’s Companions, Kenaryn is the Lord of the Hunt, and his endless thirst for sport and adventure has ensured that he never remains in one place for long. Depicted as a tall, ruddy man with a rack of antlers rising from his head, Kenaryn freed Saedron, the Goddess of the Silver Moon, from her imprisonment, and later married her. The Centaurs were their children, and quickly took up their father’s love of wind and the chase. It is said that Kenaryn runs faster than the winds, and that he has traveled over every inch of Aerynth, from the highest peak to the bottoms of the seas. In the Age of Twilight Kenaryn helped subdue the Dragon, and afterward quickly took up the Long Hunt for Grallokur the Devourer, the hideous beast born of Saedron’s madness. Legends tell of Kenaryn’s long quest to capture the Devourer and restore his wife’s sundered mind, a hunt which has taken him far away from the affairs of the Children of the World. The Centaurs believe that Kenaryn and Grallokur shall finally meet and do battle at the World’s end, although some wonder if this grim event has not already happened. Kenaryn has not appeared or answered any call since the Turning – many fear that the Hunter became the prey, and as met his doom.
Malog the Warrior
Shrewdest and fairest of the All-Father’s Companions, legends tell that Malog was matchless in battle, and fearsome in his wrath. According to the most ancient tales, Malog argued with the All-Father many times, and finally journeyed to the Golden Moon where he married Volliandra, Goddess of Dreams. Alas, the Warrior found little rest or comfort there, for the Dragon incinerated the Golden Moon soon after. The Dragon’s flames killed Malog’s bride and destroyed his beauty forever. Malog withdrew in his pain and rage, and became a master of evil and deception. In time, the Warrior even tried to kill the All-Father himself, luring Him into a trap in the uttermost pits of Chaos. His efforts failed, and Malog was trapped among the Dark Lords, where he was twisted into Morloch the Destroyer, one of the Fallen Ones.
Saedron the Fate Weaver
Wisest of the Three Goddesses, Kenaryn found Saedron in a great palace on the Silver Moon, asleep and imprisoned in a pillar of Ice. The Hunter freed Saedron, and the two married. Saedron is the mother of the Centaurs, but has always favored the Elves more than her own children. Named in some legends as the Source of all Magic, Saedron first taught Sorcery and Wizardry to the Elves, and is still revered by Wizards and seekers of Arcane Lore. Saedron is also said to have an uncanny knowledge of the future, and some claim that she has woven the fate of every living being into a great tapestry that fills her remote palace. While Saedron the Fate Weaver is wise and beautiful, the Goddess has a second, malevolent aspect. When the Dragon destroyed the Golden Moon and killed Volliandra, Saedron felt her twin sister’s pain and was driven mad. Grallokur the Terror was born of her agony, and the mind of Saedron has been unbalanced ever since. When fell moods take her, Saedron the Fate Weaver transforms into Saedron the Hag, Mother of Night, the Goddess of error and nightmares. Many terrible creatures have arisen from the hag’s will, and she has always worked as a force of strife and chaos, even as Saedron’s other aspect vies for control. Few now worship the troubled Goddess in these times, and seekers of Arcane Lore are warned to take the utmost care when dealing with her, for one can never be sure which of Saedron’s faces will smile upon her worshippers.
Thurin the Shaper
Keen of mind and hand, Thurin is also incredibly strong, and is the God of Forge and Craft. The only True God who never married, Thurin descended into the deeps at the beginning of the World and crafted his children, the Dwarves, in his image. Many of the World’s greatest relics and magic treasures were wrought by the Shaper in the early Ages of the World, and it is said that most of his greatest works have yet to be discovered. Thurin forged Shadowbane, the Sword of Destiny, though the effort cost him his left hand. In the Ages since Thurin has undertaken many long, mysterious journeys, searching for the ultimate secrets of Destiny and Fate. The Shaper also served as a mentor to the Dwarves and a stalwart defender of the All-Father, and is universally praised as the most loyal of the All-Father’s three companions. The God is always depicted bearing a hammer, and many images also show Thurin’s legendary silver hand, forged by his children to replace the hand he lost. The Shaper’s whereabouts since the Turning remain unknown, though some whisper that the Father of Dwarves is working in secret to repair the Orb of Aerynth.
Volliandra the Dream Singer
Fairest of the three Goddesses, Volliandra was first awakened by Braialla’s song at the beginning of the World, and loved all the creatures of Aerynth. Her beauty and her songs inspired the Elves and Centaurs, leading them to create endless works of art and beauty. Malog the handsome Warrior wooed the Goddess of the Golden Moon for much of the Age of twilight, and the Dream Weaver set many impossible tasks and quests before the Warrior before she finally agreed to marry him. Before the two could sire children of their own, however, the Dragon destroyed the Golden Moon, transforming it into the fiery Sun. Malog was maimed by the cataclysm, and Volliandra was destroyed.