Voldgift
2015-09-12, 12:56 AM
Seeking creative criticism and input for the mythos I implemented on the War of the Burning Sky campaign box.
Also, seeking suggestions on how I could include halfling and gnome origins into my mythos.
Let me know what you think!
At the beginning of time, before the world as you know it was formed, existed the titans. In the primordial times, there were four: the Flamebringer Dragon, the Earthmaker Worm , the Tidereaver Kraken, and the Stormcaller Eagle of Sky. It is known that Flamebringer killed Stormcaller by ripping her still beating heart from her breast and stole her power, making himself indomitable, countered only by Kraken and Worm's alliance. The first life to ever be extinguished in the history of eternity, Stormcaller's corpse shriveled and stirred; though she no longer drew breath, her empty body began to move and became Death incarnate: an entity not bent toward destruction, but rather a shepherd for souls to their final fate. Filled with new power, Flamebringer tricked Tidereaver and Earthmaker and lulled them into a deep, endless slumber, and the Dragon was allowed to reign unchecked, though cautious not to wake his brother and sister.
It is unknown where or how the gods came, though many suspect they were sprung from the dreams of the sleeping Primordial Titans. But when they did come, Flamebringer had taken the name Glaurnir the Great, and he was already ancient beyond reckoning. So terrible was he that the gods themselves fled under the shadow of his wings; so great his hunger that he had no thought but to devour all that stood in his path. But Hár, the All-father, Ruler of All Things, was not content to live in fear of Glaurnir, and he called his wife, Minon, Queen of Heavenly Lights, and all their many children to his side. Together they challenged Glaurnir, and under Hár's leadership, their combined strength was enough to defeat the Dragon. Where Glaurnir's body fell, his scaly hide became land; his spines and horns became mountains; his blood pooled and became the sea. The gods looked down at the new land and found it beautiful, and they named it Mydnar, that which has form.
To care for Mydnar, Hár commanded his children to create mortals. Ori, the Mountain King, lover of fire, stone, and steel, and a poor listener, created the immortal dwarves, who dwelled underground in isolation and secrecy, and became masters of working metal. Gylfi, god of love and beauty, and his wife Nuala, protector of all that grows green, caused the álfar to sprout from the living forests; Nuala gave them long life, and Gylfi fashioned them after his own beautiful image. And Dáin, youngest of the All-father's children, spilled his own blood onto the earth to give rise to man, while jealous Kordo bled to create grey-skinned orcs, made to give man a rival. But no sooner had Mydnar been formed and the mortal races given life than all of it came under seige. From the great Void beyond space and time came the Weird, terrible demons who knew no thought but to destroy all the gods had wrought. Against their massed numbers, the gods and their angelic servants could not hope to prevail alone, but Vöra, wise goddess of fate, found an answer. She commanded Death to choose the souls of the strongest and bravest mortals and bring them to Hár's divine hall, to become Einherjaren who would join the gods in their battle against the Weird, thereby bolstering their armies. Thus, the gods stood fast against the Weird and protected Mydnar against certain destruction.
As time passed and the war against the Weird showed no sign of slowing, some of the gods began to grow resentful. Without the world to care for, they thought, all our troubles would be ended; the Weird would attack us no longer, and we could be free of worry and responsibility. What use have mortals been to us, anyway, beyond to cause our problems? And eventually, these thoughts drove them to forsake their posts and betray the All-father. They swore then that they would destroy Mydnar and all who lived upon it, and turned their works to that end. Baragmir, god of the hunt and bloody competition, drew wild beasts to him and plunged spikes of frigid ice into their hearts; they became the jötnar, terrible monsters with incredible strength and a hatred of mortals. Grimnir, the Masked One, master of lies and deceit, sent messengers to great leaders of the álfar, poisoning their minds against their kin and corrupting them to evil, causing their kind to splinter and seek new havens beyond Shahalesti; they found new homes among the ice of the north and deep underground where the sun cannot touch them. The remaining álfar of Shahalesti spurned them, fueling their hatred; since then, the benevolent ljosálfar of Shahalesti and wicked dokkálfar of the cold mountains have remained divided. Vuljinor, the beast that hunts in the dark, whispered to wayward human children from the shadows, and lured them into dark places where he twisted and corrupted them into goblins, who crept about quietly and sowed chaos and misery. Sarrak, goddess of wanton destruction and savagery, delved into the depths of the earth to find Glaurnir's bones, using his buried fire to give them new life and create lesser dragons in his image. The traitor gods set their armies against the mortal races, and Hár looked on in despair. Once again, though, an answer came, this time from Rune, the Crone, goddess of knowledge. She proposed to teach mortals the gods' knowledge of magic, so they could use it against their traitorous brethren's forces. She and the other gods began choosing mortals to invest with power; soon, even more began to learn the magical arts on their own. These gifts allowed man to survive in their now even more dangerous world.
For ages beyond counting, it has been so; the gods and their armies have fought in the heavens against the Weird, while living mortals have struggled to survive and thrive in lands filled with terrible monsters and strange magic. Yet one day, as all in this world know, the strength of both must surely fail; the courage of man will fade, and the ranks of the Einherjaren will dwindle, and the armies of good will be overcome at last. Then the End Times will come, and all you know will fall into chaos. And you, like anyone else, can only pray that that day is long in arriving, and do your part to ensure that the strength of man does not falter.
Hár
The All-father, progenitor of the gods and ruler of the heavenly realms, has power over all things--even the Prime Elements do his bidding. From his great hall, he commands his divine children and all the legions of angels and Einherjaren in their eternal war against the Weird. His alignment is Neutral Good, and his favored weapon is the greataxe. As ruler of all creation, Hár is not limited to a specific portfolio of domains; instead, upon gaining access to a new level of spells, his clerics may select any one spell of that level as their sole domain spell, and must prepare that spell in their domain slot every day. Once made, this choice of domain spell cannot be changed.
Minon (http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/231/1/8/frigg_by_righon-d475p3h.jpg)
Also known as the Queen of Heavenly Lights, Minon, wife of Hár, is the goddess of the sun, moon, and stars. After the younger gods had finished creating the mortal races, she placed the sun in the sky to give them light and warmth, the moon to help them mark the passing of seasons and know when to offer blessings, and the stars to help them navigate. Her alignment is Lawful Good; though she is a relatively peaceful goddess, her followers are known to fight with fire, from flaming torches to alchemical explosives; clerics of Minon gain a +1 bonus per damage die to all fire damage they deal. Her domains are Sun, Fire, and Travel.
Vidur (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/304/6/0/irvine___berserk_by_shyrubio-d5jisl5.png)
Vidur is the god of the sky, bringer of wind, rain, lightning and snow. Alongside his twin sister Eina, goddess of the sea, he is prayed to by sailors seeking swift and safe journeys; offerings are also made to him during the stormy winter months, when the Weird draw close to Mydnar and he must battle with them most frequently. He is said to ride in a chariot pulled by giant, horned wolves; their howling is the wind, and the spittle flying from their jaws as they run is the rain and snow. His alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and his favored weapon is the longbow--his arrows are lightning bolts, and the twanging of the string is the thunder. His domains are Air, Animal, and Weather.
Eina
Eina is Vidur's twin sister, ruler of the ocean and all the rivers and lakes that feed it. She watches over sailors on their travels and brings forth bounties of sea life to feed land-dwelling mortals, but can be just as wrathful as her brother when roused to battle. "As cold as Eina," is a popular phrase when attempting to describe a callous woman. Her alignment is Neutral, and her favored weapon is the harpoon. Her domains are Animal, Travel, and Water.
Gylfi
Gylfi is the god of art, beauty, and love, and one of the two patron gods of the álfar, the elves, who worship him as Álf-father. The gentlest of the gods, he and his wife Nuala created the elven race together; Gylfi's gift to his children was beauty surpassing all others, and he commands them and his other followers to create and preserve beauty wherever they go, whether it be the beauty of fine works of art or that of the love that resides in the souls of mortals. His alignment is Neutral Good; his followers are known to wield longswords, finding beauty in the complexity of their making and fighting technique. His domains are Charm, Community, and Healing.
Nuala (http://www.zeblog.com/blog/uploads/g/gornar/petit1.jpg)
Nuala is also known as She Who Tends the Divine Garden, protector of all living and growing things, and patron of healers. Elves worship her as Álf-mother, for she helped create them and gave them their long lifespans as her gift, and commanded them to use their time to preserve other living things. Her alignment is Chaotic Good, and her favored weapon is the quarterstaff. Her domains are Animal, Healing, and Plant.
Sigarda (https://41.media.tumblr.com/bc53cc2246328c856d90c2daa664ee11/tumblr_mulf7cgIO41rrrugio1_500.jpg)
One of the All-father's most trusted lieutenants, Sigarda is often called the Shield-maiden or the Guardian of the Hall. She is the patron of women, particularly female warriors, and especially wives of soldiers left to guard their homes alone while their husbands are away fighting. She herself often performs this duty for her father, protecting Hár's hall when he must leave to do battle with the Weird personally. Her followers see it as their mission to combat the sexism present in many places throughout Mydnar. Her alignment is Lawful Good; her favored weapon is the battleaxe. Her domains are Protection, Strength, and War.
Ori (http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/60/42/61/604261549ef9f8c5b4a9973b59941e4b.jpg)
Ori is the Mountain King, god of earth, stone, and fire, and patron of miners, masons, and smiths. He is the progenitor god of the dwarves, who carved them from living stone and gave them the spark of life from the light of blazing magma. He is said to be as immovable and unyielding as steel, and hold wisdom befitting a perspective stretching as far back as the ancient stone foundations of Mydnar itself. Nobody knows why the God has not seen fit to make any more dwarves and he does not see fit to explain himself. His alignment is Lawful Neutral; his favored weapon is the warhammer. His domains are Artifice, Earth, and Fire.
Rune
The goddess of magic, Rune's titles include the Crone and the Witch-goddess. The greatest magician among the gods, Rune makes it her personal responsibility to watch over all mortals who follow in her footsteps, ensuring that they exercise wisdom and use their arts for good. Only rarely does she receive prayers from those with no command of magic, but her supposedly boundless wisdom and clear judgement do make her appealing to other worshipers. Her alignment is Neutral Good. Her followers have no favored weapon, preferring to fight solely with magic; clerics of Rune gain a +1 bonus to hit on all attack rolls made as part of spells. Her domains are Knowledge, Magic, and Runes.
Vöra (http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/84/36/6e/84366e13dd6ce27742da3552b417be39.jpg)
Vöra is the goddess of fate, known as the Diviner and She Who Scribes the Course of Ages. It is said that every dawn, Vöra uses her command of divination to determine all possible futures based on every action and choice that might be made, and when she has determined the one she believes should happen, she writes it into a book called the Vćntanlegur, ensuring that the future will proceed as it should. Those who are not allowed to enter the All-Father's corpse hall also fall under Vöra's command and they serve at her pleasure. If a spirit proves useful, it will be allowed to serve as one of her eternal scribes, forever writing the fates of all people. If a spirit does not, she banishes it to the Ghostlands; not even the gods know where that leads. Her alignment is Lawful Neutral, and she has no favored weapon; her clerics may gain proficiency in any one martial weapon they choose. Her domains are Death, Knowledge, and Law.
Moira (http://sp7.fotolog.com/photo/39/12/4/maggiebrifs/1243973592206_f.jpg)
Daughter of Vöra and youngest of all the gods, Moira is the mischievous goddess of luck, the opposing force to fate. She seeks to foil her mother's plans for Mydnar at every opportunity; it is said that every evening, when Vöra has lain down to sleep and left the Vćntanlegur unguarded, Moira creeps into her mother's hall and subtly changes what her mother has written--small changes that Vöra won't notice, but that can have huge effects on mortal lives. Moira is Chaotic Neutral, and her favored weapon is the dagger--a small weapon, but in the right place at the right time, it can change the world. Her domains are Chaos, Liberation, and Luck.
Dáin (http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/5/56369/3714092-3992840596-Endle.jpg)
Dáin is the god of humanity, and alongside Hár, the most popular god in human lands--even the smallest village has a temple to him. Dáin is said to have created humanity from earth mixed with his own blood. His greatest gift to them was ambition, so they would multiply and spread across the whole of Mydnar. His popularity has made him powerful, and he knows it. He is a friendly deity, but arrogant and, at times, unintentionally cruel. He is proud of man's accomplishments and more receptive to prayers than any of the other gods. Dáin's alignment is Neutral Good, and his favored weapon is the shortsword. His domains are Good, Nobility, and Protection.
Kordo (http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/364/e/8/e855bc4e59b75d60427daea830649634-d5pjrm9.jpg)
Kordo the Jealous, also known as Kordo the Rabid, is Dáin's elder and envious of his younger brother's favored status in the All Father's eyes. He is a base god, possessing little clevernes or creativity, but not lacking in strength or conviction and given toward an outrageous temper. When Dáin made man, Kordo made orc to destroy Dáin's new creation out of spite. But man would not be so easily exstinguished. In the early days, orc and man fought viciously and learned much in the ways of war and rage from each other, becoming bitter enemies. But when the Weird began their invasion and the gods began to splinter, Kordo surprised both his father and his brother by staying true to Mydnar. Despite his jealousy, Kordo came to love the orcs and would see them prosper still. He retains an unreciprocated rivalry with Dáin his younger brother, but will not actively plot against him, claiming that none shall harm or kill Dáin, save for him alone. He is the patron of orcs, but is revered widely by berserkers and warriors. His alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and his favored weapon is the great axe, like his father. His domains are War, Strength, and Chaos.
Baragmir (http://api.ning.com/files/DmFIhqID0Fr7DCgrKAB6brDYGWnwQYqWMUhPBbX-DjbVbAx8DUfw5EAk7BiJlSCMxTqgxidSmgHsLmKp32nssOnjhW 4kl-0E/TheHuntsman.jpg)
Baragmir's principal title is Lord of the Hunt. A vicious and bloodthirsty god, his followers believe that the natural state of all things is constant competition where the strongest survive to rule. He made the jötnar as his weapon against mortalkind, believing their incredible strength to be the ultimate gift. His alignment is Neutral Evil, and his favored weapon is the spear. His domains are Animal, Strength, and War.
Grimnir (http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080613131229/berserk/images/f/f7/Rakshas.jpg)
Most commonly called the Masked God, Lord of Spiders, Grimnir is the ruler of lies and secrets. It is said that he knows everything that a mortal has ever concealed, and seeks to turn mortals towards deception to increase his power. He was responsible for the corruption of elves into the dokkálfar, the dark elves. The corrupted elves worship Grimnir as their patron. His alignment is Neutral Evil, and he has no known favored weapon, though it is rumored that his followers kill with poison. His domains are Evil, Knowledge, and Trickery.
Vuljinor (http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn208/Golly5/Judgeof7.jpg)
Vuljinor is the manifestation of humanity's fear of the dark and the unknown, a hideous predator that creeps in shadows and preys on the unwary. Small children are told stories of Vuljinor and his goblins carrying off wayward youths to become new goblins to frighten them into behaving. Would that they they only stories. His alignment is Chaotic Evil, and his domains are Chaos, Darkness, and Evil. His favored weapon is the dagger.
Sarrak (http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140620013631/axiomrp/images/1/17/Dragon_woman_Wallpaper_d6sqd.jpg)
Sarrak is also known as the Queen of Serpents or the Dragon-goddess. She has almost no known communication with mortals, so little about her is known; she is believed to be the creator of dragons, and to be associated with fire, destruction, and hunger. Her alignment is Chaotic Evil; whether she has any favored weapon is unknown. Her domains are Animal, Destruction, and Fire.
Death (http://images6.alphacoders.com/338/338536.jpg)
Of all the divine figures spoken of on Mydnar, Death is probably the least understood. Some say when Glaurnir ripped Stormcaller's heart from her chest, her body became cold and her feathers changed to black and her corpse became Death itself, as she was the very first creature to ever die. It's not exactly clear whether the figure spoken of in legend--for legend it is, and little else--is truly a god or some other entity. Stories are told of a gigantic black bird like a raven or crow seen flying about battlefields and other places where great numbers have died, or of a dog with dark fur seen by a lone unfortunate soul before meeting their demise. Common wisdom holds that Death is a nameless god who appears to claim the souls of departing mortals and guide them to the hall of the All-father, where their final fate will be determined. Regardless of what the truth may be, Death has no worshipers and has never been known to answer prayers.
True High Elves, or Ijsoalfar, are a highly insular race and rarely found outside their ancestral lands of Shahalesti. Half-alfar are considered "second class" citizens in Shahalesti, almost lower in status than even the humans that toil the land and act as serfs underneath their elven primarch. Due to this, half alfar are found more commonly in human lands than they are anywhere else. Alfar aristocracy is obsessed with heritage tracing and there are a number of "pureblood" alfar that retain the same political status as half-alfar, due to either an indiscretion in bloodline or loss of status due to disgrace or scandal. While these alfar are never formally exiled, they are made unwelcome enough that they usually choose to leave Shahalesti of their own volition.
Other blood strains of alfar do exist, both Wood and Snow, though their tribes are exceedingly rare and difficult to find. Both breed are commonly known by the little folk as the dokkalfar, for they have possess not but cruelty. What little is known about them is so mired in myth and legend that nobody knows the truth. Most stories do seem to agree on a couple of things though: the Snow alfar of the North commune with unseelie fey on a regular basis to create dark magic for who knows what evil, while Wood alfar tribes are said to be rife with lycanthropy and worship the earth, the trees, and the moon. A popular myth about both these isolated tribes is that they are prone humanoid sacrifice, cannibalism, and that they do not leave survivors; of course, if that were true, how would anybody know of them?
Where all other mortal races are housed in a shell of flesh and blood, dwarves are crafted of living stone and magma. All the dwarves that currently exist were created two thousand years ago by Ori. Ori did not make the dwarves with gender distinguishment and, as a result, they have never been able to reproduce naturally. There are still many dwarves left in the world, mostly found underground, though their numbers are dwindling and, as far as anyone knows, are not replenishing anytime soon. Outside the volcanic country of Dassen, where they have a copacetic and even symbiotic relationship with the dark-skinned humans that populate the surface, dwarves are found in fairy tales more often than they are in reality. It is widely believed that they are immortal to the affects of age and disease, though they do bleed and can be killed. They're a very reclusive race, generally speaking, caring only for dwarven matters, however, there are occasional black sheep among the dwarven kind that prefer to explore the world rather than mine its depths.
Age old rivals, the sons of competing father-gods. As long as there is a single human and an orc in Mydnar, one will want to kill the other. But with an age-old enemy comes age-old respect. History exists of the species intermingling, both in diplomacy and in bonds of family. Ages ago, the revolution of the half-orc (or half-man, as the orcs would call them), blended the peoples and spread like a wildfire; a new breed of warrior was created, crafty a human and strong as a grey-skin. Now it is almost uncommon to find a man or orc without some corrupted blood flowing within them.
Also, seeking suggestions on how I could include halfling and gnome origins into my mythos.
Let me know what you think!
At the beginning of time, before the world as you know it was formed, existed the titans. In the primordial times, there were four: the Flamebringer Dragon, the Earthmaker Worm , the Tidereaver Kraken, and the Stormcaller Eagle of Sky. It is known that Flamebringer killed Stormcaller by ripping her still beating heart from her breast and stole her power, making himself indomitable, countered only by Kraken and Worm's alliance. The first life to ever be extinguished in the history of eternity, Stormcaller's corpse shriveled and stirred; though she no longer drew breath, her empty body began to move and became Death incarnate: an entity not bent toward destruction, but rather a shepherd for souls to their final fate. Filled with new power, Flamebringer tricked Tidereaver and Earthmaker and lulled them into a deep, endless slumber, and the Dragon was allowed to reign unchecked, though cautious not to wake his brother and sister.
It is unknown where or how the gods came, though many suspect they were sprung from the dreams of the sleeping Primordial Titans. But when they did come, Flamebringer had taken the name Glaurnir the Great, and he was already ancient beyond reckoning. So terrible was he that the gods themselves fled under the shadow of his wings; so great his hunger that he had no thought but to devour all that stood in his path. But Hár, the All-father, Ruler of All Things, was not content to live in fear of Glaurnir, and he called his wife, Minon, Queen of Heavenly Lights, and all their many children to his side. Together they challenged Glaurnir, and under Hár's leadership, their combined strength was enough to defeat the Dragon. Where Glaurnir's body fell, his scaly hide became land; his spines and horns became mountains; his blood pooled and became the sea. The gods looked down at the new land and found it beautiful, and they named it Mydnar, that which has form.
To care for Mydnar, Hár commanded his children to create mortals. Ori, the Mountain King, lover of fire, stone, and steel, and a poor listener, created the immortal dwarves, who dwelled underground in isolation and secrecy, and became masters of working metal. Gylfi, god of love and beauty, and his wife Nuala, protector of all that grows green, caused the álfar to sprout from the living forests; Nuala gave them long life, and Gylfi fashioned them after his own beautiful image. And Dáin, youngest of the All-father's children, spilled his own blood onto the earth to give rise to man, while jealous Kordo bled to create grey-skinned orcs, made to give man a rival. But no sooner had Mydnar been formed and the mortal races given life than all of it came under seige. From the great Void beyond space and time came the Weird, terrible demons who knew no thought but to destroy all the gods had wrought. Against their massed numbers, the gods and their angelic servants could not hope to prevail alone, but Vöra, wise goddess of fate, found an answer. She commanded Death to choose the souls of the strongest and bravest mortals and bring them to Hár's divine hall, to become Einherjaren who would join the gods in their battle against the Weird, thereby bolstering their armies. Thus, the gods stood fast against the Weird and protected Mydnar against certain destruction.
As time passed and the war against the Weird showed no sign of slowing, some of the gods began to grow resentful. Without the world to care for, they thought, all our troubles would be ended; the Weird would attack us no longer, and we could be free of worry and responsibility. What use have mortals been to us, anyway, beyond to cause our problems? And eventually, these thoughts drove them to forsake their posts and betray the All-father. They swore then that they would destroy Mydnar and all who lived upon it, and turned their works to that end. Baragmir, god of the hunt and bloody competition, drew wild beasts to him and plunged spikes of frigid ice into their hearts; they became the jötnar, terrible monsters with incredible strength and a hatred of mortals. Grimnir, the Masked One, master of lies and deceit, sent messengers to great leaders of the álfar, poisoning their minds against their kin and corrupting them to evil, causing their kind to splinter and seek new havens beyond Shahalesti; they found new homes among the ice of the north and deep underground where the sun cannot touch them. The remaining álfar of Shahalesti spurned them, fueling their hatred; since then, the benevolent ljosálfar of Shahalesti and wicked dokkálfar of the cold mountains have remained divided. Vuljinor, the beast that hunts in the dark, whispered to wayward human children from the shadows, and lured them into dark places where he twisted and corrupted them into goblins, who crept about quietly and sowed chaos and misery. Sarrak, goddess of wanton destruction and savagery, delved into the depths of the earth to find Glaurnir's bones, using his buried fire to give them new life and create lesser dragons in his image. The traitor gods set their armies against the mortal races, and Hár looked on in despair. Once again, though, an answer came, this time from Rune, the Crone, goddess of knowledge. She proposed to teach mortals the gods' knowledge of magic, so they could use it against their traitorous brethren's forces. She and the other gods began choosing mortals to invest with power; soon, even more began to learn the magical arts on their own. These gifts allowed man to survive in their now even more dangerous world.
For ages beyond counting, it has been so; the gods and their armies have fought in the heavens against the Weird, while living mortals have struggled to survive and thrive in lands filled with terrible monsters and strange magic. Yet one day, as all in this world know, the strength of both must surely fail; the courage of man will fade, and the ranks of the Einherjaren will dwindle, and the armies of good will be overcome at last. Then the End Times will come, and all you know will fall into chaos. And you, like anyone else, can only pray that that day is long in arriving, and do your part to ensure that the strength of man does not falter.
Hár
The All-father, progenitor of the gods and ruler of the heavenly realms, has power over all things--even the Prime Elements do his bidding. From his great hall, he commands his divine children and all the legions of angels and Einherjaren in their eternal war against the Weird. His alignment is Neutral Good, and his favored weapon is the greataxe. As ruler of all creation, Hár is not limited to a specific portfolio of domains; instead, upon gaining access to a new level of spells, his clerics may select any one spell of that level as their sole domain spell, and must prepare that spell in their domain slot every day. Once made, this choice of domain spell cannot be changed.
Minon (http://th02.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/231/1/8/frigg_by_righon-d475p3h.jpg)
Also known as the Queen of Heavenly Lights, Minon, wife of Hár, is the goddess of the sun, moon, and stars. After the younger gods had finished creating the mortal races, she placed the sun in the sky to give them light and warmth, the moon to help them mark the passing of seasons and know when to offer blessings, and the stars to help them navigate. Her alignment is Lawful Good; though she is a relatively peaceful goddess, her followers are known to fight with fire, from flaming torches to alchemical explosives; clerics of Minon gain a +1 bonus per damage die to all fire damage they deal. Her domains are Sun, Fire, and Travel.
Vidur (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/304/6/0/irvine___berserk_by_shyrubio-d5jisl5.png)
Vidur is the god of the sky, bringer of wind, rain, lightning and snow. Alongside his twin sister Eina, goddess of the sea, he is prayed to by sailors seeking swift and safe journeys; offerings are also made to him during the stormy winter months, when the Weird draw close to Mydnar and he must battle with them most frequently. He is said to ride in a chariot pulled by giant, horned wolves; their howling is the wind, and the spittle flying from their jaws as they run is the rain and snow. His alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and his favored weapon is the longbow--his arrows are lightning bolts, and the twanging of the string is the thunder. His domains are Air, Animal, and Weather.
Eina
Eina is Vidur's twin sister, ruler of the ocean and all the rivers and lakes that feed it. She watches over sailors on their travels and brings forth bounties of sea life to feed land-dwelling mortals, but can be just as wrathful as her brother when roused to battle. "As cold as Eina," is a popular phrase when attempting to describe a callous woman. Her alignment is Neutral, and her favored weapon is the harpoon. Her domains are Animal, Travel, and Water.
Gylfi
Gylfi is the god of art, beauty, and love, and one of the two patron gods of the álfar, the elves, who worship him as Álf-father. The gentlest of the gods, he and his wife Nuala created the elven race together; Gylfi's gift to his children was beauty surpassing all others, and he commands them and his other followers to create and preserve beauty wherever they go, whether it be the beauty of fine works of art or that of the love that resides in the souls of mortals. His alignment is Neutral Good; his followers are known to wield longswords, finding beauty in the complexity of their making and fighting technique. His domains are Charm, Community, and Healing.
Nuala (http://www.zeblog.com/blog/uploads/g/gornar/petit1.jpg)
Nuala is also known as She Who Tends the Divine Garden, protector of all living and growing things, and patron of healers. Elves worship her as Álf-mother, for she helped create them and gave them their long lifespans as her gift, and commanded them to use their time to preserve other living things. Her alignment is Chaotic Good, and her favored weapon is the quarterstaff. Her domains are Animal, Healing, and Plant.
Sigarda (https://41.media.tumblr.com/bc53cc2246328c856d90c2daa664ee11/tumblr_mulf7cgIO41rrrugio1_500.jpg)
One of the All-father's most trusted lieutenants, Sigarda is often called the Shield-maiden or the Guardian of the Hall. She is the patron of women, particularly female warriors, and especially wives of soldiers left to guard their homes alone while their husbands are away fighting. She herself often performs this duty for her father, protecting Hár's hall when he must leave to do battle with the Weird personally. Her followers see it as their mission to combat the sexism present in many places throughout Mydnar. Her alignment is Lawful Good; her favored weapon is the battleaxe. Her domains are Protection, Strength, and War.
Ori (http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/60/42/61/604261549ef9f8c5b4a9973b59941e4b.jpg)
Ori is the Mountain King, god of earth, stone, and fire, and patron of miners, masons, and smiths. He is the progenitor god of the dwarves, who carved them from living stone and gave them the spark of life from the light of blazing magma. He is said to be as immovable and unyielding as steel, and hold wisdom befitting a perspective stretching as far back as the ancient stone foundations of Mydnar itself. Nobody knows why the God has not seen fit to make any more dwarves and he does not see fit to explain himself. His alignment is Lawful Neutral; his favored weapon is the warhammer. His domains are Artifice, Earth, and Fire.
Rune
The goddess of magic, Rune's titles include the Crone and the Witch-goddess. The greatest magician among the gods, Rune makes it her personal responsibility to watch over all mortals who follow in her footsteps, ensuring that they exercise wisdom and use their arts for good. Only rarely does she receive prayers from those with no command of magic, but her supposedly boundless wisdom and clear judgement do make her appealing to other worshipers. Her alignment is Neutral Good. Her followers have no favored weapon, preferring to fight solely with magic; clerics of Rune gain a +1 bonus to hit on all attack rolls made as part of spells. Her domains are Knowledge, Magic, and Runes.
Vöra (http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/84/36/6e/84366e13dd6ce27742da3552b417be39.jpg)
Vöra is the goddess of fate, known as the Diviner and She Who Scribes the Course of Ages. It is said that every dawn, Vöra uses her command of divination to determine all possible futures based on every action and choice that might be made, and when she has determined the one she believes should happen, she writes it into a book called the Vćntanlegur, ensuring that the future will proceed as it should. Those who are not allowed to enter the All-Father's corpse hall also fall under Vöra's command and they serve at her pleasure. If a spirit proves useful, it will be allowed to serve as one of her eternal scribes, forever writing the fates of all people. If a spirit does not, she banishes it to the Ghostlands; not even the gods know where that leads. Her alignment is Lawful Neutral, and she has no favored weapon; her clerics may gain proficiency in any one martial weapon they choose. Her domains are Death, Knowledge, and Law.
Moira (http://sp7.fotolog.com/photo/39/12/4/maggiebrifs/1243973592206_f.jpg)
Daughter of Vöra and youngest of all the gods, Moira is the mischievous goddess of luck, the opposing force to fate. She seeks to foil her mother's plans for Mydnar at every opportunity; it is said that every evening, when Vöra has lain down to sleep and left the Vćntanlegur unguarded, Moira creeps into her mother's hall and subtly changes what her mother has written--small changes that Vöra won't notice, but that can have huge effects on mortal lives. Moira is Chaotic Neutral, and her favored weapon is the dagger--a small weapon, but in the right place at the right time, it can change the world. Her domains are Chaos, Liberation, and Luck.
Dáin (http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/5/56369/3714092-3992840596-Endle.jpg)
Dáin is the god of humanity, and alongside Hár, the most popular god in human lands--even the smallest village has a temple to him. Dáin is said to have created humanity from earth mixed with his own blood. His greatest gift to them was ambition, so they would multiply and spread across the whole of Mydnar. His popularity has made him powerful, and he knows it. He is a friendly deity, but arrogant and, at times, unintentionally cruel. He is proud of man's accomplishments and more receptive to prayers than any of the other gods. Dáin's alignment is Neutral Good, and his favored weapon is the shortsword. His domains are Good, Nobility, and Protection.
Kordo (http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/364/e/8/e855bc4e59b75d60427daea830649634-d5pjrm9.jpg)
Kordo the Jealous, also known as Kordo the Rabid, is Dáin's elder and envious of his younger brother's favored status in the All Father's eyes. He is a base god, possessing little clevernes or creativity, but not lacking in strength or conviction and given toward an outrageous temper. When Dáin made man, Kordo made orc to destroy Dáin's new creation out of spite. But man would not be so easily exstinguished. In the early days, orc and man fought viciously and learned much in the ways of war and rage from each other, becoming bitter enemies. But when the Weird began their invasion and the gods began to splinter, Kordo surprised both his father and his brother by staying true to Mydnar. Despite his jealousy, Kordo came to love the orcs and would see them prosper still. He retains an unreciprocated rivalry with Dáin his younger brother, but will not actively plot against him, claiming that none shall harm or kill Dáin, save for him alone. He is the patron of orcs, but is revered widely by berserkers and warriors. His alignment is Chaotic Neutral, and his favored weapon is the great axe, like his father. His domains are War, Strength, and Chaos.
Baragmir (http://api.ning.com/files/DmFIhqID0Fr7DCgrKAB6brDYGWnwQYqWMUhPBbX-DjbVbAx8DUfw5EAk7BiJlSCMxTqgxidSmgHsLmKp32nssOnjhW 4kl-0E/TheHuntsman.jpg)
Baragmir's principal title is Lord of the Hunt. A vicious and bloodthirsty god, his followers believe that the natural state of all things is constant competition where the strongest survive to rule. He made the jötnar as his weapon against mortalkind, believing their incredible strength to be the ultimate gift. His alignment is Neutral Evil, and his favored weapon is the spear. His domains are Animal, Strength, and War.
Grimnir (http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080613131229/berserk/images/f/f7/Rakshas.jpg)
Most commonly called the Masked God, Lord of Spiders, Grimnir is the ruler of lies and secrets. It is said that he knows everything that a mortal has ever concealed, and seeks to turn mortals towards deception to increase his power. He was responsible for the corruption of elves into the dokkálfar, the dark elves. The corrupted elves worship Grimnir as their patron. His alignment is Neutral Evil, and he has no known favored weapon, though it is rumored that his followers kill with poison. His domains are Evil, Knowledge, and Trickery.
Vuljinor (http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn208/Golly5/Judgeof7.jpg)
Vuljinor is the manifestation of humanity's fear of the dark and the unknown, a hideous predator that creeps in shadows and preys on the unwary. Small children are told stories of Vuljinor and his goblins carrying off wayward youths to become new goblins to frighten them into behaving. Would that they they only stories. His alignment is Chaotic Evil, and his domains are Chaos, Darkness, and Evil. His favored weapon is the dagger.
Sarrak (http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140620013631/axiomrp/images/1/17/Dragon_woman_Wallpaper_d6sqd.jpg)
Sarrak is also known as the Queen of Serpents or the Dragon-goddess. She has almost no known communication with mortals, so little about her is known; she is believed to be the creator of dragons, and to be associated with fire, destruction, and hunger. Her alignment is Chaotic Evil; whether she has any favored weapon is unknown. Her domains are Animal, Destruction, and Fire.
Death (http://images6.alphacoders.com/338/338536.jpg)
Of all the divine figures spoken of on Mydnar, Death is probably the least understood. Some say when Glaurnir ripped Stormcaller's heart from her chest, her body became cold and her feathers changed to black and her corpse became Death itself, as she was the very first creature to ever die. It's not exactly clear whether the figure spoken of in legend--for legend it is, and little else--is truly a god or some other entity. Stories are told of a gigantic black bird like a raven or crow seen flying about battlefields and other places where great numbers have died, or of a dog with dark fur seen by a lone unfortunate soul before meeting their demise. Common wisdom holds that Death is a nameless god who appears to claim the souls of departing mortals and guide them to the hall of the All-father, where their final fate will be determined. Regardless of what the truth may be, Death has no worshipers and has never been known to answer prayers.
True High Elves, or Ijsoalfar, are a highly insular race and rarely found outside their ancestral lands of Shahalesti. Half-alfar are considered "second class" citizens in Shahalesti, almost lower in status than even the humans that toil the land and act as serfs underneath their elven primarch. Due to this, half alfar are found more commonly in human lands than they are anywhere else. Alfar aristocracy is obsessed with heritage tracing and there are a number of "pureblood" alfar that retain the same political status as half-alfar, due to either an indiscretion in bloodline or loss of status due to disgrace or scandal. While these alfar are never formally exiled, they are made unwelcome enough that they usually choose to leave Shahalesti of their own volition.
Other blood strains of alfar do exist, both Wood and Snow, though their tribes are exceedingly rare and difficult to find. Both breed are commonly known by the little folk as the dokkalfar, for they have possess not but cruelty. What little is known about them is so mired in myth and legend that nobody knows the truth. Most stories do seem to agree on a couple of things though: the Snow alfar of the North commune with unseelie fey on a regular basis to create dark magic for who knows what evil, while Wood alfar tribes are said to be rife with lycanthropy and worship the earth, the trees, and the moon. A popular myth about both these isolated tribes is that they are prone humanoid sacrifice, cannibalism, and that they do not leave survivors; of course, if that were true, how would anybody know of them?
Where all other mortal races are housed in a shell of flesh and blood, dwarves are crafted of living stone and magma. All the dwarves that currently exist were created two thousand years ago by Ori. Ori did not make the dwarves with gender distinguishment and, as a result, they have never been able to reproduce naturally. There are still many dwarves left in the world, mostly found underground, though their numbers are dwindling and, as far as anyone knows, are not replenishing anytime soon. Outside the volcanic country of Dassen, where they have a copacetic and even symbiotic relationship with the dark-skinned humans that populate the surface, dwarves are found in fairy tales more often than they are in reality. It is widely believed that they are immortal to the affects of age and disease, though they do bleed and can be killed. They're a very reclusive race, generally speaking, caring only for dwarven matters, however, there are occasional black sheep among the dwarven kind that prefer to explore the world rather than mine its depths.
Age old rivals, the sons of competing father-gods. As long as there is a single human and an orc in Mydnar, one will want to kill the other. But with an age-old enemy comes age-old respect. History exists of the species intermingling, both in diplomacy and in bonds of family. Ages ago, the revolution of the half-orc (or half-man, as the orcs would call them), blended the peoples and spread like a wildfire; a new breed of warrior was created, crafty a human and strong as a grey-skin. Now it is almost uncommon to find a man or orc without some corrupted blood flowing within them.