The Evolution of the Gods of Urð

The Gods of Urð have not always been as they are now. Rather, they have died, come back and been reborn, changing as the eras pass.

The tale of the Gods that currently oversee the world of Urð begins during the third era's largest conflict; A War of Faith.

The Acrian forces were marching across the lands at the command of their God Emperor, working to convert the rest of the world to their ways. The acolytes of Acria created world anchors, constructs that nullified magic in the area, that they then used in a formation spanning all of Acria in an attempt to sever the divine realm from the mortal one.

This attempt was partially successful; as all beings divine or otherwise were cast out or destroyed.

Many divine beings fell to the mortal realm and perished because of this but three of them landed within the bodies of mortals:

• Kehlone the patron of healing and goddess of water.

• Ohim the observer; patron of scholars and seer of all.

• Seraphet the God of the oceans; patron to those who sail the endless sea, ruthless and wild like the ocean itself.

For three years they walked the earth trapped within the minds of the mortals unable to return to their duties.

After a long journey and a ferocious battle, the Isle of White was their place of ascending as it is closer to the veil between realms than anywhere else on Urð.

Through the bravery and sacrifices of the mortals on the island they ascended and broke the formation that had sealed away the divine realm and began their work to retake the reins of the world as the Gods of Urð.

However, when the three of them returned, they saw the power that they had once held had been thrown into disarray and to bring order back to the world; there needed to be a few changes. 

With the Third era at an end and for the Fourth about to begin the three remaining gods had to commit themselves to becoming something new.

The Rebirth

Ohim was first, he had seen the end of the first and second eras and as a passive observer he would see the end of the third as well. However, before he could resume his post, he had to shed the emotions and longings that he had been affected with as a mortal. He found the feelings that had been holding onto him and cast them away and as he did that, the emotions began to take form and soon; Two new Gods stood before him:

• Ma’an the God of fertility and love, who walks Urð to make sure the circle of life continues.

• De’en the God of nature and growth, who took to his realm of forests and fields, bushes and flowers.

Together they keep the natural order of life on Urð. 

Seraphet intended to return to his duties as God of the ocean and ignore this passing of an era. However, the ocean he came to was unruly and turbulent and had begun to mix with the sky. So he took the reins of both the skies and the oceans so as to control both but soon the tidal forces tore him apart. From the two halves of his body arose two versions of what had been before and took half of their name each, Serk and Eets.

• Serk took the reins of the ocean.

• Eets took the reigns of the sky.

Together they could do what their father could not.

Serk took after his fathers temperament and grew cruel and difficult to calm, furthermore he had no love for the mortals of the world and began to create his own children to populate the deepest depths, while some were beautiful most were monstrous and strange creatures that will hopefully never see the light of day.

Eets became quite the opposite of his father and brother, he saw nothing wrong with the mortals that walked the earth and sailed the seas and saw no reason to assert dominance with cruelty and hardships, as Serk began doing. He much preferred focusing his time on the night sky, clouds and colourful aurora. After a short while he could stand his brother's cruelty no longer and so he spends much of his time calming his brother and fighting his storms, as they share dominion over the weather.

Kehlone was different from the other two, she had no wish to withdraw from the world and divine politics as Ohim had and her care for life was greater than Seraphets thirst for control. So seeing the world in chaos she knew there was only one course of action for her. 

She split herself, sacrificing all that she was so that new gods could arise to take the elements in their hands and bring balance to them.

Four deities arose from her, Angarika, the Lady of Flame, Tan the Mountain Dragon, Zonara, the Merciful Mother and Kelben, the Protector. Each of them took an element and began to set the world right. However, Kehlone could not split herself evenly and after the others had formed there were parts of her left over; Primordial Magic that had not been seen since the dawn of the first era, and from this a fifth deity was born; Adima the Cursed.

• Angarika took the power of fire. She became known as ‘the Lady of Flame’. She takes delight in hot summer days and dances with the flames in your fire pit. When one worships her a bigger fire is always better. She is as gentle as the light of a candle, but as fire goes, if you are not careful her wrath is devastating.

• Zonara took the power of air. She became known as ‘the Merciful Mother’; she cares for all life like it was her own, thinking of air as the breath of life, the very breath in our lungs. While she rarely shows wrath in any way, protecting expecting mothers and small children, all who worship her know that she is not exclusively gentle and kind, for air and wind can be calming and devastating in equal measure. Healers and midwives often pray to her for assistance with their craft, while others might pray to avoid her searing winds.

• Tan took the power of the earth. He took a new form to match the power he was wielding, the form of a dragon the size of a mountain and between his scales you can see rivers of precious minerals. He saw his power was too great to take lightly as when he moves or shifts; the earth shakes and rumbles, his very breath causing volcanoes to erupt. For his love of the world and the creations of mortals, he has lain dormant, refusing to be the cause of devastation. He is favoured by dwarves, jewellers and metal workers.

• Kelben took the power of water, lakes and springs. Though he is mostly known to be tempered, he occasionally acts in haste and is quick to follow his emotions. Steadfast and often stubborn, his will shall never be broken. It is said that he likes to visit the lakes, rivers and wild springs of Urð disguised as a turtle but sometimes he will take the form of a young knight, should he feel the need to defend the place he is visiting.

• Adima was a surprise, chaotic and ruthless. She does not follow the laws set by the elements, acting instead on her own wants and desires, granting herself what she wishes and bending any she sees fit to her will. Not many are known to worship her and any who do would hesitate to admit it as each time her machinations have been enacted it has been to the detriment of the gods and people of urð, at least as far as anyone studying them can tell. 

Other Deities of Urð

• Raavanerys rose in the east, after the other Gods, with the new morning sun. They don’t know where they came from but were perhaps born of expectations and the fear of their absence. They are equal parts protector and destroyer, giving light to chase away the darkness and scorching that which is at its end.

• Aziliamotan the Lost, is the first and last born of Angarika and Ma’an, destined for great power and prophesied bringer of death and destruction. Angarika, seeing the devastation her son would bring tore out her own heart to create an eternal flame to kill him but she failed, only managing to seal him away in a fiery prison.

• Father Void exists outside of Urðs mortal and divine realms as the void between all things. Where once this being sought to end the cacophony of life, it has grown used to the noise in the many thousands of years it has had to endure it.
  The Patron of the Shades hasn’t been heard from in centuries and many are unsure if it has survived to the current era but the shades are adamant that it’s still there.

• The Outer Gods of the Neferka Kingdom first made contact in the first era but were cut off from their people until recently. Now they are reestablishing contact with their descendants who have protected and maintained their teachings, rituals and customs.