Cosmology (Theous)

Godly Planes

All deities maintain their own planes. When a mortal dies, their soul travels to their deity’s plane of existence, where it is judged and dealt with according to the deity’s nature and laws.

Blessed Beneficence

Creatures of good alignment are welcomed and nourished by the divine energy of this realm.

• While on this plane, good-aligned creatures benefit from the effects of the bless spell.
• After finishing a long rest, a good-aligned creature also gains the benefits of a lesser restoration spell.

Creatures of evil alignment, however, feel a sense of deep dissonance and discomfort, as though the realm itself rejects them.

Hell

"Look, Hell is hell. There's no need for additional explanation or description for it. It's exactly how most of you would imagine it: An infernal pit of hellfire, screaming souls of damned sinners, and demons cackling over the sufferings of others. Not even us chthonic gods like to enter there—the miasma is too strong for us to stay sane for long, so any required visit there is literally hell for us as well." — Unknown God

Pervasive Evil.

• At the end of each long rest taken on this plane, a visitor who is not evil must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw.
• On a failed save, the creature’s alignment changes to **Lawful Evil**.
• If the creature remains in Hell for more than 1d4 days, the change becomes permanent.
• The alignment reverts after spending one full day on another plane or by casting dispel evil and good.

Elemental Plane

A plane of raw, untamed magic. High volcanoes erupt with chaotic magical surges, while glacial ice fields stretch endlessly across the horizon. Mythical beasts and elemental entities roam freely, embodying the fundamental forces of the universe.

Astral Sea

The Astral Sea is the silvery void that lies between planes—a timeless, vast space filled with drifting corpses of dead gods and radiant color pools.

• Creatures do not age, nor do they require food or drink while on the Astral Plane.
• Speed is determined by willpower: A creature’s walking speed (in feet) equals **3 × its Intelligence score** while moving through the Astral Sea.

Outposts established by races like the githyanki allow them to raise children on other planes, as growth and maturity are stunted here.

Ethereal Plane

A fog-filled, ghostly reflection of other realms, the Ethereal Plane is separated into two regions:

• The Border Ethereal: Overlaps with the Material Plane and Inner Planes. Visibility is limited to 60 feet.
• The Deep Ethereal: A realm of swirling mists, where visibility drops to 30 feet.

Travelers may enter the plane using the etherealness spell. The plane shift spell allows access as well, though its destination may vary unless targeting a specific location or teleportation circle.

Gods In Theous

Greater Deities

The blade fades in the darkest hour, Dawn star smiled with a merciful power, Hragnelf slew dozens and made escape, Thus began the legend of Hragnelf the Just. The blade sharpens in the brightest day, Amidst scorching sun in the midst of fray, Heartless sun closed its eyes, no sign, Hragnelf the Star King met his decline.

Greater deities are beyond mortal comprehension. They cannot be summoned, bargained with, or destroyed. Rarely, they manifest avatars similar to lesser gods, but the destruction of an avatar has no effect on the true being.

Bratus, The Crow Father

"Tales of the Kleptomaniacrow"

Bratus is the death-bound god of crows, secrets, and soul passage. He is a figure of folklore, dread, and reverence, especially among thieves, oracles, and mourners. His worshippers often leave small offerings to crows in hopes of extending their life.

Tenets of Bratus

• If you steal, you must leave a memento in return.
• A crow who follows you may be carrying your soul's sentence.
• When you encounter a crow, offer a trinket, necklace, or ring as tribute.
• The higher the value of the item, the more favor you gain with the Crow Father.
• Slaying a crow mid-flight is believed to sever a soul's path to reincarnation.

Lore of the Soul Basin

It is said that when a person dies, the crows of Bratus retrieve the soul by claiming the final item they held dear. The soul is dropped into the Soul Basin, where it begins the journey of rebirth. Souls denied this rite—such as those whose crows were killed—may become lost forever.

The Murder

A poem whispered in the dark...

When shadows fall, the night grows cold, Beware the tales the old folks told,

Of a murder of crows that fly on high, With watchful eyes in the darkened sky. Don’t ever laugh when the crows fly by, For some day soon your death is nigh. With feathers black and beaks so sharp, They’ll call your name in the eerie dark.

By the old oak tree, where the moonlight glows, Lies the secret that no one knows. Beneath its roots in the soil deep, Lie the bones of those who went to sleep.

On the wind they come, with frightful loom, Bringing whispers of coming doom. The crows remember, they never forget, The sins of the past and your unpaid debt.

Don’t ever laugh when the crows fly by, For some day soon your death is nigh. With feathers black and beaks so sharp, They’ll call your name in the eerie dark.

So heed this warning, when twilight fades, And the crows emerge from woodland glades. They bring the tales of the restless dead, And the haunting songs that fill your head.

Lesser Deities

The shards of light sown in the sky are not made for men. They are the bullets prepared for the greatest war on the last day.

Lesser deities are divine beings that can be physically encountered. Unlike Greater Deities, they are not completely removed from the mortal realm. Many dwell in the Outer Planes, while others walk the Material Plane itself. They may intervene directly in mortal affairs, speak to followers in dreams, or even form physical avatars to serve their goals.

Lesser deities may be:

• Patrons to clerics and warlocks
• Direct sources of divine magic
• Progenitors of celestials, fiends, or other divine offspring
• Tied to specific regions, philosophies, or mortal bloodlines

Quasi-Deities

Quasi-deities are beings of divine heritage or partial ascension. They do not answer prayers, nor do they grant divine spells. However, their immense power and potential place them one step removed from true godhood.

If a quasi-deity were to acquire enough worshipers, relics, or divine influence, it’s possible they could ascend and become a true lesser deity.

Quasi-deities are typically divided into three categories:

Demigods

The children of gods and mortals, or of two divine beings. Demigods often wander the planes, acting as champions, rebels, or fallen heroes. Some embrace their bloodlines, while others reject them.

Titans

Primordial beings formed from raw divine matter. Titans are typically immense, elemental entities bound to ancient laws, often slumbering deep beneath the world or guarding forgotten realms.

Vestiges

Echoes of gods that once were. Vestiges no longer hold domains or divine rank, but fragments of their will and identity persist. Some are worshiped through occult practices. Others are bound to relics, ruins, or cursed bloodlines.

Vestiges may be invoked through forbidden rites, their power glimpsed by those who walk the edges of mortality and madness.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings[[Category:The World of Theous Setting]]