Highest Powers (Lands of the Twin Gods Supplement)

The Pantheon

Worshipped by the mortals, powerful beings hold the strings to the mechanizations of the world. These beings fall into several categories: the Gods, gemini beings who have control of the overarching characteristics of the universe; the Hiisi, nature spirits that act as elemental avatars of the physical world; and Loa, assistants to the gods that embody mortal idiosyncrasies. Also included in the pantheon are Celestials, undying creatures of passion that live in the World Above.

Add the Gods, Hiisi, etc into their own sections alphabetically.

Gods

Gods come in pairs, they are often likened to marriage between the two gods, but in truth they are more like shadows or reflects of each other, two sides of the same coin. There is no religion that worships a singular deity, though some might only seek the wisdom of one half of a divine duo.

Ashri and Ashore

Hold dominion over illusion and clarity, the gods of magic. Worshiped by the Church of the Eye.

Namer and Shaper

Of all the gods Namer and Shaper are the most influential. While Namer defines objects, people, and places, it is shaper that gives them form, that actually creates them from the void. Sometimes Namer defines first, forcing Shaper to give form. Other times Shaper creates free willed expressions that Namer must define and sort. In recent times the gods Namer and Shaper have grown quiet; one suspicion of the aescetic is that the gods are preoccupied with some other, greater form of existence outside the wildest dreams of any mortal.

Judge Gods of Mercy and Vengeance

The two directions of erred justice; they are one of the few pairs that are almost always worshiped equally. Their priests hold a secret prophecy of why there are no gods of good and evil: the gods too have souls and will too be judged by something even greater than they, beyond mortal comprehension.

Ravan & Balet

The God of Glorious Bloodshed and the Goddess of Proper Tactics. The most widely worshiped gods by warriors.

Wishu & the Yagga

The God of Righteous Rebellion and the Goddess of Worthy Traditions. The most widely worshipped gods by the peasantry.

Celestials

Angels

Angels are beings whose souls and hearts are created by divine fire, called Aether. They are creatures of endless passion, benevolence and mercy. Angels were formed by the very first ritual, performed by some pair of gods forgotten to time. The Ritual of Celestial Sentience is considered by some to be the ultimate ritual as it creates a perfect being. It is practiced by angels to create more of their kind.

Appearance-wise they are often tall beings very alike to humans in most ways. Though far fairer and more gracious then most humans are. Wings appear on Angels backs whenever they are in need of them for either flight or magic. They are out spoken, quick to anger but also easy to calm. They are creatures of emotion and seems to feel everything dozens of time stronger then humans. Vows, hatred and love is boundless for an Angel. Even though they are rare in numbers Angels acts as servants, warriors, advisors and some times lovers for the more powerful gods.

Anon

It was the servant of Ashore, it fled it's home when it fell in love with the demon Bathe.

Devils

Devils are decepitful and manipulative. Devils are hated by all creatures, but especially by Demons. This is because Devils are Demons that have killed and devoured a god, or one of a god's halves. The malevolance of the Demons mix with the order found within the gods, creating a destructive, vile, and lawful creature. These Devils are hated by all creatures, but Demons reserve a special ire for Devils. Devils are viewed as traitors to Demons, giving up part of their demonic heritage to gain a portion of divinty.

Devils that lead the Infernal Hunt, a sport that involves chasing captured mortals while making rules on the fly, which the victims of the Hunt are not informed of are Riding Dukes.

Bathe

She was the daughter of a high ranking Riding Duke, she fled her home when she fell in love with an angel named Anon.

Hiisi

Byd has no single nature god, but millions of Hiisi, small deities that rule over different areas of the world, their are limitless variations of Hiisi, such as a Hiisi of a particular craggy rock, a Hiisi of light rain and hail and lightning storm, Hiisi of red foxes and Hiisi of arctic foxes. Hiisi are the elemental avatars of aspects of the physical world, and as such they are for all intents and purposes immortal. A mighty warrior may slay a Hiisi, however it would reincarnate in a weaker state, and slowly regain its power over time.

Death Hiisi

Surprisingly, of all the Hiisi, there is no individual that represents death. Instead, there are Hiisi for each way to die. These Hiisi compete to prove which is the most powerful. When a Hiisi of Death claims a soul, they grow in power. Fittingly enough, when one grows to powerful, they is slain by the others and eventually reincarnate. This preserves the balance of death in the world.

---A LIST OF ESTABLISHED DEATH HIISI---

Tarrasque - Of all the Death Hiisi, none are more powerful than the Tarrasque, the Hiisi of blatant destruction. Although it can never be truly destroyed (no Hiisi can) the Tarrasque was sealed away in the sun itself by the other death Hiisi in an effort to preserve the balance of nature. However, once every hundred years there comes an eclipse called Dead Sun, during which the bonds holding the Tarrasque in his firey tomb are weakened. If the right magic were implemented on this day, it isnt improbable that someone could release the Tarrasque upon the world once more.

Ahrneks

Where Hiisi are the undying avatars of the physical world Byd, so Ahrneks are for the Elemental Chaos. They resemble their respective elements in form and coloration, however all Ahrneks are characterized by a small set of horns on the forehead. The Ahrneks waged war with the Hiisi at the beginning of time, and so they still feud when they come into contact with each other.

Archons

When riled, the Ahrneks take on a deadly form. Creating armor out of elemental material, they contain their normally amorpheous bodies in a carapace of powerful mail. An armored Ahrnek is called an Archon. Legions of Archons fight endlessly against the demons, and some others can be found in the employ of Djinni or Efreeti. Like all Ahrneks, Archons have a grudge against the mortal world, and are always happy when they have an excuse to cause trouble in it.

Vul

The most powerful of the Ahrneks is Vul, the Three-Horned King. During the great war with Hiisi, it is said that he managed to contact Tarathur, and the two were able to open a dimensional rift to the demon plane, a rift that bears Vul's name today. Vul himself was driven mad by trying to open the gate, and was said to have been imprisoned by the Hiisi when he went on a rampage in the world. The location of Vul's Prison is one of the most well-kept secrets there is.

Mollat of the Blazing Crown

A powerful Ahrnek who wielded the element of fire, he was one of the Vul's most ardent supporters, and was imprisoned trying to defend him while Vul was opening a rift to the Demon Plane. Mollat has recently resurfaced, although his true power has yet to return. Instead, he bides his time, sending minions to cause chaos on the other planes while fervently searching for Vul's prison, so that he can release the Three-Horned King once more. Mollat does not know of Vul's decent into insanity, though.

Loa

Loa are a group of servants to the gods; they are often people or animals that have been so great in life that they have been granted a piece of divinity in death. They are personifacations of mortal life. The cover aspects of life that the Gods either can not or will not cover, or perhaps are too busy to look into. Though powerful, they are not amazing, in fact some Loa inbody things that are not desireable, many of them are humourous in nature. They are never truly worshiped, but people look to them to help them through the day. If called upon in a ritual designed for them, a Loa can possess someone for a time.

Hege of the Grey Wisp

Notorious for smoking, when called upon to possess someone, he will also find and smoke a cigar before he returns to the World Above. He is obsession. People pray to him to give up addictive drugs or to gain them.

Mister Adar Ogunn

Once a hound, he is the protector of the household. He is loyalty. People pray to him for protection from house thieves and bad sprits.

Ubbone

The stuttering Loa of rain on a wedding day, dropping things on your toes and other annoying things. He carries a umberella at all times. He is misfortune. People don't pray to him, just curse him when things go wrong.

Other Powers

Besides the influence of the gods, the world is also subject to the will of other powerful entities. Many of them live in the parasite planes that circle Byd; some exist in the elemental chaos.

The Meteor

There exists a great and powerful being, sometimes revered as a dark God, called the Meteor. The meteor is evil given a physical form and streaking through space and time, spreading corruption and madness in it's wake. Some have suggested that it is a tainted Primordial from when the world was young, while others think it abberrant, not from this reality.

When the meteor passes close to Byd, its pale light reflecting on the waters of the Great River, a lidless eye stares upward from the depths of wells, and pale, feminine arms arms rise from the horizon, plunging skyward from the depths of fathomless pools to grasp at their impossible goal. On these nights,The World Below echoes with a distant, shuddering sob, and the Shadar-Kai gather in austere domes of black basalt, singing songs of quiet comfort to the nameless mourner. Someday, the meteor will puncture the membrane between the world of light and life and what lies below, joining its fractured mate in the shadowed halls of death.

The people of Byd are not alone. In the between-spaces where horrors beyond comprehension are reputed to dwell, a many-eyed something watches and waits, though it views through a cracked lens and does not, cannot, comprehend everything it sees. It loves them all.

Ynnoch

Ynnoch is a strange name, perhaps made all the more alien when it is learned that it is not an isolated name. Some scholars, mostly those who twitch when surrounded and who are afraid of going into the dark alone, can trace Ynnoch through the ages, the name often appearing in many isolated lore and legends. Often the name is linked with unspeakable horror and nightmarish beasts. One ancient tome, a book on magic written early in creation, speaks of a horrid god whose mate was eaten by demons. A Shrieking Beast who lurks in the folds of creation, clawing at itself, eternally attempting to rend its ever living flesh from its bones. The tome states that these hunks of flesh sometimes fall into the world and poison the world around them. The scholars who read such work would then point to the link between meteors, disasters, and the appearance of the name Ynnoch in the historical record. Most of their colleagues laugh them off, but some do stay and listen. Before long they to learn to fear what may lurk in the darkness.

The Outside Realms

Demons

Demons pour into the bottom of the Elemental Chaos through Vul's Gate. They come from a realm none have ever visited, though it is thought that it might be the polar opposite of The Great Source. Demons are chaotic and want only the destruction of everything else in existence.

Tarathur

Tarathur is a Demon Prince, one of the most powerful demons in existence. He wishes to raze and conquer the Material Plane, for reasons that are foreign to the minds of non-demons. All that is known is that by doing so, he will somehow gain enough strength to destroy his rivals once and for all.

Psychopomps

Within the farthest reaches of The World Below exist Psychopomps and the spirits of the dead that they herd into their respective afterlives across the Glass Desert. Psychopomps are creatures that are neither born nor die, but are not immortal because they have never lived, they merely do their duty without bias. They look like tall, lithe skeletons with stretched facial features and empty eye-sockets that glow with cool, blue light. They wear only midnight. All psychopomps ride a pale beast; their mount is also the psychopomp itself. Somehow they can speak through it's mouth, see through it's eyes and hear through it's ears. They rarely speak to anyone, if they have any opinions they do not say, they are on good terms with the Death Hiisi however and appear to dislike the long lived Fae.

Pantaruxada

Though they have no leader, mortals consider Pantaruxada the "king" of the psychopomps (Pantaruxada has no gender, few of them do) for he rides a silvery chariot that carries the souls of dead Gods to their destination.

Djinni

Djinns and similair beings are the all but unquestioned rulers of the Elemental Planes. They tend to be agressive and snobby, especially against inhabitants of the mortal realm. A realm they see of as one of poor taste and finnese. They often wage war on themselves or Djinns from other realms. At rare cases their wars have even been fought within the mortal realm which has resulted in great losses in mortal lives.

Elementals

Elementals are entirely independent from God's and have no connection at all with them. They are unintelligent, simple things that most of all cares about food and partners. They can only be called upon by skilled magicians and will even then only serve unwillingly. They stem from the Elemental Planes, where they are equil to beasts and animals. On the plane of Himiga however exist Elementals of colossal size that are highly respected, as one would should an eternal hurricane the size of a country or a mountain that can sprint.

Loingion

Loingion is a massive bull of flame and ash that streaks endlessly acrross the tumouluous expanses of Himiga. He brings rampant destruction by fire wherever his hooves crash down. Even Djinnis know to stay clear of him, lest they become caught in the inferno.

Silak

Silak is an amorphous snake composed entirely of water that twists through the Elemental Chaos. It is said that wherever his belly slides the world is wiped clean by the force of a million tidal waves. His tail forms the river Ubestos that wends through the Elemental Chaos.

Divine Influence in The World

The Blessed

Divine influence in the world is fairly common and some people are blessed by a certain God at birth. When twins are born, for example, it is considered a sign of a god's favor, very lucky indeed. These blessings often appear seemingly at random; sometimes the blessed one isn't even a worshiper of the God in question. Often the bleesing is evident on the recipient's hands, such as strange markings or chillness to the touch. Some Gods promote the slaying of Blessed ones of other deities if they are detected among his or her followers.These people often join the priesthood at a later age and tend to have a close, even personal connection with their deity.

Organised Religions

Church of the Eye

The Church of the Eye is a religion gaining popularity in the world. It worships the twins Ashri and Ashore, who hold dominion over illusion and clarity, respectively. It teaches its followers that, only by removing sight can one truly divine truth from lies. Most followers simply tie decorative blindfolds around their eyes, but the most fanatical put out their own eyes in a secret ritual.

Transcendant Path

This world is merely an illusion created by mortal, greedy minds. Earth, sky even life it self is nothing but a mere illusion. An illusion that should preferably be snuffed out to help those that are still trapped within its darkness.

This is the Ideology of the Trancendant Path. A cult that mainly consist of large numbers of fallen Clergy and Vampires but also of odder beings such as one or two Beholders and a three-legged Gold Dragon wyrm. They are very vocal in their opinions and has been known to try to prove their theories real several times. Every of those times has resulted in great losses of innocent lives. The Cult is also know for it's immense hatred of the Hilsi as they are a direct representive of the grand Illusion, and the cult's members are often seen hunting down these Nature gods and putting them to the sword.

Ideology of the Trancendant Path orginated in Sigil, when renegade members of the Doomguard and the Sign of One joined togethor, they were quickly slain, but one or two made to the Byd and began teaching others their theories.

Immortality

Gods are, in the eyes of mortals, an everlasting constant. However, even to those mightiest beings there is no escape from death. The plain fact is that gods eventually die, they have a lifespan. Granted, Their years number more than any number can reach - they were created just after the conceptualization of existence itself. When they die, their essence returns to The Great Source, a realm beyond realms, the font of energy that created all else, and is the ultimate destination of everything as well. (this also applies to Devils and Angels, as well as any other celestial beings.)

Hiisi are the ultimate avatars of the physical elements of existence. As such, as long as existence itself remains intact so do they (in some form or another). However, if something were to destroy the material plane - something decidedly more likely than mortals like to ponder - the Hiisi would also cease to be. (this can also be applied to Loa and Ahrneks)

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