As you can guess, yes, there are Gods. Deities that are beyond our comprehension as mortals, blah blah blah.
As you can probably guess, I am not a big fan of them. I have a good reason for that, albeit a bit biased. That’s for another section, however.
Gods are an integral part of this world, and their influence is felt throughout Azura. Depending on the deity, their influence can lead to many things, from small, unnoticeable changes to the fall of kingdoms. Here is a rough description of the main deities. Remember that these are the ones I’ve heard of and encountered.
----------------------------------------
Delphine, Goddess of Light and Healing
Known as the Golden Goddess by some and Golden Bitch by others, Delphine is a polarizing deity. On paper, she is a kind deity. She heals the sick and blesses those who follow her church. Her holy influence can cleanse blighted fields and ward off evil spirits. In practice, there is some truth to that. I’ll try to be as unbiased as possible.
Elaine’s Notes
The Lumen Kingdom is her major patron, and the church resides in the heart of Lumen City. While not law, her word is heavily encouraged and taught throughout the populace. Her clerics heavily influence the nobility, and their prophecies are treated like law.
Many people in Valenfrost blame her for the initial year of the Outsider Wars, as it is rumored that she had called the Lumen Kingdom forth to retake the northern islands. There’s no solid proof, of course—just the words and stories of old men.
However, she does have a habit of stepping into mortal affairs.
Delphine is a kind goddess. Her doctrine states that she forgives those who have wronged her church and religion. As long as they repent, no ill will shall be shown. However, that does not extend to those who are seemingly manipulated by Myr. Anyone who is even slightly related to the God of Chaos is seemingly purged and put to the sword, Outlanders included.
Which brings us to her opinion on me. From what I’ve heard and experienced, Delphine seems to want me dead. She seems to want all Outlanders dead. Which probably includes you, honestly.
Delphine seems to have a somewhat sour relationship with Myr, the two deities participating in what I can only call a cold war. Personally, I could give less of a shit about it. Yet I am drawn into it. All because some asshole god thought it’d be funny to take me from my world and throw me in here.
Regardless of my feelings, I don’t think it is safe to be around Delphine’s followers. Lumen Knights included.
Myr, God of Chaos
The Mad God. The Smiling One. The Chaos Bringer.
Myr is a god I probably hate more than the others. Probably. There are contenders.
The God of Chaos is one that I frankly know little about. His appearance is often displayed on the masks of his followers, depicted as a cartoony grin with dot eyes, almost like a simple drawing. I refuse to believe that’s actually what he looks like.
Myr’s influence is best described as ‘Not at all’. While it’s rumored he manipulates men and brings otherworlders to Azura, there’s no definitive proof or answer. It is said he’s responsible for bringing otherworlders like me into Azura, but that doesn’t seem right.
I never met him, and I never felt any influence from him. His children… that’s another story, but it seems like he’s almost not involved. I might be going crazy, but I feel as if Myr is more of a bystander than anything. He nudges but doesn’t push. He whispers but doesn’t make himself known. Myr is more of a force of nature, like chaos.
Iendis, Demigoddess of Fate and Daughter of Myr
Ok, I take it back. I hate her the most.
Iendis is Myr’s infamous daughter, and her role is that of the caretaker for the Tree of Fate. Like her father, she finds joy in the unexpected and thrives on chaos as a whole. She and her brother are responsible for the summoning of Outlanders such as myself, all in an effort to please their insane father and sow seeds of chaos into the world of Azura.
I had the unfortunate luck of meeting with her at the Tree of Fate, where I discovered my role in all of this. Outlanders aren’t summoned here to save the world or anything ridiculous like that. We are simply pawns, game pieces that are thrown into Azura for the enjoyment of mad Gods. As much as I hate to admit it, I played into it more times than I’d care to admit.
If you can, avoid Iendis and her followers. Her sweet promises and words might sound nice but they will cause you more trouble than it is worth.
Thien, Demigod of the Void, Son of Myr
Thien is the son of Myr and the Boatman of the Dead. He guides the souls of the dead to Helheim, this world’s afterlife. He takes anything shiny and valuable as payment for his services, which is why it’s usually tradition to place coins on the eyes of dead people. The Boatman is also one of the few deities that can freely travel through dimensions and worlds with little to no effort.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
He is responsible for bringing Outlanders in from other worlds, and his vessel is responsible for their transport. I don’t exactly know how it works; I never saw him when I was transported here. Still, it makes sense that he’s the one who brings in earthlings.
Thien is described as a shadowy figure with a hood, his face made of ever-changing wax. According to the children’s stories, he molds himself into people to trick children and adults alike. He weeds out bad kids by how they treat their elders and parents, disguising himself as them. When Thien finds a bad child, he punishes them by eating their dreams whilst they sleep, bringing them horrible nightmares of an eldritch spindly creature chasing them through an infinite labyrinth. Yes, that is apparently real, and the dream is consistent in every account.
As far as I can tell, Thien’s powers involve stretching and tearing realities. He can rip open portals, embark through the void between dimensions, and even transport other beings between realms. He can also manipulate dreams and peer into men’s souls.
If you ever see him, do yourself a favor and don’t even try to run. You’re either dead or chosen for something questionably heretical. Either way, running won’t do a damn thing.
Dremor, God of Death and Souls
The ruler of Helheim itself. Dremor is a God that people know little about. Hell, there aren’t even many people who truly follow him.
According to the bards and stories, Dremor is in charge of ensuring that the souls of the dead are filtered through Helheim by something that’s always described as a ‘Cauldron of Souls’. It sifts through the souls, putting them through purgatory until Dremor himself judges them. If a person has been a depraved human being who deserves no love, then he is sent to the bottom of Hel itself, where his soul becomes the flame that boils the cauldron.
If the person has followed their chosen God well and has done redeemable acts, then they are sent to their respective afterlives. Something like Delphine’s Heaven or Virtus’ Valhalla.
If the person has done no evil but no good, they are reincarnated and sent back into the world. Of course, this also applies to anyone who didn’t have a chosen God.
This is all a mixture of guesswork and speculation. In reality, no one really knows what happens after one dies here. And if I’m being honest, I don’t believe there is an afterlife. Now, I know what you’re thinking. ‘How could you not believe in one when Gods exist?’
The answer is complicated, but you’ll have to trust me. I’ve seen…glimpses of the other side. I’ve interacted with souls that had come back to the living. Nothing has given me concrete proof that there even is a Helheim or some sort of afterlife. It feels like there’s nothing but darkness on the other side. I’m even questioning Dremor’s own existence at this point.
Still, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. Who really knows, honestly? It is a bit comforting to know that the friends I lost may have found some sort of peace in the afterlife. That their souls didn’t just wink out of existence. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just rambling.
Caelus, God of Order, Son of Delphine
Caelus is described as the man who ascended into Godhood—at least, that’s what the legends say. Thousands of years ago, Caelus was a warrior who fought for an ancient kingdom. He was a fearless leader who sought to bring unity and order to the warring factions that ravaged Azurvale.
During one particular battle, he was fatally wounded in an attempt to defend his home city’s walls. On the brink of death, he made a desperate prayer to Delphine. She answered and granted him her heraldry, its power more than enough for him to obliterate the ‘Dark’ army forces that threatened his people. (Yeah, I know.)
After the battle, Caelus began to ascend. It was then revealed that he was Delphine’s own son, given to Azura in an attempt to unite and protect the world. With her infused power, Caelus had completed the final steps in the requirements to ascend to Godhood. He became the God of Order, and his following still goes strong to this day.
I don’t know what to think about this story. It’s clearly hammed up for dramatic effect, and there were plenty of inconsistencies in the original writings. According to Faust’s memory, Caelus wasn’t exactly a good son either. Not since the God himself had decided to support the Legion, a faction that bent on wiping the Lumen Kingdom off Azurvale’s surface.
I have no idea what happened between the two deities during that time, but I’m going to go ahead and guess it was the holy equivalent of a teenager rebelling against his parents.
Freyja, Goddess of Nature
Freyja represents nature and fertility, and for most people, that’s everything. However, according to a couple of credible sources, she represents a lot more, and her influence is noted all around Valenfrost. In a way, she is to Valenfrost like Delphine is to Azurvale.
Freyja’s philosophy is that life should follow the principles of beauty, like a flower. Live life to its fullest and enjoy what you can before the end comes. Bloom brightly and show the world your best before your death comes. This could also be interpreted as: Die in battle and be rewarded in the afterlife. At least, that’s what I’m getting at.
Perhaps that’s why so many people in Valenfrost worship her and leave offerings for her shrines during Bloom.
Dahlia Notes
Azlene, Goddess of Embers
I don’t know much about her, honestly. The most I’ve learned is that a friend of mine was once her Herald; his loyalty to her was restored briefly before his passing. I sometimes like to think that maybe he passed on to whatever afterlife she promised him. I don’t know.
Orpheus, God of Alcohol and Music
From what I’ve heard, Orpheus is also the God of Bards. If the stories are to be believed, he has a big ol’ statue of himself in the center of Lumen City’s Academy of the Arts. It is said that he enjoys the Iliads and stories of heroes so much that he’s been known to bless people personally.
Elaine Notes
The God is also one for pulling pranks and tricks on people, disguising himself as fantastical creatures or historical figures, all to get a laugh. However, those are rarely recorded due to the restrictions Gods have when it comes to interacting with mortals.
Strangely enough (or not strange at all), this once sparked a little bit of a kinship between Followers of Chaos and Bards of Orpheus, as both groups and their Gods share similarities. There are actually records of the two groups interacting with each other and stories of infamous bards wearing Myr’s symbol. Still, those stories took place in the far past, apparently, and the cold war with Myr and Delphine has divided the two groups since.
As you can guess, Orpheus is infamously known for not taking sides at all. His clergy reportedly said on record that he encouraged the cooperation between his group and Myr’s. Apparently, as long as you party and give gold to his offerings, he couldn’t care less about your view of Delphine and her pantheon. Seriously, that part is real.
Elaine's Notes