The Astridothic Pantheon

by **Kor** Sat Sep 23, 2017 3:57 pm

ＴｈｅＥｎｔｉｔｉｅｓ

Long ago, when nothing filled the void of space where Astridoth would one day exist, a supreme deity – one of great and terrible power, but one of great compassion; gave birth to the legendary pantheon of Entities.

This supreme deity knew, that if she were to create all of the world with her own hands, that her creations would eventually wage wars over her. She knew that her name would be used in vain, and that slaughter would befall the world she might have created. It is for that reason, that she birthed those Entities, and instilled in them one directive... To create and sustain. With the Entities born into the void, the Goddess would fear not those creations of her fighting in her name. She disappeared – never even making herself known to her own children.

Rousing first from her slumber was Stellaroa, Entity of Light. She awoke in the void – seeing nothing but the souls of her brethren. Her eyes saw what no other eyes among the Entities could see. Light. But not a light that had been plentiful among the empty void. No, instead, she could see the lights that illuminated the souls of the others born into nothingness alongside her. Born with great wisdom, and the knowledge of what to do when she arose from her sleep, Stellaroa raised a massive claw, and with its talons, she rend the light from the souls of the other Entities.

Then the stars were born. The void had become the cosmos.

Following this, the other Entities began to rouse from their own deep slumbers. Salamandra, the Entity of Fire woke second. His maw breathed flames so powerful that they could heat the universe! Forming the fires into a sphere, and presenting it to Stellaroa gave birth to the Sun, which would itself bring daylight to the world of Astridoth.

Nocterra then came, and throw the breaking of his own scales, he created the earth. The sphere that would become Astridoth itself. His mighty claws carved out the terrains – forging valleys, mountains, chasms and the like. And then, the moon was forged of the remains of Nocterra's original scales. Then, Salamandra filled it with fire, to keep the world heated like clay in a kiln, that there may be soft ground, and that the moisture that made the land lush would never dry.

Once those valleys (deeply torn into the land) had been created, the Entity of Waters, Undalar, created the seas – gave birth to the life blood of all living things; as his title implies, it was water. With water, those living under the Sun could be cooled, refreshed when they could no longer support the heat. Eventually, his creation would become of the utmost importance to all living things; not just those living in the depths.

Trees, plants, weeds, and other natural life then sprung forth from the earthen terrain of Astridoth. Sylvarn, aided by her sister, Stellaroa, had created luscious forests, great jungles, thick with verdant nature, painting the world like an artist's brush on canvas. In contrast, Typheus, Entity of Beasts, brought life to the animals of the world – giving the gardens of Sylvarn creatures who would graze in the gorgeous wilds.

Other Entities continued to create. Freynir brought the Northern frost-caps. Mortificus opened a new dimension... One of punishment for the wicked, and Aelya (his closest sibling) created her own dimension – one of glory for the honorable.

To tie things up, feathered wings carried the Entity of Skies above the world. In their wake, the blue ceiling of the land, and clouds, had spread out thousands upon thousands of feet above the world. Radiant Azure skies, reflecting the light of Stellaroa from across the land in the day, and in the night? The cosmos!

With the world finally ready. Finally prepared for sentience, one final act was committed. The Dreikari – large sentient beasts with great power, immortal as the Entities, born in plentiful numbers and aligned to the ones who created them were created by the Entities themselves. Great Dreikari of Light, of Sky, Nature, Fire, Ice, and so on began to walk the world.

One Entity, however, felt that the task had not been finished. That there was yet one more thing needed in order to finally turn away from the task that was creating and ordering Astridoth. He was Netharious. Entity of Life. The one responsible for the birth of conscious mortals. The one who brought into the world, the various races that lived and created societies on Astridoth. He molded those lives out of dirt and water, leaves and clay, out of what materials he could find that would create a diversity among them. Many races were born, and their existences would shape the future of Astridoth.

And so is the story of the Entities.

ＴｈｅＤｒｅｉｋａｒｉ

With the creation of the world – Astridoth, completed at the hands of the mighty Entities, the Dreikari were made in their own images; in the image of their massive feral forms. Each Entity spawned his/her own brood of Dreikari. These massive beasts were created with the purpose of being the denizens of Astridoth, and for thousands of years, they were, until the mortals were forged and their role was elevated to that of Guardians.

Born with immortal souls and undying bodies, they Dreikari served Mortal Kind well in their job as the stewards of the land. One such example is the tale of Harakiri, the Sky Dreikari of Lightning. When the humans of early Orasei were besieged by the Salamandrite savages, and nearly snuffed out, it was by Harakiri's wisdom that the pact between the non-Salamandrite races and humans was forged, and it was under Harakiri's strength that granted them the path to victory and salvation.

These creatures are so mighty, that it is said that no mortal can fell one. Not even entire groups, or battalions of mortals may ever succeed in the endeavor of laying a Dreikari low. As it stands, no mortal has ever slain a Dreikari – though their souls have been stolen and placed into crystals in some cases.

Standing as the Entities' first line of worldly protection, the mighty Dreikari are the ultimate non-divine force in the world of Astridoth. It is said that those mortals who have trapped their souls are granted innate abilities far superior to those of mortals born with the greatest of pedigrees. These men and women are known as “Pseudo-infused”, noting their status as mortals who have partially melded souls with the Dreikari captured in their weapon via a bleeding effect.

However, even those Pseudo-infused are not the ultimate in the union between mortal and Dreikari. There is but one more step. True Infusion. It is the willing pact between a mortal and a Dreikari to merge their souls and grant the lesser being immense power rivaling that of actual members of the beastly broods. There are no recorded incidents.

Ultimately, they hold the world's salvation or destruction in their claws.

Ｓｏｌｉｓ＆Ｍｗｅｚｉ

Solis and Mwezi. It is by their hands that the blessings of the day and night may be bestowed upon Astridoth. This was not always so, however. During the ordering, after Salamandra forged the Sun, and Nocterra used the remains of his scale to form the Moon, the Entity of Light realized that without lives of their own, that the Sun would be too powerful! It would set ablaze the world they crafted, and burn the trees birthed of Sylvarn. The Moon? It would be too dark! Unable to light a path in the night that those who looked upon the world may see it in it's majesty.

To this end, the mighty Stellaroa created the Sun Spirit, Solis, from a single twinkle of light in her own eyes, and the Moon Spirit, Mwezi from a single tear. They were brother and sister – forged to share the task of illuminating the world.

Solis was given the job of embodying the sun – through Stellaroa, the Sun became an extension of the spirit. Through this, Solis made the sun strong! Strong enough to keep warm all of the world, but also gentle. Gentle enough that it would not scorch the land and destroy the Entities' creations.

Mwezi, on the other hand was given the job of embodying the moon. Through her gifts, she gave the moon a glow. One that would light the night sky with a mystic shimmer. One that gave the world a view of the great cosmos and lit up the world under the cover of darkness.

Those however, were not their only talents. Solis and Mwezi eventually became involved in the affairs of the Astridothic Pantheon after the creation of mortals. At times, they received prayers from those loyal to them, asking for blessings upon new born children, good harvests, and the guiding lights to keep them safe from evil. To these requests, the two sibling spirits of light would respond in spades. So long as one prayed to Mwezi, and held a good heart, She would grant them protections from what evils lurk in the darkness. So long as one prayed to Solis, and held a good heart, He would grant them a the sustenance needed for a good harvest.

Throughout history, to aid in the conclusion of wars, Solis and Mwezi also granted aid to noble warriors with compassionate souls. They awarded those worthy of their blessings with attributes and abilities of great power and importance.

Because of their aid, many victories have strayed from the hands of malicious beings. To this day, they tirelessly work not just in their roles of Sun and Moon, but also to keep the world of Mortals safe.

ＴｈｅＥｌｅｍｅｎｔｓ

Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ice, and Nature. The six elements born into the world as a result of creations from six of the entities. Seeing as how the Entities themselves wished only to create a world that operated for the most part on its own, those Entities who forged elements that composed the world needed something to oversee the order of things. That was where the origin of the elements and their spirits begins.

After much thought, and the example set by Stellaroa in the creation of Solis and Mwezi, each Elemental Entity gave life to a spirit which would embody their creations on Astridoth.

Terragaia, The Earth spirit, was forged by Nocterra. Her task was to guard the land, and become its soul. Through her, the world turns, mountains rise, and earthquakes rumble the world. He allows for fertility, that mortals may grow food, and live off of the land. Without him, Mortals could not exist, nor could the beasts of Typheus.

Akuali, The Water Spirit, birthed by Undalar was responsible for the waves. She is responsible for the tides that soak the beaches of the land, for the oceans that held the life of aquatic beasts. She is responsible for the flooding that brings the harvest to some lands, and she is the one who offers her water to the skies for the rains.

Firenz, the Flame Spirit, created by Salamandra. Through him, the world is warmed to its core, the stones beneath the surface, turned to lava meant to reforge the land in the event of catastrophe. Through him, hearths are warmed, campfires keep travelers warm, and food is cooked.

Ymirgar, The Ice Spirit. He was given life by Freynir, and through him, the frozen winds of the north guard the domain of the frost Dreikari, and give a natural defense to Altarina. He is what brings the blizzards, and the hail storms that plague those who would dare defile the domain of his creator.

Altair, The Wind Spirit. Son of Tiamat, he is the one who is master of the skies, beneath only his creator and her Dreikari. He collects the offerings of Akuali, and rains them down on the inhabitants of lands where water is scarce. He is the one who brings the cooling breeze to lands that blaze with intensity. When he is enraged, he summons forth the lightning which frightens the souls of the weak.

And finally, Artanta, The Nature Spirit. She is the one who brings life to the natural world, growing all of the plants of the world that they may be as a painting upon a fine canvas. Without her work, without her joined efforts with Terragaia, no creature may live. She is the life of all things that need sustenance to continue.

With the creation of the Elemental Spirits, the Six Entities who made them gave them the charge of making sure that the world functions as intended.

Often times, the Elemental Spirits offer their aid to those who dedicate themselves to them. This is called the art of Magiea. Mortals who dedicate a time of their lives to communing with these Elemental Spirits may access the ancient art via blessings. Temporarily, they are allowed to use the abilities of the Elemental Spirits to an extent, although it is always in exchange for something, be it stamina, breath, devotion, or other things.

To this day, the spirits of the Elements continue to see that the world moves along as intended. Their work – ever tiresome, will never end.

Ｄｅｍｉ－Ｇｏｄｓ

While the Entities themselves are in every way, perfect, they are not without desire. At times, they have descended upon the world and mated with Mortals, creating offspring who hold great power, perhaps only bested in the mortal world by one who is Infused with the soul of a Dreikari.

These Demi-Gods have come to be legends of great importance to many cultures, and serve to guide the people to be ideal.

The first Demi-God was Lancastris, the Earth Breaker. His legend states that he is the son of the Entity Nocterra, and the human woman Meisha. Upon his birth, the heavens sang songs of glory to his name, and he was heralded as a savior to all those who at the time were under the assault of the Korgar during the first war.

With time, he grew to be the finest warrior mortal-kind had ever seen! The stories told of legendary strength, mighty enough to shatter mountains, and a calmness great enough to walk on water. His greatsword was the deliverer of Justice to those who would harm innocent mortals, or invade his homeland.

He performed five duties as the captain of a brave brigade of soldiers fighting for the Humans, and then as a final sacrifice, he held off a force of one thousand Korgar brutes with only his sword, while his brigade escaped to the safety of their fortress. His death sparked the conclusion of the first war.

Rife with rage over what the mortals had done – not only to the world he sculpted, but to his only son, Nocterra himself descended from the heavens and splintered the once singular continent of Xenevia, and ended the war.

Since then, other Demi-gods have been born – some existing still to this day. Their tales of heroism, and sometimes villainy litter the pages – not just of Astridothic Poetry, but also Astridothic History.

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