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{{Info religion
{{Info religion
|image = VelTap.png
|image = VelTap.png
|pronunciation = Old-Gods
|pronunciation = For-noss (like Nosferatu) (clear pause between the two).
|origins = [[Old Ceardia]]
|origins = Presumed roughly 15,000 years ago.
|deities = Too many to list
|deities = Two distinct Pantheons of 7 Gods each.
|subsects = Cellik and Velheim variants
|subsects = Some regional variance and naming changes.
|}}
|}}
Fornoss is one of the earliest Religions of the Ailor Race, that survived thousands of years of conversion by other Religions as well as attempts to be eradicated by various nations, as one of the few surviving so called [[Pagan Faiths]]. Unlike the other (mostly) dead Pagan Faiths, Fornoss has a large following, particularly among Velheim and Gallovian Ailor, though a large number of Urlan, Dwarves, and some Ashhaven Eronidas also follow it, meaning it is not limited in scope to just Ailor. Fornoss is sometimes also called the Old Gods Religion, but this is not a historically correct term. The Gods are not old from a pure chronological perspective, and it is certainly not the oldest Religion in Aloria. This term was mostly popularized by the Ailor, who when reviewing only their own history, can see Fornoss as the oldest Religion, but when taking the totality of the world's history, Fornoss is a more accurate term, which roughly translates to "Ancient us", an homage to its survival through the ages.
==Origins==
==Origins==
The origins of the Old Gods [[Religion]] are somewhat murky, because of intensely conflicting versions. Old Gods as a religion has always lacked an organized hierarchy, and so local communities as well as diasporas do not agree on a common origin tale. While many [[Regalians]] consider Old Gods synonymous with the [[Velheim]] [[Culture]], they actually are not, and there are more [[Ceardians]] who worship Old Gods under the Cellik variant than there are Velheim Old Gods worshipers. Old Gods reaches beyond these cultures however, with [[Zvorun]], [[Tarkkin]], and [[Dunbrae]] all having slight variations on the same ideology. All Old Gods worshipers agree that their faith started on the island of [[Oldtera|Zeswyn]] (called Jerl in old Velheim) however they all disagree with what happened after. Cellik and Velheim Old Gods however are the two largest denominations controlling around 80% of the total worshiper population, and as such, their version is generally accepted as common dogma. Cellik and Velheim Old Gods doctrine claims that when the menace from the west ([[Nelfin]] slavers) arrived on the shores of [[Ceardia]], that a group of Pagan Gods created a pantheon together and spirited large communities away from the Ceardian continent, harboring them in safety on the Zeswyn Isles. From here, Old Gods would continue to spread over the world with migration waves, however the further they went, the more their doctrine was changed by local variations and changes. Unlike Unionism, Old Gods never underwent any major cataclysmic changes or schisms. As such, this page will treat the average understanding of Old Gods as fact, though minor local variations like changing a God's name or patron identity is permissible.
The birthing of the Gods and the founding of the Religion are two distinct periods. The birthing of the Gods is a mysterious period perhaps thousands of years before the first followers professed their belief in the Gods, as it is said that the Gods wandered for many ages before finding the people that would recognize their worth. It is said that the Eili Gods were born at the foot of the tree Arne surrounded by Dragons, though it is unclear if these refer to the Draconism Dragon Gods, or just the folktale version of Dragons which may also have been Skywyrms. There is also some theological debate about whether Arne is actually the Draconist Goddess Daiana, because no Tree of Life has ever been found elsewhere, but most Fornoss believers hold onto the version that states Arne is not a Dragon. The Fornoss Religion is roughly 15,000 years old, though this has an error margin of about 3,000 years, because the proto-Velheim people who were the first Fornoss followers did not have a form of writing at the time. The Religion was founded on a series of islands and part of the mainland of Oldt Tera (Ceardia), where the locals embraced a form of polytheism while most other Ceardian tribes were monotheistic. The Eili offered the faithful escape from the endless bloodshed and misery and slavery under the Elves that terrorized the Oldt Tera shores, fleeing the mainland, and retreating to some island called Aldra, which cannot be found on any modern map. On Aldra however, the Fornoss believers still were not safe, so the Eili contacted the Vola, and created The Pact, which joined both Pantheons to the Fornoss believers as two distinct unions, and the Fornoss people were finally given safety in Volaheim's embrace through the Vaarda Gates. For thousands of years, the Fornoss followers spread across the world through the Vaarda Gates, until Svartskra.


==Core Identity==
==Core Beliefs==
Old Gods is a religion that developed out of the old concept of Ailor Paganism in Ceardia, which was a polytheistic religion with a theoretical infinite amount of gods. Old Gods as a religion reformed this principle, attaching itself to the tangible gods that the people could see and interact with, and then centralized religion to them. Old Gods as a religion is centered around the concepts of Honor of the Soul, which is similar to [[Asaredu]], but not strictly bound to combat honor alone, rather to the purity of one's soul as understood through the lens of behavior, actions, and things said. Old Gods worshipers refer to the Honor of the Soul as Soldi. The Old Gods (both Vanir and Aesir) are referred to as Old Gods even by their own faithful, because they take pride in the ancientness of their faith in comparison to modern Unionism.  
The Fornoss Gods are divided between two distinct Pantheons, the Eili who are generally considered mindful and virtuous but restrained, and the Vola who are generally considered opportunistic and selfish but powerful. The two Pantheons represent the two halves of any person's soul, filled with desire to do good by others, and desire to do good by one's self. It is important to stress here that there is no ontological morality that can be assigned to either Pantheon. While some Eili create the impression of being purely benign, they are in ways just as flawed as mortals and have desires and wants and needs that can cause them to commit great misdeeds, such as the time when Bard cut off Svol's arms because Svol refused to participate in Bard's punishment of the faithful for small misdeeds. Similarly, Hrymrøk foments chaos and anarchy wherever and whoever she touches, however even when cities crumble and burn, does the destruction give way to the liberation of the enslaved Fornoss followers that lived in the undercities. While generally speaking all Gods have good intentions for their followers, they are all equally capable of cruelty, misguidedness, deceitful or selfish actions to preserve their worship, which speaks to their vanity. However, because Soldi inherently represents helping others, and Svaldi represents using others, the faithful still draw lines in the sand and dictate morality on each other based on their personal beliefs, even if there is no theological reason to reinforce it. There are some people who worship only the Eili called Eilirik, and some people who only worship the Voli called Volirik, while a person who worships both is called a Hvarkirik. These three groups tend to conflict with one another for religious reasons, but usually unite when facing an external threat, like they did during the Skagger Wars against Regalians. Fornoss does not have a strict list of Virtues and Vices, rather, source the list of Soldi and Svaldi enriching activities from the Gods and Goddesses section.  


===Tenets===
===Soldi & Svaldi===
* '''Bravery:''' Soldi is gained by seeking out competition, challenge, and self improvement, by not showing cowardice and hiding away from struggles.
Soldi and Svaldi are two very important terms that accompany the Fornoss believers throughout all their lives. In the simplest of terms, Soldi is honor derived from virtue, while Svaldi is honor derived from opportunism. Soldi and Svaldi can be seen as resources that souls accrue in life as they grow older, and the goal of any Fornoss believer generally is to acquire high Soldi or Svaldi and be permitted into the afterlives of the Eili and Vola. Some might even consider trying to acquire both, a difficult balancing act, but if successful, might result in the very Gods themselves playing games of skill and wit to secure the soul for their own afterlives. This can sometimes result in a so-called Hvitdraugr, who is Undead Draugr until such a time comes that the Gods have finished their conflict over the person's soul (if they stay alive for that long in an Undead unfriendly world). Finally, it is also possible to lose Soldi or Svaldi from actions that go against the tenets of the Gods. It is in fact possible to lose all Soldi or Svaldi all at once, but this is usually not a complete disaster. Either honor can be restored, and can in fact be restored by another person. It is not uncommon for a father to lose all Soldi, resulting in their son beginning a quest to restore Soldi in his name. When offering his achievements up to the Gods, he offers them in his father's name, resulting in the Gods restoring the Soldi of his father. It is even possible to do this for people who have already died and passed into Imellomgård (purgatory), or who have come back from Imellomgård as Draugr Undead. In such a case, the living must restore their Soldi or Svaldi, after which they are released and restored to the proper afterlife, and in rare cases, to life either as a living person or a Revenant Spirit.  
* '''Wroth:''' Soldi is lost by letting events simply transpire without having a role in them, making Old Gods faithful rather forceful in their habits.
* '''Pleasure:''' Soldi is gained by spreading one's progeny, and expressing the virtues of the Union of Fire and Eikki, to be passionate in life.
* '''Vengeful:''' Soldi is gained by settling scores, and particularly by taking vengeance on those who have done wrong to the individual, or society.
* '''Greed:''' Soldi is gained by being greedy for power, but by also being merciful with how that power is applied and pressured onto others.
* '''Honest:''' Soldi is lost when lying, in the simplest of terms. White-lies exist, but lies for personal gain cause one to lose Soldi.
* '''Pride:''' Soldi is gained through fame, and the only way to be famous is to be proud and live as if one is already magnificent.
* '''Respect:''' Respect is an immensely important aspect of the Old Gods religion, which abhors irreverence, even of other religions and beliefs.
* '''Soldi:''' Soldi is an intangible currency of the soul, the more Soldi someone has, the greater they are considered, and more likely to thrive in the afterlife.
* '''Hel:''' Hel is the opposite of Soldi, a realm, where those who die without any Soldi, or those with negative Soldi go. Their souls belong to the Aesir there.
* '''Loyalty:''' Loyalty is immensely important, to family, to clan, to liege-lord. Treason is a great way to instantly lose all Soldi gained over one's lifetime.
===Beliefs===
* '''Narrative:''' In Old Gods beliefs, the world is one giant proving grounds for all living things (even wild animals) to prove the value of their soul, and increase the amount of Soldi they have. Those with low Soldi can go into the afterlife, but only the Lower-Realm. Those heroes who achieve high Soldi however, pass on to the High Halls, where they sit at the feet of the Vanir, and have a glorious afterlife of plenty. Those with negative or close to negative Soldi are considered Honorless, condemned to wander a color less happiness-devoid dimension owned by the Aesir as penance for their worthlessness.
* '''Canon Evil:''' Canon Evil is extremely difficult to establish in the Old Gods religion, because while Aesir are definitely more violent, treasonous and deceitful, they have also saved the Old Gods people numerous times, while the Vanir chose the evil of inaction equal amounts of times. Old Gods faithful are split among three different views, that of the Vanarik who worship only the Vanir and consider the Aesir evil, the Aesirik who worship only the Aesir and consider the Vanir unworthy and lazy, and the Sammun, who worship both, and consider themselves above the struggle of legitimacy. Priests usually fall in this latter category, because those concerned with religion and the dead are expected to be above the clan-based struggles of who supports which pantheon, though people who are not priests can also be Sammun.
* '''Identity:''' Old Gods dogma has no explicit gender, sex, sexual orientation or gender-identity bias, though it has an implicit male-bias. While any Old Gods worshiper will claim that all genders and sexes are equally fair in their religion, traditional male-coded masculinity takes a unique place that discolors a lot of the nuance about gender. Strong, masculine and emotionless are framed as virtues for men living by the examples of their gods, and so Old Gods society can come across as publicly egalitarian, but having hidden masculine preferences under the surface.
* '''Conversion:''' Old Gods as a religion does not require preaching or spreading through missionaries, which is usually a practice reserved for [[Estellon]] and [[Unionism]], though to say it is without violent impression is false. Among Old Gods worshipers, holy wars can rage between two distinct populations over small denominational ideals (some as ridiculous as the believed hair color of a god), but bigger conflicts arise with other religions' influence on their faithful. While Old Gods worshipers in general are fairly tolerant to other religions, they are extremely intolerant to Old Gods converting to other religions, because disloyalty to the gods (for example by converting from Old Gods to Unionism) means a complete loss of Soldi and thus a soul being condemned to the Mirror world. Whereas a person who has always been a Unionist is not at risk of this.
* '''Sins & Taboo:''' The Old Gods religion does not strictly have a great Sin or Taboo, because life is too complicated for that kind of black and white categorization. Even great acts of evil and good can be explained away or villified, the religion does not assign rules or laws to the daily lifestyle of its worshipers, just general guidelines to live by, and some general behavior to avoid. Even disloyalty, when loyalty is a virtue, is permissable, if it comes through the scope of pride and bravery or revenge, all good things for one's Soldi. The only true arbitrator of these values is the Jovrlov, a greatly respected cross-clan priest.
* '''Fjandi:''' Fjandi is the old Velheim (or Fiend in Ceardian Cellik) word that most closely resembles Demon in common venacular. The reason why these words are so similar is because Rand is clearly a Void Arken, but that the other Gods in the Aesir pantheon aren't strictly Void Demons or Demons at all. Fjandi is a general term used by the faithful to describe "Demon-like things", that aren't always specifically Demons, while reserving the term Demon for something that can be proved to be a Void Demon.  


=Gods and Goddesses=
===Eiliheim & Volaheim===
Old Gods is a unique religion in that it has two distinct pantheons, one larger Vanir, and one smaller Aesir. The Vanir are what is considered "natural", born from Arne, the Tree of Life, from which all Ailorkind was born (in the eyes of the Old Gods believers). There is no origin story for the world, though it is very much implied that Aerne is actually the world, and that the great tree is only a physical representation of the world's spirit. The Aesir are foreign, entities from a hellish place that have become gods by forcing their way into the Old Gods pantheon. Morality between all these gods is never so clearly black and white, some of the Vanir do reprehensible things for good reasons, or show indifference and silence to the suffering of mortals, while the Aesir are cruel and unforgiving, but grant so much more power to their faithful with a bargain of free will. There are parts of Old Gods society that worship one pantheon while reviling the other, and then there are parts that worship all of them, each in their own way. For more information, consult the [[Velheim Culture]] Page. [[Dragon]]s are somewhat acknowledged in Old Gods folklore, remarking that they were "beings before being", and sat at the roots of Arne before the first birth, they are considered ancient and powerful, but not godlike. Arne does not have a distinct identity of its own, it is more a cosmic force, which is why the Tree of Life is seen as a symbol, nothing more, to the religion. Old Gods both has a Velheim and a Cellik (Cearden) Variant, where the identities are the same, but names differ.  
Unlike all other Religions, Old Gods has two afterlives, the Eiliheim which is the paradise of the Eili Pantheon, and the Volaheim which is the paradise of the Vola Pantheon. There exists also a realm in between, but this is not really classified as a paradise and more like a purgatory called Imellomgård, which literally translates to the land in between. While Eiliheim and Volaheim are described as places filled with the luxuries of life and pleasures of mortal life made immortal, Imellomgård is a land devoid of color, song, happiness and purpose, where souls who are refused entry into the other afterlives are forced to wander for all eternity. To enter Eiliheim, a person must have high Soldi, and to enter Volaheim, a person must have high Svaldi. If a person has neither in adequate quantity, or offended both Pantheons by having negative Soldi or Svaldi, they are condemned to Imellomgård to wander the mirror-wastes for all eternity. Though, Undead sometimes come back from Imellomgård in the form of Draugr Undead, if their bodies were not properly interred in the Helbolwen burial sites.  
==Vanir==
 
The Vanir are created in so called Unions. Nidda and Bev are the Union of Water associated with death, Adal and Dáuw are the Union of Choice associated with loss, Bard and Njal are the Union of air associated with power, Gro and Jord are the Union of Life associated with time, Halfvel and Asbjørn are the Union of Mind associated with free-will, Frode and Toke are the Union of Seasons associated with change, Leif and Astrid are the Union of Fire associated with passion, and Hagen and Tove are the Union of Earth associated with thought.
===Svartskra===
===Bev, Mirror of Life===
The Svartskra identifies a pivotal point in Fornoss history that despite its massive importance to all Fornoss believers, is mostly shrouded in mystery either by the Eili forcing the faithful to forget, or the people willingly abandoning any reference to this period to avoid the stray faithful from looking too deep into the matter and opening old wounds. As part of the Fornoss origins, the so-called Vaarda Gates, exist all over the world visited by Fornoss followers, helping their early colonizing boom. It is said by the Eili that these Gates were built by Bev, and passed through Volaheim to fold time and space together, allowing instant transportation across vast distances. At some point, the relationship between the Fornoss believers and the Eili, as opposed to the Vola and their Spirits, turned sour. It is said by the Eili that Rand (who they call the Great Betrayer) tricked them and condemned the Fornoss followers to some kind of horrible fate, thus causing their rebellion against the Pact that was meant to save the early Velheim people from Elven enslavement. From this point it is unclear if the Fornoss believers were expelled or fled from the Volaheim Gates. Whatever the circumstances, the Gates were closed shut after everyone was out with Bev's Keys (Artifact Weapons), which were then scattered across the world. The Vola maintain that the Eili fomented a false rebellion and that the followers defaced the Vola in their own home, though whichever version is closer to the truth, is hard to say as both sides have motive to lie. The last side effect of Svartskra (the day the Gates shut), was that the two Eili who had brokered the deals with the Vola the Flesh God Gro and the Metal God Jord were banished by the Eili and stripped from the Pantheon. Similarly, the Vola banished the two Gods responsible for working out the deal with the Eili being the Revenge God Asbjørn and the Greed God Frynni, who were also stripped from the Pantheon. Since this day, the Eili and Vola have been immortal enemies. As a consequence of this animosity, both sides agreed to refrain from interfering with the faithful too much, so as to prevent all out holy war within the Religion. This explains why the Fornoss Gods have been exceptionally silent during major tragedies that struck for example the Velheim people in the past 300 years, however in recent years, this policy has shown signs of cracking, with some raising concerns that if the Gods get too involved, that they will start fighting each other.
{|
 
|[[File:Flying cloth.png|220px|thumb|left]]
==Gods and Goddesses==
|
The Fornoss Gods are divided over two Pantheons, Eili and Vola. The Gods are always presented as Eili on the Left, Vola on the Right (if their opportunistic theming didn't give it away), though as some Gods are ambiguous as they were once Eili and became Vola, the left-right distinction has to be mentioned. Titular naming for the Gods (for example, Herald the Dark Celestial) is not necessary, it just provides a more poetic way of referring to them without using their name directly. Because both Pantheons expelled two Gods each, and because the Pantheons didn't become established all at once and some Gods joined much later, it is still possible for this Pantheon to grow. While Fornoss faithful can choose Patron Gods that they feel strong connections to, unlike other Religions, a Fornoss Follower must always worship whole Pantheons, either only Eili or Vola Pantheons, or both.
*'''Identity:''' Bev, the third son of Arne, was born when a mother deer and her children died beneath the Tree of Life, confronting it with the necessity of death.
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
*'''Themes:''' Bev’s themes are  the afterlife, measure of the soul, solitude, serenity, mourning, and the dead. He is also invoked during burials, and when communing with the dead.
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Bev, Doorway of the Moon'''</center></span>
*'''Depictions:''' Bev is depicted as a shrouded figure in a large funeral cloth, with only his pale white hands showing of his body, and always holding the Mirror face out.
*'''Worship:''' Bev is worshiped specifically by the Valsung, singers of the dead, but also by offering food and candles to Bev shrines in Helbolwen.
*'''Manifestation:''' Bev does not manifest in the living world, only serving to hold the Mirrror and pass souls into the afterlife, which he must do without fail and reprieve.
*'''Individual:''' Bev does not manifest to individuals or groups at all, as he is only ‘met’ when someone’s soul is passing on for judgement. He is rumored to have made the Vaarda Gates however.
*'''Worship House:''' Bev is worshipped in Old Gods Crypts, or Helbolwen, where a statue in his likeness with a mirror is kept. These mirrors reflect hundreds of lit candles, to represent the dead.
*'''Relations:''' Bev is the husband of Nidda, doomed to never embrace, as he cannot leave the water, and she cannot enter it. He is also tasked to hold up the Mirror, which Nidda would destroy.
*'''Other Notes:''' It is believed that if Bev should ever drop the Mirror, it will shatter, and release the Soldi-less dead who reside within it, causing a terrible undead cataclysm to occur.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Bev is called Cyne or Cyneweard, and as opposed to a mirror, he holds up a silver door. All other aspects are identical.
|}
===Nidda, Dancer of Death===
{|
|[[File:Flying clothfyhgsb'.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Nidda is the first daughter of Arne, who was born when the river flooded the Tree of Life and touched its bark, thus familiarizing it with large amounts of water.
*'''Themes:''' Nidda's themes are water, the ocean, protection from the waves, misery, unrequited love, and abandonment. She is intensely linked with Bev due to their relation.
*'''Depictions:''' Nidda is a lithe woman with many tattoos and a body or dress made of the torrential waves. Her anguish and loneliness cause her to be cruel and whimsical.
*'''Worship:''' Nidda is worshiped only by those who go off to sea, or know someone who is going off to sea, praying for their safe travel and return by dancing and offering her company and song.
*'''Manifestation:''' It is believed that every great typhoon, hurricane, tsunami, and waterspout, is Nidda's manifestation, and that each of them are her physical presence.
*'''Individual:''' Nidda has not touched anyone individually per se, rather she has supposedly caused the deaths of thousands of sailors, dragged to an early grave under the ocean.
*'''Worship House:''' Nidda's shrines are built on cliff sides near oceans, her cult is called the Sea-Dancers, water mages who ‘dance’ with their magic on ships to protect them from her wrath.
*'''Relations:''' Nidda is the wife of Bev, but she cannot touch or be with him, as he resides below the ocean, and she can only dance on the surface of it: the source of her anguish.
*'''Other Notes:''' Nidda is considered the goddess who takes lives, and knows when all Old Gods worshippers will die. This is mostly why Nidda is feared rather than admired.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Nidda is called Flaed or Flæd, and she is traditionally associated more with river water than ocean water, and subsequent floods and droughts.
|}
===Adal, Prince of Forgiving===
{|
|[[File:Treetyujgrf.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Adal is the son of Bard, who was born when Bard’s anger caused a thunderstorm that cut two branches off the Tree of Life, familiarizing it with pain.
*'''Themes:''' Adal’s themes are giving aid and help, enforcement of laws, conceding, forgiveness, holding no grudges, and also of the lightning and thunder of the world.
*'''Depictions:''' Adal is usually depicted as a male with glowing golden tattoos and dismembered arms, the tips covered in gold, and replaced with lightning.
*'''Worship:''' Adal is not worshiped on a day to day basis, but by Pilgrims who wish to forgive someone, but cannot find the strength to do so, traveling to his Temple.
*'''Manifestation:''' It is believed that every thunder strike is an expression of approval by Adal, which is why Old Gods worshipers sometimes ask things of Thunderstorms.
*'''Individual:''' Adal is not known to have made a personal presentation in front of anyone, because his manifestations are mostly in the elemental realm.
*'''Worship House:''' Adal’s shrines are built high atop mountains, where lightning may strike them, and where bottles of Celectic gas store electricity in visible form.
*'''Relations:''' Adal is the twin brother of Odal, who he feels responsible for, eternally on a quest to convince Odal to return to the pantheon, but eternally failing.
*'''Other Notes:''' It is said Adal’s arms were cut off by Bard, who had gone into a rage, though this is dubious, because many also claim he was born without arms.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Adal is Glaed or Glæd, and as opposed to thunder and lightning, he is more representative of light and the sun.
|}
===Dáuw, King of Mountains===
{|
|[[File:Dawuw.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Dáuw, King of Mountains, was not born with the pantheon, but a Dwarven God who stumbled upon the Tree of Life, and joined the pantheon by sheer willpower.
*'''Themes:''' Dáuw's themes are Mountains, Grudges, Righteousness, Survival, Stone, Construction, the heat of the forge, and raging against the dying of the light.
*'''Depictions:''' Dáuw looks like a normal Dwarf male, though living among Mortals, is always followed by the sound of the echoing caves and the sparkle of wealth.
*'''Worship:''' Dáuw worship takes the form of offering grudges for completion to a statue in his likeness, or tossing coins at strangers and making wishes.
*'''Manifestation:''' Dáuw is the only Old God who lives among the mortals every single day, and is houses in the Great Chamber of the surviving Rammuur Hold.
*'''Individual:''' Dáuw remains among the Dwarves to offer them guidance, but does not give much personal directives, only general plans and hints on how to survive.
*'''Worship House:''' Dáuw's largest temple is the Great Chamber, which is an inner sanctum within Rammuur that only chosen priests are allowed to enter.
*'''Relations:''' Dáuw's relation with the other Old Gods is somewhat frosty. While he is accepted by the Pantheon by will of the Tree of Life, they ignore him too.
*'''Other Notes:''' Dáuw was once far more proactive in trying to help the Dwarves, but has slowed down and been seen less and less as time has passed.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Dáuw is still called Dáuw, because this word is close to a Cearden word for revenge and absolution in justice.
|}
===Bard, King of Bears===
{|
|[[File:Treeagdsgsgjdjf.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Bard is the first son of Arne, and was born when bears rested under the Tree of Life. Bard is considered pivotal in the Pantheon due to his relations.
*'''Themes:''' Bard’s themes are battle, rage, strength, endurance, stability, power, solitude, and being the ‘guardian of the gods.’ He is said to be strongest of all.
*'''Depictions:''' Bard is always depicted as a large rugged man, covered in animal pelts, with charcoal around his eyes emulating bear claws and broad stance.
*'''Worship:''' Bard is worshiped before, after, and sometimes during battle. His cult, Bard’s Bears, was partially eradicated in the Carrhen War by the Regalian Empire.
*'''Manifestation:''' Bard has been known to manifest as a giant in front of those who committed high treason to the Old Gods, cursing them with the Marken Affliction.
*'''Individual:''' Bard exclusively visits individuals, but only on rare occasions, because one knows they have really messed up if it requires Bard to show up.
*'''Worship House:''' Bard’s shrines are large stone steles with inscriptions and bones, or stone tables with bowls on them. Animal carcasses are offered as sacrifice.
*'''Relations:''' Bard is the husband of Njal, but was originally a loner. His temperament was soothed by Njal, who found him, calmed him, and they became spouses.
*'''Other Notes:''' Despite Bard's Bears being eradicated in Carrhen, a small branch of them is yet alive in Talahm Gall, a rugged province of Gallovia.
*'''Other Notes:''' Bard’s fits of rage are legendary, and uncontrollable, losing all semblance of humanity during them, except for Njal's artistic touch.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Bard is called Brom, and he is effectively identical, though the animal associated with him is the wolf instead of the bear.
|}
===Njal, Prince of Art===
{|
|[[File:Treeagdsgs.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Njal is the second son of Arne, and was born when birds sang perched on the branches of the Tree of Life, seeing beauty for the first time.
*'''Themes:''' Njal’s themes are creativity, art, fertility, compromise, male beauty, silver tongue, and protection from godly cruelty and care for mortals.
*'''Depictions:''' Njal is a handsome young man wearing expensive clothes, with an air of arrogance and calmness in his demeanor and stance.
*'''Worship:''' Worship is done by saying a prayer, and then giving gifts to any artist. His cult is Njal’s Harps, who host debauched feasts and parties.
*'''Manifestation:''' Njal is said to permanently dwell among mortals, because creativity is a gift of the people, not of Gods, and he wishes to see art.
*'''Individual:''' Njal's has not been seen for thousands of years, though was very active before this point, no one knows exactly why.
*'''Worship House:''' Njal’s shrines are always mobile, in carts or on harnesses so people can carry them, as Njal never sits still and roams the land.
*'''Relations:''' Njal once roamed to find the perfect art. Then he met bard, and realized the perfect art was man. They soon fell in love and married.
*'''Other Notes:''' Njal always has heterochromia, one light blue eye and one light brown, which he uses to always watch Bard, who has dark brown eyes.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Njal is called Aedel or Ædel, though all other aspects about him are identical to Njal.
|}
===Gro, Shaper of Flesh===
{|
|[[File:Treesgfsd'dgsgs.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Gro is the last daughter of Arne, and was born when Dragons spoke of the Nelfin, and the Tree of Life dreamt of flesh.
*'''Themes:''' Gro’s themes are largely lost, but she supposedly begged the Dragons to breathe life into the her meat dolls, creating the Ailor.
*'''Depictions:''' Gro's depiction has mostly been lost to time, but it is assumed she was an amalgam of blood and flesh.
*'''Worship:''' Gro is considered a lost god, but when she was worshipped, she played an active role in the lives of Ailor, which other Old Gods did not and did not allow.
*'''Manifestation:''' Gro supposedly helped mortals with even simple day to day tasks, making their lives easier and more comfortable, this was her hubris.
*'''Individual:''' Gro has not been seen since she was expelled from the Pantheon thousands of years ago, and nobody has really gone looking for her either.
*'''Worship House:''' Gro has no known worship houses, though the concept of Gro shrines has been debated as of recent due to finding Sunnan Velheim worshiping her.
*'''Relations:''' Gro is the wife of Jord, both bargained with the Great Betrayer (which they were expelled for), forcing the Velheim people in millennia of hell, but saving them from slavery.
*'''Other Notes:''' The memory of Gro and Jord is said to have faded when the Old Gods worshippers broke free from the Great Betrayer, called the 'Liberation'.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Gro is identical to the Velheim Old Gods version, name included, because the split occurred close to the Velheim divergence.
|}
===Jord, Forger of Metal===
{|
|[[File:Treesgfsd'.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Jord is the last son of Arne, and was born when the roots of the Tree of Life touched metal ores in the ground, which it could not crush or bend.
*'''Themes:''' Jord is no longer worshiped as he is considered a lost god for dealing with the Great Betrayer. Only small groups still worship him.
*'''Depictions:''' Jord is depicted as a male with a body made of metal, bent and straightened around his body, and long arms with ball joints, made of dark blue metal.
*'''Worship:''' Jord is no longer worshiped, when he was, he played an active role in the lives of Ailor, which other Old Gods did not and did not allow.
*'''Manifestation:''' Jord supposedly helped mortals with even simple day to day tasks, making their lives easier and more comfortable, this was his hubris.
*'''Individual:''' Jord has not been seen since he was expelled from the Pantheon thousands of years ago, and nobody has really gone looking for him either.
*'''Worship House:''' Jord has no worship houses, but was last rumored to be seen on the isle of Barratt, which is surrounded by a terrible maelstrom.
*'''Relations:''' Jord is the husband of Gro, both bargained with the Great Betrayer, forcing the Velheim people in millennia of hell, but saving them from slavery.
*'''Other Notes:''' The memory of Jord and Gro is said to have faded when the Old Gods worshippers broke free from the Great Betrayer, called the 'Liberation'.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Jord is identical to the Velheim Old Gods version, name included, because the split occurred close to the Velheim divergence.
|}
===Halfvel, Father of Demigods===
{|
|[[File:Wolfgod.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Halfvel, nicknamed the Father of Demigod and Wolf-God, was born when the mortal Berrin fell in love with Bard, King of Bears, because some part of Arn wanted Demigods to exist.
*'''Themes:''' Halfvel does not represent any themes, but rather is the sole source of Demigodhood, blessing pregnant mothers with the Godspark, which can either be Mundane or Magic.
*'''Depictions:''' Halfvel is always depicted with his Cloth of Godliness, in which it is said all Demigod children are born or laid to be found in the forest surrounded by Wolves.
*'''Worship:''' Halfvel is worshiped by traveling the world, seeking out his children, and aiding them on the path of their divine purpose, whether they are Magical or Mundane.
*'''Manifestation:''' Halfvel is often said to appear before mothers who pray intensely for purpose for their children, but is also said to disguise himself as a Wolf-man and birth Demigods among mortals.
*'''Individual:''' There was once a Temple in Old Ceardia which supposedly housed Halfvel nearly all year round, however this place has not been visited since the destruction of Ceardia.
*'''Worship House:''' Halfvel does not have any official Temples, however shrines dedicated to him are a wolf skull rested on several black wolf pelts, coins of gold inserted into its mouth for well wishes.
*'''Relations:''' Halfvel has no formal relations with the Pantheon, as he largely avoids them altogether, concerning himself more with creating the fates in the mortal world.
*'''Other Notes:''' Halfvel's Demigod children supposedly have icy-blue eye-color, a high rarity among Ailor. Halfvel turns an unborn child or conceives each Demigod for a specific fate, some bad, some good.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Halfvel is Godsun, and as opposed to the wolf, his representative animal is the Lynx. All other aspects are the same.
|}
===Asbjørn, Punisher of Winter===
{|
|[[File:Asbear.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Asbjørn, nicknamed the Punisher of Winter, (prior Berrin, a mortal) was made God when he committed a crime by falling in love with Bard, God of Bears, forced to bear a curse.
*'''Themes:''' Asbjørn's themes are punishment, service, restitution, Winter, seeking forgiveness, and taking responsibilities for one's crimes and wrongdoings in the eyes of society.
*'''Depictions:''' Asbjørn is always depicted as a white bear, usually in chains, but often also in a resting pose. There is always a dubiousness to him, as if his godhood may not be a curse.
*'''Worship:''' Asbjørn isn't strictly worshiped, but rather invoked when someone should submit themselves to punishment to make up for their wrongdoings, and he gives them strength to bear it.
*'''Manifestation:''' Asbjørn has occasionally appeared, when a prisoner collapses under their punishment, or someone who is seeking forgiveness is about to give up, giving them strength once more.
*'''Individual:''' Asbjørn only ever helps individuals, but he seems quite jovial for someone who is being cursed, some speculate that he is actually quite devious, and was cursed on purpose.
*'''Worship House:''' Asbjørn's largest and most important Temple is the Ice-Crag Hall in Hedryll, a temple where docile polar bears roam, though it has recently fallen in disrepair by Vampires.
*'''Relations:''' Asbjørn is said to be madly cursed and in love with Bard, but this has been pulled into question recently because none of the other folklore supports this sentiment.
*'''Other Notes:''' Asbjørn is sometimes somewhat dubiously treated because it unclear if he genuinely wants to help those seeking restitution through punishment, or is just using them to get to Bard.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Asbjørn is Vitbera, and his origin story is different. As opposed to a relation to Brom, he is simply the eternal representative of winter.
|}
===Frode, Carer of Spring===
{|
|[[File:Spingguy.png|220px|thumb|left]]
|
*'''Identity:''' Frode, nicknamed Carer of Spring, was born when the early dew of spring first slipped down the leaves of the Tree of Life, creating the seasonal change in Old Ceardia.
*'''Themes:''' Frode's themes are Spring, rebirth, sweetness, insects and plants, flowers, sweet smells and cold colors, the sounds of life, and teeming flora in the forests.
*'''Depictions:''' Frode is always depicted as if gliding on the green light of nature in spring, anytime they touch grass, causing the most wildest of floral arrangements to bloom.
*'''Worship:''' Worship to Frode is done near or around a Tree, woven and decorated to mimic the Tree of Life, usually in a park, and by engaging in social happenings around that tree.
*'''Manifestation:''' Frode has manifested a couple of times through history to save important groves of the Old Gods people, but in general seems more skittish than the other Gods.
*'''Individual:''' Frode is said to hate being regarded, and as such, most encounters were supposedly more of their smell (a distinct cut-grass and honey mix) than their actual face.
*'''Worship House:''' Frode has no real worship house, but Old Gods worshipers often build Frode circles in the forest, which are patches of grass with stones arranged in circles.
*'''Relations:''' Frode is the twin sibling of Toke, and the two are said to dance in the forests, cycling between Spring and Autumn, until Leif burns in Summer and Asbjørn freezes in winter.
*'''Other Notes:''' Frode is why Old Gods worshipers have a positive relation to Yanar, and can often connect quite well with the Estellon worshipers in Yanar inhabited regions in Regalia.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Frode is called Faegen or Fægen, and he is entirely identical to the Velheim variant of Old Gods.
|}
===Toke, Lirh of Autumn===
{|
{|
|[[File:Treeghvfjgfdhgfm.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
*'''Identity:''' Toke, nicknamed Lirh of Autumn, was born when the leaves on the Tree of Life faded to red and brown, creating the seasonal autumn that swept Old Ceardia.
* '''Name:''' Bev, the Lord of Water, the Dead Ferryman or the All-Seeing Mirror.
*'''Themes:''' Toke's themes are Autumn, the world slowing down, taking care of yourself and loved ones, caring for one's own mental health, warm colors, and fauna itself.
* '''Domain:''' Bev's domain is the mortuary cult, the death rites, and mortal aging.
*'''Depictions:''' Toke is always depicted as if dancing, reminiscing a leaf falling from an autumnal tree, conspicuous feline ears in their hair and a mischievous smile.
* '''Symbols:''' Mirrors, The Mortuary Cloth, rich and deep colors of Blue and Black.
*'''Worship:''' Toke Worship is done by hosting seasonal feasts, particularly those in which Old Gods worshipers dress up as animals and try to prank and trick each other.
* '''Role:''' Bev measures the Soldi of the Dead, and guards the Gate to the Afterlife.  
*'''Manifestation:''' Toke's manifestations were often to protect wildlife from extinction, miraculously saving a few viable pairs in a valley to protect them.
* '''Traits:''' Cryptic, Silent, Reserved, Slow-Acting, Careful, Observant, Learned.
*'''Individual:''' Toke has not ever been known to enjoy being regarded by mortals. As such, their ears or fox-tail is seen more often than Toke themselves fully.
* '''Temple:''' Bev's largest Temple is the Dead-Door Mortuary in Irvainvik, Drixagh.
*'''Worship House:''' Toke has no real Temples or shrines, but supposedly lives together with Frode in the Frode circles in the forest, as animals are eventually drawn to them.  
* '''Allies:''' Ammuloa followers, priests of other societies, especially Unionist.
*'''Relations:''' Toke is the twin sibling of Frode, and the two are said to dance in the forests, cycling between Spring and Autumn, until Leif burns in Summer and Asbjørn freezes in winter.
* '''Enemies:''' Anything Ordial Aligned, especially Undead, and more so Draugr Undead.
*'''Other Notes:''' Toke is why, even when killing wildlife for the hunt or sacrifice, Old Gods are always respectful, and will say a prayer for Toke to receive the animal's soul.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained from tending/respecting to the dead, lost from disrespecting the dead.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Toke is called Aestas or Hiems. Hiems actually also means winter in Old Ceardian, because their winters were mild like autumns.  
* '''Rituals:''' Bev rituals involve the tending of Helbolwen graves, refreshing flowers and offerings, and lighting candles by the Bev statue which can always be found in a Helbolwen. Bev is also worshiped through the singing chalice, large chalices filled with water and played somber and harrowing tunes with by gliding fingers over the rims.  
|}
|}
===Leif, Summer of Passion===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Rand, Herald the Dark Celestial'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Firedude.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:Randlikeaslut.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
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*'''Identity:''' Leif, Summer of Passion, was born when the Tree of Life first experienced the love between Bard and Njall, and a fire erupted on some of its branches.
* '''Name:''' Rand, called Great Betrayer by Eilirik, or Power Arken by non-believers.
*'''Themes:''' Leif's themes are passion, fire, burning feelings, expressions of love and willpower, never giving up, divine inspiration, and offspring specifically.
* '''Domain:''' Rand is the lord of Volaheim itself, said to never leave his realm.  
*'''Depictions:''' Leif is always depicted with some part of his hair on fire or spitting flames, his hands covered in glowing golden light for the wealth he brings.
* '''Symbols:''' Rand's symbol is the red Evil Eye, bear claw scars, and bears.
*'''Worship:''' Worship to Leif is performed by bringing offerings of rare earth metals to open flames, and dancing with or inhaling the smoke.  
* '''Role:''' Rand acts like a King of the Vola, and commander of the Volaheimr.
*'''Manifestation:''' Leif has not known to manifest himself, though it is said that a part of him lives in each and every flame, and that he always listens.
* '''Traits:''' Power-hungry, Domineering, Authoritarian, Strong-willed, Capable.
*'''Individual:''' Leif's individual relation to mortals, is that he supposedly inspires and enflames their emotions, with love itself being inspired and fated by him.
* '''Temple:''' Rand has no temple, Volaheim itself is one big temple to his glory.
*'''Worship House:''' Leif's largest Temple is the flame-spire in Billund, Regalian Archipelago, a large and steep peak mountain which near permanently fumes smoke.
* '''Allies:''' Rand's only allies are the Void Arken, he has no need for others.
*'''Relations:''' Leif is the husband of Estrid, though they are more than that, the folklore specifically defines them as soul mates with a fated connection.
* '''Enemies:''' Rand has no explicit enemies, except for the Exist Arken, notably Justice.
*'''Other Notes:''' Leif is claimed to have a particular burning hatred for those who discriminate based on gender, supposedly spontaneously immolating terrible offenders.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained from establishing power and control, losing from banishment.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Leif is Aeledda, or Æledda, entirely identical, though has a feminine coded name as opposed to a masculine coded one.
* '''Rituals:''' The Feast of authority involving guests choosing their preferred leader among the gathered, with the winner gaining Svaldi. The Binding of Power is respected even by the Eilirik, a ritual in which two persons agree to a binding pact in blood, that if either fails or breaks, they lose all Soldi or Svaldi when vowed to their preferred Gods.  
|}
|}
===Estrid, Queen of War===
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Leif, Warmth of the Fire'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Treeghvfjgfbattlebnniot.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
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*'''Identity:''' Estrid, Queen of War, was born when the Tree of Life's branches caught fire in Leif's birth, which she then doused by absorbing them and funneling them to war.
* '''Name:''' Leif, the Lord of Fire, Warmth of the Rising Sun.  
*'''Themes:''' Estrid's themes are similar to Bard's but differ slightly in that she specifically concerns herself with War, conquest of other lands, ferocity and challenge.
* '''Domain:''' Leif is the God of Love and Affection, and of Passion and Care.
*'''Depictions:''' Estrid is always depicted in her typical "Gothik" style, dark hair and intense darkened eyes, dark clothing and pale skin, with lots of accessories.
* '''Symbols:''' Leif is represented by Fire and the blazing Golden Sun.
*'''Worship:''' Estrid worship is usually performed before armies face each other on the field, known as the 'high hour', 3 hours before the battle, when Old Gods armies are weakest.
* '''Role:''' Leif is set to bring warmth and sunlight to the world and to hearts.
*'''Manifestation:''' Estrid has appeared at every major pivotal battle the Old Gods worshipers had to face in their expansion, but stopped appearing one day, for no-one knows why.
* '''Traits:''' Compassionate, Loving, Parental, Passionate, Driven, Energetic.
*'''Individual:''' Estrid never had any individual appeal, rather keeping expansion for the Velheim people, and by extension, Old Gods open, until she ceased.
* '''Temple:''' Leif's largest Temple is the Sun-Sky House in Kongehjem, Nordskag.  
*'''Worship House:''' Estrid has the most amount of Temples across the world, each of them called a Temple of Fire, in which a massive bonfire is lit around the clock.
* '''Allies:''' Theomar Followers, Regulus Followers, and kindhearted Bloodcast Knights.
*'''Relations:''' Estrid is the wife of Leif, though they are more than that, the folklore specifically defines them as soul mates with a fated connection.
* '''Enemies:''' Followers of any Moon-themed Gods, Armas/Amandaros followers.
*'''Other Notes:''' Estrid is sometimes blamed for the reversal of Velheim expansion in the world, coinciding with the quick rise of the Regalian Empire.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained from loyalty to Lovers/Family and Kindness, lost from Treason.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Estrid is Deorcnysse, which is incidentally also the word for Darkness in old Ceardian.  
* '''Rituals:''' Many of Leif's rituals involve offering things like fruits or hunted animal carcasses to the flame, believers saying that the flames offer them up to Leif until nothing but ash remains, absorbing the life and using it to pull the Sun through the sky each day. Other rituals involve the sharing of passion with other believers in his Temples.  
|}
|}
===Hagen, Crafter of Time===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Thirun, Fates of the Dark Sun'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Olderguyt.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:Untitled_artwork_5.png|220px|caption|left]]
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*'''Identity:''' Hagen, Crafter of Time, was born when the Tree of Life remembered history and all events that had gone before, creating wisdom and knowledge for the ages.
* '''Name:''' Thirun, called Pride Arken or Ott by non-Believers.
*'''Themes:''' Hagen's themes are wisdom, sagely advise, dogma, staying true to rules and laws, obeying precedence and the elderly, and ancestry and heritage.
* '''Domain:''' Thirun is the God of Magic and of Pride and Vanity.
*'''Depictions:''' Hagen looks relatively normal in comparison to all the other gods with his crafting apron, which is on purpose, as he travels among mortals.
* '''Symbols:''' Thirun is represented by the Dark Sun surrounded by Light and Hounds.  
*'''Worship:''' Hagen worship is done passively simply by becoming a more knowledgeable person. Reading books is often good enough as a form of Hagen worship.
* '''Role:''' Thirun is the source of all Fornoss God Magic but also the Magic Burden.
*'''Manifestation:''' Hagen like Tove has manifested many times, always paired together, to offer words of meaningful advice (or misadvise in the case of Tove) to their lives.  
* '''Traits:''' Prideful, Vain, Sardonic, Sarcastic, Greedy, Scornful, Ego-driven.
*'''Individual:''' Hagen's manifestations are usually Static. Tove and Hagen represent a debating duo, where Hagen always insists on dogma and knowledge gotten before.
* '''Temple:''' Thirun's largest Temple was destroyed by Regalia in the Elven War.
*'''Worship House:''' Hagen's largest Temple is the House of Stone Healing in Nordskag, which doubles as a massive library with stone debating chambers and reading rooms.
* '''Allies:''' Pride/Fury Arkenborn, Evolism followers, Vampire hunters.
*'''Relations:''' Hagen's relation to Tove is somewhat dubious, sometimes depicted as two sides of the same coin, sometimes he is depicted as her grandfather.
* '''Enemies:''' Vampires, Justice Arkenborn & Followers, Publicly Weak Persons.
*'''Other Notes:''' Hagen appears different each time, sometimes of passable age, sometimes so decrepitly old that his beard touches the floor and drags behind him.  
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained through great achievements, lost by losing Duels.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Hagen is Werold, but he is otherwise completely identical to the Velheim Old Gods variant.
* '''Rituals:''' The Prideful Parade is one custom that involves demanding others show to a public roasting session where the aim is to praise the person who demanded they show, and roast the opponents who invited others. Another is the Prideful Feast, where each produces Food which instills pride in their cooking, and they compete over the best dish with others.  
|}
|}
===Tove, Daughter of Dreams===
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Njal, Keeper of the Light'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Atovilgf.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:noimglong.png|220px|caption|left]]
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|
*'''Identity:''' Tove, Daughter of Dreams, was born last of all Gods, and somewhat a mess, as the Tree of Life started dreaming, experienced 1001 random thoughts, and then slept.
* '''Name:''' This far Max This far Max This far Max This far Max This far Max This far Max
*'''Themes:''' Tove's themes are gladness, dreams, happiness, making others happy, challenging dogma, questioning the world, youth and youthfulness and being carefree.
* '''Domain:''' Njal's domain is that of light, and the sky, as well as all of the arts.
*'''Depictions:''' Tove looks relatively normal in comparison to all the other gods with her unnecessary belts, which is on purpose, as she travels among mortals.
* '''Symbols:''' Njal is represented by clouds and bright pastel colors and light prisms.  
*'''Worship:''' Tove worship takes the form of finding random strangers, and doing something for them to make them happy, or to elicit a smile, or to break some dusty rule.
* '''Role:''' Njal is the diplomat and artist of the gods, providing entertainment in Eiliheim.  
*'''Manifestation:''' Tove like Hagen has manifested many times, always paired together, to offer words of meaningful advice (or misadvise in the case of Tove) to their lives.  
* '''Traits:''' Artistic, Snarky, Whimsical, Creative, Sloth, Childish, Caring.
*'''Individual:''' Tove's manifestations are usually chaotic. Hagen and Tove represent a debating duo, where Tove always takes the questioning side with a constant barrage.
* '''Temple:''' Njal's largest temple was destroyed when Ceardia became forsaken.
*'''Worship House:''' Tove's largest Temple is the House of Stone Caring in Nordskag, next to Hagen's Temple, doubling as a hospital with free healthcare for children.
* '''Allies:''' Artists, Musicians, and Creatives of any kind, and Queer people.  
*'''Relations:''' Tove's relation to Hagen is somewhat dubious, sometimes depicted as two sides of the same coin, sometimes she is depicted as his granddaughter.
* '''Enemies:''' Njal's only true enemies are those who abstain from a good stiff drink.
*'''Other Notes:''' Tove appears different each time, sometimes as an adult, but more often than not as a recalcitrant teenager, ready to combat Hagen's opinions.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by creative expression and bringing joy, lost by destroying art.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Tove is called Cihnt (pronounced as see-h't), and she is identical to the Velheim Old Gods variant.
* '''Rituals:''' Njal is Bard's husband, and because of this, many of his rituals involve Bard in some way. Skysteel Forging is the act of letting an artist inspire a forger to produce a work of art and tough steel at the same time. Other rituals involve poetry duels, and Annointment of the Artist, where Artists use body paint on a strong Man dressed as Bard for Art.
|}
|}
===Elkonur, Herder of Memories===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Svol, The Punished Shadow'''</center></span>
{|
{|
|[[File:Fsfsdds.png|220px|thumb|left]]
[[File:Fhdhjfdyujfhtg.png|220px|caption|left]]
|
|
*'''Identity:''' Elkonur, Herder of Memories, is a very contentious God of tradition, custom, culture, and guarding the gates of the Afterlife and holding its keys.
* '''Name:''' Svol, Bard's Bane, the Dark Lightning Lord.
*'''Themes:''' Elkonur's themes are cultural festivals, traditional objects and customs and habits, Old Gods clothing, and protecting the priestly faithful.
* '''Domain:''' Svol's domain is thunderstorms, but more metaphorically of lies and deceit.
*'''Depictions:''' Elkonur is depicted as an Urlan, which is the main point of contention. Many Old Gods faithful struggle with Urlan, and refuse to see him this way.
* '''Symbols:''' Shadows, Lightning, Missing or fully Tattoo'd arms, the colors black and yellow.
*'''Worship:''' Elkonur is worshiped through the act of Sammenfest, a festivity that can happen once every two weeks in which the faithful celebrate their culture(s).
* '''Role:''' Svol was once a Eili, until punished by Bard, changed teams to plot for Rand.
*'''Manifestation:''' Elkonur has manifested many times, always to protect Helbolwen, Skaarna, Vaarna or other such faith servants under threat from Aesir Fjandi.
* '''Traits:''' Analytical, Mindful, Deceitful, Witty, Suave, Charming, Good-Tempered.
*'''Individual:''' Elkonur is massive when he appears, charging at the enemy with his bright glowing ivory horns, and charging them into the afterlife.  
* '''Temple:''' Svol's Temple is the Copper Tower now within Life Isldar land in Ellador.
*'''Worship House:''' Elkonur's largest Temple is the Throon Cavern inhabited by the Hurltak Throngs, who fiercely worship him, deep in the Isldar Wastes.
* '''Allies:''' Trickster god followers and politicians, Inth & Nox followers.  
*'''Relations:''' Elkonur is the son of Halfvel, who disguised as a beautiful mare to distract and stop a godly Elk from eating the branches of the Tree of Life.
* '''Enemies:''' Justice Arken(born), Guards, Knights, Justicars, Knights.
*'''Other Notes:''' Many Velheim Old Gods refuse to acknowledge Elkonur as Urlan, even though he absolute is, while Ceardian Old Gods refuse to see him as a non-Ailor.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained in subterfuge plots, or beaten Knights, lost by being deceived/losing.  
*'''Other Notes:''' Elkonur's glowing ivory horns are supposedly so powerful that even the Aesir fear them, able to cast away Spirits and Fjandi with no effort.
* '''Rituals:''' Svol's rituals are deceptively easily hidden as party games, especially those that involve lying. A common one is Svol's Gauntlet, where everyone produces 2 truths and a lie, and gains points each time a person in the gathering cannot guess which one is the lie, or guesses wrong. Another is punishing tyrannical/corrupt law enforcement with violence.  
*'''Other Notes:''' Elkonur guards the gates of the afterlife because he is denied entry, so it is said. He opens the doors for all those worthy to ascend to the Gods.
*'''Other Notes:''' Elkonur is the only actual Urlan Old God, though Urlan often depict all other Old Gods as Urlan also, even the beastlike for themselves.
*'''Other Notes:''' Elkonur has become especially relevant in recent times, as he has become a symbol of holding onto Old Gods (Velheim) tradition in a modern world.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' Elkonur's Cellik variant is never depicted as an Urlan, instead as a man with a dark complexion, whose name is Terrond, otherwise the same.
|}
|}
 
</center>
==Aesir==
</tr></table>
The Aesir are not created in Unions, but rather in opposition to one another. Vaarda, while a realm of infinite pleasures and satisfaction, is also a realm of inherent chaos. Old Cearden culture was not devoid of its extreme expressions of violence and glorification of warfare and killing, and as such, there is a constant "game" happening between the four Princes in Vaarda who battle each other with armies of souls belonging to them, each an immortal warrior who lives and dies over and over again. Odal and Faellan struggle over honesty from west to east, and Dreikar and Eikki struggle over pleasure from north to south. Odal hates everything deceitful while Faellan represents it, and Dreikar loves the violent kind of pleasures which Eikki hates, preferring the fun kind. Rand meanwhile, sits at the center of it all in his great crystal palace, a master over this chaos who makes the lesser Aesir fight among each other so that he becomes the most powerful among them and their All-Father.
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
===Rand, The Great Betrayer===
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Dáuw, Bringer of Order'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Rand, The Great Betrayer, was not born with the pantheon, but forced his way in and became the closest equivalent of the devil in Old Gods who made Hel.
* '''Name:''' Dáuw, The Under-King, the Dwarf-Lord, the Last Stalwart.
*'''Themes:''' Rand's themes are betrayal, control, Fjandi, fall from grace, those without Soldi, and the world in between imellomgård, where the honor-less lie.
* '''Domain:''' Dáuw is God-King of the Dwarves, and the Lord of all Soil and Order.
*'''Depictions:''' Rand does not have a consistent appearance because he never manifested, but many Old Gods worshipers depict him as a beast of a man.  
* '''Symbols:''' Dáuw is represented by the Dwarven Runes and shapes of Mountains.  
*'''Worship:''' Rand is worshiped, mostly in a fearful way. The act of wearing a necklace depicting Rand's eye to ward off his gaze is common among the faithful.
* '''Role:''' Dáuw's role is to bring order to mortal society through stable structure.
*'''Manifestation:''' Rand is not known to manifest in the world outside of Vaarda, his own home, which has made the recent appearances around Regalia quite disturbing.
* '''Traits:''' Resolute, Stalwart, Defiant, Stubborn, All-Knowing, Contemplative.
*'''Individual:''' Rand has two known rules, one: he does not enter a house without being invited in and two: he never takes power, rather he waits for it to be given freely.
* '''Temple:''' Dáuw's largest Temple is the Great Chamber in Rammuur, Ellador.
*'''Worship House:''' Rand's largest temple is the realm of Vaarda itself, though not having access to this, Aesir worshipers flock to the Vaarda gates instead.
* '''Allies:''' Historians, Legislators, Juvin followers, Justiciars, Knights.  
*'''Relations:''' Rand is hated by every Vanir, but they have invariably made bargains with him over the history of the Old Gods, making his relations complicated.
* '''Enemies:''' Anarchists, Evolism followers, Jacobins, Drakkar, Populists, the Military
*'''Other Notes:''' Rand is commonly accepted by Ailor and Nelfin scholars, to actually be the Power Arken, who is also the main antagonist of the Dwarves.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by showing Solidarity, lost by letting society slip to anarchy.
*'''Other Notes:''' While the Vanir don't have a God among Gods, Rand fulfills this role among the Aesir, seen as the King of the Aesir and the most powerful one.
* '''Rituals:''' Dáuw have changed over the years, changing from justice and order-reinforcing rituals, to rituals more centered around Dwarven culture, as a byproduct of the catastrophic population decline of the Dwarves. Any festival or event that celebrates, highlights, or discusses and educates on Dwarven Culture is a form of worship to Dáuw.  
*'''Other Notes:''' It is said to whisper ill or destroy that which belongs to Rand, allows him by Old Gods Law to claim the soul of the defiler, something that scares many.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik variant of Rand is called Devil, so that this word also exists in our lore and can be used without breaking canon phraseology.
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===Odal, Prince of Vengeance===
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 50%;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Hrymrök, The Charnel Chaos'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Odal is the son of Bard, born when Bard’s anger caused a thunderstorm that cut branches off of the Tree of Life, crushed a family of hedgehogs below.
* '''Name:''' Hrymrök, Sirannal Týmal (in Elven), or the Anarchy Arken to non-believers.
*'''Themes:''' Odal’s themes are revenge, overcoming, conquest, magic, corruption, and the indomitable spirit. Odal is sometimes considered good, sometimes evil.
* '''Domain:''' Hrymrök is the chained guilt of the Elves towards the Fornoss believers.
*'''Depictions:''' Odal was once a Vanir, but became an Aesir, angered by the inaction of the other Gods at the suffering of mortals, his spirit was corrupted by the Betrayer.
* '''Symbols:''' Broken chains, cracked shields, and broken statues mended with gold.
*'''Worship:''' Odal worship is offering him food and goods in a ritual fire to stave off his vengeance. Odal’s Avengers is a cult of for-hire revenge seekers, called Odalv.
* '''Role:''' Hrymrök was imprisoned by Rand to repent for Elven slavery by freeing them.
*'''Manifestation:''' Odal has been known to personally manifest, particularly to protect the respect and honor of the Great Betrayer, when Old Gods worshipers defile him.
* '''Traits:''' Wroth, Vile, Ill-Mannered, Haughty, Snobby, Loathsome, Indignant.
*'''Individual:''' There are many tales of Odal showing up to kill Vanir fanatics attacking Aesir priests and faithful, as well as sinking whole fleets set to attack Vaarda.
* '''Temple:''' Hrymrök's Temple is the Haunting Mask Cliff in Maartasil.
*'''Worship House:''' Odal has lingering shrines decorated with blue-painted horns, but only because people are afraid he’d destroy them if they destroyed his shrines.  
* '''Allies:''' Slave-Abolitionists, Allorn-Haters, Estelley Faithful (except Cemaan).
*'''Relations:''' Odal is the twin brother of Adal, and is constantly fighting Bard to force his will onto the Vanir, It is said only he can challenge Bard.
* '''Enemies:''' Cemaan followers, Unionism followers, Archon, Draconism followers.
*'''Other Notes:''' Odal is the Fjandi Prince of the West, of Vengeance, he rules the mountainous west of Vaarda, where thunder and blizzard coalesce into a chaotic storm.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained by freeing Thralls & Mind-slaves, lost by being enthralled.
*'''Other Notes:''' Odal is sometimes sought out by those wishing to be possessed, becoming Odalv, the Cult of Odal, who enact his vengeance on the world.
* '''Rituals:''' Hrymrök is a bit of an oddity even for a Vola, because she doesn't really want to be a Goddess. Still, worship to her is more a form of satisfaction appeasement, as if the faithful are responsible for keeping her happy while she does her work freeing Fornoss slaves and oppressed from Elven control by food/wealth offerings to her Magenta Flames.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Odal is called Cynesige, while the Cellik version of the Odalv are called Sigeryk, though otherwise all is identical.
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===Dreikar, Prince of Horror===
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Halfvel, Father of Godly Blood'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Dreikar is not a natively Old Gods born God, but a Fjandi from the Hell made by Rand in the likeness of Dragons, becoming the Horror of Winter Frost.
* '''Name:''' Halfvel, the Wolf-Father, The God-Mark Bearer, The Ice-Wolf.
*'''Themes:''' Dreikar's themes are slaughter, destruction, maiming, carnage, violence, power makes right, and the consuming of the weak in glorious fire.
* '''Domain:''' Halfvel is the lord of Demigods, the tamer of Marken & other Beasts.
*'''Depictions:''' Dreikar appears like a draconic humanoid with four arms and several tails, his body adorned with jagged spikes of ice and snow frost.
* '''Symbols:''' Halfvel is represented by the Cloth of Dominion & Wolves.
*'''Worship:''' Dreikar's worship is perhaps the most violent of all, to sate a bloody carnage or bloodlust, being an Old Gods worshiping Vampire is permitted to him.
* '''Role:''' Halfvel's role is to purposefully produce offspring among Mortals.
*'''Manifestation:''' Dreikar is not known to manifest outside of Vaarda, as his home is the frozen cold north of Vaarda, where the sun yet shines warm to deceive.
* '''Traits:''' Guiding, Remorseful, Helping, Altruistic, Melancholic, Loyal.
*'''Individual:''' Dreikar is however commonly believed to occur in Nightmares, invading people's peaceful mind and giving them anxiety in their sleep and worry during day.
* '''Temple:''' Halfvel's largest Temple is the Wolf Rest in the Cains.  
*'''Worship House:''' Dreikar has several shrines, particularly in Ellador, where fear-worship of him became popular following the freezing of the Ellador continent.
* '''Allies:''' (self-controlling) Marken, other Godborn, and Asha & Urlan.
*'''Relations:''' Dreikar is hated even among the Aesir as "giving them a bad name", for all the hypothetical evil they do, it has reason. Dreikar just likes slaughter.
* '''Enemies:''' Those who hunt Transformed Persons, The Afflicted, Undead.
*'''Other Notes:''' Dreikar has a brood, the so-called "Drekki", which is a wild and fiercely violent Fjandi-possessed crocodilian species on six legs that roams old Ceardia.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by protecting the environment, lost by killing Transformed Persons.
*'''Other Notes:''' Dreikar is considered a "Drake", not a "Dragon" to the Old Gods faithful, there is a difference, and an Old Gods faithful would never mistake the two.
* '''Rituals:''' Halfvel's rituals often involve the seeking out of Halfvel's Godborn children, and aiding them in their quest for Demigod status among Fornoss followers, or correcting their path if they have been led astray. Other forms of Worship involve helping those who Transform deal with their curse, or protecting them from persecution.  
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Dreikar is called Drann, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
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===Eikki, Prince of Pleasure===
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<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Eikki, Drinker of the Blood Taint'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Eikki was born the Vanir of Desire, but drank from the Godnectar of the Tree of Life, granting him greater godhood, and corrupting him to Aesir.
* '''Name:''' Eikki, the Arne-Drunk, The Revel-God among other Party epithets.  
*'''Themes:''' Eikki represents the forbidden fruit, desires untold, debauchery, pleasure seeking hedonism, beauty and attraction made manifest, a dark bargain.
* '''Domain:''' Eikki is the God of Feasting and Festivities and Joy, even as Vola.
*'''Depictions:''' Eikki appears very much like his old Vanir appearance, but his intoxication on Godnectar is obvious, from it leaking from his barrel and mouth.
* '''Symbols:''' Eikki's Symbol is the Beer Keg and the masks of joy and pleasure.
*'''Worship:''' Eikki, while Aesir, is actually worshiped quite frequently among the Vanir, even those who abhor the other Aesir, because of his more benign pleasures.
* '''Role:''' Eikki guards (and drinks) Arne's Blood brew that has immense power.
*'''Manifestation:''' Eikki is known to occasionally enter the real world from Vaarda, letting mortals drink but a drop of Godnectar, giving them Magic, and a Fjandi to boot.
* '''Traits:''' Joyous, Gregarious, Wild, Festive, Good-Natured, Drunkard.
*'''Individual:''' Eikki's curse is sometimes placed on children from single parents, sneaking into their bedroom at night, and feeding them a drop of Godnectar.
* '''Temple:''' Eikki's largest Temple was thrashed by him after a legendary binge.
*'''Worship House:''' Eikki's largest Temple is the Druid Circle in Valadia, recently discovered at the heart of this tribal homeland of the Valadian Velheim.
* '''Allies:''' Eikki is everyone's friend and tries to give everyone a chance.
*'''Relations:''' Eikki is known as the great seducer among the Vanir and Aesir, believed to be able to mingle with both of them without too much issues.
* '''Enemies:''' Eikki has no enemies, as any enemy becomes a friend with one drink.
*'''Other Notes:''' Godnectar isn't a real substance, or so it is claimed. It is more the metaphorical concept of dabbling with Void/Exist Magics beyond comprehension.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained with wild parties and getting stuff people drunk, never lost.
*'''Other Notes:''' Eikki is the Prince of South Vaarda, his realm, where the souls that belong to him live in endless bliss and pleasure, in its golden orchards of plenty.
* '''Rituals:''' As Eikki was once Eili but condemned to become Vola when he transgressed by drinking Vola's Blood, his rituals and worship is relatively benign when compared to the other Vola, despite the implication that he is changing into something else. Worship of him invariably just involves getting black-out drunk, and having great parties.  
*'''Other Notes:''' Drinking Godnectar is supposedly the one rule that was ever placed on the Vanir among them, to never drink from the tree's sap, and Eikki broke it.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Eikki is called Elrik, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
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===Faellan, Prince of Snakes===
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</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Bard, Bear-Lord of Protection'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Faellan is, similar to Dreikar, a Fjandi entity made by Rand to serve as the Prince of the East, a Prince of Treason and Deception.
* '''Name:''' Bard, the Steel-Father, Axe of Judgement, the Law-Bringer.
*'''Themes:''' Faellan represents the themes of deceit and manipulation, of gaslighting and reality warping illusions and constructs, driving others insane.
* '''Domain:''' Bard is the God of Justice and Steel, of all Crafts and Law.
*'''Depictions:''' Faellan appears like a green feline-like humanoid with an extremely long feathered tail colored like the evergreen gardens of East Vaarda.
* '''Symbols:''' Bard is represented by the Lynx, and the steel anvil.  
*'''Worship:''' Faellan is worshiped by those who wish good things to come to their plots, schemes, and plans, with the lord of manipulation aiding their pursuit.  
* '''Role:''' Bard is Retribution, manifesting to honor-less mortals for judgement.
*'''Manifestation:''' Faellan is not physically known to manifest, but it is said he looks through the eyes of all snakes, and sometimes speaks in split-tongue.
* '''Traits:''' Judgemental, Merciless, Headstrong, Iron-willed, Unsympathetic.
*'''Individual:''' Faellan's snakes have been known to assassinate important and powerful Velheim rulers over the years, so much so that his name became a curse word.
* '''Temple:''' Bard's largest Temple is the Lynx-Claw Great Hall in Ruttswyn.  
*'''Worship House:''' Faellan's largest Temple is the Snake-Grass Hill, though it is never in one place, it teleports all over the world when he wants it to.
* '''Allies:''' Justice Arken(born), Knights & Guards, Bodyguards & Hor followers.
*'''Relations:''' Faellan is mistrusted and despised even among the Aesir, Odal in particular has a burning hatred of him and clashes with him frequently.
* '''Enemies:''' Evolism followers, those that deface Art, Death Cultists.
*'''Other Notes:''' Faellan's name has become a curse-word "Faen" in the Velheim language, which can best be translated as "Screw it", or "Shit".  
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by being Just/Brave, lost by letting injustice prevail.
*'''Other Notes:''' Faellan is respected, even among non-Old Gods related Fjandi, as a very powerful manipulator that should be feared with reason.
* '''Rituals:''' Bard being Njal's husband often has his rituals tied to him (see Njal's section). Specific worship of Bard often emulates his legendary rage being soothed by Njal's soft touch, mimicked for example by taming wild animals and breaking in wild horses. Other forms of worship involve solitary wood carving or general crafting like forging or carpentry.  
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Faellan is called Fallan, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
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===Thirun, Lord of Dawn===
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<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Blodrúna, The Crimson Carnage'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Thirun is the Lord of Dawn, one of the four Courts of Day, commonly also known both inside and outside Old Gods as the Pride Arken.
* '''Name:''' Blodrúna, The Blade-Queen, Red Terror to non-Believers.
*'''Themes:''' Thirun represents the themes of pride, ego, vanity, magical power, powerful successors and descendance, and legacy to name.  
* '''Domain:''' Blodrúna is the Goddess of War, Carnage, Murder, and Victory.
*'''Depictions:''' Thirun is a well-seen individual due to his very active tenure in Regalia, so many would recognize him in an instant when seen.
* '''Symbols:''' Blodrúna's symbols are the Bloodied Blade, and the Blood Crown.
*'''Worship:''' Thirun is worshiped by those who want more magical power, to whom what they were born with is not enough, and to those who wish legacy.
* '''Role:''' Blodrúna is a savage killer-God who teaches Carnage on the battlefield.
*'''Manifestation:''' Thirun manifests frequently in Regalia and the wider world, he is in fact the most active of the Aesir by far.
* '''Traits:''' Cruel, Murderous, Psychotic, Violent, Contemplative, Poetic.
*'''Individual:''' Thirun's interactions are usually centered around his children, who are in fact not Godborn, but Void Arkenborn instead.
* '''Temple:''' Blodrúna's largest Temple is the Sanguinus Pit in Hvitskag.
*'''Worship House:''' Thirun's largest Temple is Magic-Throne Temple in Eltalande, though the site is mostly in ruin following centuries of war.
* '''Allies:''' Only Vampires. No one else appreciates Blood as they do.
*'''Relations:''' Thirun has never outwardly confirmed membership of the Old Gods Pantheon, but has curiously also always dodged the question.
* '''Enemies:''' There is no such thing as an Enemy to Blodrúna, only Prey.
*'''Other Notes:''' Thirun goes by many names, his re-incarnation is well known among the Old Gods faithful, with his current name being Ott.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained by ending a worthy life, lost by ending a weak one.  
*'''Other Notes:''' Thirun is understood to have immense Magical power, and is often worshiped by those who thirst for more magical power.
* '''Rituals:''' Blodrúna is perhaps the most unambiguously dangerous and psychotic Goddess of any Religion, but it is important to note she never turns on her own faithful. Blodrúna's worship involves prayer before, during, and after battle, all in the hopes to be given a bit of her skill with sharp things in the heat of battle, and pray for her not to turn on the faithful.  
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Thirun is called Thoron, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
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===Finbul, Lord of Midday===
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</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 50%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Elkonur, The Winter Hunter'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Finbul was once a Finullen commander on an Elven slave-ship, who defeated and tricked Eikki into letting him drink the Godnectar.
* '''Name:''' Elkonur, the White Shepherd, the White Guardian, Snowfall.
*'''Themes:''' Faellan represents the mortal achieving godhood, but also that of generals, commanders, politicians, and the threat of Elves.
* '''Domain:''' Elkonur is both Herald of Winter and Demon-Hinter.
*'''Depictions:''' Finbul is always depicted in his command robes from the Allorn Empire era, and still looks relatively normal for an Aesir.
* '''Symbols:''' Antler Horns, White Fur, and any shape of Snow-flake.
*'''Worship:''' Finbul is worshiped by those who wish the god of deceit in battle and divine command to guide their tactics and strategies.
* '''Role:''' Elkonur's sole role is to slay Vola servant Spirits out of Volaheim.  
*'''Manifestation:''' Finbul is not known to manifest, but his military strategies are recorded in the Battle-Songs of Finbul scattered across the world.
* '''Traits:''' Pensive, Wise, Alert, Nomadic, Careful, Precise, Predictable.
*'''Individual:''' Finbul's Battle-Songs are much fought over artifacts that grant superhuman command and general or admiral skills to their wielders.
* '''Temple:''' Elkonur's largest Temple is Storheim Hall in Jorrhildr (Urlan Land).
*'''Worship House:''' Finbul's largest Temple is the Songs of the Sea Academy in Ennehaven, the only Old-Gods military academy where general command is taught.
* '''Allies:''' Urlan, Suvial Elves, Aelrrigan Knights, Reliquary Knights.
*'''Relations:''' Finbul is known to dislike all other Aesir, preferring to have been Vanir, but he was denied this blessing because he drank Godnectar.
* '''Enemies:''' Spirits, Theurgists, Kathar, Argentum Knights, Arkenborn.  
*'''Other Notes:''' Finbul's name is his original name when he lived over 4000 years ago, he had a family, but this family was killed after he became an Old God.
* '''Soldi:''' Gained by banishing (temp killing) Spirits, lost by nothing.  
*'''Other Notes:''' Finbul is sometimes mistaken with Morrlond by Elves, and though they have some sort of connection, they are not the same God.
* '''Rituals:''' Elkonur is the youngest of the Eili, and specifically joined after Svartskra explaining why he hunts errant Spirits from Volaheim while the others are inactive. Worship and rituals of Elkonur involve protecting Fornoss religious figures as well as hunting and ending Spirits, even if they are only banished temporarily.  
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Finbul is called Elvand, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
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===Svol, Lord of Dusk===
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<span style="font-size:150%;><center>'''Odal, Fear of the Dark'''</center></span>
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*'''Identity:''' Svol, also sometimes called the Grim Fox or the Grim Liar, is the Lord of Lies who takes pleasure in the very act of lying itself.
* '''Name:''' Odal, Svol's Shadow Twin, Odalv Father, Spirit Father.
*'''Themes:''' Svol only represents lies and nothing more. How he keeps getting away with lies while anyone could reasonably assume he only lies, is unknown.
* '''Domain:''' Odal's domain is that of Spirits and vengeance for Blasphemy.
*'''Depictions:''' Svol is often depicted as a red-furred fox, usually as a background character or supporting character to Rand, to whom he is seen as a messenger.
* '''Symbols:''' The Long Claw Hand, Odal's Burning Heart, Blue Lightning.
*'''Worship:''' Svol is worshiped only to strengthen one's own lies, or to help one's self be shielded from the lies of others, and to gain divine insight into their dishonesty.
* '''Role:''' Odal hunts those who defile Rand's Temples and Shrines for him.
*'''Manifestation:''' Svol has not been known to manifest in thousands of years, but was supposedly involved with Jord and Gro to communicate Rand's bargain and deceit.
* '''Traits:''' Calculated, Emotionless, Skilled, Imposing, Relgious, Loyal.
*'''Individual:''' Svol is more often depicted in Old Gods art as the ever-present threat of liars and dishonesty, or to imply deeper meaning to specific pieces of art.
* '''Temple:''' Odal's largest Temple is the Blue Hall in Middeskag.  
*'''Worship House:''' Svol does not have any worship houses, worship of him is very individual, and usually just done through the warding-eye talisman that wards off lies.
* '''Allies:''' Spirits, Reliquary Knights, Theurgists with Spirit consent.  
*'''Relations:''' All other Aesir think Svol is a disgusting rodent (fox actually) but Rand is very much endeared to him, and Faellan sees him as a little brother.
* '''Enemies:''' Suvial, Aelrrigan Knights, Those who use Spirits without consent.
*'''Other Notes:''' One might observe that Faellan and Svol are similar, but they are not. Faellan is magical and clever, Svol is just a lying fox.
* '''Svaldi:''' Gained by punishing Blasphemers, lost by showing cowardice/weakness.
*'''Other Notes:''' It is unknown how Svol came to be, but many suspect that he was simply made by Rand because Rand does not much talk to others.  
* '''Rituals:''' Odal was once Eili like his twin, but willingly turned to the Vola because he felt the Eili were weak, and traded power for loyalty to Rand. Odal is very active with mortals like Elkonur is, specifically recruiting his Odalv warriors by infesting them with Spirits to fight for him and defeat those who violate Rand's name and Temples.  
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Svol is called Grimmvir, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
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===Othal, Lord of Midnight===
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*'''Identity:''' Othal is the God-like Marken, cursed by Bard but howling with such hatred and defiance that he scared away the sun from the sky.
*'''Themes:''' Othal's themes are defiance, standing up for one's self, exceeding expectations, survival, and turning a curse into a blessing in disguise.
*'''Depictions:''' Othal appears always like a Marken with midnight blue fur, he is usually depicted in wood carvings as scaring the sun out of the sky.
*'''Worship:''' Othal worship is particularly popular among those of Old Gods who want to use Markenism as a power boon for themselves, or to defy the Vanir.
*'''Manifestation:''' Othal is not known to manifest in Aloria, though there are implications that he once existed, and that he might have been an Archmage.
*'''Individual:''' Othal represents what many Old Gods faithful consider the "evil" variant of Marken, if Halfvel followers can be considered "good" Marken.
*'''Worship House:''' Othal has numerous temples all over the world, but the largest is rumored to be the Winterspike Caverns in Talahm Gall, Gallovia.
*'''Relations:''' Othal is surprisingly well liked by all Aesir, but deeply hated by the Vanir, who it is said he hunts day and night while the sun flees his sight.
*'''Other Notes:''' Othal is notably also a point of interest for Vampires because there is some truth in him causing eclipses, which do not naturally happen in Aloria.
*'''Other Notes:''' Othal's followers in Talahm Gall call themselves his offspring, but whether this is truth of some hidden line of Godborn, is not yet known.
* '''Cellik Variant:''' The Cellik Variant of Othal is called Othulv, while all other aspects of the God are identical to the Velheim Old Gods version.
|}
 
=The Nuance of Aesir=
While Rand is often treated as the devil by the Vanir, and many of the Vanir supporters, morality is not as simple as is implied. When the first Old Gods worshipers appealed to their gods to save them from the constant Nelfin raids and attacks on their fledgling communities, the Vanir were unwilling or incapable of acting to save them. In retrospect, it is likely the case that the Vanir were simply much weaker than the Estellon Gods, which lends credibility to the idea that not all religious gods are born equal. Gro and Jord however, sought out the Aesir who supposed did have the power to save the faithful from the clutches of the Nelfin, and thus struck a bargain, in which the Old Gods faithful would be kept safe and protected from the Allorn prying eyes and slave fleets, while they would also be given a means to grow and prosper, in exchange for certain liberties. The exact details of the bargain are barely understood in the modern day, because Old Gods dogma was never written down and these events occurred thousands of years ago.


Folklore has it that when the deal was accepted, Gro and Jord were immediately expelled, but that the whole of the Old Gods faithful was absorbed into Vaarda, a dimension separate from Aloria in which they lived in extreme undying bliss with never ending supplies of food, medicine, and pleasures. From here, the exact actions of the other Vanir is also quite unclear, though there is some implication that they ended up working with the Aesir, to "make the best out of a bad situation". After all, while the Vanir hated Rand, Bev did make the Vaarda Gates, and supposedly Hagen made the Keystone Artifacts used to open and close the gates. Thus, Old Gods faithful colonization spread across the world like wildfire, because they could travel through Bev's gates in a matter of seconds across vast distances, and had the supplies of Vaarda's orchards and grain fields to support their population boom. At a certain time however, the people realized this was a poisoned fruit, and that there was no way to disagree or criticize Rand or oppose the Aesir, as even though the Vanir had been wary of him, the people saw only his blessings at first but turned on him later. They came to realize, that anyone who offended him, had their souls ripped out, and given to him to own. Furthermore, those who would die without honor would be condemned to the Imellomgård, or the "world in between" the living and the afterlife, where they would equally belong to him.  
==Priestly Activities==
Fornoss does not have a formal priesthood associated with it, because it is a very disorganized religion. What this means, is that each valley, each fjord, each town, and each city, may have slightly altered folklore. Each priest may tell the legends and folktales of the Gods slightly differently, and some places far removed from society may even use different names altogether. The lore presented on the God listing should generally remain consistent, but players are encouraged to embellish details and fill the gaps with their own unique spin, and generally speaking even if it contradicts the views of other Characters, that is just regional variance. While there is no strict hierarchy under a Fornoss version of the Pope, Fornoss does have official religious figures with occupations within wider Fornoss believer societies.
===General Priesthood===
There is no formal priesthood in Fornoss worship, any person can at any point in time proclaim themselves a priest, and some people do so even just for their own sake. Unlike Unionism, Fornoss priests are not concerned with expanding the flock of believers, they just want to live right by the Gods and help other faithful on that journey also. It is very common for priests to also double as other religious occupations like Helvigja or as Knights or even Nobles. Priesthood in Fornoss does not impede on anything, because there are no requirements. However, it is common practice for anyone who does want to become a priest, to at least seek out a mentor to learn the basics of what Priests usually do, or say, in certain situations. it's entirely possible to be a self-taught bog-priest, but in more urbanized settings, mentorship is common. Mentors hold a great importance in the lives of priests, who tend to pick carefully.
===Helbolwen & Hel===
A Helbolwen is not a person but a place, but it bears explaining because the term comes up frequently. A Helbolwen, roughly translated to Hellish Burrow, can best be understood to be a crypt where the Fornoss dead are interred in coffins in the walls, or sometimes when coffins cannot be made simply in holes in the wall as is, the frost keeping them from decaying and slowly mummifying instead. Helbolwen are always built underground or in hills, so that it can expanded by digging further down. Helbolwen always have an entryway which acts both as shrine to Bev, and the actual embalming chamber. The word "Hel", will also come up frequently. While traditionally it has been a derogatory term for Volaheim & Imellomgård, it slowly became a term used to generally describe a place one does not want to be in the afterlife or the afterlife as a whole. Hel is usually used in a negative connotation, and has even permeated in common language due to Velheim-Common interactions in language. Nowadays, the term just refers to everything to do with death.  
===Helvigja===
Helvigja, roughly translating to death-consecrator, is one of the peripheral priestly occupations that specifically is a member of Bev's Mortuary Commune. Helvigja primarily perform the mortuary rites, in embalming, interring or otherwise burying the dead. The embalming process is always accompanied with the Song of the Dead, which is sung throughout the process and the interring process by at least one Helvigja or their protectors. Helvigja work does not end with interring however, in general they keep Helbolwen clean of vermin, other unwanted inhabitants, and in rare cases, are tasked to end the un-life of an Undead who has come back from either improper embalming, or by escaping Imellomgård. Helvigja also linger around Helbolwen to provide mourning help to those bereaved with death of a loved one, either by using Fornoss rituals to summon the visage of the dead, or by singing to the grave together.
===Helharjar===
Helharjar, roughly translated to Death Warrior, often come paired with the Helvigja and linger around Helbolwen particularly when they are at risk of being attacked or destroyed. Fornoss is the only Religion permitted to bury their dead whole, and their Helbolwen are often filled with gifts for the dead, meaning they are ripe for plundering by grave looters. Helharjar protect not only the Helbolwen itself from looting or desecration, but also the Helvigja themselves, so the embalmers are not the first and last line of defense of such a holy place. Helharjar also assist the Helvigja with carrying coffins if need be, and frequently stand guard if a Helbolwen is in an active warzone to prevent collateral damage. Helharjar are very often partners of Helvigja, or end up becoming partners of them, due to their proximity of work and coordination.
===Andlistari===
Andlistari, roughly translated to Spirit Artist, are far more nomadic than the other priestly occupations, and travel the wider world with pencil and paper. Andlistari are scribes by nature who record history and events, but most importantly of all, do they record the names and achievements of the dead. In Fornoss faith, it is believed that a person can die twice, once in the physical sense, and a second time when their name is last spoken out loud by someone. As people die, memories of the dead pass on, and eventually there will be no one left to recite the names of the dead, this is where the Andlistari comes in, recording all names, and reciting the names of the dead to the moon before sleep. The Andlistari also serves a secondary function, in that they can make assessments of Soldi or Svaldi of the dead, and help indicate the bereaved if they should quest to restore honor.
===Sagnaflétta===
Sagnaflétta, rougly translated to Weaver of Stories, are much like Andlistari travelers though it should be said there will be more than enough work for one in Regalia never to travel. Sagnaflétta are scribes just like Andlistari, but focus more on the realm of the Gods than Mortals. Sagnaflétta travel to record oral legends and folklore from the disparate Fornoss faithful across the world, and compile them in a grand book of legends and short rhyming stories. Then, they travel to where the Fornoss faithful live in large numbers, and host gatherings where they read from the book to discuss the lives of the Gods, the inner conflict and interactions they have with one another, and some of the legendary feats the Gods perform. It is highly encouraged to make up legendary actions and interactions of the Gods by players, where that fits within their themes and design.  


Before long, a revolt brewed, which the Vanir made use of, thus leading the Old Gods people away from Vaarda and into the open world, while also using the Keystone Artifacts to close Bev's Gates. The legacy of Rand is thus complicated. The Aesir saved the Old Gods people from being annihilated by the Nelfin slave fleets by hiding them, and also gave them the means to become the most populous of Ailor cultures to spread the furthest across the world. But also, many Old Gods faithful souls were condemned to his Hell (or Hel, the spelling differs from place to place). To this day, the Aesir still own countless souls as their slaves either for offending them, or dying an honor-less cur, thus making them entities worth acknowledging, even for those who are die-hard Vanir supporters and hate the Aesir. Religion is complicated in the Old Gods, because it strictly acknowledges from the Vanir perspective what is their canonical evil, but then also finds way to make worshiping that evil permissible and even ethically correct. The Aesir did save the Old Gods people, as have the Vanir, and the Vanir did betray their allies, as did the Aesir.
==Peripheral Concepts==
=Old Gods stance on Magic=
Peripheral Concepts are important thoughts from Fornoss theology, that didn't necessarily fit anywhere else on this page, but also aren't strictly necessary to know. They cover a wider range of topics which Fornoss believers have a solidified opinion of, or things that Fornoss faithful might get questioned on in Roleplay and may be useful to have answers for.  
The exact views of Old Gods on Magic are complicated. In general, Magic is considered benign, it is like a sword that is only as evil as the person wielding it, and the skill to master Magic is seen as a blessing of the Vanir (who are powerful in Magic). The Old Gods don't consider Magic evil or bad in any particular way, though there is a varied interpretation on whether it is applied by the Vanir or Aesir. In general, Vanir Magic is considered simpler, more muted and less harming, like healing or light Magic that is aimed to support and soothe and heal. Aesir Magic on the other hand is chaotic and violent, more potent, but by nature of their masters far more dangerous. Magic granted by the Vanir is thus seen as weak but beneficial, while Magic granted by the Aesir is considered strong but dangerous. Godnectar is considered the holy grail of Old Gods Mages: A substance that like Eikki, makes them both physically and magically more potent, though only rumors have ever existed about it. Finally, the Old Gods faithful do acknowledge the scientific establishments of Void and Exist, but do not acknowledge the dimensional nature as independence forces. That is to say, they do not believe that Magic can simply come by itself, it is being allowed or helped into the world by the Old Gods, and thus always has the touch of the Vanir or Aesir on it.
===The Arken Matter===
=Priestly Activities=
One as of yet undiscussed matter, is the status of Arken among the Gods. The wider world has a scientific understanding of the Arken as some kind of advanced Spirit from a different Dimension, but to the Fornoss, they are Gods, even to those who do not worship them directly because they are Eilirik. The Fornoss faithful are not so stubborn so as to reject the scientific notion that some of their Gods were Arken long before they were their Gods, but are very resolute in rejecting any rhetoric that would then claim off that fact that they are false Gods. The Vola who are also Arken are very real and divine to those who worship the Vola, they interact and bless the faithful, and empower God Magic beyond the scope of what Void Arken normally could. To the Fornoss faithful, the Vola Arken are real Gods in every sense of the word, and some of them are even more God-like than many of the other weaker Gods of other Religions, specifically because they are so hyper-active and are able to affect the world in more far-reaching and meaningful ways than other Gods ever have.  
* The clergy in general are all considered Sammun, meaning they should acknowledge the godhood of both Vanir and Aesir, though this does not preclude them from having preferences. A priestess may for example strictly state that while she brings offerings to the Vanir and Aesir alike, that the Aesir are there more to be "feared" while the Vanir are there more to be "loved", but they should never outwardly reject or exclude someone for worshiping the Aesir or the Vanir. Priests, and all religious figures indluding the Skaarda and Velsang, are expected to be above the religious differences.
===Vaarda Gates & Keys===
* Those that believe only in the Vanir call themselves Vanirik, they depict the Aesir strictly as evil Fjandi who do not deserve worship, and should be fought against. Those that believe only in the Aesir call themselves Aesirik, they depict the Vanir as weak and undeserving of worship, and should in general be avoided and ignored to wallow in their pitiful existence. It is possible to be Vanirik and still worship Eikki on the side, while rejecting the other Aesir, while it is also possible to be Aesirik and still worship Bard for power while rejecting the other Vanir. Old Gods doctrine in general is complicated and has many shades of gray.
Vaarda Gates are an ongoing concern or delight depending on one's interpretation, to the Fornoss Faithful. What exactly happens when one opens is unclear, and it is even unclear if Rand will allow the portals to open from the other side in Volaheim. There exist Gates on all the major continents where Velheim settlers came to be, from Regalia to Carrhen, to all the landmasses of Southwyn, Nordskag, Middeskag, Hvitskag, the Cains, and even Ellador. All these lands were once connected, but now shut off, with their Keys dispersed into the winds. The Keys are Artifacts of Fornoss power, usually weapons, each Key made for a specific Vaarda Gate. There is currently one known Artifact (belonging to the Nordskag Gate) in circulation in Regalia, called Ándlar, though more could arrive in the future as collector items or loot. It is generally accepted, even among the Volirik, that opening the Vaarda Gates without the necessary protections, preparations, or considerations, is generally an awful idea. Even the Volirik have to acknowledge, that nobody knows what is behind those Gates, and that entering the afterlife as a living person, is generally a bad thing unless given protection by the Vola or Eili Gods.  
* The Valsung, is a religious figure that "sings to the dead". Valsung are mortuary individuals who both carry the dead to the Helbolwen (an Old Gods crypt), embalm the dead with the song of the dead, and inter their bodies in these crypts. Helbolwen also administer rites to the dead, put them down if they turn into wicked Undead, and perform rites and song rituals for the mourning family members and friends of the dead when they come to visit.
===The Magic Burden===
* The Skaarda, is a religious figure that "shields the dead". Skaarda are protectors of the Helbolwen and the Valsung. While Valsung should be able to protect the Helbolwen from inside, Skaarda protect it from the outside. Skaarda are the unofficial answer of the Old Gods people to Viridian Knights, a mirror reflection of them, an order of faith bound warriors who protect the Old Gods religion from outsiders and defilement.
Magic is a very sensitive subject in Fornoss faith, because they have a long history with all the benefits and damages of it. Fornoss followers generally do not buy into the scholarly theories of the dimensions (Void/Exist/Ordial/Primal). While they don't refute those alignments as being real, to them, Exist and Ordial do not matter because they do not interact with their Gods in any way. In fact, more often than not, are Exist and Ordial aligned things enemies of the Gods, because they transgress or desecrate their domains. It is not so that every Exist and Ordial thing must always be attacked on sight however, Fornoss followers are more than capable of adopting apathy. Magic among Fornoss followers is understood between Seidr (non-Magical/Dragon Magic Divination), Galdr (God-Magic), Rúnar (God Magic Runic Power) and Nid (Void Magic). There is a technical fifth category called Trolldom, which is a term usually only used by fringe Fornoss followers like Hjordi or Ellador Velheim, which is the same as Nid (Void Magic), but is always evil and used to harm while Nid is not necessarily evil. Seidr, Galdr, and Rúnar are pretty simple to understand and generally unproblematic, Nid however causes some controversy. Fornoss followers acknowledge Void Magic (Nid) as potentially being a gift of Thirun, but that it can both be a blessing and a curse. They acknowledge the effects of Nid on the world as harmful, but that this power can also lend to great strength and achievements. Purism (hating all forms of Magic) does exist in the Fornoss faith, but aims at the idea that Nid is always too risky, and should be controlled/restrained/prevented from being used by caretakers of those cursed with Magic. There are parallels in Unionism, in that the Fornoss Faith identifies Void Magic as a heavy burden, of great power if used to gain Soldi/Svaldi, and of a great terror to the people if used to be careless and flippant and weak-minded. As with any perception of the Pantheons, this is entirely up to the personal beliefs of the faithful, some will condemn Nid as unambiguously evil, some will be frightful of it, while some will welcome it. Exist Magic does exist among Fornoss faithful, but when this occurs, the faithful just believe it was some sort of taint or touching from outside the faith. If someone has Ordial powers, they should generally be put out of their misery however. There are very few situations in which Ordial power is acceptable.  
* The Laarna, is a religious figure that "tells the names". Laarna travel the lands to record stories of those who have passed away, with particular care given to recording their name, as the Old Gods faithful believe that the time when someone truly dies, is when their name is whispered or spoken for the last time, and then all memories of them pass into non-existence. Laarna try to preserve their names in recitations at Temples.
* The Synna, is a religious figure that "speaks with gods". Synna is not strictly a job, but can be an addition to either Laarna, Skaarda, or Valsung. Synna is best described as a religious promise to uphold the belief, and share the belief with those who want to hear it, and to provide worship services to a listening audience. To be a Synna can thus best be described as being an unordained priest, but since Old Gods does not have a hierarchical clergy, nobody has to acknowledge a Synna if they do not like what they are preaching.  
* Communal worship of Old Gods can occur through so called Messe, an Old Gods version of communal worship among Unionists, where faithful come together to listen to a myth or legend retelling of the Old Gods by a Synna. Because the Old Gods religion has so many local variants and versions of the Gods, you as a roleplayer can reasonably just make up some legendary tale about Bard fighting some entity, or Hagen and Tove defeating some intelligent being at its own game by debating it, and it will all be lore canon, because these stories simply follow the general themes of the Gods, and aren't strictly found in fact. That is in fact the whole point, not to tell a factual story, but to remind the faithful what these gods stood for, and to encourage their inspiration and creativity.  
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
* Rand depictions are actually not based on what people know he looks like, but what people think he looks like. Rand is claimed to have never left Volaheim, and there are no memories of direct interaction with him. The only thing that is known to be fully accurate however, are his size, his hairiness, and the transition scars on his chest.
* Thirun is often mistaken for his twin brother, the Fury Arken. This sometimes leads to accidental worship or mistaking the actual Thirun for the Fury Arken. The Fury Arken is referred to as "Reitt" in Fornoss terminology, loosely translating to the angry one. Some think he will eventually become a Vola God.
* Blodrúna is the only God of either pantheon who was once a standalone Goddess of her own religion. Unfortunately, she killed her entire following, and only realized her error afterwards. She vows to do better as Goddess of the Fornoss faithful, hopefully.
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[[category:Religion]] [[category:Human Religions]]
[[category:Religion]]

Revision as of 12:48, 17 September 2023

Fornoss
Religion
PronunciationFor-noss (like Nosferatu) (clear pause between the two).
OriginsPresumed roughly 15,000 years ago.
Deities
Two distinct Pantheons of 7 Gods each.

Fornoss is one of the earliest Religions of the Ailor Race, that survived thousands of years of conversion by other Religions as well as attempts to be eradicated by various nations, as one of the few surviving so called Pagan Faiths. Unlike the other (mostly) dead Pagan Faiths, Fornoss has a large following, particularly among Velheim and Gallovian Ailor, though a large number of Urlan, Dwarves, and some Ashhaven Eronidas also follow it, meaning it is not limited in scope to just Ailor. Fornoss is sometimes also called the Old Gods Religion, but this is not a historically correct term. The Gods are not old from a pure chronological perspective, and it is certainly not the oldest Religion in Aloria. This term was mostly popularized by the Ailor, who when reviewing only their own history, can see Fornoss as the oldest Religion, but when taking the totality of the world's history, Fornoss is a more accurate term, which roughly translates to "Ancient us", an homage to its survival through the ages.

Origins

The birthing of the Gods and the founding of the Religion are two distinct periods. The birthing of the Gods is a mysterious period perhaps thousands of years before the first followers professed their belief in the Gods, as it is said that the Gods wandered for many ages before finding the people that would recognize their worth. It is said that the Eili Gods were born at the foot of the tree Arne surrounded by Dragons, though it is unclear if these refer to the Draconism Dragon Gods, or just the folktale version of Dragons which may also have been Skywyrms. There is also some theological debate about whether Arne is actually the Draconist Goddess Daiana, because no Tree of Life has ever been found elsewhere, but most Fornoss believers hold onto the version that states Arne is not a Dragon. The Fornoss Religion is roughly 15,000 years old, though this has an error margin of about 3,000 years, because the proto-Velheim people who were the first Fornoss followers did not have a form of writing at the time. The Religion was founded on a series of islands and part of the mainland of Oldt Tera (Ceardia), where the locals embraced a form of polytheism while most other Ceardian tribes were monotheistic. The Eili offered the faithful escape from the endless bloodshed and misery and slavery under the Elves that terrorized the Oldt Tera shores, fleeing the mainland, and retreating to some island called Aldra, which cannot be found on any modern map. On Aldra however, the Fornoss believers still were not safe, so the Eili contacted the Vola, and created The Pact, which joined both Pantheons to the Fornoss believers as two distinct unions, and the Fornoss people were finally given safety in Volaheim's embrace through the Vaarda Gates. For thousands of years, the Fornoss followers spread across the world through the Vaarda Gates, until Svartskra.

Core Beliefs

The Fornoss Gods are divided between two distinct Pantheons, the Eili who are generally considered mindful and virtuous but restrained, and the Vola who are generally considered opportunistic and selfish but powerful. The two Pantheons represent the two halves of any person's soul, filled with desire to do good by others, and desire to do good by one's self. It is important to stress here that there is no ontological morality that can be assigned to either Pantheon. While some Eili create the impression of being purely benign, they are in ways just as flawed as mortals and have desires and wants and needs that can cause them to commit great misdeeds, such as the time when Bard cut off Svol's arms because Svol refused to participate in Bard's punishment of the faithful for small misdeeds. Similarly, Hrymrøk foments chaos and anarchy wherever and whoever she touches, however even when cities crumble and burn, does the destruction give way to the liberation of the enslaved Fornoss followers that lived in the undercities. While generally speaking all Gods have good intentions for their followers, they are all equally capable of cruelty, misguidedness, deceitful or selfish actions to preserve their worship, which speaks to their vanity. However, because Soldi inherently represents helping others, and Svaldi represents using others, the faithful still draw lines in the sand and dictate morality on each other based on their personal beliefs, even if there is no theological reason to reinforce it. There are some people who worship only the Eili called Eilirik, and some people who only worship the Voli called Volirik, while a person who worships both is called a Hvarkirik. These three groups tend to conflict with one another for religious reasons, but usually unite when facing an external threat, like they did during the Skagger Wars against Regalians. Fornoss does not have a strict list of Virtues and Vices, rather, source the list of Soldi and Svaldi enriching activities from the Gods and Goddesses section.

Soldi & Svaldi

Soldi and Svaldi are two very important terms that accompany the Fornoss believers throughout all their lives. In the simplest of terms, Soldi is honor derived from virtue, while Svaldi is honor derived from opportunism. Soldi and Svaldi can be seen as resources that souls accrue in life as they grow older, and the goal of any Fornoss believer generally is to acquire high Soldi or Svaldi and be permitted into the afterlives of the Eili and Vola. Some might even consider trying to acquire both, a difficult balancing act, but if successful, might result in the very Gods themselves playing games of skill and wit to secure the soul for their own afterlives. This can sometimes result in a so-called Hvitdraugr, who is Undead Draugr until such a time comes that the Gods have finished their conflict over the person's soul (if they stay alive for that long in an Undead unfriendly world). Finally, it is also possible to lose Soldi or Svaldi from actions that go against the tenets of the Gods. It is in fact possible to lose all Soldi or Svaldi all at once, but this is usually not a complete disaster. Either honor can be restored, and can in fact be restored by another person. It is not uncommon for a father to lose all Soldi, resulting in their son beginning a quest to restore Soldi in his name. When offering his achievements up to the Gods, he offers them in his father's name, resulting in the Gods restoring the Soldi of his father. It is even possible to do this for people who have already died and passed into Imellomgård (purgatory), or who have come back from Imellomgård as Draugr Undead. In such a case, the living must restore their Soldi or Svaldi, after which they are released and restored to the proper afterlife, and in rare cases, to life either as a living person or a Revenant Spirit.

Eiliheim & Volaheim

Unlike all other Religions, Old Gods has two afterlives, the Eiliheim which is the paradise of the Eili Pantheon, and the Volaheim which is the paradise of the Vola Pantheon. There exists also a realm in between, but this is not really classified as a paradise and more like a purgatory called Imellomgård, which literally translates to the land in between. While Eiliheim and Volaheim are described as places filled with the luxuries of life and pleasures of mortal life made immortal, Imellomgård is a land devoid of color, song, happiness and purpose, where souls who are refused entry into the other afterlives are forced to wander for all eternity. To enter Eiliheim, a person must have high Soldi, and to enter Volaheim, a person must have high Svaldi. If a person has neither in adequate quantity, or offended both Pantheons by having negative Soldi or Svaldi, they are condemned to Imellomgård to wander the mirror-wastes for all eternity. Though, Undead sometimes come back from Imellomgård in the form of Draugr Undead, if their bodies were not properly interred in the Helbolwen burial sites.

Svartskra

The Svartskra identifies a pivotal point in Fornoss history that despite its massive importance to all Fornoss believers, is mostly shrouded in mystery either by the Eili forcing the faithful to forget, or the people willingly abandoning any reference to this period to avoid the stray faithful from looking too deep into the matter and opening old wounds. As part of the Fornoss origins, the so-called Vaarda Gates, exist all over the world visited by Fornoss followers, helping their early colonizing boom. It is said by the Eili that these Gates were built by Bev, and passed through Volaheim to fold time and space together, allowing instant transportation across vast distances. At some point, the relationship between the Fornoss believers and the Eili, as opposed to the Vola and their Spirits, turned sour. It is said by the Eili that Rand (who they call the Great Betrayer) tricked them and condemned the Fornoss followers to some kind of horrible fate, thus causing their rebellion against the Pact that was meant to save the early Velheim people from Elven enslavement. From this point it is unclear if the Fornoss believers were expelled or fled from the Volaheim Gates. Whatever the circumstances, the Gates were closed shut after everyone was out with Bev's Keys (Artifact Weapons), which were then scattered across the world. The Vola maintain that the Eili fomented a false rebellion and that the followers defaced the Vola in their own home, though whichever version is closer to the truth, is hard to say as both sides have motive to lie. The last side effect of Svartskra (the day the Gates shut), was that the two Eili who had brokered the deals with the Vola the Flesh God Gro and the Metal God Jord were banished by the Eili and stripped from the Pantheon. Similarly, the Vola banished the two Gods responsible for working out the deal with the Eili being the Revenge God Asbjørn and the Greed God Frynni, who were also stripped from the Pantheon. Since this day, the Eili and Vola have been immortal enemies. As a consequence of this animosity, both sides agreed to refrain from interfering with the faithful too much, so as to prevent all out holy war within the Religion. This explains why the Fornoss Gods have been exceptionally silent during major tragedies that struck for example the Velheim people in the past 300 years, however in recent years, this policy has shown signs of cracking, with some raising concerns that if the Gods get too involved, that they will start fighting each other.

Gods and Goddesses

The Fornoss Gods are divided over two Pantheons, Eili and Vola. The Gods are always presented as Eili on the Left, Vola on the Right (if their opportunistic theming didn't give it away), though as some Gods are ambiguous as they were once Eili and became Vola, the left-right distinction has to be mentioned. Titular naming for the Gods (for example, Herald the Dark Celestial) is not necessary, it just provides a more poetic way of referring to them without using their name directly. Because both Pantheons expelled two Gods each, and because the Pantheons didn't become established all at once and some Gods joined much later, it is still possible for this Pantheon to grow. While Fornoss faithful can choose Patron Gods that they feel strong connections to, unlike other Religions, a Fornoss Follower must always worship whole Pantheons, either only Eili or Vola Pantheons, or both.

Bev, Doorway of the Moon
caption
caption
  • Name: Bev, the Lord of Water, the Dead Ferryman or the All-Seeing Mirror.
  • Domain: Bev's domain is the mortuary cult, the death rites, and mortal aging.
  • Symbols: Mirrors, The Mortuary Cloth, rich and deep colors of Blue and Black.
  • Role: Bev measures the Soldi of the Dead, and guards the Gate to the Afterlife.
  • Traits: Cryptic, Silent, Reserved, Slow-Acting, Careful, Observant, Learned.
  • Temple: Bev's largest Temple is the Dead-Door Mortuary in Irvainvik, Drixagh.
  • Allies: Ammuloa followers, priests of other societies, especially Unionist.
  • Enemies: Anything Ordial Aligned, especially Undead, and more so Draugr Undead.
  • Soldi: Gained from tending/respecting to the dead, lost from disrespecting the dead.
  • Rituals: Bev rituals involve the tending of Helbolwen graves, refreshing flowers and offerings, and lighting candles by the Bev statue which can always be found in a Helbolwen. Bev is also worshiped through the singing chalice, large chalices filled with water and played somber and harrowing tunes with by gliding fingers over the rims.
Rand, Herald the Dark Celestial
caption
caption
  • Name: Rand, called Great Betrayer by Eilirik, or Power Arken by non-believers.
  • Domain: Rand is the lord of Volaheim itself, said to never leave his realm.
  • Symbols: Rand's symbol is the red Evil Eye, bear claw scars, and bears.
  • Role: Rand acts like a King of the Vola, and commander of the Volaheimr.
  • Traits: Power-hungry, Domineering, Authoritarian, Strong-willed, Capable.
  • Temple: Rand has no temple, Volaheim itself is one big temple to his glory.
  • Allies: Rand's only allies are the Void Arken, he has no need for others.
  • Enemies: Rand has no explicit enemies, except for the Exist Arken, notably Justice.
  • Svaldi: Gained from establishing power and control, losing from banishment.
  • Rituals: The Feast of authority involving guests choosing their preferred leader among the gathered, with the winner gaining Svaldi. The Binding of Power is respected even by the Eilirik, a ritual in which two persons agree to a binding pact in blood, that if either fails or breaks, they lose all Soldi or Svaldi when vowed to their preferred Gods.
Leif, Warmth of the Fire
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  • Name: Leif, the Lord of Fire, Warmth of the Rising Sun.
  • Domain: Leif is the God of Love and Affection, and of Passion and Care.
  • Symbols: Leif is represented by Fire and the blazing Golden Sun.
  • Role: Leif is set to bring warmth and sunlight to the world and to hearts.
  • Traits: Compassionate, Loving, Parental, Passionate, Driven, Energetic.
  • Temple: Leif's largest Temple is the Sun-Sky House in Kongehjem, Nordskag.
  • Allies: Theomar Followers, Regulus Followers, and kindhearted Bloodcast Knights.
  • Enemies: Followers of any Moon-themed Gods, Armas/Amandaros followers.
  • Soldi: Gained from loyalty to Lovers/Family and Kindness, lost from Treason.
  • Rituals: Many of Leif's rituals involve offering things like fruits or hunted animal carcasses to the flame, believers saying that the flames offer them up to Leif until nothing but ash remains, absorbing the life and using it to pull the Sun through the sky each day. Other rituals involve the sharing of passion with other believers in his Temples.
Thirun, Fates of the Dark Sun
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  • Name: Thirun, called Pride Arken or Ott by non-Believers.
  • Domain: Thirun is the God of Magic and of Pride and Vanity.
  • Symbols: Thirun is represented by the Dark Sun surrounded by Light and Hounds.
  • Role: Thirun is the source of all Fornoss God Magic but also the Magic Burden.
  • Traits: Prideful, Vain, Sardonic, Sarcastic, Greedy, Scornful, Ego-driven.
  • Temple: Thirun's largest Temple was destroyed by Regalia in the Elven War.
  • Allies: Pride/Fury Arkenborn, Evolism followers, Vampire hunters.
  • Enemies: Vampires, Justice Arkenborn & Followers, Publicly Weak Persons.
  • Svaldi: Gained through great achievements, lost by losing Duels.
  • Rituals: The Prideful Parade is one custom that involves demanding others show to a public roasting session where the aim is to praise the person who demanded they show, and roast the opponents who invited others. Another is the Prideful Feast, where each produces Food which instills pride in their cooking, and they compete over the best dish with others.
Njal, Keeper of the Light
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  • Name: This far Max This far Max This far Max This far Max This far Max This far Max
  • Domain: Njal's domain is that of light, and the sky, as well as all of the arts.
  • Symbols: Njal is represented by clouds and bright pastel colors and light prisms.
  • Role: Njal is the diplomat and artist of the gods, providing entertainment in Eiliheim.
  • Traits: Artistic, Snarky, Whimsical, Creative, Sloth, Childish, Caring.
  • Temple: Njal's largest temple was destroyed when Ceardia became forsaken.
  • Allies: Artists, Musicians, and Creatives of any kind, and Queer people.
  • Enemies: Njal's only true enemies are those who abstain from a good stiff drink.
  • Soldi: Gained by creative expression and bringing joy, lost by destroying art.
  • Rituals: Njal is Bard's husband, and because of this, many of his rituals involve Bard in some way. Skysteel Forging is the act of letting an artist inspire a forger to produce a work of art and tough steel at the same time. Other rituals involve poetry duels, and Annointment of the Artist, where Artists use body paint on a strong Man dressed as Bard for Art.
Svol, The Punished Shadow
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  • Name: Svol, Bard's Bane, the Dark Lightning Lord.
  • Domain: Svol's domain is thunderstorms, but more metaphorically of lies and deceit.
  • Symbols: Shadows, Lightning, Missing or fully Tattoo'd arms, the colors black and yellow.
  • Role: Svol was once a Eili, until punished by Bard, changed teams to plot for Rand.
  • Traits: Analytical, Mindful, Deceitful, Witty, Suave, Charming, Good-Tempered.
  • Temple: Svol's Temple is the Copper Tower now within Life Isldar land in Ellador.
  • Allies: Trickster god followers and politicians, Inth & Nox followers.
  • Enemies: Justice Arken(born), Guards, Knights, Justicars, Knights.
  • Svaldi: Gained in subterfuge plots, or beaten Knights, lost by being deceived/losing.
  • Rituals: Svol's rituals are deceptively easily hidden as party games, especially those that involve lying. A common one is Svol's Gauntlet, where everyone produces 2 truths and a lie, and gains points each time a person in the gathering cannot guess which one is the lie, or guesses wrong. Another is punishing tyrannical/corrupt law enforcement with violence.
Dáuw, Bringer of Order
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  • Name: Dáuw, The Under-King, the Dwarf-Lord, the Last Stalwart.
  • Domain: Dáuw is God-King of the Dwarves, and the Lord of all Soil and Order.
  • Symbols: Dáuw is represented by the Dwarven Runes and shapes of Mountains.
  • Role: Dáuw's role is to bring order to mortal society through stable structure.
  • Traits: Resolute, Stalwart, Defiant, Stubborn, All-Knowing, Contemplative.
  • Temple: Dáuw's largest Temple is the Great Chamber in Rammuur, Ellador.
  • Allies: Historians, Legislators, Juvin followers, Justiciars, Knights.
  • Enemies: Anarchists, Evolism followers, Jacobins, Drakkar, Populists, the Military
  • Soldi: Gained by showing Solidarity, lost by letting society slip to anarchy.
  • Rituals: Dáuw have changed over the years, changing from justice and order-reinforcing rituals, to rituals more centered around Dwarven culture, as a byproduct of the catastrophic population decline of the Dwarves. Any festival or event that celebrates, highlights, or discusses and educates on Dwarven Culture is a form of worship to Dáuw.
Hrymrök, The Charnel Chaos
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  • Name: Hrymrök, Sirannal Týmal (in Elven), or the Anarchy Arken to non-believers.
  • Domain: Hrymrök is the chained guilt of the Elves towards the Fornoss believers.
  • Symbols: Broken chains, cracked shields, and broken statues mended with gold.
  • Role: Hrymrök was imprisoned by Rand to repent for Elven slavery by freeing them.
  • Traits: Wroth, Vile, Ill-Mannered, Haughty, Snobby, Loathsome, Indignant.
  • Temple: Hrymrök's Temple is the Haunting Mask Cliff in Maartasil.
  • Allies: Slave-Abolitionists, Allorn-Haters, Estelley Faithful (except Cemaan).
  • Enemies: Cemaan followers, Unionism followers, Archon, Draconism followers.
  • Svaldi: Gained by freeing Thralls & Mind-slaves, lost by being enthralled.
  • Rituals: Hrymrök is a bit of an oddity even for a Vola, because she doesn't really want to be a Goddess. Still, worship to her is more a form of satisfaction appeasement, as if the faithful are responsible for keeping her happy while she does her work freeing Fornoss slaves and oppressed from Elven control by food/wealth offerings to her Magenta Flames.
Halfvel, Father of Godly Blood
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  • Name: Halfvel, the Wolf-Father, The God-Mark Bearer, The Ice-Wolf.
  • Domain: Halfvel is the lord of Demigods, the tamer of Marken & other Beasts.
  • Symbols: Halfvel is represented by the Cloth of Dominion & Wolves.
  • Role: Halfvel's role is to purposefully produce offspring among Mortals.
  • Traits: Guiding, Remorseful, Helping, Altruistic, Melancholic, Loyal.
  • Temple: Halfvel's largest Temple is the Wolf Rest in the Cains.
  • Allies: (self-controlling) Marken, other Godborn, and Asha & Urlan.
  • Enemies: Those who hunt Transformed Persons, The Afflicted, Undead.
  • Soldi: Gained by protecting the environment, lost by killing Transformed Persons.
  • Rituals: Halfvel's rituals often involve the seeking out of Halfvel's Godborn children, and aiding them in their quest for Demigod status among Fornoss followers, or correcting their path if they have been led astray. Other forms of Worship involve helping those who Transform deal with their curse, or protecting them from persecution.
Eikki, Drinker of the Blood Taint
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  • Name: Eikki, the Arne-Drunk, The Revel-God among other Party epithets.
  • Domain: Eikki is the God of Feasting and Festivities and Joy, even as Vola.
  • Symbols: Eikki's Symbol is the Beer Keg and the masks of joy and pleasure.
  • Role: Eikki guards (and drinks) Arne's Blood brew that has immense power.
  • Traits: Joyous, Gregarious, Wild, Festive, Good-Natured, Drunkard.
  • Temple: Eikki's largest Temple was thrashed by him after a legendary binge.
  • Allies: Eikki is everyone's friend and tries to give everyone a chance.
  • Enemies: Eikki has no enemies, as any enemy becomes a friend with one drink.
  • Svaldi: Gained with wild parties and getting stuff people drunk, never lost.
  • Rituals: As Eikki was once Eili but condemned to become Vola when he transgressed by drinking Vola's Blood, his rituals and worship is relatively benign when compared to the other Vola, despite the implication that he is changing into something else. Worship of him invariably just involves getting black-out drunk, and having great parties.
Bard, Bear-Lord of Protection
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  • Name: Bard, the Steel-Father, Axe of Judgement, the Law-Bringer.
  • Domain: Bard is the God of Justice and Steel, of all Crafts and Law.
  • Symbols: Bard is represented by the Lynx, and the steel anvil.
  • Role: Bard is Retribution, manifesting to honor-less mortals for judgement.
  • Traits: Judgemental, Merciless, Headstrong, Iron-willed, Unsympathetic.
  • Temple: Bard's largest Temple is the Lynx-Claw Great Hall in Ruttswyn.
  • Allies: Justice Arken(born), Knights & Guards, Bodyguards & Hor followers.
  • Enemies: Evolism followers, those that deface Art, Death Cultists.
  • Soldi: Gained by being Just/Brave, lost by letting injustice prevail.
  • Rituals: Bard being Njal's husband often has his rituals tied to him (see Njal's section). Specific worship of Bard often emulates his legendary rage being soothed by Njal's soft touch, mimicked for example by taming wild animals and breaking in wild horses. Other forms of worship involve solitary wood carving or general crafting like forging or carpentry.
Blodrúna, The Crimson Carnage
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  • Name: Blodrúna, The Blade-Queen, Red Terror to non-Believers.
  • Domain: Blodrúna is the Goddess of War, Carnage, Murder, and Victory.
  • Symbols: Blodrúna's symbols are the Bloodied Blade, and the Blood Crown.
  • Role: Blodrúna is a savage killer-God who teaches Carnage on the battlefield.
  • Traits: Cruel, Murderous, Psychotic, Violent, Contemplative, Poetic.
  • Temple: Blodrúna's largest Temple is the Sanguinus Pit in Hvitskag.
  • Allies: Only Vampires. No one else appreciates Blood as they do.
  • Enemies: There is no such thing as an Enemy to Blodrúna, only Prey.
  • Svaldi: Gained by ending a worthy life, lost by ending a weak one.
  • Rituals: Blodrúna is perhaps the most unambiguously dangerous and psychotic Goddess of any Religion, but it is important to note she never turns on her own faithful. Blodrúna's worship involves prayer before, during, and after battle, all in the hopes to be given a bit of her skill with sharp things in the heat of battle, and pray for her not to turn on the faithful.
Elkonur, The Winter Hunter
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  • Name: Elkonur, the White Shepherd, the White Guardian, Snowfall.
  • Domain: Elkonur is both Herald of Winter and Demon-Hinter.
  • Symbols: Antler Horns, White Fur, and any shape of Snow-flake.
  • Role: Elkonur's sole role is to slay Vola servant Spirits out of Volaheim.
  • Traits: Pensive, Wise, Alert, Nomadic, Careful, Precise, Predictable.
  • Temple: Elkonur's largest Temple is Storheim Hall in Jorrhildr (Urlan Land).
  • Allies: Urlan, Suvial Elves, Aelrrigan Knights, Reliquary Knights.
  • Enemies: Spirits, Theurgists, Kathar, Argentum Knights, Arkenborn.
  • Soldi: Gained by banishing (temp killing) Spirits, lost by nothing.
  • Rituals: Elkonur is the youngest of the Eili, and specifically joined after Svartskra explaining why he hunts errant Spirits from Volaheim while the others are inactive. Worship and rituals of Elkonur involve protecting Fornoss religious figures as well as hunting and ending Spirits, even if they are only banished temporarily.
Odal, Fear of the Dark
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  • Name: Odal, Svol's Shadow Twin, Odalv Father, Spirit Father.
  • Domain: Odal's domain is that of Spirits and vengeance for Blasphemy.
  • Symbols: The Long Claw Hand, Odal's Burning Heart, Blue Lightning.
  • Role: Odal hunts those who defile Rand's Temples and Shrines for him.
  • Traits: Calculated, Emotionless, Skilled, Imposing, Relgious, Loyal.
  • Temple: Odal's largest Temple is the Blue Hall in Middeskag.
  • Allies: Spirits, Reliquary Knights, Theurgists with Spirit consent.
  • Enemies: Suvial, Aelrrigan Knights, Those who use Spirits without consent.
  • Svaldi: Gained by punishing Blasphemers, lost by showing cowardice/weakness.
  • Rituals: Odal was once Eili like his twin, but willingly turned to the Vola because he felt the Eili were weak, and traded power for loyalty to Rand. Odal is very active with mortals like Elkonur is, specifically recruiting his Odalv warriors by infesting them with Spirits to fight for him and defeat those who violate Rand's name and Temples.

Priestly Activities

Fornoss does not have a formal priesthood associated with it, because it is a very disorganized religion. What this means, is that each valley, each fjord, each town, and each city, may have slightly altered folklore. Each priest may tell the legends and folktales of the Gods slightly differently, and some places far removed from society may even use different names altogether. The lore presented on the God listing should generally remain consistent, but players are encouraged to embellish details and fill the gaps with their own unique spin, and generally speaking even if it contradicts the views of other Characters, that is just regional variance. While there is no strict hierarchy under a Fornoss version of the Pope, Fornoss does have official religious figures with occupations within wider Fornoss believer societies.

General Priesthood

There is no formal priesthood in Fornoss worship, any person can at any point in time proclaim themselves a priest, and some people do so even just for their own sake. Unlike Unionism, Fornoss priests are not concerned with expanding the flock of believers, they just want to live right by the Gods and help other faithful on that journey also. It is very common for priests to also double as other religious occupations like Helvigja or as Knights or even Nobles. Priesthood in Fornoss does not impede on anything, because there are no requirements. However, it is common practice for anyone who does want to become a priest, to at least seek out a mentor to learn the basics of what Priests usually do, or say, in certain situations. it's entirely possible to be a self-taught bog-priest, but in more urbanized settings, mentorship is common. Mentors hold a great importance in the lives of priests, who tend to pick carefully.

Helbolwen & Hel

A Helbolwen is not a person but a place, but it bears explaining because the term comes up frequently. A Helbolwen, roughly translated to Hellish Burrow, can best be understood to be a crypt where the Fornoss dead are interred in coffins in the walls, or sometimes when coffins cannot be made simply in holes in the wall as is, the frost keeping them from decaying and slowly mummifying instead. Helbolwen are always built underground or in hills, so that it can expanded by digging further down. Helbolwen always have an entryway which acts both as shrine to Bev, and the actual embalming chamber. The word "Hel", will also come up frequently. While traditionally it has been a derogatory term for Volaheim & Imellomgård, it slowly became a term used to generally describe a place one does not want to be in the afterlife or the afterlife as a whole. Hel is usually used in a negative connotation, and has even permeated in common language due to Velheim-Common interactions in language. Nowadays, the term just refers to everything to do with death.

Helvigja

Helvigja, roughly translating to death-consecrator, is one of the peripheral priestly occupations that specifically is a member of Bev's Mortuary Commune. Helvigja primarily perform the mortuary rites, in embalming, interring or otherwise burying the dead. The embalming process is always accompanied with the Song of the Dead, which is sung throughout the process and the interring process by at least one Helvigja or their protectors. Helvigja work does not end with interring however, in general they keep Helbolwen clean of vermin, other unwanted inhabitants, and in rare cases, are tasked to end the un-life of an Undead who has come back from either improper embalming, or by escaping Imellomgård. Helvigja also linger around Helbolwen to provide mourning help to those bereaved with death of a loved one, either by using Fornoss rituals to summon the visage of the dead, or by singing to the grave together.

Helharjar

Helharjar, roughly translated to Death Warrior, often come paired with the Helvigja and linger around Helbolwen particularly when they are at risk of being attacked or destroyed. Fornoss is the only Religion permitted to bury their dead whole, and their Helbolwen are often filled with gifts for the dead, meaning they are ripe for plundering by grave looters. Helharjar protect not only the Helbolwen itself from looting or desecration, but also the Helvigja themselves, so the embalmers are not the first and last line of defense of such a holy place. Helharjar also assist the Helvigja with carrying coffins if need be, and frequently stand guard if a Helbolwen is in an active warzone to prevent collateral damage. Helharjar are very often partners of Helvigja, or end up becoming partners of them, due to their proximity of work and coordination.

Andlistari

Andlistari, roughly translated to Spirit Artist, are far more nomadic than the other priestly occupations, and travel the wider world with pencil and paper. Andlistari are scribes by nature who record history and events, but most importantly of all, do they record the names and achievements of the dead. In Fornoss faith, it is believed that a person can die twice, once in the physical sense, and a second time when their name is last spoken out loud by someone. As people die, memories of the dead pass on, and eventually there will be no one left to recite the names of the dead, this is where the Andlistari comes in, recording all names, and reciting the names of the dead to the moon before sleep. The Andlistari also serves a secondary function, in that they can make assessments of Soldi or Svaldi of the dead, and help indicate the bereaved if they should quest to restore honor.

Sagnaflétta

Sagnaflétta, rougly translated to Weaver of Stories, are much like Andlistari travelers though it should be said there will be more than enough work for one in Regalia never to travel. Sagnaflétta are scribes just like Andlistari, but focus more on the realm of the Gods than Mortals. Sagnaflétta travel to record oral legends and folklore from the disparate Fornoss faithful across the world, and compile them in a grand book of legends and short rhyming stories. Then, they travel to where the Fornoss faithful live in large numbers, and host gatherings where they read from the book to discuss the lives of the Gods, the inner conflict and interactions they have with one another, and some of the legendary feats the Gods perform. It is highly encouraged to make up legendary actions and interactions of the Gods by players, where that fits within their themes and design.

Peripheral Concepts

Peripheral Concepts are important thoughts from Fornoss theology, that didn't necessarily fit anywhere else on this page, but also aren't strictly necessary to know. They cover a wider range of topics which Fornoss believers have a solidified opinion of, or things that Fornoss faithful might get questioned on in Roleplay and may be useful to have answers for.

The Arken Matter

One as of yet undiscussed matter, is the status of Arken among the Gods. The wider world has a scientific understanding of the Arken as some kind of advanced Spirit from a different Dimension, but to the Fornoss, they are Gods, even to those who do not worship them directly because they are Eilirik. The Fornoss faithful are not so stubborn so as to reject the scientific notion that some of their Gods were Arken long before they were their Gods, but are very resolute in rejecting any rhetoric that would then claim off that fact that they are false Gods. The Vola who are also Arken are very real and divine to those who worship the Vola, they interact and bless the faithful, and empower God Magic beyond the scope of what Void Arken normally could. To the Fornoss faithful, the Vola Arken are real Gods in every sense of the word, and some of them are even more God-like than many of the other weaker Gods of other Religions, specifically because they are so hyper-active and are able to affect the world in more far-reaching and meaningful ways than other Gods ever have.

Vaarda Gates & Keys

Vaarda Gates are an ongoing concern or delight depending on one's interpretation, to the Fornoss Faithful. What exactly happens when one opens is unclear, and it is even unclear if Rand will allow the portals to open from the other side in Volaheim. There exist Gates on all the major continents where Velheim settlers came to be, from Regalia to Carrhen, to all the landmasses of Southwyn, Nordskag, Middeskag, Hvitskag, the Cains, and even Ellador. All these lands were once connected, but now shut off, with their Keys dispersed into the winds. The Keys are Artifacts of Fornoss power, usually weapons, each Key made for a specific Vaarda Gate. There is currently one known Artifact (belonging to the Nordskag Gate) in circulation in Regalia, called Ándlar, though more could arrive in the future as collector items or loot. It is generally accepted, even among the Volirik, that opening the Vaarda Gates without the necessary protections, preparations, or considerations, is generally an awful idea. Even the Volirik have to acknowledge, that nobody knows what is behind those Gates, and that entering the afterlife as a living person, is generally a bad thing unless given protection by the Vola or Eili Gods.

The Magic Burden

Magic is a very sensitive subject in Fornoss faith, because they have a long history with all the benefits and damages of it. Fornoss followers generally do not buy into the scholarly theories of the dimensions (Void/Exist/Ordial/Primal). While they don't refute those alignments as being real, to them, Exist and Ordial do not matter because they do not interact with their Gods in any way. In fact, more often than not, are Exist and Ordial aligned things enemies of the Gods, because they transgress or desecrate their domains. It is not so that every Exist and Ordial thing must always be attacked on sight however, Fornoss followers are more than capable of adopting apathy. Magic among Fornoss followers is understood between Seidr (non-Magical/Dragon Magic Divination), Galdr (God-Magic), Rúnar (God Magic Runic Power) and Nid (Void Magic). There is a technical fifth category called Trolldom, which is a term usually only used by fringe Fornoss followers like Hjordi or Ellador Velheim, which is the same as Nid (Void Magic), but is always evil and used to harm while Nid is not necessarily evil. Seidr, Galdr, and Rúnar are pretty simple to understand and generally unproblematic, Nid however causes some controversy. Fornoss followers acknowledge Void Magic (Nid) as potentially being a gift of Thirun, but that it can both be a blessing and a curse. They acknowledge the effects of Nid on the world as harmful, but that this power can also lend to great strength and achievements. Purism (hating all forms of Magic) does exist in the Fornoss faith, but aims at the idea that Nid is always too risky, and should be controlled/restrained/prevented from being used by caretakers of those cursed with Magic. There are parallels in Unionism, in that the Fornoss Faith identifies Void Magic as a heavy burden, of great power if used to gain Soldi/Svaldi, and of a great terror to the people if used to be careless and flippant and weak-minded. As with any perception of the Pantheons, this is entirely up to the personal beliefs of the faithful, some will condemn Nid as unambiguously evil, some will be frightful of it, while some will welcome it. Exist Magic does exist among Fornoss faithful, but when this occurs, the faithful just believe it was some sort of taint or touching from outside the faith. If someone has Ordial powers, they should generally be put out of their misery however. There are very few situations in which Ordial power is acceptable.

Trivia

  • Rand depictions are actually not based on what people know he looks like, but what people think he looks like. Rand is claimed to have never left Volaheim, and there are no memories of direct interaction with him. The only thing that is known to be fully accurate however, are his size, his hairiness, and the transition scars on his chest.
  • Thirun is often mistaken for his twin brother, the Fury Arken. This sometimes leads to accidental worship or mistaking the actual Thirun for the Fury Arken. The Fury Arken is referred to as "Reitt" in Fornoss terminology, loosely translating to the angry one. Some think he will eventually become a Vola God.
  • Blodrúna is the only God of either pantheon who was once a standalone Goddess of her own religion. Unfortunately, she killed her entire following, and only realized her error afterwards. She vows to do better as Goddess of the Fornoss faithful, hopefully.
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