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Nicholas and Aarthes are the Leadership Gods of the Guided Cult, the teachers of responsibility and careful design to those in positions of power. Nicholas (left) is the Dragon God of Political Design, serving in life as Arch Chancellor Nicholas Kade, and was a previous incarnation of the Dragon Regulus. Aarthes (right) is the Archon God of Architectural Design, and served as Nicholas's bodyguard. The Golden Seed Temple in Axford is considered the holiest site to the Leadership Gods The Leadership Gods are the patrons of Intellectuals, strategists, philosophers, diplomats, patriarchs, and matriarchs. Nicholas was not recognized as a God until the Emended Unionists declared him such due to his achievements as the Glorious Chancellor, recognizing Aarthes at the same time. For expanded lore, click here. Description Nicholas (left) and Aarthes (right) are the Leadership Gods of the Guided Cult, the teachers of responsibility and careful design to those in positions of power. Nicholas is the God of Political Design, whereas Aarthes is the God of Architectural Design Together, the Leadership Gods represent foresight, calculation, intellect, responsibility, and counsel. They are represented by the scepter of regality, government buildings, and the Regalian State Banner. Their main holy place is the Golden Seed Temple in Axford, the capital of Anglia. Rituals belonging to the Leadership Gods involve the bridging of duality, to seek out "the mind" and "the body" in friendships, and form a perfect union between the person who plans and thinks, and the person who acts and completes. The intention is to build friendships from unlikely partners, to create unbreakable bonds and collaborative efforts that showcase the perfection cooperation, that dependency is not weakness but beautiful and meaningful. Virtues The Virtue of the Leadership Gods is to use one's speech and charisma to deescalate a situation, rather than resorting to combat as the first option. A good leader recognizes that not all battles need to be fought, and often a diplomatic overture will suffice in finding common ground. By resorting to violence, one earns a reputation for being unreasonable, perpetuating a cycle of violence. As such, the Leadership Gods advocate for the use of words to settle disputes, and only resort to combat when all other options have been explored. In doing so, Unionists believe that one becomes better known as a negotiator and one who they can trust to make sound decisions, and thus a leader that they can trust and follow. Vices The greatest Vice against the Leadership Gods is to disrupt the order and stability of the state. A society that best furthers the Great Way is one which is not embroiled with petty conflicts over trivial matters, as being obstinate or contrarian earns one no favor in wider society. Those who strike out against authority with malicious intent towards will often shoot themselves in the foot, with only themselves to blame for their own misfortunes. A poor leader is one who refuses to act in good faith and compromise on certain aspects, and instead becomes obstructionist to the decision-making process. Being too rigid leaves one open to being ignored by sounder minds, causing one to lose their right to advocate for themselves when the time is proper. Legacy In Life, Nicholas was known as the Glorious Arch-Chancellor, Nicholas Kade. Known as the most competent head of government in Regalian history, his record-long tenure saw the Empire enter into a golden age of prosperity, owing to his political tact. Taking a diplomatic approach, Nicholas was able to negotiate the end of the Skagger Wars and integrate Drixagh into the Regalian Empire, as well and oversee the inclusion of the Ithanian Sovereignty and Aetosian Theocracy into the imperial fold. Throughout his life, Nicholas was accompanied by Aarthes, his Fin'ullen Archon bodyguard. Following the death of the Arch-Chancellor, Aarthes retreated from public life to reside in his master's old Estate in Anglia, where he would occasionally talk about how Nicholas made his decisions. Nicholas's divinity was not immediately declared, as he never manifested as a spirit following his death. The Emended and later Guided Unionists would declare him a God, believing that his legacy coupled with his Dragonblood status was proof enough of his divinity in life.

Morgan and Narsil are the Tyrant Gods of The Guided Cult, the warnings to blind faith and unquestioning obedience. Morgan (left) is the Dragon God of Tyrants, serving in life as Arch Chancellor Morgan Kade, and was a previous Incarnation of the Dragon Regulus. Narsil (right) is the Archon God of Corruption, serving in life as Morgan's bodyguard and spymaster. There is no holy site for the Tyrants, as as any shrines are frequently vandalized. The Tyrant Gods are the patrons of those who question leadership and faith in the right and respectful ways, as well as Spies and Saboteurs. Nicholas was recognized as a God by the Emended Unionists after his death due to his achievements as the Sun Chancellor, recognizing Narsil at the same time. For expanded lore, click here. Description Morgan (left) and Narsil (right) are the Tyrant Gods of The Guided Cult, the warnings to blind faith and unquestioning obedience. Morgan is the God of Tyrants, whereas Naril is the God of Corruption. Together, the Martial Gods represent selfishness, greed, cruelty, wroth, pride, hyper-competency, and self-assuredness. They are represented by the cobra-hooded head, snake-forked tongue, and snake-hair head. The Tyrants lack a holy place, as they are not worshipped specifically and instead used as a warning against hedonism and sin, even in competent people. Rituals of Morgan and Narsil are less in service to them, and more in deterrence to the qualities of Morgan. The most common form of ritual is the Public Examination, where large crowds gather in front of a speaking stand, where citizens and commoners hold a public debate on the competency and virtues and morality of an individual in office or power, as a means to hold them accountable to good governance and keep them on the right track. Virtues The Virtue of the Tyrants is that sometimes, underhanded tactics are also able to further the Great Way. Sometimes, working in the light is too slow or too ineffectively, and that Spies, Saboteurs, and Rogues can also use their skills to the glory of the Empire. This does not mean that criminal behavior, gang activity, and the like is considered morally correct to Guided Unionists (after all, obeying the law is virtuous). Rather, they assert that covert and underhanded tactics can sometimes bring about quicker progress to the Empire than going through the socially-accepted channels, and that espionage against foreign rivals and enemies is a necessity for Regalia to be well-informed in making decisions. Vices The greatest Vice against the Tyrants is to use the Emperor, Faith, or Law to justify cruelty and evil. Unionists trust the word of the Emperor, because he communes with the Everwatcher, and that his Laws are made with good intentions for all people. However, those in positions of power who represent the Emperor may use that authority to twist the words of the Emperor to carry out great evil, using the people's faith against them. Likewise, those who manipulate the Laws, or find unintended loopholes, will use them to enrich themselves at another's expense. The faithful are warned to hold those in power accountable, and to be skeptical of anyone claiming to speak for the Emperor without investigating their merits. Legacy In Life, Morgan was known as the Sun Chancellor, Morgan Kade. Remembered as highly competent, but extremely morally corrupt, Morgan used the aftermath of the Purple Bleeding to force Emperor Justinian I to surrender religious prerogative to him, making the Chancellor kingmaker. What followed was a line of Ivrae Emperor who were Morgan's puppets, each being replaced whenever the Chancellor grew tired of them. To enforce his grip over the Empire, Morgan relied on Narsil, his Snake-Marken bodyguard who painted himself gold, to inform the Chancellor of any threats to his power. For over four decades, Morgan and Narsil ruled as tyrants, using intrigue and tyranny to keep the nobility and government in line while funding lives of opulence and hedonism. Eventually, Morgan would be executed by Emperor Vilgemar, who always hated being told what to do. Immediately after, the Imperial Guards hunted down and killed Narsil in a back corridor of the Imperial Palace, ending the duos reign of tyranny. As with the other pair of Dragon Gods, Morgan or Narsil has never manifested, though their actions coupled with Morgan's Dragonblood status were seen to be the acts of the divine (as who else could play kingmaker to the Vessel-God, but another God). The Emended and later Guided Unionists would accept this stance on divinity, teaching that Gods can also be just awful people, and be extremely selfish and capricious, but that bad qualities and ugly personalities are not reasons to write off the skills and competencies that people do have.

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Celestina & Eòin, the Anticipators

	Celestina and Eòin are the Anticipating Gods of the Armageddon Cult, the teachers of going good without material reward. Celestina is the Called Goddess of Preparation, serving as an Émérites Knight of the Lothar Order. Eòin is the Called God of Execution, serving as a Tyrian Knight of the Viridian Order. The Divine Advent Temple in Regalia is considered the holiest site to the Anticipating Gods. The Anticipating Gods are the patrons of Doomsday preppers, Purists, Demon Hunters, Vampire Hunters, and Anti-Evolists. Celestina and Eòin both ascended to Godhood around a decade ago, due to their divine preaching against the various calamities that faced the Holy City in recent years.
For expanded lore, click here. Description Celestina (left) and Eòin (right) are the Anticipating Gods of the Armageddon Cult, the teachers of going good without material reward. Celestina is the Goddess of the spoken word and the prepared mind, and Eòin is the God of the physical arm and execution of the divine plan. Together, the Anticipators represent altruism, resolve, combativeness, unforgiveness, noncapitulation, and preparedness. They are represented by the Habit and mask of the Silent Sisters, and the Imperial Guard Seal. Their main holy place is the Divine Advent Temple on the Crown Isle. Rituals belonging to the Anticipating Gods involve preparing one's self, or the world around one, for the inevitable Armageddon, and to find peace in the fact that all the toil of a lifetime may not ever see fruits while alive, and that the benefit of one's labor must be for one's descendants or those who come after. and never for one's self. Virtues The Virtue of the Anticipating Gods is to fight, restrain, or otherwise hamper the forces of the Void. Armageddon Cultists in essence believe in an inevitable "War in Heaven", and express their belief mainly in daily "thinning the herd" of Demons and Vampires so as to reduce the overwhelming forces that the Demons will come to possess when Armageddon begins. They are doomsday preppers, with many even entertaining that Armageddon will not come in their lifetime, but that they will contribute to a reduction of the numbers of the enemy, and preparing the Empire and their descendants for the final war by producing more weapons, and researching every edge they might gain against the Demons. Vices The greatest Vice against the Anticipating Gods is to consort with the agents of the Devils. The Armageddon Cult is unique in Unionism in that it acknowledges an actual canonical evil, the supreme devil as it were, and entertains the idea that there is actually a chance that the Armageddon war might be lost if too many people fall to the vices of Demon worship and consorting with the Devil. As such, the faithful are tasked with steeling their hearts and minds against the corruptive forces of the enemy, hunting down Demons, and serving the Emperor by slaying his detractors. Failure to do this is to give the enemy a greater advantage when the Endwar begins, and to place one's descendants into dangers they should not have faced. Legacy Celestina was once a Silent Sister who resided in the City of Regalia, often tending to her duties and upholding her vow of silence. However, the multiple of attacks on the Holy City by various magical and demonic threats took a severe toll on the Silent Sister, who could no longer stand by when it seemed like calamity would tear the capital apart. Eventually, Celestina broke her Vow of Silence, and began to preach about the need to prepare for future calamities, even ones not to be experienced in her lifetime. It was by those who listened that her message seemed to come from a higher power, and she was soon recognized as a Goddess by the fledgling Armageddon Cult. Today, Celestina is an Émérites Knight, frequenting the Regalian courts to preach against the normalization of magic and warning of its corrupting power. Eòin was once a Viridian Knight who was known as a frequent training of students at the Viridian Citadel on the Crown Isle. He was present at the Citadel during the Deathling Crisis, where he witnessed the Grandmaster, Elders, and majority of Knights make a last stand to allow for younger students to escape into the countryside. Eòin managed to survive the eradication, and was recognized as a God after he began to preach divinely inspired messages about preparation, citing how even the most-skilled Viridian Knights were only able to delay the inevitable destruction of the demonic threat. He later joined the Tyrian Knights in defending the Imperial Palace, which he preaches as the final bastion against all that is unholy in the world.

Belialus & Sablael, the Devils

	Belialus and Sablael are the Devils of Unionism, the Supreme Evils of the world, and the greatest threat to the Great Way. Belialus (left) is the Devil of the Sanguine, and is also known as Behesael, the Arch Demon of the Void. Sablael (right) is the Devil of Shadows, and the Architect and Commander of the previous Void Invasions. There is no holy site for the Devils, though Vampires worship in the House of Blood in the Vampire District. The Devils have no specific patronage, for they are entities to weaken into inaction. Belialus has been recognized as a divine threat to Aloria since the Seraph Civilization, whereas Sablael was recognized during the Allorn Era.
For expanded lore, click here. Description Belialus (left) and Sablael (right) are the Devils of Unionism, the Supreme Evils of the world, and the greatest threat to the Great Way. Belialus is the Devil of the Sanguine, though is also known by the Elves as Behesael, the Arch-Void and Archdemon, and Supreme Being of the Void on par with the Everwatcher in his dimension. Sablael is the Devil of Shadows, Greatest Lieutenant of the Archdemon, and architect of the Void Invasions. Together, the Devils represent destruction, corruption, seduction, entrapment, danger, and evil. They are represented by the Sanguine Curse, the twisted and coiling shadow, and the hooked tail. Their main holy place is the House of Blood, where Vampires and their allies worship them. Rituals of the Devils involve candle night vigils and ritual purification of objects and people touched by them. The idea is to cast away the evil presence of the Devils (a word itself taken from the Velheim Djevel or "evil one"), because the belief is held that if their influence is cast back into the Void, that their connection with the mortal world is disrupted and they enter a state of slumber. Virtues The Virtue of the Devils is to seek evolution and advances through the Demonic and Void. Unlike all other Unionist Gods, the Virtue of the Devils is not one to aspire towards, but to recognize as the goal of the Devils. Ever since the Veil was first torn millennia ago, and the Void experienced the first "something" in a dimension of "nothing." Ever since then, Belialus had desired a return to nothingness, using Sablael and all his loyal servants to destroy Aloria and all that resides within and beyond. By utilizing the powers of the Void, Belialus is able to corrupt the world into decay, furthering his goal of complete annihilation. To become a servant of the Void is aid the Archdemon, to be discarded by Him when he claims victory in the Endwar. Vices The greatest Vice against the Devils is to hunt down Vampires, Demons, and other servants of the Void. As the Archdemon cannot manifest within Aloria, he must use his agents of the Void to further his goals. With every infection of a Vampire, with every demonic deal, and with every Void Mage casting a Sinistral spell, his power grows stronger in Aloria. As such, the faithful must work to cure those afflicted with the Sanguine Curse (or put them out of their misery), destroy all tomes and books and prevent the summoning or use of Demons, and hunt down Mages who would use their powers to infect the world with corruption. By seeking out and defeating the enemies of evil, the Devils are kept at bay, weakening them to ensure that Unionists will eventually bring about Paradise and rid the world of all corrupting forces. Legacy Belialus is the Supreme Being of the Void, and thus was the ultimate source of the Void Gods, Spirit Sovereigns, Arken, and lesser Demons. While all of these entities at first owed him loyalty, their time spent in Aloria (or through the actions of Alorians) caused many to break free of their servitude, becoming their own agents despite having some ties to the Archdemon. Most records of Belialus have been lost to time, as most civilizations who knew of him eventually were destroyed in the Void Invasions. As such, much of what is known comes from the Elves, who called him Behesael. His most notable modern calamity was the creation of the Sangaley Blood Curse, which was mutated by the Void Gods to create the modern Vampires. Sablael is the architect of the Void Invasions, and commanded the legions of Void Demons against previous civilizations. They were originally mistaken to be the same entity as the Archdemon, though the scant Allorn records telling of the Fifth Void Invasion differentiate between Sablael and Behesael, confirming that only Sablael can manifest outside of the Void. Fortunately, Sablael has not been seen since the Cataclysm when he was cast back into the Void, and civilization should pray that he never again returns to herald a Sixth Void Invasion, or the Endwar itself.