Talliaen Mythos

The mythology of Talliaen.

NAME                            MYTHOLOGICAL ROLE

Abyren                            (Guardian Angel) Guardian of the gates of Linaeus.
Alara                              Goddess of love, selflessness, purity, childbirth, fertility,
                                      and marriage. Symbol is a pair of open hands.
Alysa                              Goddess of the arts and knowledge. Symbol is a broken
                                      sword.
Amilil                              (Guardian angel) Guardian of nature.
Aphia                              (Demon) Curse of pleasure. Resides over pacts of
                                      pleasure.
Araem-Si                        God of the arts, knowledge, and dwarfs. Protector of
                                      merchants and travelers. Symbol is a white war hammer
                                      raised before a red sun.
Aren                                God of rage and strength. Symbol is a field of white with
                                      red and black lines scattered across it.
Ayradth                            Goddess of nature, the hunt, agriculture, and emotions.
                                        Symbol is an outstretched oak.
Bacias                              (Ruling angel) Mediator of chaos.
Cameron                          (Guardian angel) Guardian of the gates of Ilysias.
Daniel                              (Archangel).  Angel of healing.
Delia                                Goddess of mercy, healing, medicine, and prophecy.
                                        symbol is a fully blooming white rose on a field of black.
Dirum                              (Demon) Slayer of Man. Resides over pacts of death.
Eadil                                God of light, honesty, wisdom, and truth. Judge of the
                                        dead. Symbol is a white sun upon a field of black.
Elai-Naemon                    God of the dead, alchemy, and of the crossing. Ruler of
                                        Veshaun and its four realms; Pilendresh, Alador, Taeb,
                                        and Ranara. Symbol is a black leaf bearing white veins.
Eleigha                            Goddess of fate. Symbol is three diamonds arranged
                                        randomly within a gold circle.
Eligh Leral                        God of Vengeance, retribution, and wine. Symbol is two,
                                        black axes crossing each other on a field of red.
Elizia                                Goddess of the present.
Ennay                              Goddess of beauty, architecture, painting, and sculpting.
                                        Symbol is a violet and white flower blooming in a golden orb.
Ereom                              The one-god and father of all life. Symbol is a white eagle
                                        flying before a red sun.
Etryl                                  Goddess of greed, hatred, and envy. The Dead-God.
                                        Symbol is a blazing black sun.
Feren                                (Archangel) Angel of mercy.
Jerra                                  (Ruling angel) Positive half of chaos.
Joris                                  (Ruling angel) Negative half of chaos.
Keiya                                God of fire, earth, and weapon craft.
Kelah                                (Archangel) White angel and courier of the dead.
Kellen                                (Archangel) Angel of ill luck. Prince of Ilysias.
Kier                                  Goddess of the past.
Jornaum                            God of evil, cunning, and deceit. Absolute ruler of Ilysias.
                                        symbol is three bloodied blades arranged in a triangular
                                        configuration.
Laera-Madeas                    Goddess of good fortune, the hearth, sky, and sun. Symbol
                                        is a closed fist within a golden orb.
Leywen                              (Archangel) Angel of vengeance.
Meaje                                God of sleep and dreams. Symbol is a burning tree on a
                                        field          of white.
Michael                              (Demon) Corrupter of Virtue. Resides over pacts dissolving
                                        Virtue.
Odaku                                (Demon) The destroyer. Resides over pacts of dominion.
Othrum Elendrew                God of magic. Father of the magic-born. Symbol is a red
                                          and black sun circled with a single band of gold.
Raen-Uel                            God of dark traits; greed, envy, despair, fear, and hatred.
                                          The dark father. Symbol is a bloodied hammer on a field
                                          of black.
Redala                                Goddess of music and dancing. Symbol is a golden flute.
Samuel                              (Archangel) Black angel and courier of the dead.
Tae                                    Goddess of poetry, literature, and eloquence. Symbol is a
                                          black sky littered with gold and silver stars.
Tehr                                    (Archangel) Angel of love, peace, and repentance.
Thaen Alaer                          God of the oceans, seas, rivers, bogs, lakes, and storms.
                                          Symbol is a cresting wave.
Theron                                God of love, sexual desire, impetuousness, and lust.
                                          Symbol is a pair of intertwined doves.
Tirgan                                  God of war and physical skill. Symbol is a sword piercing
                                          a golden orb.
Triel-Quiel                            Goblin lord or troll god. Symbol is a flying raven.
Uralq                                  (Demon) Troll Demon. Symbol is a black eagle before a red
                                          sun.
Urilan                                  (Demon) Curse of Pride. Resides over pacts of power and
                                          dignity.
Vole                                    Goddess of the future.
Voshem                              God of darkness, assassins, thieves, and the night. Symbol
                                          is a single, black orb on a field of red.




ABYREN
    Abyren is one of three guardian angels that protect the boundaries existing between the heavens, the underworld, and the realm of mortal beings. He is the guardian of the gates of Linaeus, vigilantly standing guard before the Tower of Lords at the very heart of the dim sun. Endowed with great physical strength and skill, Abyren protects the home of the gods from intrusion by mortals or the fallen. He is rigid in his duties, never tempted by the promises of greater power or control. Abyren appears as a muscular humanoid male with large, sweeping wings of golden feathers, deep blue eyes, and long, brown hair. He always wears black and gold raiment and wields a giant, double bladed axe known as Ishan.

ALARA
    Alara is the goddess of love, selflessness, purity, childbirth, fertility, and marriage. She is regarded as the inspiration for all of the female aspects of love and as the true essence of innocence and purity. She is believed to control the strengths of relationships, the bonds that hold men and women together and the raw emotions of true love. Alara is responsible for granting the capacity of real love; to be ever trusting, to forgive, and to be ever faithful. Her touch is emotionally overwhelming and many despise her presence due to a reluctance to allow themselves to be so open to the possibility of deep hurt and disappointment. The love that Alara bestows strips one of all inhibitions and selfishness, leaving them openly vulnerable to the destruction of misplaced faith.
    Alara was courted by Theron, the god of love, but turned away his advances as he was a lustful, extremely comely god. Theron, attempting to win her over, created both honey and sugar and offered them to her. She was touched by the gesture but still refused him. Theron left the gifts, strongly rebuking his love for her as well as all of the purely innocent emotions that had caused him to feel such a way. Realizing the pain that she had caused him, Alara kept his gifts and pledged to blind true love to all but one’s inner beauty.
    Alara resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Voen. Voen is a world of broken dreams and lost love, filled with every failure of love that Alara was witness to. Her chosen angels serve her by overseeing the daily events of love that transpire within the world of mortals. Alara is commonly depicted as a young, human woman, ten to fourteen years old, rather tall and graceful, and is always dressed in fancy gowns and robes. Her skin is smooth and unblemished, but very pale, and she has entrancing, violet eyes and long, flowing, auburn hair.
    There are not any formal religions associated with Alara. However, it is customary for newlyweds to offer up cakes of sugar and honey to her on their wedding day, believing that if she is pleased she will bless the couple’s union and grant them a lengthy and strong marriage strengthened by a pure love. Children are often raised up to her on the day of their birth in the hopes that she will make them healthy and protect over their innocence. Those that look upon her in honor, or even simply out of superstition, commonly wear medallions crafted into a pair of open hands, one gold and one copper, ringed with a circle of silver.

ALYSA
    Alysa is the goddess of arts and of knowledge. She is associated with the attributes of patience, intuition, and resolution and is believed to endow mortals with desire, ambition, inner vision, and the ability to reveal imagination through emotional inspiration. Alysa is commonly linked to mortals possessing great artistic ability or those of a calm, intellectual demeanor. It is believed that she is responsible for any art created from the deepest emotions such as love, hate, fear, and sexual desire.
    There are not any defined religions associated with Alysa, though many of those involved in creative endeavors envoke her name and will ask for her blessings. Museums stand in her honor across Talliaen and large festivals, used to display various artists and artistic works, are held on the tenth day of Lyses to celebrate the gifts of Alysa. These festivals, the Alysian Critiques, display the works of both the fantastic and the unusual artists, poets, authors, and musicians. The majority of Talliaen’s museums, usually raised in her honor, operate completely upon the donations and fees raised during these festivals. Those looking for her favor typically wear medallions shaped into all fashions of broken swords, the symbol given to represent her god hood.
    Alysa resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Tolan. Tolan, the Great White Room as it is more commonly called, changes its appearance according to one’s imagination and its reality is only that beings perception and only within their own mind. Alysa’s chosen angels serve her by stimulating the creativity of mortals. She appears as a young woman of exceptional beauty, tall, slendor, and extremely shapely with long brown hair and coal black eyes. She is always garbed in brightly colored silk gowns and jewelry crafted from braided gold inset with large pearls and diamonds.

AMILIL
    Amilil is one of three guardian angels created by Ereom to protect the boundaries existing between the heavens, the underworld, and the realm of mortal beings. She is the guardian of nature, a part of the world’s essence, carefully keeping watch over Talliaen and all life found upon it. Endowed with great intelligence and compassion, Amilil protects the world of mortals from irreversible damage from the whims of gods, the fallen, and even mortals themselves.  She is rigid in her duties, never taking sides in mortal battles, always conscience of catastrophic occurrences, and never swayed by promises of power or greatness. Amilil appears as beautifully radiant, humanoid female with long, sweeping wings of golden feathers, deep blue eyes, and long brown hair. She always wears dark green raiment and wields a giant, two-handed sword known as Teliah.

APHIA
    Aphia is known as the curse of pleasure and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with pleasure. She has an erratic, simplistic, carefree, view of mortal life and is known for playing unpredictably within the terms of any pact she is involved with. Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Aphia will aid that mortal in the completion of her end of the deal. Though she cannot decide fate, she can influence it with changes in the physical world that will favor those she has set an agreement with. She enjoys involving herself in actual action and typically handles her manipulation of events directly. Her methods are based in pleasure, despite the havoc they may wreak within the mortal realm as pleasure grants her greater power and influence over existence. She will intentionally alter perception and push any she is involved with to achieve their goals at any cost. Aphia appears as a humanoid female always in the most appealingly provocative form available. Her only constant is long, black fingernails, softly glowing green eyes, and large, green feathered wings that rise up above her shoulders and drape down across the ground. She does not wield any weapon, an expert in physical combat and endowed with the ability to produce poison through both her fingernails and lips if she desires. Only items blessed with magical or godly properties can cause her any harm.

ARAEM-SI
    Araem-Si is the god of knowledge, of arts, and of the dwarfs and is the protector of both merchants and travelers. He is attributed with the creation of philosophy, science, and the written word. Araem-Si is the combined essences of Araem, the god of knowledge, and Si, the keeper of dreams. During the Kialle-Poryae both gods were gravely injured and Si offered what remained of his essence to Araem so that they both might live. The two were joined and their responsibilities and power became shared within a single being. After Araem absorbed Si’s essence into his own, he incorporated a small portion of it into a pair of mortal beings, one male and one female, and brought them to life. He protects those of industry, merchants and travelers, using them to spread his ethics and knowledge as their ingenuity is always tested and they always acquire knowledge, both new and old. Araem-Si is commonly associated with anyone possessing great intelligence or any place established for the development or advancement of learning.
    Araem-Si resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Baejan, the Great War-Hall. It is believed that every dwarf has a place of honor within this war-hall unless they have fallen out of favor with Araem-Si himself. Those dwarfs that a viewed with disfavor are not allowed to enter and must spend eternity in Ronor. Chosen angels, the Arae, stand guard over the Halls of Knowledge which are located somewhere in the depths of Baejan. These halls are said to hold the combined knowledge of the universe and can only be entered by one’s soul during the meditation worship of Araem-Si. He appears as a dwarf of great age with long silver hair and a deep gray beard. He is always garbed in silver and blue armor and wields a white war hammer. Araem-Si is always at odds with Meaje, the god of dreams and brother of Si, over Tahlrad, the river of dreams.
    There is only one religion associated with Araem-Si outside of the dwarven community, Araemism. There are not any churches or monasteries within his service as universities and teaching temples are considered to serve as high places for his followers. Araemists observe a single holy day known as Autaer, the day of knowing, which is celebrated on the twenty-second day of Aram. It is believed that on this day, if one spends it in meditation, they will find the answers they seek. In the dwarf communities an offering is given up to Araem-Si on the same day, as chosen by each nation, of each month. The day chosen must be observed with a ceremony known as the Jural. This ceremony consists of a series of contests in which intelligence, cunning, and skill in weaponry, husbandry, and science are tested and put on display until a single contestant remains to claim the tribal ring for each category. The ring is worn by that individual until he/she fails to retain it during or fails to be present at one of the following Jurals. The symbol of devotion by any of those following Araem-Si is a white war hammer raised before a red sun.

AREN
    Aren is the god of rage and of strength. He served originally as one of Tirgan’s, the god of war, three personalities, but was strong enough to free himself from the other two and become an independent entity soon after their creation. Aren sided with Jornaum at the outbreak of the Kialle-Poryae, but returned to Ereom’s favor by leading Jornaum’s army away from the gateways of the universe, causing them to fail in their attempt to shut them. Aren, though a god of good grace, is viewed as one of dark intent. He is responsible for the uncontrolled rage associated with great warriors and the violent anger of common mortals. It is believed that Aren takes control of one’s soul when the strong emotions of anger, hurt, loss, or helplessness reveal themselves. The deeper the passion of an individual, the more control Aren can exert over them.
    Aren resides in the palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Aydras. Aydras is a world of sheer madness. It is believed that the cries of the enraged and insane continually echo through the War-hall of Aren, driving any who enter it utterly mad. Aren’s chosen angels, insane according to most accounts, serve him by channeling the anger, fear, and madness of Aydras into a force that bestows a divinely inspired fervor upon those he has chosen to bless with his gift of rage. Aren is commonly depicted as a male youth with long, white hair, dark red eyes, and a very muscular build. His raiment is always some sort of white clothing or armor covered with red and black streaks.
    Though many warriors offer up random prayers and requests to Aren, there is only a single religion directly associated with him, the Renyar. The Renyar are devoutly religious followers, mostly warriors and knights, believing that their battle-rage grants them strength and abilities far beyond those of normal mortals. They have no specific days of worship, as they believe Aren can only be given proper service during war, drinking blood from fallen enemies and offering up their kills to him in worship. Their temples, though rare, are always built at the sites of great battles and serve as places of offering for those seeking Aren’s grace. The symbol of Aren is a field of white with red and black lines scattered randomly across it.

AYRADTH
    Ayradth is the goddess of nature, the hunt, gardens, agriculture, fields, rain, and emotion. All the elements of nature fall under her, she holds sway over the weather, and can subvert time to suit her needs. She is seen as nature’s guardian, acting as the protector of all animals, great or small, good or evil, and is the overseer of all of Talliaen’s forests. She gives hunters skill and provides food through the hunt. Ayradth is also associated with a wide range of emotions, impetuousness, and the behavior of children. She brings an innocence to the world as her straightforward actions and uncompromising attributes attest to. It is believed that she was brought to life when Ereom sundered the sky and earth. The heavens wept at her birth and the earth shook violently as life was given to her.
    There are not any formal religions associated with Ayradth, though she does have a small following that does not practice any real religious foundation. These followers are known as naturalists and believe that the races of Talliaen were brought into being to enhance and care for nature. Ayradth’s prosperity is directly associated with that of Talliaen’s nature. They believe that all living creatures are bound together, that each mortal soul corresponds with a specific type of animal and act accordingly. Naturalists forbid themselves from harming, or through their actions bring harm to, anything existing within nature without just cause. They do not eat most meats as eating meat, other than pork, is believed to dull the mind. Temples built in her honor are known as Naeltal-im and are great gardens, usually quite exotic, of flowers and trees of all types that are grand monuments dedicated to the ultimate preservation of nature. These gardens are believed to be cared for by Ayradth and her chosen angels and once crafted, they are left to themselves. Her symbol, usually only worn by naturalists, is that of an outstretched oak.
    Ayradth resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Naeltal, the Garden of Life.  Within this garden, a single plant grows for each life upon Talliaen. Her chosen angels, forest spirits, serve her here by tending to the garden. She employs elemental spirits within the world of mortals to do her bidding. Fire represented by scorpions, earth by bulls, wind by ravens, and water by sharks. Ayradth is commonly depicted as a small female child of any race or appearance. Her head is always crowned with garlands and she is always attired in browns and greens. She possesses both the might of a god and the unpredictable nature of a small child.

BACIAS
    Bacias is one of three ruling angels created by Ereom to hold sway over the capriciousness of destiny. Bacias serves as the mediator of chaos, resolving the disputes between the personalities of Joris, the vacillating half of chaos, and Jerra, the constant half of chaos. In creating this angel, Ereom took a portion of the essences of Alysa, granting patience, intuition, and resolution, and Eadil, granting honesty, wisdom, and an insight into universal truth. Offering a special insight into the workings of existence, Bacias deciphers he full outcome of every event, birth, death, fortune, war, and fame, and balances the universe through the use of addition and subtraction. As an angel he serves for the betterment of existence, favoring mortals because of the disruptive influence of the unimaginable power of the gods.
    Bacias stole fire from Kiyah and brought it to the mortals, brought about the birthing of the gods into mortal beings, and brought disease to Talliaen, plaguing each race with specific weaknesses. Bacias appears as an androgynous being garbed in brown raiment with long, brown hair, full wings of yellow feathers, and burning, amber eyes. He caries with him small, golden orbs that are dropped into the streams of time as unique intuition leads him to do so.

CAMERON
    Cameron is one of three guardian angels created by Ereom to protect the boundaries existing between the heavens, the underworld, and the realm of mortal beings. He is the guardian of the gates of Ilysias, alertly standing guard before the fiery mountains that surround the violent, unforgiving provinces of the underworld. Endowed with great physical strength and skill, Cameron protects the underworld from intrusion by mortal beings and prevents the fallen from entering the world of mortals. He is rigid in his duties and never waivers in those commitments despite the constant temptations presented to him by the fallen. Cameron alone has the power to freely breech the barrier of the fiery mountains of Ilysias and serves as an escort to those souls sentenced to spend their afterlife here. Cameron appears as a male humanoid with large wings of soft, black feathers, shrouded in white raiment, and wields a giant silver bladed scythe known as Roshfane.


DANIEL
    Daniel is one of seven archangels created by the falling tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe. Daniel serves as the angel of healing, endowed with true compassion born from the essence of Ereom. He appears before the dieing, asking them to judge their own souls and offering death or miraculous recover in order to place their inner being at peace. He holds within his self the desire of the one god to cure existence of the evil that he himself cursed it with during creation. Daniel is Ereom’s will to heal and attempts to do so through cleansing the souls of the damned, relieving small children of their illnesses and handicaps, and bringing cures and the knowledge of cures into being. He willing associates himself with the goddess Delia and is often regarded as one of her own faithful angels. Daniel appears as an ancient humanoid male, always the race of the one he reveals himself to, with long golden hair, deep violet eyes, a soft silver aura, and body length, bluish wings that drag against the ground as he walks.

DELIA
    Delia is the goddess of mercy, healing, medicine, and of prophecy. She is believed to be a favorite of Ereom and is one of the most revered gods among the races of Talliaen. As the goddess of healing, medicine, and mercy she shows no prejudices, serving the needs of both good and evil beings. It is believed that she brings a merciful death to any asking of it from her and offers those that have been injured relief from their pain through delirium and unconsciousness. Anyone endowed with the gifts of healing are said to have been blessed by Delia while within their mother’s womb, and are granted the ability to develop their powers once they actually pass into the physical world of the living. No child blessed by Delia can die in birth and it is widely believed that the life essence of their own mother is passed into them if she dies herself and the child lives. Such cases are destined to become healers of Delia and they are always afforded a noble rank. Ereom entrusted her with all prophecy and she grants its use to both the good and the evil of Talliaen. Prophecy, due to the potential uses it may have, is never fully revealed, often misinterpreted and granted most often in incomplete accounts. However, Delia is always truthful in the prophecy she and her chosen spread into the world.
      There are not any defined religions associated with Delia, though her name is evoked regularly when the need of her services arise. Prayers are offered up to her directly through Ereom and healing temples stand in her honor across Talliaen. The final day of each month is traditionally observed as a day of mercy. On this day services for the poor and disabled are offered by most healing temples and collections are taken up to help support the continued running of these temples. It is commonly believed that Delia appears to those that have properly honored her throughout their lives on the evening before their death. At this time she grants the doomed a single wish. If the wish is favorable in her eyes she will answer it, always leaving behind a white rose to mark her passing.
    Delia resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Ni-Yael. Her chosen angels serve in the capacity of gatherers, stealing the souls of those that have earned her mercy from the grasp of Kelah, Samuel, and Elai-Naemon, to whom they answer. These souls are brought to Ni-Yaela and remain there until the time of their judgment arises. Ni-Yael is believed to take on the appearance of each soul’s greatest memory and create a realm taking root within that memory. Delia appears as a woman of considerable age with long white hair and blue, piercing eyes. She wears a white gown, a necklace made of dove feathers, and is always bare footed.

DIRUM
    Dirum is known as the slayer of man and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with death. He has an angry and tormented view of mortal life and is known for taking part in violently brutal slayings. Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Dirum will aid that mortal in the completion of his end of the deal. Though he cannot decide fate, he can influence it by alterations in the physical world that favor those he has an agreement with. He throws himself directly in the planning of events and the leading of armies as death grants him power and prestige within the mortal realm. He will constantly push any he is involved with to achieve their goals no matter the cost. Dirum appears as a giant, humanoid male with scaly, odorous skin, a muscular build, dark black hair, white eyes, and expansive, white feathered wings. He has long, razor like claws and wields a golden spear known as Naozin, the bringer of death.


EADIL
    Eadil is the god of honesty, wisdom, and truth and serves as the judge of the dead. Ereom, choosing to create the Lords of Linaeus with each possessing free will, foresaw an eventual need for a judge to oversee the heavens and created Eadil to fill that position. Eadil is not swayed by emotion, regret, sympathy, or vengeance and is driven fairness and a relentless pursuit of the truth. By Ereom’s decree, Eadil’s verdicts are final and unable to be altered by any of the gods, including Ereom.
    There is a  single religion associated with Eadil, marism. Marists believe that the law is the universe’s ultimate authority and all things in existence are subject to it. Most marists are involved with the law in some fashion. Very few of Eadil’s followers exist outside the governing body of the law. Those that do are known as free-judges and are bounty hunters bound by their own ethics and morale codes to interfere when the law itself has failed to carry out proper justice. They do not feel as if they are breaking the law as it has become their sworn responsibility to Eadil to carry out the just execution of the laws controlling existence. There are no holy days dedicated to Eadil nor any temples or churches in service to him. His followers believe that faithful interpretation of the law is his tribute and that places of judgment serve as his holy places.
    Eadil resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Naejoria, the High Court. Here, he stands to judge the souls of the dead during the year of judgment. Eadil’s chosen angels serve him by standing in to read the passages from the aetren-ni, a book prepared by a priest of that person’s religion recording their living deeds. The book is buried with the deceased when it is possible to assist Eadil in making a true judgment over their soul. Eadil is depicted as a large humanoid being bearing the facial appearance and mannerisms of whomever he stands before.

ELAI-NAEMON
    Elai Naemon is the god of the dead, of alchemy, and of the crossing. He rules over Veshaun and its four realms; Pilendresh, Alador, Taeb, and Ranara. After the final fate of the soul has been decided he is responsible for its eternal care. Elai-Naemon is the combined essences of Elai, the god of the crossing, and Naemon, the keeper of souls. During the Kialle-Poryae both gods were gravely injured and Naemon offered the remainder of his essence to Elai so that they both may live. The responsibilities and powers of the two became shared within a single being after the two were joined. Among the gods he alone has the power to grant the dead a walking, a limited return to a living form to serve a grandeur purpose in the basis of existence. It is Elai-Naemon that returns a portion of each god’s essence to Talliaen so that they serve for short lengths of time in a living form. The mortal being, known as the linajaes, formed from the god is unaware of their true existence or purpose, but ultimately follow the path destined for them. Traditionally, as god of the crossing, he is offered gifts, at times quite exotic, to aid in keeping loved ones safe as they cross over from the world of the living and await their final judgment. In retribution for crimes against his followers, Elai-Naemon unleashed the plagues of vampirism and lycanthropy into the world, cursing those infected to a tortured form of immortality and effectively preventing the soul from ever crossing over into the world of the dead and reaching any sort of possible peace. He is regarded as a kind god, never parting new-wed lovers, never forcing a soul to suffer needlessly within a dieing body, and never revealing any prejudices against the dead.  It his through him that the R’kian were given their death vision, the saeti, and the Ealam their ability to know, from their birth, the moment of their death.
    There are two religions associated with Elai-Naemon, naeism and elaism. Naeists believe that Elai-Naemon serves as the ultimate god and has power far greater than that of Ereom.  Ereom is viewed as the beginning while Elai-Naemon signifies the end. It is the god of the dead that is ultimately responsible for the termination of all life, gods included. They believe that anyone dieing while within his service instantly gains a favored position in the afterlife as he will speak on their behalf when they stand before Eadil to be judged. Due to this belief, naeists tend to be extremely violent and unconcerned with their own well being when dealing with situations that arise from service to their god. Upon accepting the naeist doctrine a member is marked with a large oak leaf, tattooed in black across the width of their back.  Members are obligated to return to the temples each year to have a single, white vein added to the tattoo. These veins mark the years of service to Elai-Naemon and are a testament to their devotion to him when their judgment comes. 
    Elaists believe that death is the true form of the soul and that life is only given to the souls as a form of punishment, serving as a type of prison. If the soul does not earn the favor of Elai-Naemon then it is doomed to return to the world of the living, reborn as it where, and live another life. Elaists feel that suicide, for any reason, curses the soul to a never ending rebirth cycle and forever prevents it from achieving true peace. They worship Elai-Naemon as more of a king than a god, believing that he will serve in that capacity in the afterlife. Elaists wear a small, golden ring crafted in the shape of an oak leaf that wraps around the finger.  The leaf is laced with silver lines that show as would the veins of a true leaf. A preist enchants the ring at the time it is placed upon a believer’s finger and the ring itself begins to darken in color as the person wearing it gets closer to their death, finally becoming fully black when that time arrives. This enchantment is believed to touch the member’s life source and accurately determine the inevitable end of life.
    Worshipers of Elai-Naemon all observe a single holy day, Naevatas, on the eighth day of Alaer. It is known as the day of the dead and on this day it is believed that the souls within Veshaun are allowed to walk within the world of the living. The deceased do not gain any extraordinary powers and can only be seen by a single living person, other than priests in service to the god of the dead, of their choosing. The dead return to Veshaun to a celebration given by Elai-Naemon in their honor at midnight of the day of the dead. Prayers for the dead are offered up to the heavens an hour before sunrise the morning following Naevatas.
    Elai-Naemon resides within the Palace of Kalmaer in the realm known as Aunael, the gates of the dead. Here, his chosen angels oversee events upon Talliaen that serve directly in bringing the living into the realm of the dead. Souls pass through Aunael shortly after the body’s death and are marked for judgment. If a soul is not marked it is not allowed to enter the heavens and is forced to return to the world of the living, occasionally as the undead. Elai-Naemon is commonly depicted as an aged, but strong male of any of Talliaen’s races. Though his raiment is never any other colors than silver and gold, he is always dressed in the clothing befitting his racial appearance and is always armed with a golden cord, five to six feet in length, attached to a small, spiked ball crafted from some type of red rock and silver.

ELEIGHA
    Eleigha is the goddess of fate, ruling over all aspects of fate and the fortunes of the living, both good and evil. Her rule over the realm of fate is absolute, granted total autonomy in such matters by Ereom. Eleigha is believed to be responsible for Ereom’s victory over the fallen during the Kialle-Poryae. She prevented Jornaum from closing the gateways to the universe by causing his army to lose its way among the stars. The army arrived too late to prevent Ereom from taking control of the gateways and they lost the only true opportunity at success they had.
    There are not any religions associated with Eleigha, but her name is customarily evoked at both births and deaths in order to gain her pleasure. It is common for survivors of extreme circumstances, difficult births, near death experiences, and great disasters to wear a sheoleih, a circular medallion with three round diamonds lined across its center. The medallion is worn as a show of respect for Eleigha and as an indication that fate has given them a reprieve.
    Eleigha resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Nath. The tree of heaven grows within this realm at its center and is tended to by Eleigha and her chosen angels. She and her angels prune, nourish, and care for the tree in any way that is needed. As the goddess of fate she has control over the events of the living through her guardianship of the tree. The remainder of the realm is a curious rotating balance of black and white lights that utterly disorient any being making its way past protective barriers and into Nath. Eleigha appears as a human female in her early womanhood. She has very long, silver hair, aquamarine eyes, pale skin, full deep red lips, and is always found in exceptional black gowns. With her, she carries a two foot rod, crafted from the Tree of Heaven itself. It is uncertain what powers the rod truly has, but when in her hands and under her command it has changed the coarse of nations.

ELIGH LERAL
    Eligh Leral is the god of vengeance, retribution, and of wine. He served originally as one of Tirgan’s, the god of war, three personalities, but was strong enough to free himself from the other two and become an independent entity soon after creation. He is responsible for the desires of vengeance, the hatred of those that feel as if they have been wronged in some way, for the successful retribution of wrongs, and for the inhibitions of wine. Eligh Leral, angry with Jornaum’s betrayal against the heavens, challenged him directly when his armies made their run at closing the gateways to the universe and defeated him in single combat. He then turned upon the remnants of those armies and slaughtered most of the dragons and mage-lords before being subdued by Ereom.
    There are not any true religions associated with Eligh Leral, though his name is commonly spoken in reference to acts of vengeance or employed in the event that a pact, serving in the interests of vengeance, is agreed upon. It is believed that anyone overcome with the desire to avenge a perceived wrong has been touched by the god of vengeance or one of his chosen angels. As revenge is generally viewed with a great deal of  disfavor, Eligh Leral is a god of somewhat questionable standing.
    Eligh Leral resides within the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Oraes. Oraes is a madly, erratic realm filled with the souls of those tormented in life by deep, unresolved feelings of vengeance. It is believed that these souls cannot ever be at peace and are therefore unable to stand before Eadil in judgment until justice in their behalf has been reached upon the mortal world. His chosen angels, the Oraen Knights, serve him by answering calls of vengeance, usually revealing themselves through angry, devastating manifestations of insanity. Eligh Leral is commonly depicted as some sort of icy cold, enraged warrior of extreme height and build with long, golden locks of hair and glowing, amber eyes. He is always armored in black plate and wields a tremendous battle axe known as Niaey.

ELIZIA
    Elizia is the goddess of the present. She is one of three daughters of Eleigha, the goddess of fate, and Othrum Elendrew, the god of magic. She controls the threads of existence as they exist between the past and the future. She relies on immediate insight in all matters and has the ability, though somewhat limited by the pull of her sisters Kier, goddess of the past, and Vole, goddess of the future, to separate the threads of life to cause forks that alter the direction of fate. She uses an uncanny perception of all the gods and decisions they are likely to make to bind the ties of time, past and future, and being into existence. Elizia is in a constant struggle with chaos, using her powers to ebb the tangles within the stream of time in order for the present to exist as it should. She is not swayed by loyalties or emotion and the doings of other gods remain beyond her control. She only implements those things that they did and those things they may do to shape the present.
    There are not any formal religions associated with Elizia nor any holy days. It is believed that she only exists in the present, never evident for more than a single moment in time, and any celebration of those moments would be fruitless. Mortals find themselves bound to her however, suddenly making rash decisions and being swayed somewhat by an impetuous, sometimes erratic nature. Her influence is always instant and exists only briefly as time passes from the near past into the near future.
    Elizia resides in the Palace of Kalmaer with her sisters in a realm know as Awran. She remains here tending the strands of existence with the aid of her chosen angels. These angels provide her with a constant, steadily changing stream of information gathered from both ends of time and assist her in binding the past and future together in single moments. Elizia appears as a murky, almost transparent female being of any race bound in strands of light and dark. Her age, physical features, and clothing change continually as time spins around her and the present constantly resets itself.

ENNAY
    Ennay is the goddess of beauty, painting, architecture, and sculpting. She is one of the three daughters of Alysa, goddess of arts and knowledge, and Si, keeper of dreams. Ennay is believed to possess the ability to enter into, actually touch, the portion of the soul that is responsible for the desire and imagination to create wondrous and visionary paintings and sculptures. It is said that anyone granted extraordinary abilities in these areas of art have had their soul touched at birth by either Ennay or one of her chosen angels. Though she does have free will, she usually answers to the commands and requests of both her father and her mother as they do allow her almost complete control over the gifts she is associated with. As the goddess of beauty she shapes chosen mortals throughout their lives, endowing them with traits that represent true beauty, physical, mental, grace, and inner reflection. 
    There are not any formal religions associated with Ennay, though her name is evoked regularly by painters, sculptors, and architects and her symbol is commonly worn by those within the artistic community. This symbol, a violet and white flower blooming within a golden orb, is usually worn as some type of necklace or bracelet, but occasionally appears as some sort of tattoo that has been designed by a touched artist.
    Ennay resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Toael. Toael is an unstable realm, ever changing in order to match the desires and imaginations of those souls that find themselves within its borders. Her chosen angels serve her here by inspiring artistic expression in those possessing the abilities that are in Ennay’s domain. She is commonly depicted as a woman of genuine beauty with silky, auburn hair that drapes over her shoulders and down to the middle of her back, brown eyes, pink lips, a long, thin face, hips of medium width, small but perfect breasts, and flawless, pale skin. She is never clothed, always free from the restrictions of the embarrassment, she feels, plaguing the mortal world. She is marked by a large freckle resting just below her left breast and it is generally believed that a mark like this upon any female displays Ennay’s blessing and signifies true beauty, touched with qualities that transcend mere physical beauty.

EREOM
    Ereom is regarded as the father of all creation, the one-god. Though it is accepted that he woke to an already existing universe from the heart of Linaeus, Talliaen’s dimmest sun, it is believed that he was the creator of that universe while in another form. He was, in effect, the total of all existence and eventually separated his conscience from the fabric of being, the material aspect of the universe. He closed the universe in on itself, shattered it, and then breathed across it, inevitably creating all life. The majority of his godly might was exhausted in this single act and he was forced to take refuge within the heart of, Linaeus, a nearby sun in order to replenish the lost strength. After a lengthy hibernation, Ereom’s power returned and he was revived. Upon waking, he discovered that the universe had evolved and was now unknown to him. He next set out in exploration of the heavens. His journey lasted for five thousand years, at the end of which, he returned to the place of his second birth. With him he brought a new sun to be placed in the sky as a brother to Linaeus and to supplement its ever dimming light. Ereom named the new sun Ajaesakos, the throne of heaven, and removed a small potion of its essence to be used in the creation of the world that would come to be known as Talliaen. The suns were put into motion around the newly formed planet and, free from interference, Talliaen began a cycle of life that would allow it to develop into the world that it came to be.
    After seeing to the creation of Talliaen, Ereom turned his attention to the building of a great temple. This temple was erected within the heart of Linaeus and came to be known as the Tower of Lords. The tower was created from materials that Ereom gathered from across the universe. Containing thirty-three floors, one for Ereom himself and one for each god he intended to bring into being, it is immense and lavishly adorned with metals and jewels of unimaginable value. Individual realms exist upon each floor and gods were summoned to life to rule over the attributes of these realms. Thirty-two gods were brought into existence, each given free will, granted certain powers, and given both rank and station within the heavens.  During the time that the gods were given life, Ereom was able to look into the soul of the universe and, seeing the eventual end to all that he created, he began to cry. His tears fell against the life force of existence and from those tears seven archangels suddenly came into being, all born from bits of godly emotion that had seeped into his tears.
    As the gods grew into their power they began to experiment with life upon Talliaen. The first life began to appear and the gods took up their own interests upon the burgeoning world.  Some were more successful than others and, in time, conflicts began to arise within the heavens. Eight gods, envious of the power wielded by Ereom, turned against their creator and all those remaining faithful to him. The battle that ensued, the Kialle-Poryae, lasted for fifty years, finally ending in the defeat of the rebellious gods and their faithful followers. The realms of Jornaum, Meaje, Raen, Uel, Triel, Quiel, Etryl, and Voshem were removed from the Tower of Lords and used to create Ilysias, a world set apart from the heavens and hidden in the shadows of Talliaen. The goddess Etryl was slain during this battle and her essence poured across the mortal world, the archangel Kellen was banished from the heavens, and the rest of the unfaithful were imprisoned within Ilysias.
    Seeing that evil had corrupted Talliaen, Ereom forbade the gods from interfering within the world for a period of one thousand years. They would be allowed to return after that time for a period of fifty years in order to set right any wrongs that had occurred in their absence. Ereom decreed that during the fiftieth and final year of the return that the souls of the dead would stand to be judged and, according to their living deeds, receive their just rewards or punishments. Needing a place of power to reside during the return, Ereom built another great temple, the Palace of Kalmaer, within the heart of Ajaesakos, Talliaen’s brightest sun. The palace would serve as a place for the gods to live during the fifty years, each realm in the palace actually touching those realms that remained in the tower, and for their angels to serve and care for Talliaen while they were away in exile.
    Within the  palace’s tallest tower is the throne of Ereom. The throne itself sits in a realm known as Saecheles, the Hall of God. This realm serves as Ereom’s place of power and stands as the true gateway into the heavens. Saecheles hold the passages to every realm, sun, and planet in all the existing universes. The Hall of God is believed to be a place of such unknown wonders that only those gods closest to Ereom have even been permitted to look upon it. None of Ereom’s chosen angels reside within this realm and when they are called to him, they enter Saecheles blinded to their immediate surroundings.
    Ereom completed the heavens by placing the heart of a dead sun into the sky above Talliaen. The sun still shown, though very dimly, and became a beacon of night and a reminder of death. It was given the name Veshaun and was set aside as a place for the dead, ruled by Elai-Naemon and containing the realms Pilendresh, Alador, Taeb, and Ranara. The souls of the dead wait here in a realm known as Aunael for their time of judgment to arrive.  Those not taken into service by a god after their judgment spend eternity on Veshaun.
    There are two frontline religious organizations among the followers of Ereom, ereomism and linaehism. The ereomists believe in a single unity among the races of Talliaen. They believe that Ereom, though the only true god, chose to share his power and responsibility with the gods he created. Following this example they also share their power and responsibility with all upon Talliaen. They believe that good and evil rightfully coexist and therefore abstain from violence in any form, allowing mercenaries and knights, oath bound to the church, to handle all of their differences. The official church of ereomism is known as the Church of Union and will admit anyone seeking refuge, regardless of circumstance, with the understanding that the church must have total obedience from any entering it. Ereomists believe that Ereom has control over all changes and chances within the lives of mortals.  Nothing occurs that is not in his plans for the world and therefore there are no random events.
    Linaehists believe that Ereom’s true form is that of a human and that he rules over the heavens with total obedience from the other gods. Humans serve him directly and have ordained rule upon Talliaen. Violent as well as peaceful tactics are used accordingly to enforce this ordained rule. The use of violence is justified by the fact that Ereom was a kind and fair ruler, allowing lesser gods to share his glory, and was eventually forced to use extreme violence when these gods attempted to usurp his power. Linaehist temples, known as the Church of One, follow strict policies of separatism. A vow of subjugation must be taken by any nonhuman allowed to enter into temple service. Linaehism contends that all events taking place upon Talliaen are random actions allowed to happen because Ereom does not have any interest in events that do not directly concern the heavens. It is believed that all beings were given free will and that all creatures are ruled by their own choices. Those choices are subject to Ereom’s scrutiny, through the judgment of Eadil, only after a soul has been released from its mortal cage. Linaehists practice a religious ceremony known as the casting of blood. In this ceremony an individual, thought to be in contradiction to the heavens, is strapped into a wooden chair designed with a circular opening in the resting block of the right arm and forced to bleed into a large, rock bowl that rests beneath the chair.  This is considered to be the bleeding away of one’s sins against the heaven. If the blood loss does not kill, the offender is forgiven his wrongs and the blood is poured into moving water and washed across the world.
    All worshippers of Ereom observe the fifth day of the week as their holy day. On this day members of both factions are forbidden to participate in any form of violence. A glove, known as a kolaen, is worn upon the dominant hand of anyone observing this holy day as a show of peace. Thunder is considered to be the voice of Ereom when he is displeased, the sound of doom, and lightning serves as a directly threatening weapon against those he is unhappy with. Any place struck by lightning is considered to be a holy place and any creature surviving a lightning strike is seen as being blessed by a forgiving god and is immediately granted a lifelong pardon for any offense against the heavens. Ereom appears to his followers in a shadowed form. It is believed that his true form, though something akin to mankind, is so fierce and aglow with power that anyone looking at it will be struck dead.  However, looking upon him in his true form cleanses the soul and grants eternal forgiveness for that soul’s misdeeds.

ETRYL
    Etryl, the dead god, is the goddess of greed, hatred, and envy. She was created by Ereom from the exact point of creation, from the fabric that became the universe. She was slowly corrupted by the shadows of the universe, taking pleasure in the dark recesses of creation. She strove for greatness, eventually becoming envious of the power wielded by other gods and hating those in possession of it. Etryl sided with Jornaum against the heavens and, during the Kialle-Poryae, was confronted and slain by Tirgan, the god of war. Though her essence was lost, she was not completely destroyed as remains of that essence was scattered throughout the universe. Her nature resides within the world of mortals and becomes evident in actions, usually extremely violent actions, which involve the emotions generated by greed, hatred, or envy. 
    There are not any formal religions associated with Etryl nor does she have any true followers. She is generally offered tokens of appreciation from mortals coming into large bounties, those wanting disaster to befall more powerful beings, and those filled with raging hate. Her name is commonly evoked as a means to cause fear or in the wording of a curse, but does not have any real power. Though she has ceased to be, it is believed that one day she will regain a corporeal form and rejoin Jornaum as his wife. Her realm, known as Jinieraz, was placed in Ilysias and remains there in the shadows of Talliaen. The realm is a dead world, a dark, mountainous landscape covered in tarnished items of gold, silver, and platinum, and valuable gems of all types. It is blanketed with a thick, black dust and its air is old and stale.  Jinieraz seems to be stripped of any real existence, frozen in time and nothing more than a barren wasteland.

FEREN
    Feren is one of seven archangels created through the tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe. Feren serves as the angel of mercy, endowed with compassion born from the soul of Ereom. Feren appears before those in need of mercy and offers them a means to be free from their pain, visions, death, and unexplainable peace. He provides the will to incorporate mercy, especially within those whose souls possess no such attributes. He reveals himself as an ancient male of the race of those he assists, with long, silver hair, swirling eyes of silver, and stunning wings of blue feathers that drapes down around his shoulders to touch the ground. He holds within his being the desire of Ereom to bring compassion to the world of mortals. He is Ereom’s will to provide mercy and does so by endowing beings with the ability to give mercy, understanding, forgiveness, and thoughtfulness.

JERRA
    Jerra is one of three ruling angels, the positive and constant half, created by Ereom as the essence of chaos. She remains constant and in tune with the inevitable, birth, death, self esteem and power of will, and fortune, the exact without any abstract. Jerra acts within the finite, constantly in battle with Joris, the negative half of chaos, for control. She is not swayed by desire or compassion, always remaining true to the constant. Good remains good and evil remains evil, neither varies, but good holds favor over evil and Jerra arranges events to allow that to be so.
    Jerra appears as an androgynous being always garbed in white raiment with long white hair, full wings of black feathers, and coal black eyes. She is closely associated with Eleigha, the goddess of fate, uncontrolled by her but informed and in concert with her actions.

JORIS
    Joris is one of three ruling angels, the negative and vacillating half, created by Ereom as the essence of chaos. He remains inconstant and in tune with the uncertain, corruption, greed, influence of power, and all other variables of life without any constants. Joris acts upon the infinite, constantly battling with Jerra, the positive half of chaos, for control. He is easily moved by passion, anger, desire, and regret, always remaining true to capricious whims and the unexplainable. Good is swayed to evil and evil is swayed to good, both varying greatly with neither holding favor over the other. Joris attempts to arrange events to allow for the unpredictable to happen.
    Joris appears as an androgynous being always garbed black raiment with short, black hair, full wings of red feathers, and wavering, red eyes. He serves as a random factor in the universe and is associated with every member of the Talliaen pantheon, but remains always uncontrolled.

JORNAUM
    Jornaum is the god of evil, cunning, deceit, and is the absolute ruler of Ilysias. Jornaum was created by Ereom to serve as his second within the heavens. He was the first of the gods brought into being and was granted a tremendous amount of power at his birth. In time his power becomes so great that he came to see himself as Ereom’s equal. Jornaum found that many of the other gods viewed him with distaste, eny as he believed it to be, and he slowly began to undermine their creations upon the continuingly evolving world of Talliaen. Secretly he used his power to corrupt the world in an effort to transform it into a twisted society that suited his own purposes. The time eventually where Jornaum believed that his power had, in fact, surpassed that of Ereom’s and he, along with those faithful to him, challenged Ereom’s rule within the heavens. The battle that ensued, the Kialle-Poryae, lasted for fifty years and finally ended in Jornaum’s defeat. The usurpers were banished from the heavens and imprisoned in the shadows of Talliaen in the realm of Ilysias.
          Jornaum is a bitter, hateful, and merciless god that wields deadly, fierce power. He attempts to manipulate events on Talliaen through the use of fear and deceit, tempting more influential beings with promises of high office and great power while frightening the weaker beings with threats of death and violence. In his physical form he is known as the dead king, ruling over his evil kingdom from his palace, Rala-Al-Ejeul, on the island of Dara-Akua. He appears as a giant man with extremely dark features and the oily, reptilian skin of a snake. It is commonly believed that he will sometimes offer to engage in games of chance with his victim or those he is attempting to entice into service in an effort to win control over their soul.  He is a being of purely evil intent, viewed as the true god of all things evil, and serves as the ruler of Ilysias.
    There is only one religion associated with Jornaum, Ilysism. Ilysists reject all conventional religious and moral standards within the world of Talliaen and accept evil as a simple pleasure. They display their true feelings and desires without any fear of retribution from the gods. These followers of Ilysism are known as dragons, taking the name after the fact that Jornaum took the mantle of dragon lord away from the ancient dragons. Ilysists observe a single holy day, Daenora, on the sixth day of Rashaen. On this day all of Jornaum’s followers are bound to offer him a blood sacrifice in a ceremony known as the binding of blood. In this ceremony followers wear a crown of iron thorns, dance nude within a sacred circle of burned vegetation, and sacrifice a captive, held and tortured in spiked pits for a period of five days, just before the sun rises the following morning. As the sun begins to rise, blood gathered from the sacrifices is thrown wildly into the living forest around the ceremony site. The churches of Jornaum are known as dark temples, commonly referred to as hands of the dragon, and offer services ranging from assassinations to ritual deaths. Once a mortal is raised to the priesthood as a dark lord within a temple, he must wear a facial covering while in the presence of any other ilysist as it is forbidden by the laws of the church for any member to look upon the face of a priest. Anyone doing so must confess their crime and offer up their life to the priest as retribution. If the offer is accepted, the one in question is boiled to death in a cauldron of urine and eaten by the members of the church’s hierarchy. The deceased is believed to be reincarnated as some low born creature and spend a life of misery and pain as punishment before the soul is allowed to pass on to its judgment.
    Jornaum resides with the Ilysias in a realm of darkness known as Darabis. He rules there as the supreme god to those that have given their souls to evil. It is believed that he gains access to Talliaen with the use of a physical form that has been given to him through a sacrifice by one of his followers in exchange for special considerations. It is very rare that a pact of this nature is made directly with Jornaum, usually made on his behalf by a demon in service to him. The soul of the being making this pact with Jornaum is brought back to life as a free-wraith after five years and its physical form is consumed by Jornaum’s spiritual energy and is resurrected to give him existence within the mortal world. This physical body, though unrestricted by many aspects of mortal life, can be destroyed. Upon destruction, Jornaum’s essence is returned to his realm within Ilysias.

KEIYA
    Keiya is the god of fire, the earth, and weapon craft. He was created by Ereom to rule over the fires at Talliaen’s heart. Keiya is believed to continually reshape the earth, causing the fires beneath its surface to boil out molten rock and ore to create an ever changing landscape. He has given the races of Talliaen the knowledge and abilities to use both fire and ore to create weapons of great ingenuity and unimaginable strength. It is believed that the eruption of volcanoes, the occurrences of earthquakes, and raging natural fires are all testaments to Keiya’s godly anger. He is neither evil nor good, remaining neutral in every action without any regret or bias of any kind.
    There is only one religion directly associated with Keiya, Yanaism. Yanaists believe that Keiya brought fire to the mortals of Talliaen and allowed for them to use it to care for themselves and gain the knowledge to craft with it. They do not observe any official holy days, but do offer worship at sites of cataclysmic destruction involving earthquakes, eruptions, and fire and when blessing weapons crafted by ones touched with Keiya’s gifts.
    Keiya resides within the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Lycolai. Lycolai is a realm of fire and enormous heat that is believed to actually touch the heart of Talliaen. From here, Keiya and his chosen angels rule over the realm of fire and hold sway over earth altering events within the world. Keiya appears as a large, muscular human male with long red hair, black eyes, and a deep, thundering voice. He is always in the nude, totally unaffected by heat, and wields an enormous hammer known as Ainyara, doombringer.

KELAH
    Kelah is one of seven archangels created by the falling tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe. Kelah serves as the white angel, one of two couriers of the dead, and brings compassion when a soul stands in judgment. Kelah is the physical embodiment of inner truth and is able to pull forth the truth of one’s soul. He removes all actions and reveals the true intent of the being. He carries the soul of the deceased away from its body into the heavens upon ribbons of blinding light, believed to be lightning by many. When the soul stands in judgment before Eadil, Kelah stands in witness for the dead. He never speaks against, only for, and if he is unable to speak in favor of a soul he will kneel before the great judge and remain silent. He is in close association with both Eleigha and Elai-Naemon, though only granted the ability to foresee coming deaths, uncontrolled by either god. Kelah appears as a young humanoid male, always the race of the one he is transporting. He is bald with sparkling black eyes, a brilliant, white aura, and white wings that stand up above his shoulders in a wide, marvelous span.

KELLEN
    Kellen is one of seven archangels created by the falling tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe. Though only an angel, Kellen is worshiped as the Prince of Ilysias or the god of ill luck. He holds some sway over luck, but only in regards to the unfortunate side of it, and joyously spreads havoc within the world of mortals. He greatly despises the Lords of Linaeus and views all religious temples, monuments, and establishments with utter contempt. He is one of the fallen, fighting with Jornaum, the god of evil, against the heavens during the Kialle-Poryae. It is believed that he is responsible for contriving all negative possibilities that can be associated with any existing situation.
    There are no formal religions associated with Kellen, though his name is evoked regularly as a means of ensuring bad luck upon someone through the creation of a curse. Kellen resides in Ilysias in a realm known as Rindua. Rindua is a realm of ash and flame filled with the tortured screams of lost souls. His chosen angels serve him by spreading discontent and ill luck across the world of mortals. Kellen is commonly depicted as a handsome, male elf with long, silver hair, black wings, and golden eyes. His raiment is always a full, white robe embroidered with golden leaves and black orbs. Kellen wears a medallion bearing the symbol of Othrum-Elendrew around his neck and always carries a long, gleaming sword, Jinar, forged from gold and silver and marked with the words aegih ashiane, ealam for dark hunter, across its blade.

KIER
    Kier is the goddess of the past. She is one of three daughters of Eleigha, the goddess of fate, and Othrum Elendrew, the god of magic. She controls the threads of existence as they bind the past to the present. She uses her influence over the stream of time to change the perception of events as they pass, sometimes forcing the grand to become insignificant and the small to become larger than any other event of the era. She attempts to hide portions of the past from her sisters, occasionally doing so and forcing the past to become lost to knowledge. By masking the facts and clouding the truth of passing events, she incorporates continual cycles of repetition into the future.
    There are not any formal religious organizations associated with Kier and no holy days as she is believed to only exist within the past. Her influence in past events is recognized and her name is evoked to both bless and curse circumstances that have a perception of altering the makeup of time. Kier resides in the Palace of Kalmaer with her sisters in a realm known as Awran. She remains here tending the strands of existence with the aid of her chosen angels. These angels provide her with a constant, steadily changing stream of information gathered from both ends of time and assist her in binding the past and present together in single moments. She makes the attempt to alter perception of the past by removing information and altering truths that form it. Kier appears as an ancient female being of any race bound in strands of darkness. She is very tall and thin, wrinkled greatly by age and possessing long, silver hair that nearly envelops her lower body and drags behind her as she walks.

LAERA-MADEAS
    Laera-Madeas is the goddess of good fortune, the hearth, the sky, the sun, and of daylight. She is responsible for bringing Talliaen’s suns into the sky each morning and is associated with the aspects of good luck, being responsible for the positive outcomes of chance, the success of business adventures, and with the completion of tasks of great importance. It is commonly believed that she created the color blue and painted the sky with it so that she could look upon its beauty each day when she returned with the sun. Laera-Madeas is the combined essences of Laera, the sun mistress, and Madeas, the goddess of luck, originally created by Ereom as sisters. During the Kialle-Poryae they were both injured and significantly drained of their power. Madeas offered what remained of her essence to Laera so that they both might live. After the two were joined their responsibilities and powers became shared within a single being. Laera-Madeas is at constant odds with Voshem, the god of darkness and her brother. They share the heaven and remain in battle for supremacy over it. He chases her away each evening and she does the same to him each morning, thus creating the cycles of night and day. She is the stronger of the two during the summer months, accounting for the longer days at that time of the year.
  There are two religions associated with Laera-Madeas, randomism and autrianism. Randomists believe that Laera-Madeas has some sway in the events of chance, but the final results are ultimately left up to random interpretation. They do not have any holy days or any existing temples of service. Followers of randomism wear a medallion known as an ujael. The medallion is a granite star with eight points inset with a sunstone at its center. Autrianists believe that the sun is the center of all life.  It is believed that the sun is a constant, always rising into the sky each morning, and therefore they believe that it is important to be continuous in their work, believing in unwavering patience. They are very patient and celebrate a single holy day, Ajoura, on the twenty fifth day of Jonora. It is the longest day of the year and followers of Laera-Madeas believe that honoring the sun on this day will bring them great benefits from the keeper of the light. All autrianist temples are known as sun palaces and are led by a priestess of at least twenty years of service to that specific temple.
      Laera-Madeas resides within the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Aurora. The realm appears as an endless plane of shining stars with no roof, walls, or floor. The gateway to the realm is guarded by a muscular, humanoid male in gold armor that wields a golden staff with a flaming spearhead at either end. The guard, a fire lord, is one form of Laera-Madeas’s chosen angels and similar beings travel Aurora keeping watch over its boundaries. Movement through the realm is done on paths of sunlight that cross it in long, thin strands. Laera-Madeas and her chosen angels replenish Talliaen’s sun continually with the vast energies found within her realm. She is depicted as a young and beautiful, human woman with bronze skin and long, flowing hair of gold always garbed in white and gold and accompanied by large felines. It is considered a gift from her, bestowing luck, to anyone in possession of any golden cat.

LEYWEN
    Leywen is one of seven archangels created by the falling tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe.  Leywen serves as the angel of vengeance, endowed with power equivalent to that of most gods. She is the elmanuan, the sword of heaven, and acts upon the will of Ereom to exact vengeance upon those that continually wrong the heavens. She acts for the gods against their followers by assuming a portion of a god’s essence and become its avatar until vengeance has been achieved.
    Leywen always appears as a dark skinned female, with bright blue eyes that swirl continuously, medium length red wings, and long black hair. Around her neck hangs a necklace crafted from a distant star. The necklace has the ability to absorb her essence and reshape her within the heavens if she is slain while in the mortal world. She is the most visible of all angels, preferring to openly confront anyone that she faces. She makes her presence and objectives known and enacts vengeance only through the destruction of the one in offense of the heavens. If she is slain in combat with the offender, forgiveness is granted. Her raiment is blue armor and she carries a six foot, two handed sword known as Olanuk.

MEAJE
    Meaje is the god of sleep and dreams. He is known as Baraq, the boatman of Tahlrad or, as it is more commonly known, the dream river. He almost totally controls the world of dreams and uses that control to corrupt and instill fear into those he catches there. He is one of the fallen and a being of purely evil intent. In his original position within the heavens he served as a subordinate to Si, the keeper of dreams, but was able to solidify his power as time passed and wrested control over Tahlrad away from Si. Even though he is the lord of the dream world he remains in constant struggle with Araem-Si, who retains Si’s ability to manipulate events in the realm. Meaje is particularly cunning and enjoys toying with mortals by sending puzzles and prophesies through their dreams. Those prophesies, while never clear or completely accurate, their true meanings usually hidden behind symbols and riddles, are always true in their forecast of the future.
    There are no formal religions associated with Meaje, but there is a sect of followers known as dream-lords. They do not stand on ceremony and believe that Meaje has given them the ability to dream cast and therefore most find themselves in direct service to him. Dream-lords identify themselves by either a tattoo or medallion bearing the god’s symbol, a tree burning with red flames on a field of white. These items are allowed to travel into Tahlrad with the dream-lords and signify their right to operate freely within the realm. Generally there are two prominent types of dream-lords, the dream chasers and the dream catchers. The dream chasers have the ability to use their powers to lock powerful promises within a sleeping being’s subconscious and then identify the whereabouts of that person through their dreams. As long as that person remains short of achieving their dreams, usually based on inner desires and twisted bits of prophesy that force them to seek greatness, they can always be found by a dream chaser. Dream catchers are powerful magic users that use Tahlrad to find, control, subdue, or destroy a being through the use of their dreams. A catcher uses fear and uncertainty against a being to weaken them greatly within the world of dreams. Here, they can dominate a person and even kill, if one dies within a dream they die in the mortal world. Dream catchers, like dream chasers, can be identified by a medallion or a tattoo bearing the symbol of Meaje, a tree burning with black flames on a field of white. Meaje often grants the right to walk the world again, either as a spirit or a being of dreams transferred into the mortal world through gateways within Tahlrad, to those most faithful and useful to him. 
    Meaje resides within Ilysias in a realm known as Sha-Zacaera, the dark tomb. The realm is a dark world littered with the lost dreams of mortals and the souls bound here through a death in Tahlrad. Mortal nightmares are tied to Sha-Zacaera and fill it, creating a distinct, ever changing environment beyond the constant black. Hideously cruel beings and shadowed recesses of despair torture the minds of anyone crossing into the realm. Meaje most commonly appears as a large, faceless figure dressed completely in black, but can be any creature or form that he chooses while in the world of dreams.

MICHAEL
    Michael is known as the corrupter of virtue and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with the dissolution of virtue. He holds an immoral view of mortal existence and is carnal, unethical, vile, depraved, and utterly corrupt. Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Michael will aid that mortal in the completion of his end of the deal. He can influence changes in the moral fabric of the physical world that will favor those he has set an agreement with. His methods are based in the manipulation of existing morals, attempting to deprive individuals and empires of true virtue as it gives him power and he will push for any he is in league with to achieve these goals. Michael appears as a humanoid male with long, snow white hair, soulless, black eyes, and an enormous wingspan of gray feathers. He is always garbed in red raiment and wields a large, red bladed dagger with a brilliant red aura known as Shala, the Ilysian blade.

ODAKU
    Odaku is known as the destroyer and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with dominion. He holds a philosophic view of mortal existence tinged with dreadful sorrow. Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Odaku will aid that mortal in the completion of his end of the deal. Though he cannot decide fate, he can influence it with changes in the physical world that will favor those he has set an agreement with. He will seldom involve himself in actual war and typically handles his manipulation of events behind the scene. His methods are based in utter destruction and through despair as they both give him power and he will push for any he is in league with to achieve these goals. Odaku appears as a humanoid male with burnt, scarred skin, dark red eyes, long, black hair, and giant wings of reddish brown feathers. He is always garbed in white raiment and wields a double bladed battle axe known as Oliod, the shattering blade.

OTHRUM ELENDREW
    Othrum Elendrew is the god of magic and the father of all things born of magic, both good and evil. It is believed that he charged Talliaen with a generous portion of his essence, creating a new form of energy that began to manifest itself within almost every aspect of the world. This energy, later known to be magic, was responsible for the creation of many new forms of life across Talliaen, predominantly the dragons and the sylphs. The dragons and sylphs drew upon the elemental magic of the world to become its almost god like rulers.  In time the dragon clans turned against the heavens and sided with Jornaum during the Kialle-Poryae. After the end of the war in heaven, Othrum Elendrew, saddened by the failures of his creations, wondered Talliaen in search of sort of redemption. He eventually fell in love with a female sylph and fathered twin sons, Eimaj and Aldarion. From his two sons came the three most powerful magic born races of Talliaen, the ealam, r’kian, and elves.
    Othrum Elendrew is responsible for the creation of Pilendresh, the realm in Veshaun reserved for the souls of the magic born. Aldarion was slain by his twin brother Eimaj and a deal was struck with Elai-Naemon, god of the dead, to return him to life. The bargain would allow Elai-Naemon, who did not previously have the right, to claim the souls of the magic born upon their death in exchange for returning Aldarion to the realm of the living.
    There is a single religion associated with Othrum Elendrew, Mageism. Mageism is the worship of Othrum Elendrew through the use of magic. Mageists are known as mages and the only true mages, good or evil, are those that worship or serve the creator of magic. There are not any holy days given to mageism and its churches are known as mage temples. Violence is not permitted within these temples under any conditions, a policy respected by all on Talliaen, but services for war or any other undertaking can be negotiated for and bought through the mage father of any temple. The temples are ruled unquestionably by its mage father who is always a male and unwed, but can be of any race or lawful intent. Mageists wear a medallion to identify themselves known as a juy. The juy is a metal crescent lined with small notches that mark each year of a mage’s life. The notches are traditionally marked on the same day each year by the mage father of that being’s temple of service. The juy stands as a sign of a mage’s power and endurance. Respect is extremely important to mages and the loss of a medallion before burial signifies the loss of eternal rewards.
    Othrum Elendrew resides in the Place of Kalmaer in a realm known as Foshan Tai. In this realm all forms of magic exist and are cared for by Othrum Elendrew and his chosen angels, working to serve the best interests of those magics. A great library, detailing the possibilities of every spell ever attempted, stand at the heart of Foshan Tai. This library is carefully guarded and access to the books stored here is limited to Othrum Elendrew, his chosen angels, and any being the god of magic allows to enter. When any tome inscribed with a spell is opened the magic within the book will reveal itself to the world of Talliaen. Othrum Elendrew is generally depicted as an ancient, r’kian male in dark blue robes always with a maple staff carved in the shape of two twisting dragons, seemingly engaged in a great battle. The staff is topped with an orb detailing Talliaen in every way.

RAEN-UEL
    Raen-Uel is the god of the dwarfs and of dark traits; greed, envy, hate, despair, and fear.  He is worshipped by the dwarf clans as the dark father. The dwarfs believe that he is the true creator and is responsible for all of the traits associated with their darker side. Legend claims that it is he that built Ueshain, the kingdom under the mountain, and brought the dwarfs into existence so that a war-king may sit upon its throne. Raen-Uel is the combined essences of Raen, the god of the dwarfs, and Uel, the god of dark traits. During the Kialle-Poryae both gods, siding with Jornaum against the heavens, were greatly injured and Uel offered what remained of his essence to Raen so that they both might live. After the two were joined their responsibilities and powers became shared within a single being. Raen-Uel was exiled from Linaeus and imprisoned within Ilysias with the rest of the fallen.
    There is not any worship of Raen-Uel outside the dwarf clans and he is worshipped by few among them. His followers make sacrifices to him once a year on the day known as Uemael, on the fourteenth day of Almaer. On this day the followers of Raen-Uel offer him precious jewels and metals they have collected throughout the year. These offerings are done at temples that have been carved into mountain cliffs, hidden away securely from the casual eye. The temples are giant, half circle platforms with a circular hot spring pool at either end. Anyone making an offering must bathe in each pool and then place the items they intend to offer, once they have been cleansed with a blood ritual, into a burial pit on the outskirts of the temple.
    Raen-Uel resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Enura. Enura is a dark world hidden within the Ilysian pits. He rules there as the war-king to all those who have freely given their souls to him. These souls will gather through eternity until their number is great enough to once again challenge the rule of Ereom over the heavens. Raen-Uel’s chosen angels serve him by corrupting and bringing the greatest dwarven warriors into his fold. He is commonly depicted as an elderly dwarf male with great strength, long, silver hair and beard, and he brandishes a black war hammer, Ukora, stained in blood.



REDALA
    Redala is the goddess of music and dancing. She is one of three daughters of Alysa, goddess of the arts, and Si, the keeper of dreams. Redala is said to endow the gifts of musical ability upon those she chooses. It is believed that anyone possessing extraordinary talents in the realm of music has had their soul touched by Redala or one of her chosen angels at their moment of birth. Though she does have free will, she answers to the commands and requests of both her mother and her father as they allow her almost complete control over the gifts of music and dance.
    There is a single religious group associated with Redala, the hadra or soul dancers. The hadra do not worship Redala as a god, instead they look upon her as a soul inhabiting essence that bestows mortals with the music of the heavens. They honor Redala with the performance known as dancing the souls. In this dance individuals place themselves into a deep trance and allow their inner self to assume control over their body and they reveal their spirit through a wild and very erotic dance. All members of the hadra are proficient with both the harp and the flute as they believe that these are Redala’s instruments of choice.
    Redala resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Argaen. Argaen is a world filled with the music of harps and angelic choirs. The realm is littered with silver pools that emit chiming notes when they are disturbed. The Argaen pools are believed to be the source of power for Redala’s chosen angels. The angels bathe in them each time before they leave and upon their return to Argaen. Redala is commonly depicted as an elderly female with long, white hair, dark, wrinkled skin, and is always in raiment with the colors orange, red, and yellow somewhere on it.

SAMUEL
    Samuel is one of seven archangels created by the tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe. Samuel serves as the black angel, one of two couriers of the dead, and brings retribution when a soul stands in judgment.  Samuel is the physical embodiment of inner desire and is able to pull forth the true desires of one’s soul. He carries the soul of the deceased away from its body and into the heavens upon ribbons of flame. When the soul stands in judgment before Eadil Samuel stands in witness against the dead. He never speaks for, only against, and if he is unable to speak against he will kneel and remain silent. It is common for coins or jewels to be placed in the mouth of the deceased in an effort to sway Samuel’s testimony. Samuel is bald with shining, white eyes, a somber, black aura, and black wings that stand up above his shoulders in a wide, marvelous span.

TAE
    Tae is the goddess of poetry, literature, and eloquence. She is one of three daughters of Alysa, goddess of the arts, and Si, the keeper of dreams. Tae possesses the power to grant mortals to put emotion, imagination, and thought into written word. It is believed that those having extraordinary talent in poetry and literature had their soul touched by Tae or one of her chosen angels upon their birth. Though she does have free will, she answers to the commands and requests of both her father and her mother as they allow her almost complete control over the gifts of poetry and story telling.
    There are not any religions associated with Tae, though her name is evoked regularly by poets and authors across Talliaen. Statues bearing her likeness are commonly seen at universities, theatres, and other places where poetry and literature are written and performed. It is believed that a certain amount of her essence wraps itself within the truly great works and lends to these works a heightened insight into the meaning of life, love, hate, despair, and true existence.
    Tae resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Lyraum. Lyraum is a realm that constantly changes to fit the heavenly perception of any that enter its boundaries. Tae’s chosen angels serve her here by inspiring creative thought in those possessing the abilities attributed to her. She is commonly depicted as a small female child with long, black hair, violet eyes, a very thing figure, and pale skin. Her garb is random, usually in accordance with the dress of any she appears before, except for the thick, black ring covered with gold and silver stars she wears on her right index finger.

TEHR
    Tehr is one of seven archangels created by the tears of Ereom when he foresaw the end of existence after looking into the soul of the universe. Tehr serves as the angel of peace, love, and repentance. He serves separately from Theron, the god of love, and Alara, the goddess of love, providing for the culmination of true love and commitment through adversity, perseverance, and repentance. He is considered to be a true guide for love, pushing the envelop of forgiveness, understanding, fear, hate, and emotional insecurity to develop bonds greater than what is imaginable to most mortal minds. He is unaffected by sorrow or jealousy and is therefore viewed by most mortals as a being of evil intent. Tehr always appears in a form relevant to an individual’s greatest insecurity. His true form is that of an ancient humanoid male, always the race of the one he reveals himself to, with short, white hair, aquamarine eyes, a red aura, and body length, blue wings that drag against the ground as he walks.

THAEN ALAER
    Thaen Alaer is the god of oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and bogs. He is viewed as the ruler of all creatures of water and is believed to watch over seafarers. Thaen Alaer grants safe passage through dangerous waterways, prevents coastal cities from catastrophic water storms, and allows the magic born the ability to touch the untamed magic of the sea. His breath blows the winds across the water and his anger causes the great storms of destruction that rise up from the ocean depths.
    There is a single religion associated with Thaen Alaer, Aenism. Aenists claim that Thaen Alaer is the true creator of the world. They believe that all creatures and plant life depend on water for survival and therefore are truly his creations. All things exist because of his power and the world would surely perish without him. Aenists bury their dead at sea in ship graves and offer up great wealth to their god in the form of lake hoards, large deposits of valuables compiled at a fixed position in some body of water of the worshippers choice. Thaen Alaer is respected as a powerful god, even among those that do not worship him. It is a common practice to drop coins into treacherous passages to appease him. There is an entire week offered up to Thaen Alaer, the week of free harbor. This is held the second week of Lyaes, during which all ships, commercial or privateer, have the right to sell and trade their goods without the payment of duties or fear of imprisonment. Ships are allowed to travel freely and are given leave at the end of the week.
    Thaen Alaer resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Alokoleya. Alokoleya is a world of water, filled with the hidden wonders and deadly beauty of the seas. It is a realm filled with coral reefs and crystal blue water. Any being gaining entrance into Alokoleya will transform into a mermaid or merman and will gain the ability to travel and breathe within the water. His chosen angels serve him by caring for the waterways of Talliaen and the creatures associated with them, appearing in many forms such as sprites, sea maidens, mythical beasts, and great water serpents. Thaen Alaer does not assume a humanoid form and is commonly depicted as a giant, black dolphin with bright blue eyes.

THERON
    Theron is the god of love and is regarded as the inspiration for all of the male aspects of love; sexual desire, impetuousness, and jealousy. He is believed to control sexual frustration, anger caused by the deceptions of love, and the provocations of infidelity. Theron’s touch brings emotional uncertainty, causing lovers to be moved by both love and hate for one another. He grants males the desire to love while stripping them of the ability to properly display that love. He is the dark side of love and controls all aspects of its crueler nature. Theron is compassionate toward those injured by failed love and has great animosity towards those that have caused the injuries.
    There are no religions associated with Theron and honor is seldom given to him in recognition for the accomplishments of love. He is looked on by most to be more of a detractor of love than a provider of it. He courted Alara, the goddess of love, but his advances were turned away due to the fact that he was one of heaven’s more comely gods. In an attempt to win her over he created honey and sugar and offered them to her. Alara still refused him and, hurt, he turned from her, strongly rebuking his deepest feelings. Theron pledged to forever touch lovers with the insecurity and disappointment that lie within giving one’s self over to the emotions of true love.
    Theron resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Baetol. Baetol is a world filled with the anger and hate of misplaced love. It stands upon the top of a mountain surrounded by clouds of black and white. All the cries and curses of those wounded by love make their way to Baetol and echo within the rocks and valleys filling it until they are finally consumed within a great fire that burns at the very center of the realm. Theron’s chosen angels serve him here by endowing mortals with the ability and desire to enact vengeance upon those that have betrayed the trusts of love and have in some way wronged a lover. Theron is commonly depicted as a comely, human male with a muscular build, brown hair, and brown eyes. He is always garbed in the clothes of mourning with golden chains hanging around his neck, wrists, and ankles.


TIRGAN
    Tirgan is the god of war and physical skill. He was originally a god in possession of three separate personalities, Tirgan himself being only one of those. The other two personalities, Aren, the god of rage and strength, and Eligh Leral, the god of vengeance, retribution, and wine, were strong enough to break free and become independent entities. It is believed that Tirgan bestows great power and endurance upon warriors at their birth. He is responsible for the attributes associated with physical skill and for the final outcomes of battles. It was Tirgan that swayed Ereom’s battle with Jornaum and the fallen by slaying Etryl, the dead god, while in a fit of rage.
    There is only a single religious following of Tirgan, the Jahrin. The Jahrin are fully devoted to war, serving exclusively as mercenaries to select temples. Once a year those in service to Tirgan must sacrifice the life of a foe to him or forfeit their rights as one of the Jahrin. The heads of great opponents are removed before death in order to prevent the soul from leaving the body. The head is embalmed in cedar oil to preserve it as a prison for the soul of the deceased. Some warriors, in a show of superior skill, will occasionally fight naked in an effort to humiliate their opponent. This is considered a crazed state and honored by Tirgan. The Jahrin hang captured officers and their mounts, piercing their sides with weapons so that they will bleed out. Honored soldiers are cremated, placed inside of clay pots, and buried in fields, urn fields. Red soldiers wear red, plate armor and employ a shield bearing the crest of a blazing sword piercing a golden orb.
    Tirgan resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Acias. Acias is a large war hall that only the souls of the greatest warriors are allowed to enter. The realm holds a large arena where battles take place between Tirgan’s chosen angels. Angels that win or come to a draw gain a place of importance within Acias while those that lose are sent back to start a new life upon Talliaen. Warriors that are reborn eventually grow into some knowledge of their former mortal life, or lives. Tirgan appears a giant male of enormous strength, moderate age, golden hair, and bright, green eyes.  He is an icy cold warrior adorned with blood red, plate armor, rides a black war horse, and wields a broadsword, Tonam, engulfed in blazing flames.

TRIEL-QUIEL
    Triel-Quiel is the goblin lord or troll god and is worshipped by both the troll and goblin clans as the true god. He is a god of purely evil intent and is responsible for the hideously evil nature of both the trolls and the goblins. Triel-Quiel is the combined essences of Triel, the death troll, and Quiel, the goblin lord. During the Kialle-Poryae both gods, siding with Jornaum against the heavens, were gravely injured and Quiel offered the remainder of his essence to Triel so that they both might live. After the two were joined their responsibilities and powers became shared within a single being. Triel-Quiel was exiled from the heavens and imprisoned with the rest of the fallen in Ilysias. It is believed that he brought both the trolls and the goblins into existence and is their true god. He grants them the ravaging anger, unquenched hatred, perilous greed, and strength and endurance that makes these two races among the most perilous being upon Talliaen.
    There are no formal religions associated with Triel-Quiel outside of his worship by the trolls and goblins. Goblins follow him without ceremony, taking only a life vow and promising to faithfully serve their darkest convictions for as long as they are alive. Triel-Quiel can take the life of any bound to him through this vow whenever he so chooses. Trolls honor him with an animal sacrifice offered up to him on a monthly basis. They believe that failure to appease their god through these ritual sacrifices will result in eternal torture within the Ilysian flame.
    Triel-Quiel resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Loepois. Loepois is a dark, foul smelling world of hate and despair. It is a maze of tunnels and pits with the Ilysian flame burning, fueled by the torment of lost souls, at its center. His angels serve him by spreading discontent and hatred for Talliaen’s other races through the clans of those that worship him. Triel-Quiel appears as a giant troll with deep blue eyes, a large, muscular build, and is always accompanied by a monstrous, black raven. He is armored in black plate and wields a giant, black, double bladed battle axe known as Zaejad.

URALQ
    Uralq is known as the troll demon and serves Jornaum as a slayer of mortals within the living world. He gained his fame after a deadly rise to a warlord within the troll nation. He was able to bring the various groups of trolls under a single rule and manage to spread his wrath across the known world. He aligned the trolls with the League of the Dragon and eventually submitted to the rule of the god Jornaum, in his mortal form. Uralq was granted great power through ancient magics and, after serving Jornaum’s wishes faithfully for years as the troll ruler, he was granted a demon nature after he passed from the mortal world. He is worshipped often as a god, though only a demon, and his banners bearing a black eagle before a red sun remain in use by several of the troll clans as a symbol to their ever lasting loyalty to him.

URILAN
    Urilan is known as the curse of pride and serves as the demon that is involved in all agreements between mortals and Ilysias having to do with power and dignity. He is demanding of importance, strong willed, self centered, and is driven by the desire to have success and power. Once a pact with a mortal being has been reached, Urilan will aid that mortal in the completion of his end of the deal. Though he cannot determine fate, he can influence it with subtle changes in the physical world that will favor those he has set an agreement with. He will seldom involve himself in actual physical matters and typically manipulates events from a safely hidden distance. His methods are based in the achievement of power, success, and importance as he gains his own power through them and he will push for any he is in league with to reach their goals no matter the consequences. Urilan appears as a handsome, humanoid male, with long, golden hair, blue eyes, and large wings of blue feathers that drape across the ground. He is always garbed in blue raiment and has the ability to cast fire from his hands and make himself invulnerable to ordinary damage.

VOLE
    Vole is the goddess of the future. She is one of three daughters of Eleigha, the goddess of fate, and Othrum Elendrew, the god of magic. She controls the threads of existence as they bind the present to the future. She uses her influence over the stream of time to force future events to occur one way or another as she sees fit. Vole attempts to manipulate the future, occasionally altering it, by tampering with the present to divert attention and sway perception of real events as they occur.
    There is no organized religious structure associated with Vole and no holy days as she is believed to only exist within the future. She is offered occasional tribute as mortals remain bound to her as their choices made and actions taken sway the outcomes of events that will occur.
    Vole resides in the Palace of Kalmaer with her sisters in a realm know as Awran. She remains here tending the strands of existence with the aid of her chosen angels. These angels provide her with a constant, steady stream of information gathered from the past and present to assist her in binding the present to the future correctly. Vole, bound in strands of piercing, white light, appears as a youthful female of any race with features that alter gently with each passing moment.

VOSHEM
    Voshem is the god of darkness and ruler of the night. He controls the events of the night and is commonly worshiped by intelligent beings and vocations that are traditionally associated with the dark. Voshem is at constant odds with his sister Laera-Madeas, the goddess of the sun. They share the heavens and remain in battle for supremacy over it. She chases him away each morning and he chases her away each evening, creating both night and day. Voshem is the stronger of the two during the winter months, accounting for the longer nights at that time.
    There is only a single religion associated with Voshem, Vorism. Vorists believe that their god endows them with certain powers that they are able to use at night. All religious ceremonies are held exclusively at night and all vorist temples open at sunset and close at sunrise. Any act done with the blessing of Voshem must occur in the dark or during night hours. Vorists are distinguished by a small, circular scar burned into the back of the neck, just below the base of the skull. This scar is placed by a temple priest, a voesh, at the time of one’s acceptance into temple service. The voesh has complete control over the temples activities, but has no control outside of the temple itself. The followers of Voshem always wear the color black in honor of their god. Vorists celebrate two holy nights, Evraes, on the first night of Aram, and Elraes, on the first night of Lyaes. Evraes is considered to be the death of the year, being the first night of winter. During this night, followers are expected to offer up a sacrifice; an assassination, an outlandish theft, or a like feat according to the worshipper’s occupation. Elraes is the celebration of the longest night of the year. On this night followers give an offering of prayer and praise to Voshem.
    Voshem resides in the Palace of Kalmaer in a realm known as Yawel, the great void.  Yawel is a world of darkness, a realm existing between life and death, hidden within the black of the universe with the total absence of light. It is believed that the soul must first transverse this void, as it is still attached to the body, before being allowed to continue to the Gates of the Dead. It remains invisible to the eye, defined by walls of sharp, jutting rock, treacherous pits that drop into the unknown voids of space, and hidden passages that weave through rivers and lakes of stale water. The entire realm is traveled by perception, skills that those chosen by Voshem have attuned significantly during their mortal life. Voshem appears as giant figure, a hairless, pale skinned male, his features always hidden beneath a black, hooded robe.