Races of Theril: The Dwarf

Dwarf

The firstborn of all mankind, the Dwarves were awakened while the Primordeals still moved across the face of the earth, and have endured every hardship that befell the world since then. Their wondrous halls were built with grandeur deep into the roots of mountains long before even the elves had stirred.

The Children of Stone

The Goddess Silnai breathed life into the stones of Theril, and forged them into the Dwarves as a gift to her favored lover, Terque. Dwarfkind bears Tersque likeness; they are short standing much shorter than 5ft, but are so broad and dense that they weigh as much as the taller races, such as humans, who stand 2 feet taller. Their skin is coloured similarly to stone they were raised from; ranging from a deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, with a soft brown or deep tan being the more common hue. Their hair is grown long, but is neatly kept, and tends to black or brown, with the lighter dwarves tending to have redder hair. Male Dwarves are particularly fond of their beards, which they keep well groomed, though they tend to have less hair up top.

Ancient Wars, Long Grudges

Dwarfdoms first opponents were found in the Dragons, who often competed for the same homes and resources as them. Both petitioned the children of Tersque, the dwarves earning the favor of Vaen, who taught the dwarves how to fashion arms and armour from metal. Thus began their obsession with the glittering bounty of the earth, dwarf holds being filled with the ringing hammer and pick and the roar of hot furnaces. In the end the Dwarves defeated the Dragons, but dwarves are slow to forgive, and a great distaste for their offspring, the dragonkin, is felt by most of Dwarfdom.

Craftsmanship and Ingenuity

The dwarves were not only blessed by Vaen, but also by one of his sons, Omnis. Dwarves became master of not metal but also machines, creating wondrous devices that improved their quality of life, industrial power, and combat efficiency. They looked down upon the knowledge of magic when it was revealed to all races, preferring to rely on the machinations they had come to know. Every dwarf has a natural affinity for machines, moreover they are blessed by Omnis such that machines will rarely fail in the hands of a dwarf.

Bound to the Earth

Every dwarf has a deep set connection with the earth, they draw comfort and calm from its order and stability. Many dwarves live their entire life with two feet firmly on the ground, some still never see the open sky. Those that do take to the sea and sky often describe a longing to be back on solid ground, many of these adventurous dwarves carry with them a simple stone, often referred to as a soothe stone, which they can often be seen holding and rubbing. Parents to be will often go on great pilgrimages to have their children on solid ground, and even then children who spend most of their life at sea or in the sky will still make a concerted effort to spend time on solid ground. For every dwarf, it is important to be laid to rest in contact with solid stone, even those who lived out their life away from it.

Solidarity and Loyalty

Dwarves are almost entirely self-sufficient, their clans stand separate from each other, and very little interaction occurs between them. To their clan though a dwarf is fiercely loyal, and would willingly lay down their life for their clansmen. Dwarves regard those who are not of their clan with indifference or suspicion, and it often takes up to a century for a dwarf to forge a friendship outside of their clan. This is due to the rather long lifetime of a dwarf, a dwarf can expect to see their fourth century and thus their concept of friendship is much slower than the short lived races. If a dwarf spends a fair amount of time with an organization or group, they will eventually come to consider them their clan too, and are just as loyal to their group as they were to their clan. Note that dwarves are quite singular in their loyalty, if they are loyal to some group they are such to the exclusion of all others, including their clan. Dwarves who in this way renounce their clan, will often cease to use their clan name, replacing it either with their childhood name or some nickname of their choosing.

Names and Coming of Age

A dwarf is considered 'nameless' for the first half century of their life, and will be referred to only as their fathers son or mothers daughter for male and female dwarflings respectively. During their fiftieth year, a dwarfling will have their namesday, where the dwarf will take on their clansname and choose a name for themselves. It is strictly forbidden for a dwarf to take on the name of any of their immediate family, though choosing to name themselves after an ancestor is allowed, if not encouraged. The name they take is something of a promise, a dwarf chooses a name because they strive to embody that name; so for example, if they were to take the name of an ancestor, it is an oath to walk the path that ancestor took. Also during their namesday, either their family or their clan will bestow upon the dwarfling some kind of heirloom, which can either be symbolic or practical, needless to say, this heirloom is of great value to the dwarf it is bestowed to and will be cherished. Dwarves also accumulate nicknames, as they accomplish deeds, so an older dwarf can have quite a long name if they had an illustrious career.

The Worship of the Gods

In general, dwarves only interact with a small number of gods. Every dwarf pays homage to their father Tersque, with each dwarfhold housing a large temple in his honour. Many dwarves also give homage to Venn and Omnis, for their gifts to dwarfkind can be seen all around them. Most dwarves have a distaste for Dramnet and Silicia and all fear Belough for her dark vengeance.

Dwarven Souls

It is the soul of the dwarf that binds them to stone, and is the source of their stubbornness and sense strong sense of tradition. Further every dwarf carries in their soul a blessing from Omnis, an assurance that he will watch over and protect them from the failings of Machines.

The Tongue of Stone

Dwarves claim that they were taught to speak by Tersque himself, and this claim seems to hold some truth, as the Dwarven tongue is incredibly similar the languages of both earth elementals and Dragons. It is filled with hard sounds and numerous consonance, and will often replace soft consonance like s, c and w with harder sounds like z, k, and v.

The Remaining Clans

Though for an individual dwarf, there was little impact from the breaking of the world, Dwarfkind suffered greatly. This is because many of the Dwarfholds simply ceased to exist. Only 7 holds can still be found on the face of Theril, of these one was so close to the world border almost all its clansmen have died, and three have been abandoned due to incursions. A brief description of the 7 clans is below.

Clan Irnverst. The dwarves of Clan Irnverst (Iron Fist) were masters of machines even by Dwarven standards. They built numerous hulking men of metal to perform much of their labour for them. It was because of this that many of their skilled craftsmen were found beyond the confines of their hold, as their skills were in great demand by others and a lucrative trade could be made abroad. This is fortunate, for those who were in Irnversthelm during the breaking simply did not survive. The hold is so close to the worlds edge that it spends some time outside of existence, which is known to be fatal to anything living. Few attempts have been made to recover anything in Irnversthelm, due to this threat, though many dream of the technological secrets that could be uncovered. The surviving clansmen formed a priesthood to the God Omnis, which became the Cult of the Machine. Even during the absence of the Gods, the Cult of the Machine were strong in faith, after all their gods blessings still abounded and in a world without magic and the divine their skills were of great use. The cult grew, adopting members from all races who were willing to learn of the gifts and rites of the machine.

Clan Daknsvlud. The dwarves of Clan Daknsvlud (Dragons Blood) were the 'frontline' in the war against dragonkind. Not in the sense that they defended Dwarfkind from the draconic threat, but more because their hold in particular was a target for draconic incursion. Early in their history Daknsvludhelm was discovered to house the greatest of all gemstones, the Eye of the World, a diamond of 10ft radius. The eye of the world was greatly desired by dragonkind, though the dwarves of clan Daknsvlud kept it more to spite their foe than any other reason. More than other dwarves, the Dwarves of clan Daknsvlud were proud of their mighty warriors, both alive and fallen. The priests of Daknsvuld developed an incredible technique for embalming which preserved the body perfectly. This technique was used to preserve the bodies of fallen warriors, which they then dressed in the arms and armour they used in life and placed on stone plinths all about the hold. In the eyes of the Dwarves of Daknsvlud, the corpses will act as a charm to protect the living. This was not the case. During the breaking of the world, just like everywhere on Theril, the dead awoke from their slumber, but in Daknsvludhelm the dead were limber, armed and armoured. It was a massacre, many fell as the dwarves at first attempted to hold their home. But the hordes of undead overwhelmed them, the survivors fled their ancestral home and have not returned since. Not all was lost though, the Eye of the World was saved, and was traded to Emperor Krasus for a position of honour and prestige in his new Empire. Clan Daknsvlud re-established its hold during the age of expansion, when they colonised the elemental plane of fire.

Clan Depnirn. The dwarves of Clan Depnirn (Deep Iron) were renowned for their audacity and skill at mining. Far into the earth do the mines of Depnirnhelm extend, and from these mines many of the more exotic minerals were extracted, such as Mithral, Adamentine, but most notably a unique metal found only in their mines; deep iron. Their deep mines became a curse after the Deep Dark became inhabited, soon much of the mining was forced to cease as the Dwarves of Depnirnhelm traded picks for weapons as they defended their home from the hordes of dark denizens. They became experts of fighting in the confined spaces of their deepest mines and the war lasted for millennia without any resolution. After the breaking of the world, the war subsided for a time, but then expectantly with the assistance of shades, a large Deurgar army captured Depnirnhelm, and it has yet to be recaptured. The dwarves of Clan Depnirn took refuge with their close relatives and longtime ally, the dwarves of clan Gudsfurje, until Depnirnhelm was re-established during the age of expansion on the elemental plane of earth.

Clan Brekngrun. The dwarves of Clan Brekngrun (Broken Ground) are the only other humanoid on the continent of Massalia, the home of the Naga. Brekngrunhelm did not burrow as deep into the ground like other dwarfholds, instead it was constructed at the base of a vast ravine. Unlike typical dwarvesm their cities were built upward, not down; clinging to the walls of the vast ravine. This allowed them to better access to the river that flowed through Brakngrunhelm, a most valuable resource indeed in the dry deserts of Massalia. Like the lands the Dwarves of Clan Brekngrun grew hardy and resilient, during the breaking of the world, though the land of Massalia was shaken they were not perturbed. Yet, the Naga grew more aggressive and what was once a minor boarder skirmish became a deesperate war. Worse still, the river began to dry. The dwarves of clan Brekngrun decided to cut their losses and migrated away from their ancestral home on a fleet of great airships, a Brekngrun invention. The dwarves of clan Brekngrun rebuilt their home among the peeled rock. A vast field where the ground has curled up in vast spires. Their new home is windy, as they have carved their home into the peels and the wind howls through them. Everything they need is drawn from thin air, as they have constructed strange devices that can extract moisture from the clouds that pass through the spires.

Clan Gudsfurje. The dwarves of Clan Gudsfurje (God's Forge) were greatly blessed by Venn, for it was in their hold that the god of metals built the first forge. It is a vast structure, fueled by molten rock extracted deep within the earth and infused with divine energies. Their exports of Gudsfurjehelm are considered second to none, for the blacksmiths and founders of Clan Gudsfurje have incredible skill, and nowhere else in Theril has such a mighty foundry been built. Long has Gudsfurje had strong ties to their neighbours, Clan Deonirn, for they would supply their fore with the rarest of metal ores, from which the most potent of allows could be built. After the breaking, the magic of the forge failed, but that did failed to stop the fires of industry in Gudsfurje. After the gods war, the Metals Machine was brought to Gudsfurjehelm, and once more the great Gods Forge produces the and rarest of allows, particularly as new ores are being discovered on the other plains.

Clan Stunriz. The dwarves of Clan Stunriz (Stone Rise) are an oddity amongst their own kind, forgoing the typical architecture and building style of their people and instead building their hold upon Therils Surface. Stunrizhelm was the first city to be built on Therils surface, and became somewhat of a model on city construction. The dwarves of Clan Stunriz were desired by their neighbors for their skills in quarrying, architecture terraforming. They tackled problems that normal dwarves did not, like how to provide water to all residents, and the safe disposal of waste, and their solutions of both technology and design have become staples for most cities. Stonrizhelm is the largest and most heavily fortified city on Therils surface, it’s walls never being all but impenetrable and the hold can survive indefinitely under siege.

Clan Frustherth. The dwarves of Clan Frustherth (Frost Hearth) are more isolated then their other brethren, their home being north of Irnversthelm, deep in the frozen wastes. Here their ownly regular contact outside of their clan are roving bands of Frost Giants and orcs. Their home is simple, even by dwarven standards. Further, the dwarves of Frustherthhelm are a people of few words and plain ways, often leaving them the subject of derision by others. That said they are master of the cold, an expedition into the frozen wastes is considered suicided without the aid of a Frustherth guide. After the breaking The frozen wastes proximity to the Words Edge caused the appearance of many strange and useful resources, over which Clan Frustherth have maintained a monopoly.

Dwarf Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Dwarves age at a similar rate to humans, but are considered adults at the age of 50 and generally live well into their fourth century.

Alignment. Dwarves value community above the self and tend towards order and away from individuality. They hold long grudges though and towards destruction.

Size. Standing between 4 and 5 feet, dwarves are much broader and dense then other races typically weighing about 150 pounds on average. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armour.

Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 each time you gain a level.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Dwarvish.

Clan Dwarf

These proud and noble dwarves have maintained their commitment to their clans though many trials, and heve not fallen ill of the taint. Their appearance varies depending on which clan they are in.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Clan Trait. You gain the following benefit depending on your choice of clan.

Clan Irnverst. You have proficiency with tinker's tools

Clan Daknsvlud. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, light hammer, warhammer, and heavy crossbow .

Clan Depnirn. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Clan Brekngrun. You have proficiency with vehicles (airship)

Clan Gudsfurje. You have proficiency with smith's tools

Clan Stunriz. You have proficiency with mason's tools

Clan Frustherth. You have resistance to cold damage

Molten Dwarf

In the depths of the earth there are pockets of corruption that twist the dwarves to burning rage. Dwarves who become corrupted by the Malign are cast out of their clans as they cease to be stable and reliable. These corrupted dwarves are hateful and aggressive and possess powers of fire. Their flesh becomes like copper, they loose their hair and their heads spew forth fire constantly.

Molten dwarves are, in general, much more aggressive then their kin, and are incredibly unstable. Their clans will always ostracise a molten dwarf, leading to their nickname; the clanless. Molten dwarves are found most often deep underground, where they have established their own communities around malign sources.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Flaming Skull. You give of illumination as if targeted by the Light spell and you have resistance to fire damage. The light cannot be concealed, when making Dexterity (Stealth) checks to not be seen roll with disadvantage.

Burning Arcana.  You know the fire bolt cantrip. Charisma is your spell casting ability for it.

Spit Fire. You can use your action to exhale fire in a 15 foot cone. When you spit fire, each creature in the affected area must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is equals 8 + your Charisma Modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use this ability, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Malignant. When making  Charisma (Deception), Charisma (Persuasion) or Charisma (Performance) checks against creatures without this trait you do not add your proficiency bonus.

A map of Theril

The lands of Theril is a great spherical cut out of a larger world. Most of the lands were part of a single continent, ruled by the old Therisian Empire. A small sliver of a neighboring continent known as Massalia also survives within the silver mists. Massalia is a inhospitable land, and the home of the Naga.

When the world broke the seas rose greatly, flooding some of the land, from this formed the shallow sea, filled with numerous small islands and treacherous waters. The Therisian Empire also collapse as the capitol was consumed by water.

The humans that once inhabited that empire forged several new kingdoms. The kingdom of Austrel ruled by the dual divine monarchs of Helm the Guardian and Herm the Messenger, daughters of Pelos. The kingdom of Karnolt ruled by Arthun the Benevolant King, son of Shais.

From an assortment of northern races, including the displaced dwarved of Depinirnhelm and the arcane elves of the moon spire, formed the Phernian empire. The rulers of the Phernian empire became members of the anti-theotic movement, banning the worship of the gods that destroyed the world, and rounding up their legacy, magical items, to be destroyed.

A loose collection of cities that were particularly effected by the soul plague as it was once the seat of powerful mages, formed a loose collective known as the cities of the burning coast. In the islands of the Shallow Seas, merchant cities were formed, reliant on trade, they build vast trading fleets. The islands of the Shallow Seas are ruled by plutocratic republics, voting being done by candidates placing an initial bid, and getting others to vote by paying coins. The bids and votes forming the elects budget for their portfolio.

In the lands known as Selnor, a peoples revolt occurred, with a government form by representatives from each village forming parliament. The people of Selnor shun the traders  of the Shallow Sea, and as a sign of defiance to them forgo currency in general.

The island of Frustinel in the north is devoid of human life, but does have a a dwarven clan, and roaming ferals.

Alternate Subraces: An Introduction

In Theril their are a number subraces that can be taken instead of the subraces specific to each race. These reflect conditions or differences which effect all races equal, unlike the malign which warps races differently.

Attuned. Some feel the pull of the distant elemental planes, these are the attuned. They carry within themselves a small elemental essence which allows them to manifest minor powers. Those attuned with the plane of elemental fire are called Jinn, those attuned with the plane of elemental water are called Undine, those attuned with the plane of elemental earth are called Oread, those attuned with the plane of elemental air are called Sylph, those attuned with the plane of elemental life are called Saryph, and those attuned with the plane of elemental death are called Grymm.

Enduring. Those who have been afflicted with undeath, but have yet to become mindless are called the Enduring. They are known as this as maintaining sentience as an undead is a feat of endurance. Those who loose their purpose, or those who experience too much pain or lose inevitable give up there faculties, becoming harrowed shells of their former selves. The enduring are describe by two types; the Fetch, incorporeal spirits who have not been consumed by the plane of death but maintain their personalities, and the Draug who retain their corpse forms, often appearing almost as they did in life.

Diseased. There are many diseases in Theril, many mundane but some supernatural. Some diseases allow their victims to leave for extended periods of time without crippling them; though their effects are still pronounced. Most common is the Soulflame plague that struck down spellcasters (both divine and arcane) during the breaking of the world. The plague continues in those without power in their soul who was exposed to the tangle flames that were extruded by casters, The infect react poorly to the presence of arcane magic, releasing bursts of multi hued fire when struck struck by magic. Much more sinister is the appearance of the Faceless after the breaking, their lower faces being reformed as tentacles and a lamprey-like mouth. Those infected do develop the ability to communicate via telepathy as well as an ability to unleash a damaging scream

Merges. A range of, often useful, parasites exist in Theril. In some cases people seek out the parasites to improve themselves, other times it is an accident when they get exposed. It is often unclear whether it is the host or the parasite that is actual the seat of sentience in the creature. An Elan is someone who has accepted the Elan into their very soul. The Elan is a strange and massive being which is neither corporeal or ethereal, it simply exists, some scholars suggesting it exists outside of the cosmos as known. Those who have merged with the Elan no longer need to sleep, and can often heal themselves by force of will by siphoning energy from their soul. They are constantly followed by a strange music, a calling from the Elan through them into the world. Those who allow crystalline memory into there bodies become Shardminds. Even a small sliver will find it's way into the brain, where it consumes the memories of the host. In exchange the host gains access to the memories locked within the crystal, learning ancient mysteries. Finally there is a strange stain of worms which have the incredible ability to reknit the flesh of any organism it abides within. The Wyrmfleshed as they are known are incredibly endurable and often impossible to kill, though it is also associated with a love of spoiled food and carrion.

Races of Theril: An Introduction

Here we present a brief description of the races available to the PCs in Theril. We will be fleshing out the races and their stats in the future but for now a brief description of each race will suffice.

Dwarves.  The children of stone, created by Silnai in the image of Tersque. The dwarves are the oldest of the races in Theril, wandering the world before many of the gods were even born. Making their homes in great halls beneath the earth, it was inevitable that some would be exposed to malignance, transforming them into fiery fiends.

Dragonkin. These dragons gave up their power to be rid of the eternal recycling of the soul afflicted on dragonkind, taking on the form of mortals. Renowned diplomats, the dragon kin have mastered the true tongue; a language without falsehood.

Elves. Created by Nyph to tend to the forests. Elves experienced a schism in ages past, many leaving the forest to pursue Mysth's blessing. Those who remained are known as Guardians, those who left became known as Arcane. Some Arcane elves built their home in lands tainted with malignance, which corrupted their form; these elves are known as the Fallen.

Halflings. Created by Vilken, these small humanoids are famous for their luck. It was the halflings who first tilled the earth and domesticated beasts to feed their kin. Others lead lives on the rivers of Theril living as nomads. Others still fell to malignancy, becoming whispers on the wind.

Gnomes. These absent minded creatives were created by Charlim. Obsessed with the new sensations, they are far too befuddled to lead themselves, instead relying on their halfling friends to support them. In return gnomes did what came naturally to them, producing wondrous inventions and alchemical solutions to support their allies. Gnomes who tinker in malignance are twisted, becoming toxic to the touch.

Deurgar. Created by Belough in the image of dwarves. Deurgar are suspicious of all around them, to the point that they do not sleep. Their minds are scared by this delerium but it has some benifit, as Belough granted them the gift to share this insanity with others.

Drow. Created by Belough in the image of elves, the drow are a twisted reflection of the elves. Where elves see nature as beauty, drow see everything around them as exploitable. There society is one powered by coercion, gaining dominance in the dark below. Before the breaking there were some refugees that sought sanctum on the surface though, these drow have had their connection Belough broken.

Arachne. Where the halflings are blessed with good the Chitines are obsessed with misfortune. These spider like creations of Belough enjoy inflicting and observing the suffering of other. The males of the race are substantially are typically smaller then the females, who have powerful bites.

Goblins. In the image of the gnomes Belough created these morbidly curios critters. Goblins love to understand how living things work by taking them apart and seeing how they work. The goblins are ruled by the keenly intelligent grey skins, who have produces via selective breeding a servile race of green skins.

Mirrorlings. Created by Olimick, these shapeshifters lead lives of duplicity and deception. While some hide there powers, living a lie even to themselves. Others ply their innate skills as spies and thieves, or even traders who are never outsiders. Living their lives as lies cause them to also contemplate truth. Changelings lead their lives in a constant search for who they truly are.

Naga. The Naga were created by Shissa to be rugged survivors in lands left untouched by others. These serpentine humanoids lack a language, communicating with a complex language of gestures and pheromones, with regional sub-languages suited to their terrain. They posses a strict system of honour which binds the clans together. Those that get corrupted by malignance become terrifying figures with fleshy skin over their scales and a venomous bite.

Orcs. Risen from the bloody battle fields of the first war between the underdenizens and the surface dwellers by Orgrum. The orcs are a blood thirsty people who revel in combat and war. The Moruk are the most prevelent of the orcs, tall and savage. The Gretch are weedier then their brethren, where as the Ogres are much larger then the orcs and empowered with malignance they are locked in constant self struggle between their two heads.

Humans. Created by Shais in response to her brothers creation of the orcs. Humans were made with a love of peace in their hearts, and they gave worship to the gods in a way that attracted multitudes of blessings across different regions. When exposed to malignance humans loose their hair and their skin purples, those born tainted have horns hand tails.

Ferals. The ferals were once humans who were deceived by Olimick that the only way to find peace was to wage war. Shais was crushed by their betrayal and revoked from them her blessings. No longer capable of knowing true love or peace, the betrayers waged even more furious war. This attracted Ogrums attention, and in exchange for worship twisted the the ferals into animistic forms.

Alignments in Theril

In the world of Theril there is no intrinsic concept of absolute good and evil, as it is presented in other settings. But then how would spells and effects like protection against evil or detect evil and good function?

In the setting instead of your abstract measure of good and evil being tested by such spells it is your opinion on three important questions that can be measured; is it right to adhere to order, is it right to hold the individual above the collective, is it right to destroy what you consider foul. For each question you can be for, against or neutral and spells and effects that once targeted the traditional good v evil or law v chaos axis can instead can test a particular question, and effect a particular non-neutral opinion.

Note that none of these questions necessarily have a 'right' or intrinsically 'good' answer. Those who are for order could be noble paladins or cruel tyrants,those against it freedom fighters or brutal hordes. Those who are for Individuality could be the wise sage who seeks their own path or the selfish thief who considers only themselves, those who oppose it the town guard or a leader who strips the free will of their people. Those who are for destruction could be an order of knights sworn to rid the world of the undead scourge or the blood thirsty horde who wish only to see the world burn, those who oppose it could be peace-bound monks, or an entrenched council who refuse to throw away old ways.

Those who are neutral on a topic are people who either have no strong opinion on the matter, have rapidly changing opinions on the matter, or who have contradicting views on the matter.

Deities of Theril Part 3

The Younger Deities
Less powerful then the elder deities, the younger deities domains were already in existence. Their powers were still influencial in the development of Theril, though perhaps not so much as their parents.

Nyph, Goddess of the Wilderness
The daughter of Mysth and Arbus, Nyph is a shy goddess who kept mostly to herself. As a gift to her father, she awoke from the trees the elves to tend to her father's forests. Nyph hides away in the distant places of the world, though many worship her, particularly the wood elves. Nyph did not have a god child until the world was old, bringing forth Waifaugh, the god of travel. Nyph had many Demi-god children amongst the elves and humans, Of note Elphame, Queen of the Seelie Court. Like the demi-god children of Arbus and Parn; Nyph's demi-god children gave up their divinity and became the Fey.

Shissa, Goddess of Reptiles
The daughter of Dramnet and Parn, Shissa rules over the reptiles of Theril. Already among the most rugged of all beasts Shissa intervened in here charges and sculpted them into the most formidable of all beasts. To protect his interests, Parn struck down the great reptiles, and Shissa never again strove to such ambitions. Her next creations, the Naga, were scattered across Theril to the most hostile places, where they strengthened themselves. Shissa had no god-children, but did bring have four demi-naga children, each ruling over a different sept of Naga; The Dust lord of the Desert Sept, The Blossom lord of the Jungle Sept, The Constrictor lord of the Marsh-Sept and The Distant Echo lord of the Mountain Sept.

Belough, Goddess of Caverns
Borne out of deception, when Charis took on the guise of Silnai and courted Tersque. A spiteful and petty goddess, Belough inhabits the vast networks of caverns beneath Theril. Their she created all manner of creatures, chief among them were the dark races; the drow, deurgar, goblins and chitines. Each a corrupted and twisted image of an over world race. Belough forged a strong alliance with her mother Charis, which ostracised her from the other deities, and as she drives her creations to great hatred of their over world brethren, she is worshiped only in the deep-dark. Belough had no god-children, but did have four demi-children. Nera'zin the Tainted; a demi-drow who is greatly infused with the malign energies that can be found deep within the earth, Scarlith the Vermin-Lord; a demi-chitine, Jakka the Suicidal; a Goblin who wishes only to end his life but no attempt can be successful, and finally Durkov the Enslaved; a demi-durgaur with the unfortunate power to grant others the power to control his actions and the actions of his kin.

Olimik, God of Trickery child of Charis and Mysth
With the success of her first child, Charis sought out another, this time taking the guise of Pelos and courting Mysth. The child, Olimik, was not as subservient as his sister, and he serves no other deity. Olimik is a force of chaos among the divine. His prised creation; the mirrorlings, were made to bring that chaos into Theril, unannounced and unbeknownst, the mirrorlings infiltrated the societies of the world. He had no god-chitildren but had a few demi-god children. Ri the Beguiler; a smooth-tongue demi-mirrorling, Alton the Acquisitioner; a demi-halfling and master thief, Arpil the Prankster; a demi-gnome who lives for the inconvenience of others, and Grima the Silver-tongued; a demi-human with a talent for political intrigue.

Nurlin, Goddess of Pestilence and Disease
After the failure of her son, tried for one last child, this time courting Silnai in the guise of Tersque. Nurlin is a strange being, she breaths pestilent and death all across Theril, but to her she is giving a gift to the creatures below. She creates each plague with the enthusiasm of a masterful chef, and nurtures them in the world like a caring mother. She hates Pelmyt bitterly, for he slays her beloved creations and deprives the mortals of her gifts. Those who met her report that she was surprisingly jovial, well at least those who lived long enough to report on the goddess. She had no God-Children, and no Demi-God children either, the latter particularly due to the fact that no mortal could spend enough time in her presence to bear child before perishing. How-ever; during the breaking a corpse was awoken that bore her divinity, perhaps someone who had perished during the act of creating a demi-god with her. The creature named itself Brahm the Vampire, who made it his mission to spread it's infection and bring mortals closer to the promise of immortality through illness.

Obsimagh, God of Knowledge
The son of Mysth and Pelos, Obsimagh is a detached god with little care for the struggles of the world. Obsimagh was stirred to action by Shais' passion, and together brought forth Mial, the God of Art and Music. Obsimagh was loyal to his divine lover even if that loyalty was not returned, hence he had no further children

Caresh, Goddess of Emotion
The daughter of Mysth and Pelos, Caresh is as passionate as her elder is uncaring. She spent much of time trying to convince her brother to take an interest in the world. She had twin god-children with Firas; Shais, the Goddess of Love and Ogrum the God of War, and with Silnai brought forth Yasar. It is rumoured that Caresh inspired her daughter Shais to woo Obsimagh in an get him to engage in the world, though this has never been confirmed. Caresh had two demi-god children: Nasim Nurturer; a demi-human who wandered Theril attending to the emotional state of others and Cathlyn the Mother; a demi-human.

Omnis, God of Machines
The son Vaen and Mysth, as Vaens first son he felt he felt he too should honour Vaens bond with the Dwarves, blessing their kind with ingenuity and good fortune. When Charlim created his own race; the gnomes, he also gave them many blessings. Omnis had no god children but a few demigod children: Magnum the Battle-Smith; a demi-dwarf, Ralth the Tinkerer; a demi-gnome, Grilgic the Junker; a demi-gnome and Tharildon the Artificer; a demi-elf.

Charlim, God of Alchemy
The son of Vaen and Mysth, Charlim is a curious and insightful god. Charlim desired a mortal race, and hence created the gnomes in his own image. Charlim means well, but often he is far to absent minded to achieve any long term goals. Charlim had no god children but a few demi-god children: Garl the Apothecary; a demi-gnome, Charlten the Brewer; a demi-dwarf, and Tar'kin the Poison-crafter; a demi-drow.

Pelmyt, God of Healing
The son of Silnai and Pelos, Pelmyt above all the gods cared for the mortals of Theril. Pelmyt has a particular hatred for Nurlin, and endeavors to destroy her creations at every chance. Pylmyt is almost universally worshiped by the surface races of Theril, and his priests represent the the primary healers of most communities. Pelmyt did not have god-children, but had numerous demi-god children. Pelmyt's demi-human children are: Yesurel the Martyr; who sacrificed his own divinity to restore Silnai during the breaking, and Illumel the Purifier; who's very voice could remove curses. Pelmyt had a demi-elf child, Telrel the Mystic; a wild elf who's pressence healed natures wounds. Pelmyt also fathered The Aloe Brush the Herbelist; a Demi-naga who fashioned cures from the planets of the jungles, and Churel the Surgeon; a Demi-Goblin.

Vilken, Goddess of Luck
The daughter of Selus and Pelos, Vilken is a flighty and fickle goddess. Vilken created the halfling race in her own image, and has bestowed upon her creations a greater blessings compared to those given to other races. Vilken courted Vaen and brought forth Wolpur, the God of Health and had a few demi-god children: Mathun the Gambler; a Demi-Halfling, Tavelhan the Fate-Spinner; a Demi-Dragonkin, and Mallif the Hex-giver; a Demi-Chitine.

Shais, Goddess of Love
The daughter of Firas and Caresh, Shais is just as passionate as her mother. Shais is not just the Goddess of Love, but also the primary force for peace among the pantheons, even though some of the greatest wars to strike the deities was caused indirectly from her actions or creations. Shais did not have a God-Child until the world was growing old, bringing forth Mial, God of Arts and Music. Shais though had numerous demi-human children; Marsus, the Great Host, Matrim the Gresat Binder, Telvany the Seductress, Healtar the Diplomat, Arthun the Benevolent King, Nasim the Caring, and Elenor the Pacifist.

Orgrum, God of War
The son of Firas and Caresh, Orgrum was borne disfigured by the meddling of Olimik. Shais found her brother repugnant, not just for his domain, but also because of his disfigurement. Shais drove her brother away, and he hid in the vast caverns of Belough, brooding. His presence drove the undercreatures to greater blood lust, and they poured out on the surface and waged bloody war, and from the blood soaked battle fields Ogrum created the Orcs. Orgrum had no god children but did bring forth some demigod children. The Demi-Orcs; Mork the Brutal and Morgar the Berserker. He also had a Demi-Human; Konnard the Strong.

Mial, God of Art and Music
The son of Shais and Obsimagh, Mial seemed to inherit both his mother's passion and his father's detachment. He loved his followers, and would bless them regularly, temples built to him would often be found with amazing works of art suddenly appearing. He was constantly trying to perfect and improve his works, and though his mortal followers admired his works as perfection, as suddenly as his works appeared the may suddenly disappear. Yet he cared little for the events of the other deities, having no god-children. Further Mial did not participate in the Breaking, simply riding it out on Theril. Mial was too obsessed with his works to have the time for demi-god children, though he maintains that he simply has yet to find a mortal worthy to take as a lover.

Waifaugh, God of Travel
The son of Nyph and Pelos, even before Joil forced the Gods to take on their avatar forms, would be found always wandering Theril and admiring it's beauty. Waifaugh had no God-Children but numerous demi-god children from a all races. Many of them perished during the breaking, as the lands they wandered simply disappeared, that said a keeper of a some isolated shrine, the hermit in some distant cave, the knowledgeable guide or the hermit in the street, all of these have the potential to be a demi-god child of Waifaugh.

Wolpur, God of Wealth
The son of Vilken and Vaen, Wolpur is a self-interested deity, who rarely delt with the other gods, preffering to deal with mortals with whom he always had an advantage in negotiations. He had no God-Children, and had only two Demi-God children, both were formed to secure important favours. The first, Torin the Merchant; a demi-human, and the second Mal the Fraudulent; a Demi-Changeling.

Yonet, Goddess of the Harvest
The daughter of Arbus and Silnai, Yonet rules over the domain of plants cultivated by the mortals. Yonet protects the crops from the works of Nurlin, and favours in particular the Halflings who ply her craft, though it is unclear why. She had no children of any kind, as during the Age of avatars Yonet was far too focused on her garden, which was sadly lost during the breaking.

Yasar, Goddess of Dreams
The youngest of all the Deities, and it is only fitting that Silnai was to have the last child. Caresh had hoped that a third child may quell the distaste between her children, but alas Yasar had little care for the worlds of mortal or gods. Yasar had a kindred spirit in Obsimagh, to the point that Yasar attempted to court Obsimagh. The god of knowledge declined such an advance. During the age of Wandering, Yasar discovered a way to break free of her Avatar form, though only in the dreams of Mortals. During the breaking her avatar form was destroyed, and she has remained trapped in the world of dreams.

Deities of Theril Part 2

The Elder Deities

The elder deities are not as powerful as the Primordeals, but still have the powers of creation. The concepts they represent exist in the world solely by their existence, and without them Theril would be a very different place.

Selus, Goddess of the Moon

First born of the Deities, Selus is the daughter of Silnai and Tersqu. Selus was effected by Kerthos' curse and was of two minds, one striving to bring light to the world and the other to plunge it in eternal darkness. She eventually tore herself asunder, creating Caris the Goddess of Darkness, but still they fought and from their wounds created Mysth, goddess of Magic. Selus, Caris and Mysth share markedly similar appearances, and their powers filled the void around Theril creating the Ethereal and Shadow co-planes. Selus never fully recovered from the fighting, and her power constantly waxes and wanes, represented by the phases of the Moon. Selus together with Pelos brought forth Wilken, Goddess of Luck. Selus had a few demigod children: Lupa, the Lycenthrope; a demi-human who had the power to transform into beasts beneath the full moon and 'shared' this power with the mortals of Theril. Luna, the Mad; a demi-elf who is more than spreading her disposition amongst the mortal races. Finally there was Greya, the Time-Keeper, who taught the mortals how to count days, and names all the years.

Caris, Goddess of Darkness

She was originally born as an aspect of Selus, and became a deity in her own right when Selus tor herself asunder. Caris deeply hates Selus, and does everything in her power to reduce her influence. Driven back by the combined powers of Selus and Mysth, Caris has spent much of her time on the fringes, hiding in the dark places of the world she plots her revenge. Caris deceived many gods, courting Tersque in the guise of Silnai and bringing forth Belough, goddess of Caverns, courting Silnai in the guise of Tersque and bringing forth Nurlin, Goddess of Pestilence, and courting Mysht in the guise of Pelos, bringing forth Olimik, God of Trickery. Caris has a strong relationship with her daughters, and they work together closely. Olimik on the other hand serves only his own interests. Caris stole the secrets of magic from Mysth as she courted her, and has created shadow magic, a secret hidden from the other gods. Also in secret, Caris stole some of the power of Kerthos and created the Shades, a powerful race which she plans to use to whip out all life on Theril. Caris' demigod children are: Merina, the Mistress of Shadows; a Demi-Shade who held great mastery over the Shadow magic of Caris and Missa the Lady of Sorrows; a Demi-Human who spreads sorrows and loss. 

Mysth, Goddess of Magic

Formed from the fighting between Caris and Selus, Mysth is turned out to be quite a powerful deity, she removed Karsus' curse on Selus and by siding with Selus forced Caris into a retreat. Mysth created and maintains the weave of magic, and taught the mortal races the art of its use. Unwittingly, Mysth together with Caris brought forth Olimik, God of Trickery. She also brought forth Nyph, Goddess of the Wilderness with Arbus, Obsimagh, God of Knowledge and Caresh Goddess of Emotions with Pelos and Omnis, God of Machines and Charlim, God of Alchemy with Vaen. Mysth had eight demi-god children, each blessed with mastery over a particular school of magic: Liavol the Evoker; a Demi-Elf, Darthzim the Abjurer; a Demi-Dragonkin, Halfrin the Conjurer; a Demi-Elf, Erlos the Diviner; a Demi-Human, Ria the Enchanter; a Demi-Changeling, Dimel the Illusionist; a Demi-Gnome, Skaros the Necromancer, a Demi-Human. 

Arbus, God of Plants

The son of Silnai and Tersque, Arbus moved upon the face of Theril and brought forth in all places the first forms of life, Plants. First the grasses then the shrubs and then the trees and the flowers. Arbus loved the beauty of all his creations, but it was the majesty of the trees that he loved the most. Stout and strong, with great strength and equally beauty, the trees of Arbus were well blessed. Arbus wooed Mysth and brought forth Nyph, Goddess of the Wilderness, and his only child brought forth from his trees the Elves to tend his forests. Arbus also courted Silnai, bringing forth Yonet, the Goddess of Harvest. Arbus had many demi-god children, particularly among the elves and humans, of greatest note is Fandrom, the Tree-Shepherd. Like the demi-god children of Parn and Nyph; Arbus' demi-god children gave up their divinity and became the Fey.

Parn, God of Beasts

The son of Silnai and Tersque, Parn got on well with his brother Arbus, and created many beings to interact with his plants. The god of Beast was a cruel one though, he pit all his creations against one another in a mad struggle for survival, where only the strongest survived. Parn and Drumnet together brought forth Shissa, the Goddess of Reptiles. Parn had many Demi-god children, particularly among the elves and humans, though none are sufficiently well known. Like the demi-god children of Arbus and Nyph; Parn's demi-god children gave up their divinity and became the Fey.

Pelos, God of the Sun

The son of Silnai and Firas, Pelos more than any other god took up Silnai's role as the bringer of light to Theril. His daily journey across the sky brings light and nourishment too all life, and often Pelos is worshiped above Selus for this fact. At the very least, Pelos is offered lip service by surface dwelling races, though many will have dedicated temples and priesthoods to him as he is known as a dutiful and responsive deity. Pelos brought forth Obsimagh, the God of Knowledge and Caresh, Goddess of Emotions with Myst, Pelmyt, God of Healing with Silnai and Vilken, Goddess of Luck with Selus. The Demi-God children of Pelos are numerous, and of an assortment of races. Referred to collectively as the shining hosts, all but two perished during the breaking of the world; Herm the Messenger, the Demi-Halfling charged with rallying the other gods, and Helm the Guardian, a Demi-Human who was left on Theril to protect it. 

Posida, God of the Sea

The son of Silnai and Wayith child of Silnai and Wayith, and as his eldest son, Posida claimed dominion over the largest bodies of water on Theril, and filled it with a myriad of life. Telor is responsible for stealing water from Posida and takes it to the land, this greatly displeases Posida, and in order to placate him, Nalar returns much of the water that is taken. Posida had no god children, but did have two Demi-Elf children; Tyrion the King of the Deep and Moes the Tide Caller.

Nalar, God of Rivers

The son of Silnai and Wayith, and infact Wayiths youngest child, Nalar often acts as an intermediary between the children of water. Nalar placates Posida's malcontent by returning much of the water that was stolen by Telor or held by Frigaes. Nalar's calm and predictable nature, especially when compared to the other children of Water, made him quite popular with the mortals of Theril. Nalar had no god children or demi-god children

Telor, Goddess of Weather

The daughter of Wayith and Auria, Telor is a wild and unpredictable goddess. Telor is the bane of Posida, stealing from him whenever she can. Telor is greatly feared and admired by mortals, she is unpredictable and wild, but at the same time crucial to life. Telor, together with Frigaes, created the Giants, her favoured becoming known as storm giants. Telor had no god children, but had a demi-god child, Keus of the Thunder, a Demi-Giant. 

Frigaes, Goddess of Cold

The daughter of Wayith and Auria, Frigeas was unhappy about Posida's dominion over almost all the water on Theril. Thus she hoards as much of Theril's waters as she can. It is Pelos who began to stop her advance, and their eternal struggle began, as their powers waxed and waned the seasons were created. Frigaes had no god children, but had two demi-god children; Evars the Mountain Lord, a demi-giant and Charst the Winter Queen, a demi-human.

Vaen, God of Metals

The son of Tersque and Firas, Vaen moved about the depths of Theril and caused the earth to bring forth ores and minerals. Vaen supported the dwarves in the great dragon wars, teaching them the art of crafting with metal. He also built for them a mighty forge, around which clan Gudsforje was founded. Vaen had two children with Mysth; Omnis the God of Technology and Charlim the God of Alchemy, and with Vilkan brought forth Wolpur, the God of Wealth. Vaen had numerous children who are collectively referred to as the Warforged, most perished during the breaking.

Silicia, Goddess of Gems

The Daughter of Tersque and Firas, Silicia also traveled the depths of theril and spread her bounty in the earth. Silicia supported the dragons in the great dragon wars, binding the skin in scales as hard as crystal. Silicia had no god children, and three demi-god children; Charhn the Emerald Drake; a demi-dragon, Glithern the hoarder; a demi-gnome and Silmar the Crystal Grower; a demi-elf. 

Dramnet, Goddess of Dragons

The daughter of Auria and Tersque, Dramnet is a cruel and fickle goddess. She created the dragons from the stones of the earth and then immediately abandoned them to their own devices. So frugel is she that the first generation of dragons held the souls that would be reused for all time. Each new dragon egg would tax the souls of their parents, who could only restore themselves by slaying a fellow member of their kind. This eternal cycle of death and birth forced a group of dragons to break the cycle, by taking on a humanoid form and appealing to Silnai to give them mortal souls, this breakaway group became known as the Dragonkin. Of the dragons many petitioned Silicia for aid, becoming the Cromatic dragons and saught to destroy dwarfkind, others sought an uneasy alliance with the dwarves though, and instead petitioned Vaen. Dramnet, together with Parn bought forth Shissa the Goddess of Reptiles. Dramnet had many demi-dragon children; one to lead each of the dragon-wings, she also had a demi-naga, The Dragon the Lord of Chiefs, who was the only leader of all the Naga until he disappeared during the breaking of the world, as well as countless demi-mortals who served as her protectors during the Age of Wandering.

Pharloh, God of Badlands

The son of Tersque and Auria, Pharloh is a harsh and unforgiving god. Over the lands devoid of life he rules, punishing those who trespass in his domain. Pharloh has an alliance of sorts with Shissa, who’s creations he allows to prosper in his harsh domains, but there little life takes hold. Pharloh seeks to expand his domain at every chance, growing his deserts and dry crags. Pharloh had no god-children, but had two demigod children, the Cricket Hermit; a demi-naga and Xanath the Defiler, a demi-human.

Deities of Theril Part 1

The Gods of the Gods
These are the most powerful beings in the cosmos. Each have the ability to unweave reality itself, and in the end are to the other deities, what deities are to mortals.

The Gamaester
This mysterious being first created the Astral Plane, and from it awoke Joil. He also awoke Firas, Wayith, Tersque, Auria, Jerthos and Silnai from their respective elemental planes. The Gamaester has had no further interaction with the world since then, and is hardly heard of, let alone worshiped by mortals.

Joil, the Overbeing
Joil is the master of the Astral plane, and the one who created the elemental planes. Joil is a being of order, who attempts to control the chaos of the lesser deities. Joil despises Theril, as it was not part of the original design, and hence accepts no mortal followers. Active discouragement of worship has lead the mortals Theril to not worship this strange being.

The Primordial Deities
The Primordial Deities, often refered to as the Primordials, were awakened from the 6 Elemental Planes. Together they danced and created Theril, and also birthed new gods. They are deities of great power, and have control over the very stuff that the mortal world is built from. Joil imprisoned them on their own planes, but the influence of the Primordeals is still felt across the pantheon and the mortal realm.

Firas, Goddess of Fire
Awoken from the plane of fire, and contributed greatly to the early construction of Theril, but an argument with Wayith brought an end to her contribution. Firas was blessed with numerous children; birthing Pelos together with Silnai, the twins Vaen and Silicia with Tersque and the twins Shais and Ogrum with Caresh. Firas is all about duality, fire grants the power to create but also destroys, this is also reflected in her children, with Firas have twins that share similar, but opposite natures

Wayith, God of Water
Awoken from the plane of water, Wayith refused to contribute so long as Firas took an active role in the creation of Theril. This argument eventually caused Firas to withdraw, and Wayith spread water across the the face of Theril. Wayith had few children; birthing Posida and Nalar with Silnai and Telor and Frigaes with Auria. Wayith is patient, willing to wait for his plans to come to fruition, and yet ever changing.

Tersque, God of Earth
Awoken from the plane of earth, Tersque contributed greatly to the construction of Theril, impart due to a competition with Auria, and also due to the help of Silnai. His efforts were greatly regarded as he had many children; Birthing Selus, Caris, Mysth, Arbus and Parn with Silnai, the Twins Vaen and Silicia with Firas, Dramnet and Pharlor with Auria and Belough with Caris. Tersque is proud and unyielding, but also single-minded in his actions. 

Auria, Goddess of Air
Awoken from the plane of air, Auria competed with Tersque in the construction of Theril, at first filling Terques solid halls with space, and in the end surrounding Theril thickly in a sheet of air, after terque became distracted from the act of creation. Auria's focus on shaping the surface of Theril kept her preocupied from birthing children, and thus she had only three, Telor and Frigaes with Wayith and as a sign of the end of their competition, Dramnet and Pharlor with Tersque. Auria is swift to take action, but hold a single course for only breif periods of time, often leaving works unfinished.

Kerthos, God of Death
Awoken from the plane of negative energy, Kerthos refused to partake in the act of creation, instead he remained in isolation on his plane. Kerthos despised his opposite Silnai more than any other gods, and placed a curse on her that all her creations will lead to ruin. When Kerthos witnessed Silnai's anguish at the brokenness of her first daughter he enjoyed it greatly. Kerthos sought to undo the acts of the other gods, ensuring that everything slowly decays and dies. With every death, particularly of humanoids who carry with them a part of Silnai's power, Kerthos grew stronger. During the gods war it was Kerthos turned the tide of battle, and it was Kerthos who reaped the reward, as the god of death it was to him that much of the power of Joil went, in this event of cataclysmic proportion Kerthos unleashed a vast amount of necrotic energy, which accidently brought the dead of Theril into unlife.

Silnai, Goddess of Life
Awoken from the plane of positive energy, Silnai did not contribute directly to the creation of Theril, instead she danced with the other gods, restoring their vigour. Silnai's presence on during the creation of Theril filled it with light. Her first child Selus was effected by Kerthos' curse and this drove Silnai to despair, and she hid herself, plunging the plane into darkness, and making it the responsibility of her children to bring light to Theril. Selus did not leave her plane until Selus tore herself asunder into Caris and formed Mysth, who removed the curse on her. After this she had many children, birthing Arbus and Parn with Tersque, Pelos with Firas, Posida and Nalar with Wayith, Nurlin with Caris, Pelmyt with Pelos, Yonet with Arbus and Yasar with Caresh. Silnai also created the dwarves as a gift to her favoured love Tersque.

In the Beginning

In the beginning there was only the primordial chaos, and it's random fluctuations were… boring, so the Gamaester dispersed some of the chaos and created a blank canvas of wispy silver and separated it from the chaos beyond. From the Astral Mists, the Gamaester called forth Joil the Over Deity and allowed Joil to have free rein of this new domain.

Joil surveyed the Astral Plane, and gathered together much of the mist. Joil sundered the collected mist into baser components, splitting it into fire, water, earth, air, life and death. Taking each of his new elements Joil forged them into great spheres, and from the spheres formed the elemental planes. Joil admired the structure, and founding it pleasing, decide all was done. The Gamaester surveyed the works of Joil and was displeased, it was more interesting than the primordial chaos, but unlike that swirling mass it could not change or grow. The Gamaester raised from each plane one of the Primordials; Firas, Goddess of Fire, Wayith God of Water, Tersque God of Earth, Auria Goddess of Air, Silnai Goddess of Life and Kerthos God Death. The Primordials would leave their planes often to dance with each other, and as they danced they wove together the elements and forged the world of Theril. The Gamaester never again directly interfered with creation, perhaps finding the existence created far too dull and departing to find better tales.

Each of the Primordial Gods were equal in power, yet Silnai and Kerthos contributed little to the creation of Theril, Silnai would join the dances, but focused her energies on the other gods, whereas Kerthos loathed the others and kept mostly to his own domain, Kerthos particularly loathed Silnai. Silnai was greatly loved by the other Primordials but had a particular love for Tersque, who had spent much of his time dancing about Theril. As Silnai danced with Tersque, Kerthos cursed Silnai in an attempt to bring calamity to her. Silnai and Tersue had a child Selus, Goddess of the Moon, but Kerthos' curse corrupted Selus and the Goddess was of two minds. Silnia was shattered by her daughters self-hatred and vowed to never again have child. Part of Selus wanted to bathe Theril in light, while the other desired to cover it in darkness. In the resulting battle Silus tore herself asunder creating Caris, the Goddess of Darkness. The two goddesses continued to fight, hating each other even more than Kerthos hated Silnia. From the mingled blood of the two Goddesses Mysth, Goddess of Magic was formed. Mysth sided with Selus, and together they drove back Caris. Selus was greatly weakened by the fray, specks of her vary being scattered across the sky and she could not provide constant light to Theril, her powers waxing and waning. Caris hid from the light and vowed for revenge.

Mysth recognised that Krasos had cursed Silnai and lifted the curse. From their Silnai had many god children, with Tersque, Wayith and Firas. The other Primordeals desired children as well, bringing forth a myriad of deities, all except Kerthos who remained in isolation. This first generation of gods and goddesses were empowered with creative force, adding something new to the surface of Theril.  Joil was distraught, the perfect planes of his creation were now tainted by the multitudes of creation. In an attempt to stop the tides of new deities, Joil forbade the Primordials from leaving their home planes. His plan was insufficient. The Primordials' children were not bound, and continued their dancing across creation. These elder deities had children of there own.  Their children, the younger deities, were not as empowered as their parents, and instead embodied aspects in the world of Theril.

Joil was not pleased, he banished all the gods to Theril, binding them in avatar form where their powers were greatly diminished and made a great decree: No more gods. The young gods though where not compliant, though they no longer could dance the complex forms of deific courtships they could still meet with mortals. From these encounter's were born the demi-gods, who had powers almost equal to the gods themselves. This time became known as the Age of Wandering, as the gods wandered Theril and gathered for themselves many followers. Many of the gods mingled with humans, but in this time the worship of a multitude of deities was adopted by all races.

Joil was furious with the fact the young gods had broken it's law and decided that the creations of the gods would no longer stain the universe. Thus the first Gods  War began, it wouldn't last for long. The seas frothed, the ground shook, fires erupted from the ground. The winds howled in vast storms, the sun backed the earth as gods and over god struggled over the fate of creation and then, nothing. After what only seemed like a few hours for the mortals the tempest subsided, but there was something amiss, the skies was a broiling silver mist. Priests reported that they could no longer commune with their deities, spell casters were powerless and when explorers were sent out to discover the extent of the destruction thy returned with chilling news. A great silver fog surrounded the world in all directions, and any who entered it never returned. The fog surrounded the world in a great sphere of diameter of about two thousand miles. Over a hundred years the remnant settled, but the world stirs once more and their are whispers that the magic is returning.