pantheon

Deity Name: Seracius Mortal Name: Cassius Status: True God Relic: The Golden Sceptre; Relic of Fate      More a staff than a sceptre, and shaped quite like a spear, Seracius’s relic risks madness for any who lay hands upon it -- gods, humans, or otherwise. It gives vision to the paths of fate, the many strands of possibility that lie ahead, in time. Each action seen, every action taken, all of them open visions of what is to come, should certain factors follow through -- and to see beyond those pathways and possibilities to make use to the sceptre is an impossible task. 

     Simply touching the staff will immobilize a mortal, ensnaring them within the web of fate that exists around them. If they manage to see past that -- to hold onto their mind, and to throw the spear -- it will never fail to strike it’s target. If they can throw it. 

The Rod of Beginning; Relic of Creation       Description

The Winged Ring; Relic of Control      Description

Deity of: Fate / Creation / Control Associated with: Organization, command, the right to rule Sacred Symbols: crowns, horned beasts, amber, spears

Mortal faceclaim:       Sean Bean  Deity appearance:      Zeus - kamigami no asobi

     Seracius presents as male, towering over anyone in the room -- by design, and by choice. He primarily appears as a blonde Caucasian man with golden eyes, and a closely trimmed goatee. He tends to dress in red, gold, and white; and always, always, is the tallest. No matter what. 

Background:        Everything began with Seracius. He was the first born, the original god -- the one who came to be alongside the world itself. After him, as creation bloomed, the others followed -- but he was first. 

     God of fate, creation, and control, he rules as King of the gods. It is by his word that the world is shaped, moving steadily toward a greater vision that is beyond the comprehension, as far as he is concerned, of the other gods.  He wants what is best for the mortals of the world, unquestionably -- and he always has. 

     When the world came into being, it was a fragile, small thing. Like a flower struggling to grow, it needed love and care to bloom. Gently, he guided it along, through it’s budding futures as they formed. As the other gods came into being, he found their place within these futures, offering to them the same caring guidance with which he tended the world. 

     Danger loomed in many futures -- in several fates that he hoped to avoid. The destruction of Dominus echoed through the possibilities, constantly hovering at the edge of his attention. The newly born people and world were relying on him to keep them safe -- only he could see what lay ahead.      Sometimes, he shared quietly with the other gods, the details of the dangers that rested heavy on his shoulders. Magic was the culprit of many of the endings -- humans meddling with what they should not, with grand ideals, or vicious and evil intentions. It became a bogeyman, to Seracius -- a constant fear, that their precious realm would be destroyed. 

     He did everything that he could to keep magic away from the mortals. He encouraged the other gods to limit their presence on earth; to keep their abilities as distant and lofty as possible, lest one of the mortals get the wrong idea. He wanted magic to seem beyond them -- and for a time, he succeeded.

     His mortals and his realm were thriving, peaceful, curious, and hopeful. Yet, the very thing that drove them ever forward -- their curiosity -- was exactly what lead them down the beginning of a dark path. He toiled desperately to keep them away from it; but soon the pathways of fate converged. The mortals found the third realm -- Tartarus -- and from within it, they unleashed horror upon themselves.

     Magic had been hidden away from them since the worlds began, but when the rift opened, it was unleashed; alongside an entity that gained strength from the chaos. The death, danger, and suffering that his realm suffered -- the creature thrived on it, becoming bloated with power. Wherever it went, destruction followed; and he knew that it needed to be stopped. 

    With a bevy of the gods at his back, Seracius descended to Dominus to fight against it, banding together with the ancient pantheon to put a stop to the chaos and strife that rolled across the mortal plane. They tried, at first, to close the rift -- but it became quickly clear that they would be doing no such thing. The rift could not be truly sealed, as it once was. There would always be a fracture; a crack, a seam. Though they could pull the edges shut... the damage had been done. 

     So they turned their attention to the entity, chasing it across Dominus with their combined might. Together, they were able to capture it -- but with horror, realized that they could not destroy it. It was... a god. 

     No god had ever been formed outside of the Aetherium, before. At first, Seracius tried to deny it. As they dragged it, bound and battered and nearly broken, to the foot of his throne, he tried many times to rid the realms of it’s taint. After so many failed attempts, however... the nameless demon which held no relic near forced him to admit it’s godhood.

     Still, he wanted it destroyed. By it’s nature, it would not be able to help but to disrupt the peace of their fates, and their timelines. It would bring forth the destruction of their world, and stop them from achieving the perfect existence they had so long  They needed to find a way to be rid of the creature. 

     Of all the gods, only one spoke up in dissent. Vidda, one who he had long hoped would grow to be a champion for their brightest of futures. He argued that destroying her would disrupt the natural order of things -- ignoring the danger that it posed to the mortals, and disregarding the destruction it had already unleashed. 

     Their debate waged on for many days and many nights, coming to a crux when Vidda -- heedless of the danger -- gave name to the vicious entity. Elanati, he called her; and in doing so, he gave Seracius exactly what he needed to seal her away. 

     If she could not be destroyed, she would be contained. Using the name she had been gifted, he worked with the other gods to force her back from whence she had come. Into Tartarus, they sealed her, where she could do no further harm to Dominus, and Vidda -- he who had allowed her cursed existence to continue -- was charged with the duty of remaining on Dominus as the other gods pulled further away than ever before, to watch and to see the effect his actions had upon the world. 

     From then on, Seracius devoted himself to righting the many wrongs in the timelines that the so called ‘Elanati’ had created. He stepped away from direct intervention in Dominus and ordered the other gods to do the same, distancing themselves from the now magical mortals, so as to discourage their belief in the powers they didn’t understand. He turned his gaze ahead, to the futures in their fates; and in doing so, failed to notice the signs that Chaos would escape again. 

     Somehow twisted away from the name with which she had been bound, claiming now to be Tanalei, she disrupted all of the careful work that Seracius and the other gods had done to seal away the dangerous magic she had unleashed the first time. When her escape was noted, Seracius himself returned to the pantheon in bodily form, and followed her trail -- straight to Vidda. 

     It was clear to him that Vidda had become tainted by the creature, turned away from the importance of his order, of their plans, and the proper fate of the world. He had harboured her against the wishes of the gods, hiding her, and facilitating great chaos within Dominus. He did not deserve the relic that he held, as he had so thoroughly betrayed it, fallen away from his aspect.      When he captured Chaos the second time, Seracius too unburdened him of his relic -- he was not worthy of the responsibility of carrying it. In removing his relic, he also relieved Vidda - henceforth known to some as Vaddi - of his voice, as punishment for his betrayal. 

     The threads of fate were too far unravelled, then, to truly be repaired. So few of them lead to the Eden he had once envisioned for his people... it seemed a distant, faint hope, by now. Paranoia filled his every waking moment, and in desperation to save the realms, Seracius claimed his place well and truly as King of the gods, redoubling his efforts to save Dominus, once and for all. If he hadn’t... it very well would have been destroyed, long ago. 

    A GOD     A RELIGIOUS FIGURE

    Amid the events of the roleplay’s plot, many gods find themselves upon Dominus, for various reasons -- whether they have fallen, or gone to aid in their own aims on earth, their presence has long been missing from the world; and it cannot escape the notice of all.      ( Or, perhaps it can. ) 

     The religious figures of Dominus would perhaps be best placed to recognize their gods, whether they be in godly or mortal forms. However, perhaps they could be blinded by their faith -- unable to see the truth of what stands in front of them. To realize or know a god stands before you, though...

     A FALLEN GOD       A MORTAL DISCOVERY

    Cast to Dominus by the theft of their relic, one of the gods of the Aetherium is searching for their relic, to regain their godhood. However, it has already fallen into the hands of a mortal on the earth, who is dealing with the effects of a godly relic upon them. 

     Will the god find their relic, and the mortal who carries it? Will the mortal learn of the legends, which tell of a possibility to become a god themselves, through the destruction of a relic? Or will they return it to the fallen god, and aid them in returning to their seat in the Aetherium? 

     Dominus is the name of the realm, the world, and the planet -- and there exist many countries upon it’s surface. Religion, however, extends uniformly across the globe -- they all acknowledge the existence of the Pantheon. 

     Some countries worship certain deities over the others, but worship tends to be a personal decision more than a cultural one. Most commonly, the god you worship is related more to your personal values. Many people choose their personal patron based upon their occupation, though some cultures and countries have differing opinions on how patrons are decided. 

     The powers of a god, no matter how they were born, are based upon their aspects -- the concepts or things that they are the deity of. 

     The presence of their aspects and the active worship of them as gods provides the deities with energy, and power. It is channelled to them through their relics, and regulated in the same way. 

    All gods have one 'main’ relic, which represents their primary aspect -- this is the one that they had upon creation or birth, and is tied to their godhood and immortality. Without it, they are rendered mortal, and unable to return to their godly form.

     Some gods possess relics for all of their aspects, while others control all three (or both) of their aspects using their primary relic. These secondary ones form as their lesser aspects become more prevalent in the world, but aren’t tied to their immortality, only their secondary and tertiary aspects.They can act as a crutch, to help soothe the effects of being without their primary relic -- but they cannot return them to their godhood.

    Taking a god’s relic, whether primary or not, separates them from their power, and renders them unable to answer prayers, or access their major abilities. They struggle to regulate the flow of prayers and power, and are left vulnerable. Ordinarily, with their relic, they are able to access their gifts in a controlled manner -- without it, they are left at the mercy of their own aspect.

     When there is an influx of their aspect’s presence, all gods risk being overwhelmed -- even with their relic in hand. Without it, however, they are far more susceptible to the side effects of over saturation. They can become mad with power, controlled by their aspect, suffer from sensory overload, or experience excruciating pain -- and that is only a few examples. 

     Being at a temple of theirs can soothe the symptoms of being without their relic. While at their temple or in the possession of their relic, a god can grant blessings to mortals, as well as curses -- they are closest to their aspects, there. 

     They are never able to control mortals as if they were puppets, but they can influence their aspect in the world around them, and entice mortals toward certain behaviours, depending on their aspect. They can also gift their aspect to them, (ex; fair winds for a journey, good ideas, etc) or, conversely, withhold it. 

     All blessings or curses must be related to a god’s aspect, as it is the basis of all their abilities or powers, and the thing they have control over in the world. ( A god of wind, for example, is unable to bless someone with healthy soil, however an earth or agriculture god could. )

     If a god’s primary relic is destroyed, it destroys them, as well. Relics cannot be destroyed by other gods, however -- only mortals possess the capability to do so. However, touching a god’s relic has a powerful influence over mortals. Different relics have different effects, but they are all perilous for mortals to hold, let alone to wield. Should they dare risk their minds and their lives to find one, and carry it, they must find their way to Tartarus to destroy it. The land of chaos has a strange effect on relics, and on gods -- and there, mortal blood and mortal hands can overtake a godly relic. By casting them into the Abyss, and following them thereafter, a mortal can Ascend, to take the place of whichever god whose relic they’ve destroyed. 

AETHERIUM

     The realm of the gods, Aetherium exists in a separate ‘world’ from Dominus. It is ambiguously ‘above the clouds’, and can be accessed only from a rift that does exist, ‘where the sun touches the earth’ -- or so the legends say.     Mortals can be brought through, but without powerful magic of their own, cannot find or access the door on their own. Even if they do find it, though, they must contend with the gatekeeper -- and they are unlikely to let anyone in. 

DOMINUS

     The mortal realm, Dominus is accessed with ease from Aetherium, though it is mostly separated from Tartarus. It is the home of all mortals, and the realm most affected by the gods various aspects and influence. 

     Magic exists there only thanks to Tartarus’s walls being penetrated and opened eons ago, but it exists in secret. It effects the world in small ways, bonding itself to flowers and plants to gift them magical properties -- and particularly in crystals or stone, though most mortals cannot sense or make use of it.

TARTARUS

     The realm of daemons and the realm of magic, Tartarus is a lawless place of chaos and discovery. It changes with each passing minute, twisting within itself, and is considered a rather hostile environment for any non-magical being.

TRUEBORN GODS

     Gods that were created as a concept came to be, born from the Aetherium itself. They have no parents, neither mortal nor otherwise, and are considered the highest of the gods. Seracius is considered the highest of these gods, as he was born ‘first’.

      Trueborn gods and are ‘born’ at the height of their power, when their aspect is both newest, and strongest. They are considered the ‘greater’ or ‘original’ pantheon, even if a godborn deity was born before them, chronologically. 

GODBORN DEITIES

     Gods that were born of the union of two other deities, godborn deities are second in the hierarchy of the gods. They are considered slightly less powerful than their forebears, for the most part, but above mortal born gods. 

     These god’s primary aspects do not mimic those of their parents, but they do often relate to them. As well, they can often carry some of their parent’s aspects as their tertiary or secondary aspects. 

     Who their parents are can differ between myth and truth, as it is often unclear to many mortals who was borne of whom, and how. The birth of a god is unlike that of a mortal, and ‘gender’ does not factor into the equation.

MORTAL BORN GODS

     Born of a mortal soul that has ascended, mortal born gods are still revered and respected as deities, however, they are considered weaker by their ‘higher’ brethren, and treated accordingly. They are still gods, however, unlike demigods -- and thus, command respect from mortals, who do not often adhere to the gods own hierarchy system.

     Mortal born gods are created after large events in the world, during which they passed away. Sometimes, they are chosen by trueborn or godborn deities to ascend, but many are created with no outside influence. 

     Mortal born gods can be any age when they die, and also any age when they reform. A mortal born god who dies as a child is just as likely to appear as an adult when they ascend as they are to retain their child-like form. Usually, however, the events of their death or their life before relate to their primary aspect, in some way.

DEMIGODS

    The children of gods and mortals, a demigod’s worth depends on their accomplishments, to many of the gods. Familial ties matter differently to all of the gods, though many gods tend to keep distant from their mortal offspring. Demigods do not inherit their godly parent’s immortality. They do, however, inherit some powers related to one of their parent’s aspects, making them more powerful than mere mortals.  

     Many demigod ascend as mortal born gods once they pass away, and most of them have shorter lives. Demigods now are the heroes of legend and stories, as they are extremely rare -- even more so than mortals who can harness the magic of the world. 

DAEMONS

     Not gods, not mortals, and not quite something in between, daemons are a different race entirely from the deities that oversee Dominus. They are a varied assortment of creatures and beings; some are spirits of nature, or magic, lesser beings that lack the soul of a mortal, or the influence of a god. (ex; naiads, dryads, ogres, and trolls.) 

     Daemons hail from Tartarus, and for the most part, remain trapped there; some, however, have found their way through Chaos’s fractures, and call Dominus their home, in secret. Others have sworn loyalty to specific gods, and thus negotiated their freedom from their realm.       These Daemons are then related to their patron god’s aspect, and considered spirits of said aspect -- wind, wisdom, order, etc. This applies to all daemons of that race or species, and it is incredibly rare for them to live independently, and even further rare for them to remain in Tartarus.   

     Some daemons can swear fealty to magically gifted mortals, becoming their familiars in exchange for freedom from Tartarus as well, however doing so risks the ire of Seracius, and thus, few will risk it. 

MORTALS

     The humans of the realm, those that inhabit Dominus. Humans are mundane, though they can be skilled, clever, and talented enough to stand toe to toe to the gods in rare situations. 

     Some mortals can use magic, without being a demigod, or a daemon. This is a trait that they are born with, which awakens near puberty for them. It is not common knowledge to the population of Dominus as a whole, and their society works hard to keep it that way, after the systematic hunting of their people after the schism so many years ago. 

     Magic came to the mortals of Dominus when the Rift was opened -- or, so legend says. 

     Now considered myth, more than history, magic is the stuff of children’s stories. These stories tell of creatures known as Daemons -- magical beasts and beings that live within Tartarus, who revel in toying with mortals. They also brought forth magic into the world as they poured free, allowing rare humans the ability to accomplish great feats -- but with it brought forth death, destruction, famine, and war. Or, so everyone believed. 

     Historians 'know’ that the belief in Daemons caused mass hysteria, as neighbour accused neighbour, brother accused sister -- of being a monster, infected by their dark magic. In their desperate attempts to protect themselves, the people of Dominus attacked one another, kicking off a century and a half of fear mongering that resulted in the deaths of many innocent people. 

     Anyone who was suspected to be a Daemon -- anyone who could possibly be using magic was hunted down, and killed. 

    What the historians do not know, or perhaps refuse to acknowledge, is that the Daemons were real. They were dryads, sirens, mythical beasts and creatures that lived in the other realm. They were hunted in earnest -- and many of them did indeed fall to the hands of the frantic humans. All who died were not Daemon, though. Some, indeed, were simply humans; wrongfully convicted of ‘crimes’ they never committed, and caught in a hysteria that gripped the world. Others, however... others, were magic. 

     The power that the Daemons brought with them -- that Chaos unleashed within the world -- bonded to the souls of select humans. A rare assortment of people connected with the power, and were able to utilize it at will. Yet, amid the Daemon Hunts, they had no chance of blossoming. They learned quickly to hide their gifts, and they have yet to stop.

     Thanks to the fear bred by these hunts, magical mortals hide in plain sight, keeping their magic a secret from all around them. As it has faded now into myth, in the modern age, it has become easier -- but still, they dare not risk exposure. 

     Magical mortals aren’t always connected with the mythical underworld of Dominus, but it tends to find them, one way or another. Magic seems to pass through hereditary lines, though there is the occasional outlier -- orphans, skipped generations, or unawakened parents, that leads to a young mage being on their own. 

     When the three realms came into being, so too did the gods. Our realm -- the mortal coil, Dominus -- lies between the realms of the gods, Aetherium, and that of the daemons -- Tartarus. 

     Seracius was the first of the gods, born when the three realms came into being. He saw the first mortals take their first steps; and has guided them, ever since. As the other gods sprang into being, he took them too under his wing, shaping the world in his vision. 

     His first age -- the golden age -- was a time of prosperity. Of obedience. Fate guided both man and god, and the pathway for them was clear.

     And then Chaos was born. Or, rather -- she was discovered.

     Curiosity had long been man’s driving talent. As that curiosity lead them ever further along Seracius’s path, it lead them as well toward a doorway, hidden deep within the world. As mortal hands touched the rift under the darkness of a solar eclipse, long locked away from Dominus, that doorway sprang open; and the daemons were freed. 

     Unleashed upon an unsuspecting world, the daemons brought forth a time of upheaval. Of change, that Seracius had hoped to avoid. War, famine, plague, and pestilence... chaos, amid his once clear cut plans. Magic was a factor that was not meant to lie among the humans -- but with the daemons’s presence, so too came magic.

     The gods fought to repair the rift, sealing as many daemons as they could away, back into Tartarus -- but the damage was already done. The rift had been opened, and there was no sealing it again. There were cracks -- fractures.       And a new young goddess, amid it all. 

     She had no name, when she appeared, emerging from the confusion that the daemons caused. She radiated power, feeding off the chaos around her -- and Seracius named her abomination, the cause of it all. He rallied the gods in an attempt to destroy her, but one spoke out -- giving name to chaos, and for but a moment, order to the young goddess. He argued in her defence, speaking of discovery, change -- all things that had borne good, in the world, thanks to the chaos. He spoke of balance, and of the order of things; and in doing so, saved her from destruction.

     Seracius used the name to seal her away; but no name remained for long, and so too, her sealing did not last. Over many centuries, she slipped free once more, returning to the mortal realm, and the banished god who had named her. She introduced chaos to the fate of the world, upsetting the careful plans that Seracius guided. Endangering the mortals -- and enraging many of the gods. 

     They came for her in the mortal realm, chasing the daemons that had escaped alongside her. When they found her, the banished god tried once more to speak in her favour; and for his efforts, had his relic taken. His very voice, stripped away. 

     Chaos was sealed once more inside of Tartarus -- weakened, beaten, and restrained. In her absence, Dominus flourished; but change cannot be so easily stopped.      When next she escaped, she did so in secret. Sneaking through to the Aetherium, she found the relics of the gods who had crossed her - spurned her -and harmed her guardian. She had sought to find for him his voice, but still, that remained beyond them. The other relics, however...

     They were all too easy to steal away. 

      In one fell swoop, she cast them into the mortal realm, weakening the gods that had for so long kept her imprisoned. She robbed them of their godly forms; forcing them from Aetherium, ripping them from their homes. Their safety.

     Daemons walk the earth, unleashed from their prison at her side. Magic has surged, among the mortals, upsetting their lives and beginning the descent into chaos, once more. To stop her, the gods must band together; but without their relics, they have no hope of doing so. They need to find them... but to do that, they need to survive. 

IC INFORMATION

Deity Name: Mortal Name: Status: [True god/God born/Mortal born/demigod/daemon] Relic: [Your sacred item/totem]

Deity of: [Primary/Secondary/Tertiary] Associated with: Sacred Symbols: [plants/animals/stones/etc]

Mortal faceclaim: Deity appearance:

Background:      [things to consider: when they came into being, their status among the gods, their connection with the mortal realm, involvement in the plot events, etc.]

OOC INFORMATION