The Gods of Kol
Kol has gone through three ages - The Nigredo Age, the Albedo Age, and the Citrinitas Age.
Nigredo Age
Before this age, Kol was a crushed ball of mass, magic, and energy and the Realms were lifeless. 18 Powerful creatures and their followers from beyond the Realms performed powerful rituals. These rituals ultimately shaped the Realms, softened Kol, and seeded life. 14 of these creatures settled into the Material Plane and lived among the world as gods. they were:
Maggi , The Everlight (Neutral Good)
The goddess of redemption, healing, and temperance. She is the matron goddess for kenkus and many good aligned paladins, clerics, and warlocks.
Maggi is an albino white kenku with the capability of unique speech and thought. She was a powerful warlock of celestial nature and wore gold flowing robes. As a god, Maggi was neither jealous nor territorial. She was also kind, but she rarely directly intervened in mortal affairs. This made her a rather aloof god and inhibited the size of her following. The Old Gods were known for testing their followers and none did so more than Maggi. Her followers consider these tests as moments of divine intervention that can bring potential enlightenment.
Commandments
-Lead with mercy, patience, and compassion. Inspire others to unite in fellowship.
-Aid those who are without guide. Heal those who are without hope.
-Those who are beyond redemption, who revel in slaughter and remorseless evil, must be dispatched with swift justice.Malthor, The Titan Dragon (Lawful Good)
Malthor is the god of strength, honor, and divine justice. He is also the patron god of dragons, dragonborn, and other dragonkin.
Malthor is one of the 13 titan dragons that used to rule the Holy Assembly before Kol’s existence. This time was known as the Age of Ancients. All the planes were relatively unformed and fog covered lands of gray crags and archtrees. The titan dragons were betrayed by one of their own - the Primordial Serpent - who shared with the Nephals the secrets to their immortality. Malthor was the only other titan dragon to survive. A clash between Malthor and the Primordial Serpent left them both permanately maimed and ultimately led to the death of Malthor.
Commandments
-Stand as a paragon of honor and justice.
-Smite evil wherever it is found, yet show compassion to those who have strayed from righteousness.
-Defend the weak, bring freedom to the persecuted, and protect the ideals of justice and order.Udrim, The Lawbearer (Lawful Neutral)
The god of order, protection, vigilance, and guardianship. The ranks of Udrim’s followers are filled with rangers, paladins, and druids. His most devout followers were given his blessings of lycanthropy.
Udrim is often shown as a hooded, armored man sitting atop a throne. His face is hidden under a hood that glows red. His face appears stoic and expressionless in the rare moments it is shown. Udrim was considered by most to be a fair god. He was, however, also known for being a cold and focused deity who impartially took to the role of defender and sometimes even enforcer. Udrim shocked everyone of Kol when he seemingly betrayed the Holy Assembly by siding with DVon and the Primordial Serpent in the Cipher Wars.
Commandments
-Utilize the company and aid of others. The efforts of the individual often pale against the capabilities of the community.
-Knowledge begins with the recognition of one’s ignorance. The respect of Order is the realization that one’s search for knowledge must be unending.
-Uphold and revere the order of everything. Punish the usurper, right the wrong, and be always true and just in your actions.Claire, The Moonweaver (Chaotic Good)
The goddess of the forest, the moon, and the stars. Claire’s followers are diverse - including rangers, druids, paladins, and clerics. Druids make up the bulk of her followers though. She also is the matron goddess of the Gith.
Claire was initially a warforged who was slain by a crazed Peshtigo. Peshtigo was later cured of his madness and sought redemption by reviving Claire. He was succesful with the help of his longtime friend, Farkyl, and Claire was reborn into her well known part warforged, part treeant form.
Claire was known to be a dreamer and a philosopher. This made her a sponge for knowledge, but it also made it difficult for her to be appreciated and fully understood by others. She also was one of the god’s with the strongest inclinations to intervene in mortal affairs. Claire is responsible for bringing several races to Kol, including the gith. She’s also responsible for creating a large number of churches and artifacts, like the federations and the Lodestones found at the Drach Family Grove. For this reason, Claire had a far reaching influence and a great number of followers.
Commandments
-Lead with mercy, patience, and compassion. Inspire others to unite in fellowship.-Aid those who are without guide. Heal those who are without hope.
-Walk unbridled and untethered, forging new memories and experiences.
Kelric, The Stormlord (Chaotic Neutral)
The god of storms, lightening, battle, competition, and perseverance.
Commandments
-Bravery above all. There is no glory in cowardice.-Strength is the path to greatness, but greatness is the responsible use of strength.
-The glory of the Stormlord lives through your own glory on the battlefield.
Peshtigo, The Arch Heart (Chaotic Good)
The god of the arcane, creation, invention, the Feywild, cats, and orphans.
Commandments
-Create, inspire, and find beauty in all that you do.-Follow the echoes of lost magic, forgotten sites, and ancient art, for within these lie the Arch Heart's first works.
-Combat the followers of the Black Goat wherever they may be.
DVon, The Sundering Whisper (Neutral Evil)
Commandments
-Learn all you can, and keep hidden that which you know. Reveal what pieces you must, but never the whole.-Express and cultivate the evil within yourself, and in doing so, recognize it in others to exploit them for your own benefit.
-Seed the ruin of all who worship other deities, until only those who kneel before the Whispered One remain..
Farkyl, The Allhammer (Lawful Good)
The god of knowledge, forging, iron, stone, endurance, and the dwarves.
Commandments
-Remain stoic and tenacious in the face of catastrophe.-Uphold and promote loyalty to your family, loyalty to your clan, and loyalty to your people.
-Legacy is paramount. To create something that lasts is to change the world for the better.
Aether, Dawnfather (Neutral Good)
The god of sun, summer, agriculture, strength, life, and light.
Commandments
-Be ever vigilant for evil. People are quick to forget the lessons of the past.-Help relieve the suffering of the innocent.
-Deliver the light of the Dawnfather where darkness dwells, and do so with kindness, compassion, and mercy. A strike of lightening may burn down a forest, but it cannot stop what the rays of dawn bring for tomorrow.
Larkin, The Wildflower (Chaotic Neutral)
God of luck, mischief, love, dogs, elves, and many other fey creatures.
Commandments
-Luck favors the bold. Your fate is your own to grasp, and to do so is to have the Wildflower behind you.-Change is inevitable. The righteous can ensure that such change is for the better.
-Rise up against tyranny. Fight for the freedom of yourself and others when you can, and inspire others to fight when you cannot.
Zarus, The Lord of Sin (Lawful Evil)
The god of greed, envy, hoarding, slavers, conquest, and sin.
Commandments
-Amass wealth, but spend little. The gold—and the power that comes with it—is sufficient reward in itself.-Do not forgive nor forget an indignity to yourself. Let no affront go unpunished.
-Take what you covet. Those without the strength to defend their dominion are not worthy of it..
Det, the Lady of Madness (Chaotic Evil)
The Second Demon Lord and god of choas, corruption, evil, imprisonment, and madness
Commandments
-Seek and exalt places where no hope touches.-Revel in the pain you inflict upon others, and relish the pain you suffer yourself as an offering to the Lady of Madness
-Utterly bury those who cannot resist you, and drag all life into the Abyss.
Ahriman, The Primordial Serpent (Lawful Evil)
Much about this archdevil’s history remains obtuse, fractured, and unknown. It is dangerous to assume too much for the Lord of Lies is most powerful when the boundary between lie and mystery are imperceptible. He most infamously has several origin stories. It is known, though, that Ahriman was by far the oldest of the Old Gods and the only god whose power was never tied to followers or great rituals. Before his death, he was the god of blood, war, indulgence trickery, and order. He ruled over the Nine Hells as an iron-fisted tyrant.
Commandments
-Assert dominance and power over others. Show your strength of will in the image of your Lord.-Repay cruelty done unto you with further evil. If others show you kindness, exploit it.
-As you ascend to power, do not pity or show mercy to those you climb over to get there. The weak do not warrant your compassion—compassion itself is a weakness.
Tanar'ri, The Black Goat (Chaotic Evil)
The Third Demon Lord and god of undeath, broken oaths, and the Abyss.
Commandments
-To raise undead and spread undeath is to do the holy work of the Blood Lord; silence to everything.-Contaminate and putrify; disease is a subtle yet powerful weapon.
-Hinder and destroy the works of the Lady of Pain, the Lady of Absolution, and their followers.
4 of these creatures settled in the Feywild and became its gods. They were:
The Oak Lord, King of the Spring Court (Natural Methodical)
Lady of the Swans, Queen of the Summer Court (Natural Spontaneous)
The Gloam Maiden, Queen of the Fall Court (Constructed Methodical)
The Snow Queen, Queen of the Winter Court (Constructed Spontaneous)
All 18 of these creatures ruled over the realms in a council called:
The Holy Assembly
Magic and the potential of Kol were virtually uninhibited during the Nigredo Age. The world lived in a golden age of technology and magic during this time. Such conditions were perfect for insprining greatness and exploration, but they also brought the dangers of temptation. 16 churches reflect on the Nigredo Age being one also of moral decay, coming to a high point when the two Great Sins were committed - The Fool’s Sin and the Sin of the Twins.
First, an arcanist that history only remembers as “the Fool” discovered a new source of magic. This knowledge painfully twisted his body and unleashed a plague called the Yellow Rage. The plague destroyed and twisted those afflicted with it and spread like wildfire. Such a great and sudden threat caused the gods to act with desperation. They destroyed the continent and every single thing on it. This massive destruction also caused the gods and their creations to no longer trust each other. This lost of innocence is one of the many great costs of the Fool’s Sin.
Not all gods ruled their portfolios and domains with benevolence. This and the distrust from the Fool’s Sin sparked rebellion among the inhabitants of Kol. This rebellion culminated in the death of two gods - Zarus, the Lord of Sin, and Det, the Lady of Suffering. Two mortal arcanists - twin sisters named Arevay and Mehkila - slayed the gods, took their domains upon themselves, and ascended to godhood. The Holy Assembly immediately held a vote. With a split vote, the Holy Assembly decided to act dramatically again. The end of the Nigredo Age is marked with an apocalypse triggered by the gods and wiping most of life from Kol.
Albedo Age
This age starts with reletaively the same pantheon as the Negrido Age. The era’s beginning, however, is marked with the ascension of Arevay and Mehkila into godhood. The Era ends with the death of the whole pantheon.
The 14 gods of the Material Plane at the peak of the Albedo Age were:
Maggi , The Everlight (Neutral Good)
**See above for more information
Malthor, The Titan Dragon (Lawful Good)
**See above for more information
Udrim, The Lawbearer (Lawful Neutral)
**See above for more information
Claire, The Moonweaver (Chaotic Good)
**See above for more information
Kelric, The Stormlord (Chaotic Neutral)
**See above for more information
Peshtigo, The Arch Heart (Chaotic Good)
**See above for more information
DVon, The Sundering Whisper (Neutral Evil)
**See above for more information
Farkyl, The Allhammer (Lawful Good)
**See above for more information
Aether, Dawnfather (Neutral Good)
**See above for more information
Larkin, The Wildflower (Chaotic Neutral)
**See above for more information
Mekhila, the Lady of Absolution (True Neutral)
The Sisters of the Black Church worship one of the ascended twins - Arevay. Mekhila was a mortal ascended alongside her sister, Arevay, when they killed Zarus and Det.
Mekhila is primarily known as goddess of winter, fate, death, and magic. Like her sister, Arevay, Mekhila’s full portfolio was broad and eclectic. It also included dreams, memories, change, forgiveness, night, mysteries, the stars, the North, and the grey elves (also known as the shadar-kai). The sisters were the only gods to share a domain - death and magic. This gave them amplified powers in the domain - each greater than what they could control on their own. Arevay’s portfolio has the most control over the domain of death. Mehkila’s portfolio has the most control over the domain of magic.
Arevay’s array of domains gave her the unique ability to see everything that lay or happened in the dark. Arevay was also one of the gods who helped to create the Eldritch Crown. This moment reshaped the cosmos and amplified Arevay’s and Mehkila’s powers.
Commandments
-The path of Fate is sacrosanct. Those who pridefully cast off destiny must be punished.-Let the shadows protect you from the burning light of fanaticism and the absolute darkness of despair.
-Death is the natural end of life. Grieve the fallen, but do not pity them. Exult in the time that they were granted.
Arevay, the Lady of Pain (True Neutral)
The Sisters of the Black Church worship one of the ascended twins - Arevay. Arevay was a mortal ascended alongside her sister, Mekhila, when they killed Zarus and Det.
Arevay is primarily known as goddess of pain, darkness, death, and magic. Like her sister, Mehkila, Arevay’s full portfolio was broad and eclectic. It also included caverns, dungeons, forgetfulness, loss, night, secrets, the moon, and the dark elves (also known as the drow). The sisters were the only gods to share a domain - death and magic. This gave them amplified powers in the domain - each greater than what they could control on their own. Arevay’s portfolio has the most control over the domain of death. Mehkila’s portfolio has the most control over the domain of magic.
Arevay’s array of domains gave her the unique ability to see everything that lay or happened in the dark. Arevay was also one of the gods who helped to create the Eldritch Crown. This moment reshaped the cosmos and amplified Arevay’s and Mehkila’s powers.
Commandments
-Seize your own destiny and pursue your own passions.-Misdirection, slander, and shadowed steps have more function than direct conflict.
-The heart of a master tailor skips a beat with every cut of thread. The soul of a Death Weaver sings with every kill. Death serves the creation of many beautiful things from the Ribbons of Fate.
Ahriman, The Primordial Serpent (Lawful Evil)
Tanar'ri, The Black Goat (Chaotic Evil)
**See above for more information
The 4 gods of the Feywild at the peak of the Albedo Age were:
The Oak Lord, King of the Spring Court (Natural Methodical)
**See above for more information
Lady of the Swans, Queen of the Summer Court (Natural Spontaneous)
**See above for more information
The Gloam Maiden, Queen of the Fall Court (Constructed Methodical)
**See above for more information
The Snow Queen, Queen of the Winter Court (Constructed Spontaneous)
**See above for more information
The beginning of this era is marked by the gods performing another series of powerful rituals. These rituals literally reshaped the realms and created the Divine Planes. The Divine Planes were planes only intentionally accessible by the gods. Furthermore, magic was limited and inhibited. These changes allowed the gods to be better protected from threats. They would hopefully prevent others from acting like Arevay and Mekhila.
The gods also used these rituals to enchant the realms with great bounties and riches. These gifts and the stability of the planes would eventually falter, however, if these rituals of renewal were not repeated. These rituals required the inhabitants of Kol to provide great and powerful living sacrifices. Only after this could the Divine Gates be temporarily opened, allowing the gods to step upon Kol and complete the restoring rituals. This cycle created a structure of obedience and reliance over the creatures of the realm.
Arevay and Mekhila were always outvoted on the Divine Assembly, but they were not outmaneuvered. The witches managed to divert a portion of the gods’ rituals with their own magicks - siphoning off a portion of all the gods’ powers to claim as their own. They then channeled some of these divine magicks into gems. Finally, they were able to convince the gods Peshtigo and Farkyl to help them create a powerful artifact from these gems - the Eldritch Crown. With this crown, the witches were able to enhance their own divine domains and create a new domain - Change. This new domain was left completely untouched by the rituals of the gods.
Eventually a coalition of conspirin gods led by the Lichgod, Dvon and a strange new godlike creature called the Traveler, sought to eliminate the Holy Assembly. Their plans came to a head approximately 3,000 years ago in what would be called the Carcosian Catastrophe. Though their evil plot was foiled, the several gods were dead, the eldritch crown was broken into pieces, and the realms were apocalyptically sundered.
Citrinitas Age
The beginning of this era is marked by the beginning of the Cipher Wars. This is a complicated war between the gods that erupted as a result of the Carcosian Catastrophe. These divine creatures sought to control pieces of the Eldritch Crown called Ciphers. With enough Ciphers, the victor would be potentially powerful enough to rule over the Holy Assembly themselves. Such power would allow a god to surpass even their limits and even reshape the broken worlds.
DVon was eventually the last standing god of the 18. This afforded the Lichgod a massive divine portfolio and immense power. He, however, lacked the Ciphers necessary to claim complete victory and the Holy Assembly. He became obsessed with finding the Ciphers - nearly consuming his empire and exposing himself.
Ceslida Galaadon was a sorceress from the powerful royal elf Galaadon family. She was also one of many mortals who had a pivotal role during the Carcosian Catastrophe. It was she and a few others who managed to uproot DVon’s conspiracy and best him in combat. She claimed that a new divine source she called the Greater Good gifted her the power of divine blood magic. It was this divine gift that allowed her the power to defeat DVon and perform many other miracles. Those miracles included the first blood magic transfusion on her half-brother, Gabriel, and then the creation of the powerful cult, the Ahk’Dharsha.
Approximately 1500 years ago, Ceslida did the impossible - they killed the Lichgod and found lands safe from the Murk. First, Ceslida and Gabriel ambushed DVon, killed the lich, and trapped his soul. Ceslida and the Ahk’Dharasha then rallied many of enslaved followers of the evil God King. Under the guidance of the Greater Good, Ceslida cut through DVon’s armies and lead her followers across a Murk filled ocean. They miraculously found the Farkyl Keys in the artic northern waters was left untouched by the Murk and made Grahmbraid Island their home.
The Feywild also went through political turmoil throughout this age. The Oak Lord and Lady of the Swans were killed during the Carcosian Catastrophe. The Witch King allied himself with two witches - Mother Tasha of the Burning Tongue and Mother Iggwilv of the SIlver Iron Eye. Together they conquered the Feywild - leaving the Fall Court to Tasha and her Church of the Burning Tongue, the Winter Court to Iggwilv and her Church of the Silver Iron Eye, and the Summer and Spring Courts to the Witch King.
Current Gods of the Material Plane are:
The Greater Good, aka the All Mother (Lawful Neutral)
A god worshipped by the Church of Ahk-Dharasha. This god is different from the gods of the First and Second Age though. It seems to be more obtuse and more conceptual. It is said that the Greater Good is a force from beyond the Realms and a power born outside of Kol.
Current Gods of the Feywild are:
The Burning Tongue, aka the Forked Flame (Natural Spontaneous)
A prominent Church (and political power) led by a witch of the Hourglass Coven named Mother Tasha. She is considered the living demigod leader of the Church of the Burning Tongue (or also known the Forked Flame). Like the Greater Good, this outer god is worshipped as a force from beyond the Realms and difficult to comprehend.
The Burning Tongue rose to prominence after the Lost Day and initially found influence among the Seelie. This was early within the Citrinitas Age, when Mother Tasha was still a noble eladrin within the Old Courts. It was an alliance between the Hourglass Coven and the Witch King that ultimately led to the destruction of the Old Gods of the Feywild.
The Hourglass Coven - Tasha, Ravel, and Iggwilv - created the Lost Day through some sort of powerful ritual that covered the world in a thick fog of forgetfulness. Once everything was forgotten, the Sisters made many things lost, including the day. The Neverending Night followed and the Witch King hunted the Old Gods with impunity. The Old Pantheon was decimated by the Witch King in what became known as the Month of Nightmares.
The Witch King of the Feywild has ruled over the Feywild as the dominant god ever since. The Witch King has two always had two queens - Mother Tasha and Mother Ravel. Being the most recent consort of the Witch King, Mother Tasha is eligible to rule the Winter Court of the Feywild. This leaves Mother Iggwilv as the only hag of the Hourglass Coven without a noble title within the Feywild.
The Silver Iron Eye, aka Mighty Mother (Natural Methodical)
A prominent Church (and political power) led by a witch of the Hourglass Coven named Mother Ravel. She is considered the living demigod leader of the Church of the Silver Iron Eye (or also known the Mighty Mother). Like the Greater Good, this outer god is worshipped as a force from beyond the Realms and difficult to comprehend.The Silver Iron Eye rose to prominence after the Lost Day and initially found influence among the Unseelie. This was early within the Citrinitas Age, when Mother Ravel and the Witch King first rose from the Shadowfell and made themselves known to the lands of Prismeer. It was an alliance between the Hourglass Coven and the Witch King that ultimately led to the destruction of the Old Gods of the Feywild. The Hourglass Coven - Tasha, Ravel, and Iggwilv - created the Lost Day through some sort of powerful ritual that covered the world in a thick fog of forgetfulness. Once everything was forgotten, the Sisters made many things lost, including the day. The Neverending Night followed and the Witch King hunted the Old Gods with impunity. he Old Pantheon was decimated by the Witch King in what became known as the Month of Nightmares.
The Witch King of the Feywild has ruled over the Feywild ever since. The Witch King has two always had two queens - Mother Tasha and Mother Ravel. The Witch King and Mother Ravel were married long before they ascended from the Shadowfell. Being the first consort of the Witch King, Mother Ravel is eligible to rule the Fall Court of the Feywild. This leaves Mother Iggwilv as the only hag of the Hourglass Coven without a noble title within the Feywild.
The Witch King (Constructed Spontaneous)
The Witch King ascended to Godhood after the Month of Nightmares. The loss of day allowed the Witch King to hunt down the Old Gods of the Feywild and steal a portion of their divine powers. His portfolio includes oppression, terror, hate, and nightmares. His church is called the Order of Void.The Order of Void is a militaristic society led by cruel and power-hungry people who fanatically serve the Witch King. Existence within the Order is the will to power and nothing else. All actions of the Order and its members are to further the Witch King’s power. To become closer to the Witch King is power. To dominate the weaker is power. Virtue is considered an honorable form of stupidity and weakness.
The Order of Void is politically independent within the lands of Prismeer. It is, however, closely allied with and serves the orders of the Church of the Burning Tongue and the Church of the Silver Iron Eye. Even the most devout, arrogant, loudmouth member of the Order will strictly follow the orders of any of their high priests. The only authority on Prismeer that trumps the Churches of the Witches is Him and his Word.
The Witch King always has two wives so that he can rule lawfully over multiple feywild courts. This in turn creates a contradiction within the rules that allows him to be a god. He currently, however, focuses only on growing his influence and power. He defers governance to the witches. This effectively leaves the Burning Tongue and the Silver Iron Eye as the dominant ruling religions of the realm. This lack of political weight does not reduce the influence the Witch King and his Order of Black has on the Feywilds.
The most potent information about the Witch King comes from out of all places - a circus. The Witchlight is wandering circus known for having been seen in realms over the ages. Most recently the grey elf led Circus came to Grahmbraid Island during the Year of Reconciliation, arriving by ship through the Murk filled Xymut Sea. Many famous Grahmbraid adventurers soon joined the Witchlight - including Gris, Ghesh Delmirev, and Yan Mueros. Shortly after the wave of new arrivals joined, tales about the Feywild started slipping out of the Witchlight. This included some particularly salacious gossip - the Witch King was bound and subservient to Mother Iggwilv and her Hourglass Coven. It seems her focus is on becoming something called “the Paradox.” While the Witch King may have always sought power, his actions have and always will serve the Hourglass Coven. The dominant god of the Feywild might be a mere puppet.
The Skeleton King (Constructed Methodical)
There is a rebellious faction that lurks within the wild forests of the Unseelie - the Traveling Tribe. Outside of Mother Tasha, their current leader is the only other surviving noble of the Old Courts. As a survivor, he technically holds the title of the King of the Spring Court and Summer Court, which also gives him amplified powers. The Skeleton King rose to prominence after the Lost Day. Before that catastrophic day, he was a bastard child of a noble and the half-brother of Mother Tasha.
The Skeleton King was not always a face of the opposition and not always an undead. He was a longtime and close friend of Mother Tasha and therfore one of many noble eladrin who followed her to join the Burning Tongue. The Skeleton King joined with the hopes Mother Iggwilv could resurrect his dead wife. Something happened to the Skeleton King during the Month of Nightmares though. He lost his name, transformed into a hideous undead Unseelie, and deserted the Church of the Burning Tongue. Some say he was tortured by Mother Iggwilv. Others say he was victim of the devious plot of an ancient primordial. Some say he was forced to drink the poisonous blood of a blasphemous creature. Others say the Skeleton King simply had to pay up on a deal he made for his new found powers.
Shortly after the Month of Nightmares, the then nameless Skeleton King became a chieftain of a rebellious tribe. Eventually these tribes unified and elected a leader. With the help of his longtime shaman, the Traveler, the Skeleton King was elected resoundingly and earned his current name. The Skeleton King and the Traveling Tribe look to liberate the domain of Prismeer from the Burning Tongue, the Silver Iron Eye, and the Witch King.
