“gods die. and when they truly die ... - tic-rpg. web viewif the varn could entice the beings...

The Land of Lore - 5th Edition Homebrew Roleplaying Game

Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are“ more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end. - Neil Gaiman,”

American Gods

• WARRIORS OF CHAOS •

THE PRIME DEITIESThe Prime Deities have left this world, locked “

themselves away in fear of another mortal soul ascending to godhood and taking their power from them.”

PRIME GODS ♦

Baalam - God of Magic, Invention and Progress.

Gaelyn - The Questing God.

Nythura - Goddess of the Rising Moon and Sun.

Wenafar - Goddess of Death and Peace.

Kythra - Goddess of Fertility, Harvest and Earth.

Mordrannic - God of Lightning and Storms.

Kyernos - God of the Hunt.

Thurn - God of Secrets and Treasures.

Uthra - God of War and Strategy.

THE ENDLESS ONEOn the distant continent of Ainerth, the Endless One is

the primary deity of worship.

THREE EYED KING

THE TRAITOR GODS It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!“ ”

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DARK GODS ♦

The Chained Oblivion

The Cloaked Serpent

The Crawling King

The Lord of the Hells

The Ruiner

The Strife Emperor

The Scaled Tyrant

The Spider Queen

THE OLD ONES“The Traitor Gods are powerful, but they are

nothing when compared to the old ones who lurk between the stars. The

Chained Oblivion is but a taste of the terrible minds

of gods.”

MINOR GODSThe divine are not wholly dead, but soon mortals will see just how little they care.“ ”

MINOR GODS ♦

Crell - God of Crafting

Noulbor - God of Tyranny and Fire.

Mareuxeis - Goddess of Chaos, Power and Magic.

Tros - God of Monsters, Slaughter.

Boltog - God of Strength, Evil and War.

Planther - God of the Sun, Warmth and Life.

Chandis - Goddess of Mercy, Peace and Unity.

SCIONS OF THE ENDThe Walking Gods are

embodiments of the divine who walk the lands of Lore.

The Infinite Clergy - Ein Sof, the Endless One (Primary Ainerth God)"Before the Endless One gave any shape to the world, before the Endless One produced any form, He was alone, without form and without resemblance to anything else. Who then can comprehend how the Endless One was before the Creation? Hence it is forbidden to lend the Endless One any form or similitude, or even to call Him by His sacred name, or to indicate Him

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by a single letter or a single point. The Endless One composed His story, creating words of power. Giving form to man, He used Him as a chariot wherein to descend to the world below. He wishes to be called His form, which is the sacred name "Ein Sof"."

The Sefirot:

■ Keter (Crown)

■ Chokhmah (Wisdom)

■ Binah (Understanding)

■ Chesed (Mercy)

■ Gevurah (Power)

■ Tiferet (Compassion)

■ Netzach (Triumph)

■ Hod (Splendor)

■ Yesod (Foundation)

■ Malchut (Realm)

Ein Sof is the emanator of the ten Sefirot, though most clerics of the church are in agreement that the Sefirot are bound up in the greater god Ein Sof, there are a number of contradictions in ancient texts and tomes discovered, many of which sometimes reference the Sefirot as divine in themselves, despite the assertions from the church that they are only vehicles to manifest the true god Ein Sof. These texts are often collected and stored in ancient reliquaries of the church, hidden away from the public and studied in secret. Though the church has recently fallen on hard times, the worship and respect that Ein Sof once held throughout much of Ainerth has diminished to a point of no return. Clergymen of the Infinite must always be wary while out in public, less they run the risk of being beaten or persecuted by the rabble and townsfolk who believe that the Endless One is only capable of bringing misfortune and agony into their lives.

Ein Sof and the Infinite Clergy are regarded as enemies of the state (or what's left of them) in many areas of the world, on the night of ascension, the holiest of days upon which a prophecy was to conclude that would elevate humanity to a position of divine bliss, a place of light and of free thinking that would be safe from all external and internal threats for all eternity. The grand cities of Ainerth came together as one, celebrating the wondrous day with festivals and marriages of noble families. The great Kings of the seven cities declared peace and the world would be born anew, both on the physical plane and the plane of enlightenment. On the hour of ascension the peoples of Ainerth did not find a place of light, instead, they were forced to face their greatest fears. Seven bards, each singing a song of dread and dressed in yellow visited the grand cities and each city fell to madness, death, and despair. The Yellow King had arrived in lieu of Ein Sof, or perhaps he was Ein Sof all along.

The Old Gods - Northmen Gods

Though many Northmen choose not to adhere to any sort of divines rule or teachings,

there are two gods that are somewhat prevalent amongst the barbarian tribes: Tal'anah and Shemtac. Tal'anah is the god of life and bounty. Among the agrarian tribes he is


called the Great Sower, and among the nomadic tribes, the Hunter. He oversees the

planting and the harvest of crops, and the hunt. He is the mortal enemy of Shemtac, even though they are sometimes worshiped together. Tal'anah symbolizes bountiful

harvest of crops and game, as well as the health and well being of the tribe. Many Moldovian legends say that Tal'anah gave men the first seeds of grain and told them to

plant them in the ground, giving ancient men the knowledge of agriculture. He then brought the rains that watered the crops. He taught men to make weapons better to hunt

the beasts of the land, so that hunters could provide meat for their people. The generosity that Tal'anah showed to mankind made his old friend, Shemtac, jealous.

When Shemtac in his jealousy tried to steal the gifts that Tal'anah had given to men, Tal'anah was angered, and cast Shemtac from his presence. The two have been mortal

enemies ever since.

Shemtac is the god of privation. He is not worshiped for his benevolence, but to appease him into doing no harm. He is a jealous god known sometimes as the Spiteful One, the

Angry Trickster, and the Hunger. He is worshiped among the same tribes as Tal'anah as the god who seeks to undo everything that the Great Sower has wrought. When angered,

Shemtac blights their crops, plagues their game, and fouls their water. When Shemtac and Tal'anah were young, they were inseparable friends. As they grew older, Tal'anah

saw how mankind suffered for want of food, so he went away to help them. Shemtac, who had no love for mankind, was angered that his lifelong friend had forsaken him.

When his attempts to steal the gifts from mankind failed, he instead chose to pervert the gifts given to them. He turned brother against brother, war among the earliest tribes of

humans were incited because of his secreted work. In defeat, the victor was to eat the remnants of the fallen tribesman, boiling their skins and eyes - eating their flesh, so they

would no longer want for food.

The Old Gods - Gods of Death & Decay


The Empire of Ghouls, flesh-eating and blasphemous worshippers of the Gods of Death, Hunger, and Darkness who visit the surface only to feed. Many say that the ghoul

empire is lead by a powerful lich, one who has ascended beyond the planes to become a fully-fledged god. Others believe the legends that they instead worship the mythical

ghoul-dragon named Darrakh, who still roams the grey wastelands between life and death. The truth is lost; the first centuries before the ghoul empire rose are largely

hidden from history. All that is known for sure is that beyond the secreted whispers of the lich and the ghastly dragon, the great emperors of the ghoul empire pay homage to

the Death God Anu-Akma and to Mordiggian, the Demon Lord of Ghouls. To honor these gods, each emperor goes to war to expand the empire below the earth through conquest.

Ghouls have few friends, and their violent empire is constantly at war.

Outside of the Ghoul Emperors and their powerful legions, a secret sect of cabalists and warlocks hide within the grey wastes. They are the founders of the Temple of the

Hunger God, and the Hunger Cults that gather subjects to trade and sale in the flesh markets.

Whisperer in the Darkness - The King in Yellow, Hastur

"...after stumbling queerly upon the hellish and forbidden book of horrors the two of us learned, among other hideous things which no sane mortal should know, that this talisman is indeed the nameless Yellow Sign from the accursed cult of the Yellow King-from primordial Carcosa. I found myself faced with names and terms that I had heard elsewhere in the most damning of


connections-Yuggoth, Tsathoggua, Yog-Mormoth, Nyarlathotep, Yian, Leng, the Lake of Hali, Bethmoora, the Yellow Sign, Bran, and the Magnum Innominandum-and was drawn back through nameless aeons of inconceivable dimensions to worlds of elder, outer entities at which the crazed author of the Black Book had only guessed in the vaguest way.... There is a whole secret cult of evil men devoted to the purpose of tracking them down and injuring them on behalf of the monstrous powers from other dimensions."

The King in Yellow is an alien deity of vast and unfathomable power, he is responsible

for the disasters and chaos that took place on the night of ascension. His seven bards are his agents that still travel the lands today, singing his song and playing the ballad of the

Yellow King, which causes madness to all who hear it. The bard's strum the terrible tune on bone violins and sew chaos throughout Ainerth. The Whisperer in Darkness now

resides in Briagoth, having taken the form of a horrible beast that stalks the lands and sits at the center of the Grand City of Achern, the capital and the once shining light of all

of Ainerth. Surrounded by nightmarish creatures and abominations, the city has shifted and its architecture is no longer recognizable. Many who venture near the city and

speak with those who have heard the song, grovel and cry out in insanity. "Carcosa! Carcosa! It comes!"

The Father of Serpents - Yig


"....she had turned from a cowering child to a raging madwoman. She knew here the axe was-hung against the wall on those pegs near the lantern. It was within easy reach, and she should find it in the dark. Before she was conscious or anything further it was in her hands, and she was creeping toward the foot of the bed-toward the monstrous head and shoulders that every moment groped their way nearer. Had there been any light, the look on her face would not have been pleasant to see. "TAKE THAT, AND THAT! DIE, BEAST!" She was laughing shrilly now; and her cackles mounted higher as she saw that the starlight beyond the window was yielding to the dim prophetic pallor of coming dawn..."

Yig, The Father of Serpents is a powerful elder being who now walks Ainerth, it is believed that Yig has always been and many similarities are drawn between Yig and the

Old Gods of the Lizardfolk, the Varn. It's believed that Yig's powers were somehow exhausted, and he was forced to return to his own dimension, imprisoning himself in

solitude for aeons to regain his former power. Now that he has returned most are unaware of his intentions, there have been rumors that Yig and The King in Yellow are

at war. Many travellers on the roads have witnessed the servants of the two great powers of Ainerth clashing in grand battles, the King's bards strum their horrible violins

of bone as grotesque nightmare beasts battle against serpent men. Only one thing is for sure, most have become cautious when dealing with serpents. No longer wantonly

killing the beasts as if they are vermin, less they draw the eye of Yig.

Alien God of the Naga - The Varn


The Varn represent one of the

foulest, despicable, corruptive forces to be unleashed upon Ainerth. They

are an alien power from another place that I believe doesn't wholly

exist or at least not in a way that we humans can see or understand. After

capturing and interrogating a number of Ssethgorian agents I have

come to believe that the Varn consider themselves to be the

epitome of reptilian evolution, using dark sorcery to shape their bodies to

the point of perfection. Over the countless eons, they have conquered other races and have incorporated the best features of that race into their own forms. In this way, the

Varn have achieved immense godlike power and even immortality, but they are not yet true gods. It was, I believe, in their wanton quest for power that the Naga and Serpent-

Men of the Ssethrogorian Empire first contacted the Varn so many thousands of years ago. They viewed these beings as reptilian deities and began to worship them. The

supplication of the Naga and the Serpent-Men drew the Varn's attention, their three pairs of eyes piercing the cosmos to rest upon Ainerth. The Varn scried upon a new

world, a fat world ripe for conquest, and its races soft and weak.

The Varn saw the Naga as the key to the door, for though their powers were not able to bridge the gap between the worlds, the most cunning among them saw a way through. If

the Varn could entice the beings of the world to worship them so utterly that they gave their souls in supplication, then the gap could be bridged, for each mortal that died to

worship the Varn would have their soul stretched between the dark places of the worlds, creating a conduit. The more souls the Varn could gather, the wider the conduit.

Eventually, the bridge would be wide enough for them to invade, sweeping over the world, destroying all in their path, enslaving the rest for cattle to feed their unsavory

appetites.

The Old Gods - High Ogre & Orkon Gods

Zohl'Kahn is the high-ogre god of weaponry. He loves nothing more than weapons and

the power that weapons confer. He loves mayhem and melee, making him a somewhat chaotic and evil deity to worship. Zohl'Kahn is the smith god whose greatest goal is to


provide high-ogres with the weapons needed to subjugate lesser races. He is called the Blacksmith, Blood Forger, and the Anvil. He works closely with his brother, Zohl'Nahk;

together they form the terrible partnership of the Hammer and the Anvil. They despite the dwarven smith god, Moradin, with a white hot vengeance. Zohl'Nahk is said to have

imparted the knowledge of forging weaponry to the earliest of High Ogres. Legend says that he uses the blood of the humanoid races to quench the weapons of his creation.

Zohl'Nahka is the monstrous god of strength and domination worshiped by the High

Ogres. His other titles include First Ogre, Flesh Ripper, and The Hammer. Only through the domination and enslavement of lesser races can high ogres be truly fulfilled.

MINOR GODS & POWERS:● Oricin - Lord of the Night and Beasts. (Orkon)

● Gru’thul - Lord of Slaughter and Battle. (Orkon)● Seluna - Sky Goddess. (Orkon)

● Ragabash - Lord of Thieves and Secrets. (Goblin, Ogre and Orkon)● Draanaa - Goddess of Magic. (Human)


● Kishari - Goddess of Deception, Mother of Demons. (Orkon, Ogre, Human)

● Mordraan the Forger - Mother of the Forge. (Dwarves)● Selwyn - Mother of Agility and Marksmanship. (Elves)

● Dir’Gun - Slayer of Giants and Drinker of Dragon Blood. (Dwarves)● Red Thistle - Protector of the Homesteads and Peasants. (Human, Elves)

● Pairis - The Jade God. (Human, Elves)● Kirrgan - The Dragon Lord. (Dwarves, Dragonborn, Goliath)

● Preytor - Lord of War. (Dwarves)● Vaalar - God of Traveling and Cheer. (Human, Elves, Dwarves)

● Gar’Naris - God of Fate, Faith and Knowledge. (Human)


“gods die. and when they truly die ... - tic-rpg. web viewif the varn could entice the beings...

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