Deities of The Shattered Realm

[Elliot Kane]

My last created game world involved a whole new set of deities, as is my normal practice. The notes on them may prove interesting to some of you

[Elliot Kane]

Deities of the Shattered Realm

The prime servants of each Deity are their Clerics and Paladins, but that is about all that they have in common. Each of the Deities of the Sundered World has their own agenda. They do not work in groups as the deities of some other worlds do, nor is alignment the ultimate guide to their alliances. Commonality of interest guides them all. It is in NO-ONE'S interests to see their world destroyed, and all will work to prevent it should such an event threaten to come to pass. Some are more intervention-minded than others, but all are forces to be reckoned with.
The perceptions of the people as to what the Deities are like is, of course, vastly different from the actuality. Often, alignment definitions for the Deities are different from one City-State to the next. The Goddess of Death, for example, may be viewed as either Neutral or Evil, depending on the prejudices of the City-State in question.

Consequently, I am giving no alignments for the various Deities. You may guess some of them easily, whilst others may only come out through gameplay - if at all. Be aware however that public perception is only that. Just as the common view of history is often wrong, so too is mythology.

If you do decide to serve a Deity pay close attention to what is known about them. The Goddess of Life may take a dim view of indiscriminate slaughter, and if your deity is displeased with you, you will certainly know it. Having said that, no Deity wishes to alienate their followers by being too draconian. Unless the offence is so blatant as to allow no excuses, no-one is likely to be blasted by divine fire from on high.

There is no real established hierarchy for any of the religions, mainly due to the long separation in communications between the City-States (See History). In that time, each city developed its own view of each deity, largely based upon their perceptions of the cataclysm that constantly threatened to engulf them. Consequently, characters will get a lot more help and assistance from their home temple than they will from temples to their Deity in other cities. Overall though, remember that your Deity's opinion of you is far more important than that of any temple.

As with most Pantheistic religions throughout history, many people call upon the most appropriate Deity in times of trouble. Servants of a specific Deity will not call upon Deities regarded unfavourably by their own, but other than that anything goes. For example, Krovak, God of War, is unlikely to get annoyed if one of his followers is making a new weapon and calls upon Hoil, God of Smiths, to bless it. After all, Krovak is not really interested until his follower sets out to test the new weapon, and he himself would go to Hoil if he wanted a new weapon. The Deities of the Shattered Realm are not really all that jealous.

Deities & Their Spheres of Influence


The Creator - Creator of the Universe - sex unknown
Kode - Law/Justice/Honour/Truth/Loyalty/Virtue - M
Krovak - War - M
Hoil - Smiths/Craftsmen/Artisans - M
Zagor - Lies/Treachery/Murder/Lust/Greed/Avarice - M
Fian - Music/The Arts - M
Marlik - The Sea/Rivers & Lakes/ Water/ Water based lifeforms - M
Krakow - Air/Weather/Avians/The Atmosphere - M
Solaris - Fire/Light/The Sun - M
Lovis - Agriculture/Commerce & Industry - M
Zarnik - Thought/Wisdom - M
Ikoro - Insanity/Disease/Decay - M
Aylena - Death - F
Aylissa - Life - F
Ala - Darkness/Night/The Moon/Mystery/Secrets - F
Luciana - Hearth & Home/Marriage & Childbirth - F
Dionetta - Fate/ Prophecy/Destiny/Time - F
Clarona - Love & Luck - F
Ruitha - The Earth/Nature/Land based lifeforms - F
Merana - Magic - F
Azure - Travel - F
Meliora - Knowledge & Education - F
Rebekah - Healing/Renewal/Rebirth - F

What Is Known

The following is a list of the Gods and the little that is generally known and agreed upon about them. Some of the City States may have different opinions, and these will be listed in the City State section of this manual. Please note that these are the generally agreed upon musings of mortals, and the authenticity of these observations is not always certain...

The Creator: is the mysterious being who created the world. No-one is entirely sure why s/he did it, but most people are pretty glad s/he did. At one time or another most people offer up prayers to him/her. The Creator is usually considered to be male by men and female by women. S/he has NO CLERGY, and does NOT give spells. S/he does NOT involve him/her self with the affairs of the Shattered Realm. S/he has NO known servants.

Kode (Code): God of Law, Justice, Honour, Truth, Loyalty & Virtue is the closest thing to a definitely 'good' Deity on the Shattered Realm. Kode is not a militant Deity, preferring words to weapons, but many of his followers take up arms against evil and he has never discouraged them from doing so. His watchword might be: 'Justice must be tempered with Wisdom.' Whoever he may be allied with at any time, Zagor is always his enemy

Krovak (Crow-vak): is the God of War. He does not interest himself in causes, only conflict. A master of strategy, tactics, logistics and all other necessary arts of war, he exercises his brain as much as his sword arm. He is NOT a God of murder, massacre, or atrocity, though these things often follow battles. His interest is purely in the struggle, not its aftermath. His watchword might be: 'You can't beat a good beating.' He has no living enemies.

Hoil (Hoyle): is God of Smiths, Craftsmen and Artisans. He has been called the Weaponsmith of the Gods, but this is rather unfair as he creates far more than weapons. Hoil enjoys the act of creation and the shaping of raw materials into new forms. When he has finished creating he tends to lose interest. His watchword might be: 'finished means done with.' All of the other Deities regard Hoil with favour.

Zagor (Zay-gore): is God of Lies, Treachery, Murder, Lust, Greed & Avarice. He is the closest thing the Shattered Realm has to a God of 'evil', although many of his followers would vigorously dispute this. Zagor considers himself to be the God of free will, stating that only he could or should be responsible for his own existence. His watchword might be: 'Do what you want.' Whatever alliances he may make, Kode is eternally his enemy.

Fian (Fee-un): is God of Music & The Arts. He is a poet and a dreamer, endlessly travelling the world in search of fresh vistas to paint or eulogise. He is beloved of bards, many of whom tell tales of their encounters with the God and the songs he taught them. His watchword might be: 'Sing from the heart to the heart.' He rarely concerns himself with the other gods.

Marlik (Mar-lick): as God of the Sea, Lakes & Rivers etc is one of the most powerful and respected Deities on the Shattered Realm. He is brother to Krakow, God of the Air and the two get on well. He is a wise God and slow to anger, but his wrath is vast against those who offend him. There is some friction between Marlik and Ruitha, Goddess of the Earth, though none know the cause. His watchword might be: 'The sea is the cradle of the world.'

Krakow (Crack-ow): is God of the Air & Atmosphere. He is the brother of Marlik, the Water God, who is also his friend. He is swift and impulsive, quick to anger but equally quick to forgive. He adores Ala, Goddess of the Night & the Moon, and would do nearly anything for her. Whatever the problem between his brother & Ruitha is, he does not seem to share it, often mediating between the two on matters of mutual concern. His watchword might be: 'When you ride the wind you know you're alive.'

Solaris (Sul-are-iss): is God of Light, Fire & the Sun. He finds darkness distasteful, and as a consequence does not get on with Ala, Goddess of the Night. Some of Solaris' followers consider him to be the God of Truth (an attribute more usually given to Kode) as he is lord of illumination, but he himself has never made that claim. Solaris is a very straightforward God and his word is his bond. His watchword might be: 'Nothing can hide from the light.'

Lovis (Low-viss): is God of Agriculture, Commerce & Industry. As such he is patron of merchants and farmers, each of whom picture him differently. To merchants he is charming and quick witted; to farmers as slow and sturdy as an old oak. Lovis is known to consider his actions carefully and rarely acts without thought. His watchword might be: 'Slow but sure.'

Zarnik (Zar-nick): is God of Thought & Wisdom. He is married to Meliora, Goddess of Knowledge & Education. For obvious reasons, the marriage is a solid one. Zarnik himself enjoys nothing more than a good discussion. He is always prepared to offer advice to the other Deities if asked, never seeking to judge them. His watchword might be: 'Time taken in thought is time well spent.'

Ikoro (Eye-ko-ro): is God of Insanity, Disease & Decay. He is often regarded as evil, but he is an impartial God who performs his duties with a kind of hollow disinterest. Rebekah, Goddess of Healing, regards him with loathing, but he thinks no more or less of her than he does any other Deity. He just does what he does. His watchword might be: 'I am needed. Accept it.'

Aylena (Ay-lee-nuh): Goddess of Death, twin sister of Aylissa, Goddess of Life. Both are warm, friendly and sympathetic. Sometimes they are together, at other times they appear singly. No-one can tell them apart, even the other Deities. Neither is likely to kill anything out of hand, but many who meet them find it quite horrifying that there is no perceivable difference between Life and Death... Her watchword might be: 'You only have one Death & one Life, so make the most of them.'

Aylissa (Ay-liss-uh): Goddess of Life, twin sister of Aylena, Goddess of Death. Both are warm, friendly and sympathetic. Sometimes they are together, at other times they appear singly. No-one can tell them apart, even the other Deities. Neither is likely to kill anything out of hand, but many who meet them find it quite horrifying that there is no perceivable difference between Life and Death... Her watchword might be: 'You only have one Life & one Death, so make the most of them.'

Ala (Ar-luh): Goddess of Mystery, Secrets, the Night, Darkness & the Moon is seen as the patron of thieves, although it is not known if she has ever claimed or rejected them. Ala keeps her own counsel and reveals little. Krakow, God of the Air is often found in her company, seeking to win her, but Ala neither encourages nor discourages his suit. She seems to enjoy his company, but who can know? Her watchword might be: 'I know. Do you?' She does not get on with Solaris, the Sun God, although it cannot truly be said they are enemies.

Luciana (Loo-chee-ar-nuh): is Goddess of Hearth & Home, Marriage & Childbirth. She is/was the wife of the God-Emperor Thane and mother of his childen. The God-Emperor is dead, the fate of their children unknown, and Luciana carries a weight of grief that only a Deity can know. She is probably the least interventionist of all the Deities, although her Clerics still draw their spells from her so she cannot have turned her back entirely upon the world. She was a deeply caring and compassionate Goddess, filled with love for her people, but no-one knows what to expect from her now.

Dionetta (Dee-uh-net-uh): is Goddess of Destiny, Time, Fate & Prophecy. Her attention is most often on the future, causing her to seem distant and remote, but she misses nothing. It is very hard to surprise someone who knows what you will do before you have even thought about doing it. Her watchword might be: 'What will be, is.'

Clarona (Cluh-ro-nuh): is the capricious and whimsical Goddess of Love & Luck. If she is in a good mood she will grant true love and good fortune; if she is feeling unhappy she will spread unrequited love and bad luck instead. No-one can predict her and few would even try. Her watchword might be: 'Who knows? Flip a coin and find out.'

Ruitha (Roo-ee-thuh): as Goddess of Nature, the Earth and all life outside the seas, Ruitha is not a Goddess to take lightly. There is some problem between her and Marlik, the Sea God, but she gets on quite well with his brother Krakow, God of the Air. Ruitha is endlessly patient and nurturing, yet she accepts that all things must die. Nature often seems cruel, but Ruitha's concern is for the eco-system and the environment as a whole rather than for individuals. Her watchword might be: 'Look wide and see deep.'

Merana (Mer-ar-nuh): is Goddess of Magic. She is revered by mages as the source of all magical power and their inspiration both. She lives for magic, spending all of her time researching and perfecting new spells simply for the joy of knowing them. Mages often dedicate new spells to her, knowing how much it pleases her. Merana has NO CLERICS and grants NO SPELLS to her worshippers. Not every mage worships her, but the majority are to all intents and purposes her clergy, both in her mind and in theirs.

Azure (Az-ure): is Goddess of Travel. In a world of extreme peril, that makes her very popular and her favour much sought. No matter where the traveller might be, Azure has influence. She is known to be very intercession minded too, and many followers of other Deities have been known to call upon her at need. The other Deities do not seem to mind and Azure herself certainly doesn't. She is a great traveller herself and is known to wander the world. She has often described herself as the Queen of The Four Realms. No-one is entirely sure what this means. Her watchword might be: 'I wonder what's behind that hill...?'

Meliora (Mel-ee-or-uh): The Goddess of Knowledge & Education. She is married to Zarnik, God of Thought & Wisdom. Their marriage works well, the two working together as a team. The eternal teacher, Meliora delights in helping others discover new things. The other Deities often rely on her for information, which she gives them without fear or favour. Her watchword might be: 'All knowledge is valuable.'

Rebekah (Ree-beck-uh): is Goddess of Healing, Renewal & Rebirth. She loathes Ikoro, but has no real enmity with any of the other Deities. Rebekah is responsible for mental, emotional and spiritual healing as well as physical, thus making her Goddess of Renewal & Rebirth. She is caring and compassionate, hating pain and suffering in all its forms. She is slow to take offence and quick to forgive. Her watchword might be: 'Heal others and you also heal yourself.'