The Aeons - custom-made gods for campaign.

[Brasswatchman]

Below, you'll find custom-made gods for a campaign setting I'm writing, based vaguely on classic Squaresoft RPG platforms (yes, especially Seiken Deisetsu; let's just get that out of the way right now ). As always, would appreciate comments.

THE AEONS
The Aeons, also commonly called the Seven, are magical beings created by the Three deities who created the world, the Archons, as servants and friends. For a time, it was good, until the Three fell to warring among each other, in what became known as the Long War. When the Long War was over, the two remaining Archons left the world forever, leaving the Aeons to put the pieces back together. In the thousand years that have passed since the Long War, the Aeons have beneficially helped mortals reconstruct civilization. They were given the ability to grant magical power to their followers by the Archons; all told, while they have kept a light hand in mortal affairs, they still are the most powerful beings in the world. Or at least they were, until the Empire came along…

THE SEVEN AEONS
Name Alignment Domains
Undine NG Water, Healing, Strength, Community**
Salamandus LG Fire, Law, Protection, Glory**
Sylphus CG Air, Knowledge, Travel, Creation**
Cthon NG Earth, Knowledge, Magic, Mind**
Lumos LN Sun, Destruction, War, Inquisition**
Luna CN Chaos, Trickery, Luck, Greed*
Tifereth N Plant, Animal, Bestial*, Celerity**
*for domain specifications, see Book of Vile Darkness.
**for domain specifications, see Complete Divine.

UNDINE
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Water, Healing, Strength, Community**
Undine is the patron of water; as such, she sees herself as linked to every aspect of life in the world, from the largest ocean to the tiniest stream. Well known for her charity and good nature, the Sea Queen (as she is sometimes called) tends to appear in the form of a beautiful human woman shaped out of water. She tends to play the peacemaker among the other Seven, trying her best to resolve conflicts between Cthon and Sylphus. She is the only one of the Aeons who keeps in contact with Luna. She is the wife of Salamandus.

SALAMANDUS
Alignment: Lawful Good
Domains: Fire, Law, Protection, Glory**
Salamandus is the Aeon of fire and law; he appears in the form of a large, calm creature with the head of a dragon and the body of an orc. He is the protector of all life in the world, and gives help to honorable warriors everywhere. Quiet and polite to a fault, he is well-matched to the Oni Kingdom, of whom he is the official patron; his residence, the Fire Palace, is located in the city of Damcyan. He is the husband of Undine, one of the few people able to make him smile. He is the head of an organization known as the Red Guard, a sizeable army of warriors drawn from all races and genders. He is the patron of the Red Citadel in Mysidia; many graduates of that institution are known to join the Guard.

SYLPHUS
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Domains: Air, Knowledge, Travel, Creation**
Sylphus, otherwise known as Father Winter or Father Christmas, usually manifests in the form of a stout, somewhat worn but still jolly old man in his mid-sixties. He is the patron of the penpens, with whom he shares the Ice Country. With the exception of Undine and Lumos, he is the most widely worshipped of the Seven. Even non-worshippers join in the celebration of his holiday, known by various names, around the time of the winter solstice. During this holiday, Sylphus comes out of his Palace deep in the Ice Country and makes his way around the world, teleporting from house to house, spreading good cheer and charity to the good children of the world. No one knows where exactly he gets all of the toys from; cynics and paranoiacs also like to point out the ambiguities surrounding someone who knows exactly who’s been bad or good, every single time. Many have been known to refrain from Wintermas. These include, in particular, the dwarves and Kakkarian halflings – who follow Cthon, whose distrust for Sylphus is well-known – and the elves, who seem to have a strange hatred for the old man that they refuse to explain to outsiders.

CTHON
Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Earth, Knowledge, Magic, Mind**
The Aeon of earth is also the patron of scholarship. He is known as the most eccentric of the Seven. Officially residing in the underground city of Gaia’s Navel, he is often seen wandering the streets of the city in the form of a six-foot-tall dwarf shaped from stone, lost in an absent-minded haze. From his home in the Earth Palace, he collects the wisdom and knowledge of generations in his immense library. He is the great patron of the dwarves, who affectionately call him “Cthaim” (dwarf: “great guy”). He is also worshipped by the Kakkarian halflings, who do so in a manner completely different from his dwarf followers. He is on generally good terms with all other members of the Seven, with the exception of Sylphus, who he greatly distrusts, for unknown reasons (though it may have something to do with their overlap in domains).

LUMOS
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Sun, Destruction, War, Inquisition**
Lumos is the Aeon of light and the sun. Furthermore, he sees it as his job to spread his light throughout the world, through whatever means he considers necessary. A great defender of truth and justice, his followers are often judges, officials of the law, or in the military. He is the head of an organization called the Inquisition; its members roam the world, seeking out and destroying inequity and transgression wherever they see fit. Of all the Seven, Lumos is the most passionate in his hatred for the Empire; this is somewhat understandable, since the Empire forced him from his home in the city now known as Vector. He has since relocated his residence, the Light Palace, to the city of Mysidia. Undine and Salamandus are often known to visit him there – usually with the purpose of reining him in from crossing some moral and ethical line in his obsessive pursuit of truth.
Ten years ago, Lumos quietly assumed patronage of the Black Citadel in Mysidia – a surprising turn of events, since he and the black mages could not be more different. Nonetheless, he has not asked any of the other Aeons to take over for him since then. He may consider himself the individual best suited to reign in the black mages’ free-wheeling, anything-goes curiosity.

LUNA
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Chaos, Trickery, Luck, Greed*
The black sheep of the Aeons, Luna has lived in seclusion for over a thousand years. The other Seven do not discuss her; the only one of their number who still tries to reach out to her is Undine. Sullen and selfish, Luna is the patron of the ever-changing moon and the thieves who work in its light. She is followed by rogues, pirates, spies and other residents of the underworld. The location of her palace is unknown, she may not even have one. Rarely seen, her followers have sometimes sworn to have seen her in the form of a beautiful, pale woman, drinking in bars across the world.

TIFERETH
Alignment: True Neutral
Domains: Plant, Animal, Bestial*, Celerity**
The Aeon of nature, sometimes known as Dryad, is also the most reclusive. The protector of plants, animals and the environment, she is only rarely known to leave her residence in the Tree Palace, on a small island that juts out from the Sunken Continent. Her followers – who include druids, rangers and others linked to nature – often go on pilgrimages to the Tree Palace to seek her out. On the rare occasions that she greets her followers, she is known to be shy and nervous, and easily scared away. It is said she lets her guard down to a small group of trusted priests, who reside with her in the Tree Palace, and the other Aeons.

 

[DamionW]

Just wondering if there's a reason none of them are evil. A full pantheon of gods usually has some representation of evil, because evil is a basic force in the world. Just asking out of curiousity.

 

[Thia Halmades]

Eh, depends on the Pantheon, but historically speaking, correct. The Gods in a Pantheon act as a morality tale for us Mortals. Hades opposed Zeus. Loki opposed Thor & Odin. Set cut his brother into 13 pieces and they're still looking for the foot. Go fig.

Anyway. That aside, yeah, this looks fine to me, but I'm only moderately helpful in this specific regard; I use the FR gods to save myself effort. If anything, you may want to use them as inspiration to make sure you're balanced and well defined. But I see Gods as characters, exactly as they were back in the day. They have objectives and personalities, and they use their domains and we mortals to further those objectives.

So my question, I suppose, is not "Are they balanced?" but "Who are they?" compounded by "What role do they play?" I'd actually sit down and write yourself some stories about each of them; one paragraph isn't going to do them justice, and if you want to get hardcore into deity design, then you'll need myths, legends & lies.

LCpt. Thia Halmades

 

[Brasswatchman]

So my question, I suppose, is not "Are they balanced?" but "Who are they?" compounded by "What role do they play?" I'd actually sit down and write yourself some stories about each of them; one paragraph isn't going to do them justice, and if you want to get hardcore into deity design, then you'll need myths, legends & lies.

Absolutely. I agree. I've got quite a few ideas in my head; some written down. What I've put above is just for the packet I'm going to hand out to my players. I guess the real question that I'm asking here is, "is this enough information for you as a player to decide on a diety to worship in-game?"

Just wondering if there's a reason none of them are evil. A full pantheon of gods usually has some representation of evil, because evil is a basic force in the world. Just asking out of curiousity.

There aren't any..... that I want my players to know about.

 

[Thia Halmades]

LUNA
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Chaos, Trickery, Luck, Greed*
The black sheep of the Aeons, Luna has lived in seclusion for over a thousand years. The other Seven do not discuss her; the only one of their number who still tries to reach out to her is Undine. Sullen and selfish, Luna is the patron of the ever-changing moon and the thieves who work in its light. She is followed by rogues, pirates, spies and other residents of the underworld. The location of her palace is unknown, she may not even have one. Rarely seen, her followers have sometimes sworn to have seen her in the form of a beautiful, pale woman, drinking in bars across the world.

Mmm... I'd get into a boxing match with you about this one, but that's because of my personal feelings towards Her, more than any beef I'd have with your fantasy campaign. You might want to reserve the CN/CE for the Dark Side of the Moon, and create yourself a schizophrenic Goddess, which frankly, I just thought of this second.

This would make you the FIRST PERSON to do a Moon Goddess justice. Capricious, predictable only if you understand the pattern and the struggle; most people assume that when it's Dark, it's evil, when it's Light, it's good. That's wrong. It represents the struggle, and as it waxes and wanes, so to does her sanity. Those who worship her can be any Chaotic, but their morality (Good/Neutral/Evil) determines which domains they choose from.

I'm bad at domains off the top of my head, but you could explain to your players (as a dirty little lie) that her two sides are actually CG & CN; what you aren't telling them is that there's a third, deeply suppressed personality, CE. This also ties in mythologically with the concept of the Maiden, the Mother & the Matron (Child/Woman/Crone). Your Maiden is innocent; she's a flirt, she's a tease, but she gives it up. She loves life and all that it offers. She's sexy, in an alluring way that you can bring home to mama.

The Mother is the dirty older woman (and we're getting out of canon here, but I'm in a groove) who's seen the world, who knows its pains. She's gotten more rebellious as she's gotten older, willing to do more to get her way, willing to tell more lies to get men into her bed. She DOES care, but she's also more "me" focused; she's given part of her life already, and she doesn't want to let the rest of it go without a fight.

The Matron is the old, bitter insane witch, representative of the frustration of a life spent caring for others, a life spent raising children, a life spent outside of the party, in the house, where she was left with only her garden and herself. The frusrtation of loneliness that many women feel with the pressure of old age, and no children or husband around any more. She is frustration, anger and resentment incarnate, and cares for nothing except showing that pain to others. CE.

But we don't talk about her, do we? She's our dirty little secret, isn't she? No one wants to believe the capricious, beautiful moon could be so flawed and pock-marked.

My thoughts. Otherwise, yes, they're good enough to introduce to players.

 

[Brasswatchman]

Mmm... I'd get into a boxing match with you about this one, but that's because of my personal feelings towards Her, more than any beef I'd have with your fantasy campaign. You might want to reserve the CN/CE for the Dark Side of the Moon, and create yourself a schizophrenic Goddess, which frankly, I just thought of this second.

This would make you the FIRST PERSON to do a Moon Goddess justice. Capricious, predictable only if you understand the pattern and the struggle; most people assume that when it's Dark, it's evil, when it's Light, it's good. That's wrong. It represents the struggle, and as it waxes and wanes, so to does her sanity. Those who worship her can be any Chaotic, but their morality (Good/Neutral/Evil) determines which domains they choose from.

I'm bad at domains off the top of my head, but you could explain to your players (as a dirty little lie) that her two sides are actually CG & CN; what you aren't telling them is that there's a third, deeply suppressed personality, CE. This also ties in mythologically with the concept of the Maiden, the Mother & the Matron (Child/Woman/Crone). Your Maiden is innocent; she's a flirt, she's a tease, but she gives it up. She loves life and all that it offers. She's sexy, in an alluring way that you can bring home to mama.

The Mother is the dirty older woman (and we're getting out of canon here, but I'm in a groove) who's seen the world, who knows its pains. She's gotten more rebellious as she's gotten older, willing to do more to get her way, willing to tell more lies to get men into her bed. She DOES care, but she's also more "me" focused; she's given part of her life already, and she doesn't want to let the rest of it go without a fight.

The Matron is the old, bitter insane witch, representative of the frustration of a life spent caring for others, a life spent raising children, a life spent outside of the party, in the house, where she was left with only her garden and herself. The frusrtation of loneliness that many women feel with the pressure of old age, and no children or husband around any more. She is frustration, anger and resentment incarnate, and cares for nothing except showing that pain to others. CE.

But we don't talk about her, do we? She's our dirty little secret, isn't she? No one wants to believe the capricious, beautiful moon could be so flawed and pock-marked.

My thoughts. Otherwise, yes, they're good enough to introduce to players.

It's a fantastic idea. (And I see someone else has been reading Sandman ). I just don't know if it fits the tone of this campaign. Technically, the Aeon aren't gods in the classical sense of the term, as they are magical constructs with some divine abilities. As such, their natures are less dictated by mortal belief as it was by their original function under the Archons. This would fit more with a campaign where gods are created through human belief, or have their natures rooted in dream-logic.

In the meantime, though, I hope you don't mind if I take note of this idea for future reference. It's a really excellent idea; in fact, I can even see a campaign being based around the Moon's instability.

In the meantime, thanks for your comments!

 

[Thia Halmades]

The only Sandman story I ever read was for... what, when he collects his artifacts and gets into a battle of imaginations with a Demon. But I'll take it as a compliment. That actually stems from basic mythology about the Moon Herself; New, Half & Full demontrating Maiden, Mother, Matron. I know that Selune & ... Shar! Shar! Are both the Light/Dark side (in theory) for Forgotten Realms, so I thought, "Wouldn't it be cool if it was done 'properly' and she was one Goddess with three faces? One of which is hidden?" So that's where I drew the idea from.

I hope it works for you either here or in another campaign, and bear in mind, if you want to adopt it, you can flavor text the heck out of it and turn it from "divine" to "flawed construct" to whatever else you like. Glad I could help!