Biographies

**********************SPOILERS**********************

Below you will find a description of the important characters, countries, organizations, and even worlds that appear in this novel. Some of this content will include spoilers, so I recommend using this only as a reference after the fact.

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The Five Creator Gods

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The five gods who are credited with forming Ea from inter-dimensional chaos. Unlike the Ascended, mortal beings who have achieved Tier 5 and then ascended to godhood after embracing an Aspect of Divinity, the Creator Gods have always been divine. Or so they claim.

They are responsible for laying down the destined path of Ea and all of its inhabitants, and as such, exercise a degree of authority over the Ascended, albeit to a limited degree. However, they are not omnipotent. Forces both external and internal frequently seek to undermine or divert the Destiny of Ea, and only through regular maintenance is calamity avoided.

The creators are not monolithic, and they each have their own interests and agendas which are often at cross purposes to one another. While infighting is not uncommon, they have a tendency to unite in the face of external threats, which is what allowed their continued cooperation over the millennia.

Each of the Creator Gods rules one of the five Heavenly Realms, which are in turn connected to the House of Convergence, the meeting hall and neutral ground a the gods. There, the path of Destiny is forged and maintained, with both the Creators and Ascended responsible for overseeing their individual Aspects.

Because of circumstances placed upon them by both the act of creation in and of itself and the establishment of the System, the Creator Gods are severely limited in what actions they can take outside of their home realms. Indeed even leaving the Heavenly Realms can be a dangerous prospect for them. As such, they commonly employ servants or followers to exercise their will.

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Aminatrea

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Also known as the Goddess of the Sun, Mother of Light, Mistress of the Skies, Sovereign of Fire, and a host of other regional names and titles, Aminatrea is one of the Five Creator Gods of Ea and is viewed as their leader by mortal worshipers. The truth is a little more complicated. While she lacks any actual authority over her fellows, she sees herself as the first among equals, and often tries to overtly direct their actions.

Like all of the greater gods, she has no definite form, but often appears as a graceful young woman seemingly made entirely of light, whose radiance is painful to look upon. Her voice is said to sound like notes plucked from the finest harp, and her presence is said to be simultaneously comforting and enchanting.

She is frequently associated with birds, and her sacred animal is said to be a Phoenix.

Personality

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Thanks to millennia of cultivating an image of herself as a responsible and dedicated goddess that strives to help the unfortunate, defend the weak, and punish the unjust, she is viewed by the people of Ea as the epitome of holy virtue.

Truthfully, she is an irresponsible meddler, who uses her position as one of the Creators to pursue her own interpretation of justice. This includes a zero tolerance policy on beings she classifies as evil or unnatural, such as the undead, demons, and certain kinds of monsters. As such, her angelic legions are often deployed to various realms to combat the growth of these dark forces, while her mortal followers attempt to do the same on Ea.

She is also the only one of the Five Creator Gods who goes out of her way to punish serious transgressions against her churches or priests, earning her faith a fearsome reputation. The methods vary from minor (such as setbacks in business or the loss of important crops) to lethal (incineration in a beam of intense light) depending on the nature of the transgression. As a result, her clergy tend to exercise a great deal influence on mortal authorities, as most leaders are hesitant to make enemies of someone with a deity backing them up.

Among other gods, she tends to be bossy and overbearing. This makes her somewhat popular with the more militaristic of the Ascended, who are accustomed to more rigid hierarchies than the nebulous collection of independent factions the gods actually fall in to. However, she often suffers setbacks when confronting the other creators due to her inability to garner assistance from others.

Spheres of influence

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Aminatrea governs the Aspects of Sun, Sky, Light, Fire, and to a lesser extent Nobility and Justice. As such she is commonly worshiped in all corners of Ea to some extent or other, with the notable exception of Lacot for obvious reasons. Her most devoted followers include judges, magistrates, rulers, bureaucrats, and other government functionaries, although she is frequently called upon by soldiers and knights who ask for her blessing in battle.

Most of the sentient races of Ea pay her some degree of homage, due in large part to her association with the Sun, and its not uncommon to encounter her shrines and temples in most major cities.

She is the patron goddess of the Sun Elves, and a member of the Triune of Mirithia. Her elven followers tend to worship her mostly in her Aspect as the Goddess of Fire. As a result, Fire Elemental mages enjoy a high standing in Sun Elf society.

She is less commonly worshiped among certain populations, especially those who tend to be nocturnal or live underground. Due to her uncompromising hatred of the undead, Lacotians, and those in a similar state of unlife, tend to treat her as an enemy.

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Mone and Mona

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Also known as the God and Goddess of the Moon, Twin Masters of the Night, Weavers of Mystery, Reflections of Stilled Water, and a host of regional names and titles, Mone and Mona together hold a position of one of the Creator Gods of Ea.

Like all of the greater gods, they don't have a defined form, but most often appear as identical androgynous youths with pale skin and dark hair. For reasons unknown to even their peers, they never seem show up in the same place at the same time, but will trade places with each other at seemingly random intervals. This had led to a few of the braver among the Ascended to theorize that they actually share a body, although they never say such things too loudly.

Mone is frequently associated with fish, especially aquatic predators, while Mona has affinity for reptiles and amphibians. Their sacred animals are said to be Sharks and Sea Serpents respectively.

Personality

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Much like the changing face of the celestial body they represent, Mone and Mona have very different personalities. Mone is harsh, direct, and cares little for the welfare of others. His only apparent goal seems to be deriving as much entertainment as possible from the suffering of the mortals under his charge. It is rare indeed for someone to ask for his intercession on their behalf, and such petitioners often regret drawing the attention of this malign god.

His most frequent worshipers include sailors, pirates, and criminals who act under the cover of night, and they only do so in order to avoid his ire. On rare occasions, merchants will also offer a prayer to the Dark Side of the Moon when seeking the downfall of a business rival, but such efforts are risky. Mone is just as likely to harm the petitioner as he is to help them.

Mona, on the other hand, is calm, rational, and often inclined to act in the best interests of her mortal followers. Of all the creator gods, she is also the one most likely to respond to the heartfelt prayers of her worshipers, and is often credited with aiding those afflicted by her brother's pranks.

Artists, performers, and musicians are her most ardent followers, and it is not uncommon for them to whisper a silent prayer to her before going up on stage or unveiling a new piece. Merchants and craftsmen will also petition her for inspiration and the protection of their trade, while hunters, watchmen, and adventurers ask her for protection when performing their duties at night.

However, like all things to do with these mysterious deities, not everything is as it appears.

Among other gods, they have a tendency to be viewed as untrustworthy schemers and deal makers, who have been known to play both sides of a conflict against each other. Despite that, they command a great deal of influence among the Ascended thanks to an impenetrable network of agreements and contracts. While the full scope of their faction remains a mystery, the Twins are often considered to the most politically powerful of the Creator Gods due to their ability to apply unexpected leverage at critical junctures.

Spheres of Influence

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The Twins together represent the Aspects of Moon, Darkness, Deception, Water, and Night. Mone is also in charge of Criminals, Trickery, and Cruelty, while Mona governs the Ocean, Music, and Love. Unofficially, they are also the gods most commonly associated with Wealth and Commerce, and are therefore frequently worshiped in cities that rely heavily on trade.

Much like their fellow goddess Aminatrea, temples to the Twins are found throughout the Inland Sea Region, and most sentient races pay some degree of homage to them. That said, their religious centers are concentrated in urban areas, especially in coastal regions, and its difficult to find many of their followers in the countryside.

The Twins are the patron gods of the Moon Elves and are one facet of the Triune of Mirithia. As such, they have garnered a fair amount of influence among Arcane Mages and adherents of Arcane Magic, something that remains a point of contention between them and Lysande.

More so than any of their peers, Mone and Mona are likely to be worshiped by secretive cults, with practices that vary from the benign to the murderous. Everything from ritual poem composition to the sacrifice of infants is rumored to take place at their hidden gatherings.

Dwarves tend to be distrustful of the Twins, viewing them as malicious entities that foster chaos and disorder. Mone especially has a reputation for interfering with honest, dwarven craftsmen and laborers for no reason save his own satisfaction, causing their works to break down unexpectedly.

Beastmen, on the other hand, treat them with the greatest of respect, second only to Teun in their prayers and rituals. This stems mostly from their Aspect of the Moon, which figures heavily into most traditional beastman religious practices.

Aquatic or reptilian races, and sentient monsters from the ocean likewise pay homage to the Twins, although this faith is often overshadowed by members of the Ascended more closely aligned with those individual species.

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Lysande

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Also known as the God of the Stars, Lord of Magic, Master of the Unseen Library, Ruler of the Five Winds and a host of regional names and titles, Lysande is one of the Five Creator Gods of Ea.

Like all of the greater gods, he has no definite form, but usually appears as a grey haired, scholarly man in the prime of his life. He is known to carry a book with him wherever he travels.

While typically associated with insects of all types, he is not known to have a sacred animal. Instead, his sacred texts tend to elevate spirits and other energy based lifeforms.

Personality:

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Of all of the Creator Gods, Lysande is credited with being the most rational and contemplative. Detractors might call him dry or unfeeling, but he is simply unconcerned with the mundane. While usually calm, in the presence of the new and unknown he becomes a passionate researcher, and will often go to extremes to track down the information he wants. He does not often speak in the presence of others, but when he does, his words carry great weight.

With the exception of Yilon, Lysande is the Creator God who is least involved in mortal affairs. He rarely answers prayers, and his clergy cannot expect much of anything from him. This has given him the reputation of being an absent and uncaring deity. As a result, he is rather unpopular with the common people.

This is not to say that he's completely unconcerned with the people of Ea. On the contrary, he often intercedes in a minor capacity to give subtle inspiration to deep thinkers like philosophers, inventors, and scientists. Many magical and technological discoveries have come about due to his subtle influence.

His clergy and temples are almost universal concentrated in areas of learning and knowledge, with scholars and mages being his most ardent followers. He holds a special place in the hearts of those who work with books and there are few authors or researchers who don't offer him a prayer before starting a new task.

Among the other gods, he is largely a recluse, rarely leaving his home realm. The Ascended tend to see him as being aloof and unapproachable, but those who manage to encounter him while he's in a rare talkative mood will be regaled with rare tidbits of knowledge. Whether or not such information is useful is typically inconsequential to Lysande.

Contrary to what might be expected, he actually has a fairly strong following among the Ascended, albeit a fractious and disunited one. His laissez-faire attitude to most things outside of his interests makes him quite popular for members of the Ascended who chafe under rules and restrictions. He also tends to get along with those gods outside of the major factions. As a result, he can be surprisingly influential under the right circumstances.

When interacting with his fellow Creator Gods, Lysande prefers to maintain a professional cordiality, with one notable exception. He has a very unstable romantic relationship with Teun. They seem to go through cycles of passionate love affairs, domestic bliss, arguments, break-ups and eventually reconciliations.

Spheres of Influence

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Lysande governs the Aspects of the Stars, Magic, Knowledge, Wind, Invention, and to a lesser extent Civilization and Cities. As he is essentially the god of Technology, he carries a fair amount of influence with nearly every facet of life for humanoid beings.

In some regions of the world, he's also associated with the, as of yet, unclaimed Aspect of Death. While he officially denies any involvement, it often falls to him to maintain this portion of Ea's Destiny since his sense of responsibility will not let such a vital part of the fabric of reality go unmanaged. Until a reliable God of Death appears amongst the Ascended, he will likely continue this thankless duty.

Much like the Twins, his following in primarily urban, but even more restricted. His temples are rarely found outside of places of learning or inventions, and are virtually unheard of in most rural communities. Of all regions, he is perhaps most heavily worshiped in Cadun, The City of Spells, where the Mage's Guild is based.

That said, it is not uncommon to encounter a traveling priest of Lysande in the midst of conducting field research. All members of his clergy are required to acquire and catalogue knowledge as part of their advancement in the church, and first-hand experience is viewed as being the most valuable. As such, there are a number of small and isolated societies whose only experience with organized religion might be a travel-worn priest of the God of Knowledge barging into their lives with a battery of seemingly nonsensical questions.

Lysande is the patron god of the Star Elves, and one of the Triune of Mirithia. Most Star Elf communities are little more than isolated and self-contained monasteries where the mysteries of the universe are explored, thanks in large part to the race's talent for nearly all forms of magic. He is also rather influential among Moon Elves due to his role as the God of Magic, which remains a point of contention between him and the Twins.

Dwarves and beastmen rarely worship the god, with only a small segment of their race's intellectual elite paying him homage. He is often associated with elves and humans far more than other races, something that makes him a little unpalatable to those outside of those particular groups. That said, it is not unheard of for dwarven craftsmen to offer up a prayer to the Lord of Invention when experimenting with new techniques.

Outside of major humanoid communities, Lysande has little following. Only rarely do sentient monsters even know of his existence. The noted exception being the sphinxes of the Shimmering Desert, who are best known for their penchant for intellectual puzzles and riddles.

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Teun

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Also known as the Mistress of the Earthen Realm, Ruler of All That Grows, Giver of Life, Mother of Instinct, and a host of regional names and titles, Teun is one of the Five Creator Gods of Ea.

Like all of the greater gods, she has no definite form, but usually appears as a statuesque women with skin the color of rich earth and tangled, vine-like growth in place of hair. As the goddess most frequently associated with physical passion and lust, she is known to have an enchanting and seductive air. Few among the Ascended can resist her charms, and even her fellow Creators are known to fall prey to her persuasion when she's seeking a favor.

Teun is commonly associated with plants and mammals, and her sacred creature is the Treant.

Personality

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Vivacious and mercurial, Teun is a goddess of passion who embraces emotion and embodies the principle of living in the moment. She is the most direct of the Creators, often boldly stating her opinion with no thought to how it might derail the conversation, something that irritates Aminatrea greatly.

Detractors often call her reckless and impulsive, prone to sudden mood swings. To her adherents, however, she is bold and adventurous, unwilling to waste time on overly complex plans when action is required. This is not to say she doesn't exercise some degree of forethought, merely that long-term consequences rarely factor into her decision making process.

Teun, thanks to her role as the goddess of life is easily the most popular deity amongst mortals. Rural communities are nearly universal in their devotion to her. This is especially true in the case of farmers, miners, and those who work with the soil. As such, her church is by far the largest and most diverse, spanning nearly every race and region.

She is quite popular among her fellow gods, but rarely has the wherewithal to maintain a strong faction. As such, she tends to ally with one of the other Creator Gods when making major decisions, lending what support she can muster to their causes. Teun is in an unstable romantic relationship with Lysande, which is often leads to intense drama between the two celestial entities. However, this has not stopped her from taking on a number of lovers among the Ascended, and even the occasional mortal.

Spheres of Influence

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Teun governs the Aspects of Earth, Life, Plants, Animals, Passion, and Instinct. She is often associated with Fertility, and to a lesser degree, Marriage. As such, most wedding ceremonies in the Inland Sea Region are partially dedicated to her.

Because of her involvement with nature and natural processes, virtually every person who makes their livelihood off the land pays her some degree of homage. From the hunter offering a silent prayer before his fires his arrow, to the farmer planting seeds blessed by a Teundan priest. From the miners requesting safe passage through her domain, to the expectant mother pleading for a safe delivery. When combined with her role as the supposed source of carnal pleasure, she is understandably the most popular goddess in the pantheon. A fact that continues to irritate Aminatrea to no end.

With few exceptions, the various races of Ea routinely worship her, with her most fervent supporters being the many tribes of beastmen. Most of their rituals and traditions stem from the worship of one of her Aspects. Teun is also the patron of the dwarves, who focus primarily on her role as the goddess of Earth, and by extension, all the lies within the ground.

Not all of her followers are benign, however, and several primitive monster tribes worship her as the Mistress of the Hunt and Goddess of Hunger. They pay homage through ritual sacrifices and feasts, which is all too often composed of their sentient victims.

Similarly, vampires, ghouls, and those types of undead that must feed to survive are also frequent worshipers of hers. However, she is often superseded in their hearts by certain members of the Ascended that more closely align with their worldview.

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Yilon

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Also known as the God of the Void, Master of Entropy, Manifestation of Oblivion, The Veil of Hidden Truths, and a handful of local and regional titles, Yilon is one of the Five Creator Gods of Ea.

It appears as a sphere of impenetrable darkness which seems to absorb the light and heat from its surrounds. Although it likely has the capacity for taking on other forms, it has never done so.

Yilon is not associated with any kind of living thing, nor does it have a sacred creature.

Personality

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Its questionable if this mysterious being even feels emotions in the traditional sense. When necessary, it speaks in a blunt monotone, rarely taking any side in a conflict between the Creators. Indeed, it rarely seems to have any opinion at all, and instead appears to be content with merely maintaining the status quo.

Yilon never involves itself in mortal affairs. As such, it has little in the way of followers on Ea. A few desperate or insane individuals will offer up prayers to the Manifestation of Oblivion, wishing for an end to all things, but even these requests go unfulfilled. Although it has no real clergy, Yilon is still included in major temples dedicated to the Creators, ensuring that its existence is not forgotten by mortals.

Among the Ascended, it is viewed as a strange and somewhat terrifying entity. Thanks to its tendency to slowly absorb the divinity of the lesser gods in its vicinity, Yilon has no faction to speak of. However, on the rare occasions that it offers an actual suggestion, its fellow Creators usually go along with it. Whether this is because they recognize the being's wisdom, or merely fear the repercussions of ignoring it, remains unclear.

Spheres of Influence

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Yilon governs the Aspects of Void, Entropy, Space, Time, the Unknown, and the Apocalypse. Its role as the master of the unseen underbelly of Ea's cosmic structure means that it is also the only being that truly understands the workings of the System. At times, it has been referred to by the other Creators as the Administrator.

Outside of a few obscure theological treatises, little is known about Yilon on Ea. Most major cities have at least some small shrine dedicated to the entity, usually funded by the other churches, but most sentient beings prefer to pretend that it doesn't exist. Not many can comfortably acknowledge the eventual end of all things, a concept it embodies as the Herald of the Apocalypse.

Despite its usual tendency towards non-involvement, Yilon is somehow the patron god of the void elves, a mysterious race of beings said to inhabit a shadowy realm known as Nocturnis. They, along with many of realm's inhabitants, tend to worship the God of the Void to the exclusion of all others, something that remains rather troubling for the other Creators.

Outside of Nocturnis, Yilon has little presence. Some apocalyptic cults pray to it, and a few Demon Lords are said to be in its employ, but neither group seems to have any real backing from the Master of Entropy.

Of course, no one is truly sure just how much influence it has on the System itself, and whether or not it makes use of it.