Alcina, as goddess of drought, is often appeased in dry regions to avoid her wrath or ritualistically defeated by followers of Orestea. As the goddess of despair, she is given the souls of those who die by suicide by Cthos and the living will sometimes pray to her to release these souls to a more friendly resting place. Her extremely small clergy follows Alcina as Ellesar of Many Wonders, concentrating on pain-induced visions and deceptive illusions that lead their enemies to despair and, hopefully, suicide.

          Alcyoneus is the patron and protector of children and the young. Offerings are given to him primarily by parents to insure that their children grow strong and healthy. As Bonny Billy, he is something of a mischief-maker who plays pranks on adults who mistreat children. As Father Yul, he is a grand toy-maker who annually sneaks into the homes of children who have been good, leaving toys behind for them to enjoy. Of course, parents who desire Alcyoneus' good graces are typically the ones who place the presents at the foot of the children's beds at the Winter Solstice, but sometimes a present will appear without the assistance of mortals. In those cases, it is usually a warning to the parents to avoid miserliness when they should be focusing on generosity. Alcyoneus is also the Patron of Spring and is invoked in ceremonies on the Spring Equinox, where gift-giving is also encouraged.
          It should be noted that Father Yul, for all his generosity and skill at carving, is a poor painter. Tradition holds that his wife, Thea, paints the toys that are to be given to children on Yul's Day. If a toy appears at the foot of a child's bed that is painted horribly wrong, it is said that the child is particularly blessed for the next year. It is Aridnus who provides a list of the children that have been good for the previous year, though Alcyoneus sometimes adds a few names if he feels that Aridnus has been too harsh in judgment.

          Alecto is most often appeased to avoid pain, particularly a painful death, but she is also the patroness of torturers. Alecto is known to be a merciless goddess, so the prayers of those trying to avoid pain are typically ignored. Her small clergy is generally hated, even in the vilest of lands, where they are employed in times of war by the local rulership to exact information from captured enemies and suspected spies. Her priests believe that she grants visions to loyal followers who inflict pain upon themselves.
          Alecto often assists allied deities in inventing new ways to increase the pain involved in each of their spheres.

          Amphitritus, as the God of Greed, has a fairly strong clergy in those nations which permit the worship of the malign deities. Priests are often heavily involved with the local Thieves' Guilds and often exert a great deal of political clout. In these regions, competition with the church of Britomaris can sometimes turn violent, but the two churches do not oppose each other on an ideological basis.
          Amphitritus is also a patron of adventurers, particularly those who seek lost (or not so lost) treasures of times past.

          The clergy of Aridnus are a fairly influential group, but it is rare that they exert that influence in the political arena. In some regions, the local government relies on the clergy to officiate in trials and in most areas they are at least associated with the judicial system (if there is one). Aridnus is also the patron of scribes and, often, is associated with oversided bureaucracies by his critics. It should be noted that temples solely dedicated to Aridnus are rare…his clergy usually inhabit the same structure as those of Fides, Majestas and Meliboea.
          The clergy of Aridnus are also often called upon by Guilds to construct weights and measurements for their use and most people know that measurements issued by the clergy of Aridnus are some of the most precise to be found.

          Bellona is a cold, calculating deity who encourages her worshippers to do whatever is reasonable to increase their personal wealth. A number of merchants who find her son, Minos, to be too moralistic pray instead to Bellona. Though dispassionate, Bellona is accepted in many regions that otherwise prohibit worship of the descendants of Dagon. Her clergy is small, even in regions where worship of Bellona is popular. Applicants to her clergy must prove their ability to amass wealth and be able to prove this ability throughout their careers. The followers of Bellona often find themselves in opposition to those who worship her brother, Britomaris, Goddess of Thievery, and the rivalry between the two gods is the subject of more than one apocryphal story.
          Followers of Bellona do not actively oppose the clergy of Clementia, Goddess of Mercy, but Clementia's followers often place themselves in direct opposition to the desires of the followers of Bellona.

          The clergy of Britomaris are typically a secretive lot, even in regions where the worship of Britomaris is not frowned upon. The clergy tend to operate very closely with any organized crime element in the society they are in, typically providing divine support to their criminal activities. Britomaris encourages criminal organization as well as the freelance rogue, acknowledging that there are many methods by which people liberate goods from others.
          Britomaris is something of a trickster goddess and rarely encourages her worshippers to kill their opponents (though leading them to their deaths is perfectly acceptable). As Traugott the Brave, he is depicted as a lovable rogue who is the patron of bandits and rangers. This aspect of Britomaris almost approaches a Benign Ethos, as redistribution of liberated wealth to the needy is encouraged. Harbona of the Streets is depicted as a cut-throat murder, however, who has no issue seducing men and stealing their gold, typically slitting their throats in the process. In this aspect, Britomaris certainly approaches a Malign Ethos, even though those who are killed are typically cheap and the murder is punishment for not giving to the poor. Guilded thieves almost never pay homage to these aspects of Britomaris.
          Britomaris is considered a fool by many of her darker brothers and sisters. Even Mormo, God of Deception, treats her like a naïve child. Though she is not as accepted as Kratos or Bellona, the worship of Britomaris in and of itself is rarely proscribed on religious grounds.

          Cardena, as the Goddess of Lust, is the patron of illicit liaisons, courtesans and even rapists. Worshippers of Cardena feel that only through the ecstasy of sexual intercourse can enlightenment be gained and seek to bring others to the same understanding. Cardena's temples are surprisingly common and are typically hidden in the brothels of large cities, but her priests carry little direct political influence. Worshippers have no qualms, of course, with using their art to influence politicians and officials. The tenants of Cardenan worship demand personal physical satisfaction, even at the expense of non-worshippers who are unwilling to enjoin in the sexual act. It is believed that Cardena even protects successful rapists from capture and punishment. Needless to say, worship of Cardena is abhorred in most lawful regions and her priests often find themselves persecuted, if not outright killed, for their beliefs.
          Cardena and Erato are the most dire of enemies and their worshippers often find themselves in conflict.

          Cebren is one of the most-liked gods, even in countries that encourage the worship of the descendants of Dagon. As the patron of troubadours and bards, he is considered to be the source of inspiration in his aspect as the Spirit. His divine clergy tend to be small in number, despite his popularity, and can only be found in major cities, but his followers can be found almost anywhere, roving in bands or wandering as individuals. Cebren promotes spreading the joy of music wherever possible and encourages troubadours and bards to travel, thus his close association with Pavor, God of Travel. Cebren is also the patron of town criers and it is said that the only time he takes vengeance on criminals is when one of his criers is murdered.
          Despite having been tricked into an affair with Mania, his most hated enemy, and producing Furinus, God of Wine, from the union, Cebren and his first wife, Thea, are on good terms.

          The worshippers of Clementia are few, but the number of priests compared to this population is high. As the Goddess of Mercy and Peace, even worshippers are prohibited from raising a hand against an enemy and instead attempt to use passive resistance to change how society works. Clementia herself is known to often sleep on the doorstep to the palace of Betshaba, her mother, who Clementia feels is too harsh with those who use the sea.
          Outsiders often view followers of Clementia as a joke, until the faithful decide to take up a cause and protest the evils of the world. Most of the enemies of the church are listed as such because they are often the subjects of church-sponsored protests and there are many stories about Clementia opposing these deities directly. Clementia only has true hatred for Tisiphone, Goddess of Vengeance, but even that hatred is tempered with a hope that Tisiphone can be made to see the error of her ways.

          Cottus has a very small clergy and almost no direct followers, though many archers will pray to him for good aim, particularly on the battlefield. Cottus' only real enemy is Gyges, who warns people of his coming during storms.

          Drames is typically associated with her father Podalirius, God of Vegetation and shrines to her are typically included in the construction of temples to her father. Those few priests who serve her directly are also typically associated with the church of Podalirius, so much so that they are almost treated as beloved "junior members" of Podalirius' church.
          Symbolic sacrifices of seed or gold are given to Drames in the hopes that she will make plants grow in the fields and humans conceive children.

          Empusa is worshipped primarily as Lady Death, patroness of assassins. Spiders figure prominently in the worship of Empusa and there is much enmity between Empusa and Nelestrix because of this. For obvious reasons, Laestrygones, God of Health, is a prominent enemy but her greatest enemy is certainly Sarpedon, God of Guardians.
          Empusa's temples are typically hidden affairs, often laden with poisoned traps. Snakes are also significant to Empusa and, along with over-sized spiders, are used regularly as temple guardians. Empusa tends to be a very urban deity, though there are some remote enclaves of worshippers who focus on her interest in arachnids.

          Enosigaois is one of the Inimicures, one of the three gods created by Dagon in his attempt to defeat Lord Ptharos, Betshaba and Baelthor. He was created primarily to oppose Baelthor under the earth and the two arch-enemies have fought ever since. In his aspect of Enos, Enosigaois once had sway over many of Baelthor's dwarves, but the Earth-War that ended almost nine millennia ago saw the extinction of the dwarven followers of Enos and Enosigaois never recovered his dwarven worshippers.
          In the sunlit world, however, Enosigaois has a surprising number of priests, most of which are involved in warfare. Whereas Baelthor has an interest in construction, particularly in stone, Enosigaois is the patron of siegecraft and most of the best artillerists in any mercenary company worship Enosigaois. Strangely, Enosigaois is also a patron of rebellion as well as tyranny. Typically, this results in individuals calling upon Enosigaois to help them overthrow a just king or democracy to create a dictatorship under their rule.

          Epimetheus is typically depicted as a wingless dragon that spouts water from his huge maw. He is a merciless, uncaring god who is more than willing to drown his own followers as well as their enemies in sudden floods. Epimetheus is not a popular deity, but is often appeased by those who live next to rivers that are given to sudden flooding. Strangely, Epimetheus promotes a cyclical belief structure that highlights not only the destructive attributes of a flood, but the renewal that follows. The destruction that Epimetheus encourages is for the purpose of rebuilding something better than it was before.

          Erato is the god of love, but more precisely he is the god of courtship. His priests counsel lovers and protect those accused of committing crimes in the name of love (which is permissible by his tenants, as long as the act is truly out of love…murder and rape are acts of violence and do not qualify). Erato is also a god of courtesans, though worship does not focus on the physical aspects of love. Homosexuality is actively supported by the clergy, wrongly suggesting that Erato is interested solely in sexual pleasure. Erato's greatest enemy is Cardena, goddess of lust, and his priests are commanded to root out and destroy any nests of Cardena that they can find. Other than their almost unreasoning hatred of the worship of Cardena, Eratan priests are incredibly open-minded and are often called upon to assist in negotiations between vastly differing cultures. As the god of enchantment, Erato encourages the responsible use of Enchantment spells, particularly the Charm spells.

          Evander is the god of gates and fortifications and is most often called upon during the construction of buildings, particularly castles. Worship of Evander is surprisingly widespread, particularly among masons, military engineers and their workmen. Evander demands respect from those who would call upon him, requiring sometimes-lengthy rituals to ensure his beneficence, but he is stalwart in his opposition to the forces of evil.
          Evander is perhaps most strongly aligned with his son with Majestas, Sarpedon. Worship of the two is almost inextricably linked among castle guards. Evander's greatest enemy is Enosigaois, particularly in the latter god's aspect as the god of siegecraft.

          Faunaros is often depicted as a noble rider prepared for the hunt. He is a protector of civilized places and as such is known to roam the wilds near Vitulus' home, protecting the Celestial City from intruders. As Bidari the Warmaster, he is the god of Evocation and serves Abaris as one of the Dukes of Mystery with domain over Evocation spells. As Godwin Goodfellow, he is the patron of cooks, particularly professional cooks in the castles of nobles and protects those who pray to him from preparing bad food. As the Mongrel Lord, he punishes those who mistreat dogs, typically by trapping them in the wilderness and hunting them until they die of exhaustion. Faunaros can be a cruel deity, but his aim is to protect civilized lands from the depredations of Polydorus, his most dire enemy.

          Fides, the Oathmaker, is invoked whenever a contract is signed in the hopes that he will both dissuade and strike vengeance upon anyone who seeks to violate that contract. In the legends, he is often depicted as quarrelling with his wife, Meliboea, who is often more interested in justice than the letter of an oath. Fides does not encourage active oppression of other deities, including those that are his foes. When the worshippers of those deities cause an Oath to be broken, however, his priests are often that much more merciless in punishing the transgressors.
          Lying is a deadly sin to the followers of Fides, particularly in matters concerning a contract. Thus, priests are often called upon to witness the signing of an Oath and in many lands their word on the state of a contract that they've witnessed is considered appropriate evidence in trials.

          Fraus is primarily the god of ice, though he is also one of the few descendants of Dagon concerned with the processes of law. In his aspect as the Hyernal Lord, Fraus is the patron of law for the sake of law and is disinterested in mitigating factors such as justice. He does not often work well with his brothers and sisters because of the chaotic nature of his family and is truly despised by his brother Stheno, God of Decay. Fraus has a strong following among barristers and judges in more oppressive lands, but few others call upon Fraus for any reason other than to appease him during particularly bleak winters.

          Furinus is a god who loves to be entertained and encourages his worshippers to lead a hedonistic life of celebration and revelry. Well liked by many gods, Furinus typically ends up on the bad side of other deities more by accident than anything else. His one true foe, however, is Mania, the Goddess of Madness and his own mother. Whereas Furinus is the god of the gentle simpleton, his mother is patron of the raving madman and often strikes down his own worshippers out of spite. The only thing that will truly enrage a priest of Furinus (other than forced sobriety) is the worship of Mania.
          Melpomene, Goddess of Clouds, is neutral towards Furinus, despite being tricked into lying with him to produce Hypnos, Goddess of Dreams.

          Galea is a deity who is often called upon to intercede in matters of war or finance, but tends to have a small established following. In many lands, when Galea grants a victory that ends a war or conquers a nation, it is expected for the victors to construct a temple to her (in the Great Empire, it is traditional to construct this temple out of the disassembled stones of the conquered king's castle). Galea is fairly neutral in how she grants victory, but can be very fickle when those she benefits ignore her contributions. Regions that remain unsettled even after being conquered are said to be rebellious because the victors have fallen from her favor.

          Gyges has an extremely small clergy, but most heralds and messengers worship him as their patron; even a number of rangers call upon him for wisdom in the wilderness. Gyges' primary responsibility as a deity is to call out a warning when Cottus, God of Lighting, is rampaging in the mortal realms.

          Himere is the patron of poets, singers and lovers (particularly female lovers). She is the sometimes consort of Erato, God of Love and the two usually have no trouble sharing domain over the matters of the heart, though there are some wonderfully interesting stories of the fights that erupt when the two of them disagree. Himere is chaotic in the extreme and encourages her followers to compose for a purpose, typically to illustrate in as effective a way as possible the cracks and foibles of society. Her priests tend to vary wildly in their political associations and activities and there is no real hierarchy within the church itself.
          Though Himere has few foes among other deities, she particularly despises Phlegethon and the one situation in which her followers tend to work well together is fomenting dissent against the Lord of Tyranny.
          In the Aebasan Pantheon, Himere has a seat on the governing Celestial Council, placed there at the request of her father when he chose to refuse the seat himself.

          Hypnos is the goddess of dreams and inspiration. The laity to interpret the portents or messages carried in dreams often calls upon her priests, where they are commonplace. Her lay worshippers are relatively few and often are composed solely of illusionists who find Mormo or Alcina to be too harsh for their tastes. Her greatest enemy is Zephyrus, God of Nightmares, who seeks to pervert the messages that she tries to impart upon sleeping mortals.

          Companions and partners often invoke Innus as the God of Friendship, though his priesthood is extremely small. Most of his priests focus on researching abjuration spells and tend to be scholarly, if friendly, in nature. As Delaranos, Innus is often invoked in the functions of merchants’ guilds, along with Minos. Innus dislikes those deities who attempt to interfere in friendship, but is in opposition to Megarea, the Goddess of Jealousy, most often.

          Ladon is the deity of workers and is worshipped by those who perform physical labor, particularly poor urban craftsmen and slaves. It should be noted that Ladon does not support the concept of slavery directly, but is rather the deity of the slaves themselves, giving them the strength and will to persevere and complete the tasks that they have been designated for. He is also known to punish overseers and owners who grossly mistreat their slaves without cause. Ladon has an unusual relationship with Minos, alternatively an ally and opponent of the Merchantlord. Followers of Minos often pray to Ladon to ensure that their workers work hard and produce well, but Ladon’s priests often harshly oppose those merchants who over-work or otherwise mistreat their workers and denounce those who hoard gold while those who made them the money go hungry. Ladon is also a patron of the poor but, unlike Clementia, he opposes the concept of direct handouts. His priests encourage businesses and guilds to train the poor in a craft to help them make money themselves through, of course, hard work.
          As Borvald the Builder, Ladon is a god of construction and is worshipped by architects and builders alike.

          Laestrygones is the patron of physics, chirugeons and healers in general. Though he encourages the use of spells to aid in healing, he also promotes scientific investigation into the causes of disease and harm. His priests tend to be somewhat aloof, often requiring a payment to the church in return for their healing services, which has lead many to accuse the Laestrygonites of being uncaring. Ruminus, God of Disease, is Laestrygones’ archenemy and, despite his call for his priests to do no harm, they often encourage others to assist them by outlawing and attacking Ruminide priests.

          Luna, Goddess of the Moon, inherited her madness from her mother, whom she despises, but also gained a unique insight and wisdom from her father, Ptharos. Her priests tend to be touched by madness as well and are charged themselves with caring for the truly insane. While it is known that Luna has cursed numerous werebeasts, particularly werewolves, by forcing them to change into animals when under her full gaze, her reasons (if there are any) are unknown. It is said that she was once a patron to wolves, but that they betrayed her and she has never forgiven them for that betrayal. The call of wolves during a full moon is said to be those asking for forgiveness from an uncaring and vengeful goddess.
          Luna is wed to Ophion, who cares for her when insanity completely overtakes her.

          Maelphegor was created by Dagon to oppose Lord Ptharos, also God of Air, and is one of the three Inimicures, along with his brothers Enosigaois and Taltos. Maelphegor has a surprisingly large priesthood who are split into two major sects: the Karakaels, or Windlords, concentrate on Maelphegor’s interest in madness and believe that insanity brings insight. The Crimson Cowls focus more on his interest in revenge and tend to support large groups of loosely organized assassins wherever they are established.
          The priesthood is banned in many states and, as such, often operates in secret. The most significant temples are founded on high mountain peaks as a show of defiance to Lord Ptharos.

          Majestas, as the Goddess of Law and consort to Zelos, God of the State, is highly respected in even the most liberal of nations. Though her priesthood tends to be politically strong, she has few actual lay worshippers. Those who do chose Majestas as a patron are typically those who make a profession of investigation, including the leadership of town guards, spies working for more Ordered nations, historians and even some adventurers.
          There are relatively few temples dedicated to Majestas alone. More often her temples are also dedicated to the worship of Aridnus, Fides and Meliboea; in some regions, these temples also double as the local judicial houses.
          Majestas has many foes among the Dagonian deities, but considers Pothos to be her most grievous enemy. Her alliance with her daughter, Veritas, is shaky at best because of the elder god’s often adulterous dalliances with various deities, including Veritas’ own father, Laestrygones.

          Mania is a strange deity who embraces not only the throws of insanity, but encourages the spread of insanity to others. The central belief structure is the concept that the world created by Ptharos, Betshaba and Baelthor is an illusion and that the true reality exists beyond even the deities themselves, despite the fact that this appears to be a self-defeating philosophy to most outsiders.
          Mania is also something of a trickster goddess, particularly when it comes to gathering other gods to her bed. Her most significant coup is the apocryphal Seduction of the King, wherein she conceived Luna, Goddess of the Moon, with Lord Ptharos himself. She encourages her followers to break the constraints of reality wherever possible, particularly the reality of others.
          Priests of Mania are rare and lay worshippers almost non-existent. Most nations, even those dedicated to some of the other Dagonian deities, prohibit the worship of Mania and actively persecute her clergy. Of particular note is her hatred towards Paelemona, Goddess of Fate. Not only does Mania covet Paelmona’s place as the Duchess of Mystery for Divination, but teaches that Paelmona’s weavings are the primary composition of the “false universe” in which most people exist.

          Megarea is the protector of adulterers and the jealous; as such, her priesthood is extremely small and there are even fewer devout worshippers. Only unwed women are permitted into the priesthood and there is a strong bias within what little hierarchy exists towards lesbian women. In her aspect as Avrida the Quiet, Megarea is the protector of secrets and is often prayed to by otherwise honest people who wish to keep some secret private.
          Most of Megarea’s foes are such because she is jealous of their traits or because her worshippers find themselves in opposition to their aims. She particularly hates her father, both for refusing to acknowledge her as his favorite and because he is the husband of her lover, Tisiphone, Goddess of Vengeance.

          Meliboea has many of the same interests as her mother, Majestas, but shares little of her interest in fairness. Meliboea desires nothing more than to see the wrong be brought to justice, regardless of local legal systems. Despite having strangely opposed spheres, Tisiphone and Meliboea consider each other reluctant allies, as often the same people who seek vengeance are also seeking justice. When those two aims are at cross purposes, Meliboea and Tisiphone become the direst of enemies.
          Meliboea’s priests tend to be younger than most, as she encourages them to go forth and mete out justice whenever possible. It is also because of this that her priests are often not welcome in the most peaceful of nations, though they are rarely proscribed outright.
          Meliboea rarely has temples of her own; her priests typically worship in the same physical structure as the temples of Aridnus, Majestas, and Fides. In some regions, these temples also double as the local judicial houses and Meliboeans are unusually influential and restrained in these areas.

          Melpomene was the result of the rape of Orestea, Goddess of Rain, by Gyges, God of Thunder, during one of his legendary rages. Melpomene has since forgiven her father of his rage and acts as something of an intermediary between her parents. Though she was once consort to Ophion, God of the Sun, the two went their separate ways when he started chasing his current consort, Luna. Melpomene and Ophion are now bitter enemies as she tries to block the Light of Truth that he carries for Ptharos from reaching the people of the world.
          As Jomaera the Ever-Changing, Melpomene is the Duchess of Mystery of Transmutation. In this form, she is typically depicted as a woman with a featureless face.
          Though respected as a Duke of Mystery, Melpomene is not often worshipped directly and her clergy is extremely small. Some messengers choose Melpomene as their patron and she has taken it upon herself to care for mothers, despite being estranged from her own child, Picus, God of Birds.

          Minos, known as Minar in some eastern regions, is one of the more popular deities, enjoying both a large clergy and following among the merchant class of most cities. Politically powerful, Minos is one of the younger gods and is often viewed as too interested in material gain by more philosophic deities. He is favored by his father, Pavor, God of Travel, and enjoys a close alliance with Vitulus, God of Cities.
          Despite his commercial interests, Minos encourages his worshippers to be fair in their dealings, though a contract is considered inviolate regardless of how fair it is. Because of this, Minos is often at odds with Amphitritus, who often covets the Merchantlord’s political and economic power, as well as his own mother, Bellona, who encourages theft and trickery as a means to amass one’s fortune.

          Though many deities claim deception as a minor concern, Mormo is the master of the lie. He is the only deity that actively encourages his priests to pose as the priests of other deities and rewards those who are successful at using this deception to corrupt the worship of other deities. Myths tell of how he has tricked one god or another to some degree, though his greatest deception was the Seduction of Clementia, and begat upon her Orchus, God of Luck. Clementia has long since forgiven Mormo and his son tends to ignore his father’s activies.
          Mormo’s greatest deital opponent is Aridnus, though most of his foes consider him a dire enemy. Mormo and Themis are on decent terms, however, instead choosing to compete over who can pull the best lie.
          The priesthood of Mormo is believed to be small, but because of the deity’s nature, actual numbers are difficult to uncover. Lay worshippers primarily include those who spy for a living.

          Despite being a son of Baelthor, Mulciber is known more for his avowed neutrality than his association with his father and siblings. He is still loyal to his sire, but refuses to force his faithful to consider the morality of their actions. The focus of Mulciberan worship is logic and personal temperance. His faithful are often found serving each side of any single conflict, either by creating weapons or participating in the combats themselves. Conversely, Mulciber is also the patron of invention and inspiration; his followers are encouraged to use their mind to the fullest and avoid complacency. Though he makes no distinction between male and female priests, most male priests work the forges while female priests tend to work as midwives in their communities.
          The priesthood is not particularly politically active, though it is more extended than one would expect for a deity that shies away from actively proselytizing. Lay worshippers tend to be omnipresent in almost any community and the worship of Mulciber is only rarely proscribed by law (and even then only in the most strict of religious communities).

          Nelestrix is primarily a nature deity, representing the destructive capacity of the smallest things. She is a strange, alien deity often depicted as a disgusting half-woman, half-insect creature. Her priesthood is small and typically avoids urban and rurual areas alike, preferring instead to worship in relative peace deep in wilderness swamps. Those few urban priests typically proselytize to the lower classes and are often defended by masses of rats and their wererat masters.

          Ophion is god of the sun, who bears Lord Ptharos’ Light of Truth across the heavens to light the world in his flaming chariot. His priesthood is surprisingly small, particularly considering his popularity among the masses. Ophion is typically depicted as a vibrant and extremely attractive young man riding his chariot and holding aloft the Light of Truth. He encourages his followers to be fair with one another in all things and to avoid deception whenever possible. Though he espouses the virtues of peaceful conflict in all its forms, he is relentless in his hatred of the undead and amongst his faithful are some of the most dangerous undead-hunters to roam the lands.
          Ophion's lay followers include messengers, soldiers and young men, though his favored followers are his athletes. Ophion and Phemos are loyal to one another when faced with an enemy, though their competitions are legendary. Ophion was once wed to Melpomene, Goddess of Clouds, but began to pursue the beautifully mad Luna across the heavens and eventually married her. Melpomene has done her best since then to obscure the light that Ophion carries, though she is still willing to ally with him against the forces of true darkness.

          Orchus is a mysterious deity that even his priests do not fully comprehend. He is alternately kind and spiteful, speaks in riddles and allies himself with both the forces of darkness and of light. Adventurers are his most common lay worshippers, though many gamblers and prostitutes have taken him as a patron, even though he shows them little favor. Orchus encourages his worshippers to discover new things while himself having a strange hatred for scholars and intellectuals. Despite his deeply diametric nature, Orchus tends to be surprisingly fair in how he doles out good and bad fortune, though his fairness is often deeply obfuscated.
          Orchus it the only deity said to be immune to the powers of Paelemona, Goddess of Fate, and because of this her worshippers are directed to oppose him wherever possible.

          Orestea is the goddess of life-giving rain, which helps plants grow, slakes the third and washes away the sins of mortals. Though her followers are not pacifists in the strictest sense, she forbids them from taking a life. Her priesthood tends to be small and her direct worshippers few, but even those who follow Dagonian gods will sometimes call upon Orestea for forgiveness.
          Orestea hates tyranny in all its forms and encourages her followers to protect the liberty of others. It is said that it was she who first gave the early Aebasans the secret of Democracy.

          Orthus, the Stormrider, is the god of storms, particularly storms at sea but is most often worshipped as a god of war at sea. His clergy tend to be small and militaristic, though somewhat influential in coastal ports where they are not proscribed. Orthus is often depicted as riding a horrid steed created from the clouds themselves, cresting atop a hurricane or waterspout.
          As Njord in the Danic tradition, he is something of a fertility god as well and appears to have lost some of his more destructive tastes; though still a god of war at sea, most gods in the Danic tradition represent some aspect of war.

          Paelemona, the Fateweaver, is typically depicted as a woman at a loom with three faces: the maiden, the mother and the crone. As the Goddess of Fate, she knows all that is to come but has already forgotten all that has come to pass. She is also the patron of weavers and encourages them not only to create the finest wares they are capable of, but to predict what buyers will need and clients truly desire.
          As Scalla, the Spider-Queen, she is the Duchess of Mystery for Divination and is propitiated by augurs and seers who seek to learn more of the future. In the Danic tradition, her three aspects are considered separate as Urd, Skuld and Verdandi, the Norns and goddesses of destiny. They are also law-givers in this latter tradition and Paelemona’s typical association with weavers is subdued.

          Pavor is the god of travelers, explorers, messengers and conjurers. Said to be the fastest of the gods, it is his responsibility to usher the souls of the departed to Cthos, God of the Underworld, for final judgment. His priests are charged with guarding roads and pathways and tend to be both politically powerful and widespread. Pavor is often closely associated with Minos and the two are staunch allies; in many places, the temples to Pavor and Minos are part of the same structure. Pavor encourages those who travel in his name to tell stories to while the time away and many epic works are framed around a pilgrimage in Pavor’s name.
          As Pavari Longshanks, Pavor is the Duke of Mystery of Conjuration and is concerned not only with summoning, but planar travel, a subject forbidden in most religions. In the Danic tradition, Pavor is known as Svipdag and his duties as a guide to the underworld and patron of messengers are stressed.

          Pelactere is the Goddess of Rage and promotes the concept that the immediate reaction is always the most true. She encourages her followers to be strong in spirit, though often their rages can get the best of them. She is something of a war goddess as well, particularly those wars fought over the smallest slights. Pelactere gave birth to Thallos, God of Strength, after tricking Virtus, God of Courage, to lay with her. She intended Thallos to be her servant and possible consort, but when he rebuffed her, the two became dire enemies. Dagon, God of Fire, later chose her as his consort.
          In the Danic Tradition, Pelactere is known as Vidar, considered the strongest of the Danic gods and something of a God of Vengeance, though he is considered honorable in their tradition.

          Phemos is the god of sport and encourages his followers and those who propitiate him to deal fairly and honestly in competition with others. He is also the patron of nobles who desire to be kind and fair to their people and entreats them to avoid the plague of war whenever possible. Though his priesthood tends to lack any real political power, they are surprisingly numerous, most often acting as officials in local festivals and tournaments. He is particularly beloved in the Empire of Zeth, where the Zetian Games are played every Spring. During these Games, Zeth essentially ceases any ongoing conflicts and invites even their enemies to enjoy a peaceful week of competition. The Zetian Game are so popular in the Empire that athletes are often able to make a career out of participating, and every athlete hopes for the honor of an invitation from the Emperor to play in the Games in the City of Zeth itself.

          Phlegethon is the patron of tyrants and considered to be the gravest of evils, even worse than Dagon, in the Aebasan Tradition. Even the Empire of Zeth, arguably the most efficient modern tyranny, proscribes the worship of Phlegethon, though some of its more prominent families, particularly House Gabinius, are rumored to secretly worship the Tyrant-Lord. Despised even by his fellow descendants of Dagon, Phlegethon promotes the concept that the strongest are meant to rule and all others are subjects and to be treated as such. His clergy, where they exist, are hierarchical in the extreme and, despite their bloated ranks, tend to be an extremely efficient engine.
          Phlegethon is worshipped openly only in the former Empire of Bakal, where the worship of any deity considered an enemy of Phlegethon is anathema. Phlegethon’s most dire enemy, surprisingly, is his own father, Enosigaois, God of Earth. Conflicts between the two are legendary as Phlegethon sees him as a stepping-stone towards becoming King of the Gods.
          As Apholeon, he is given grudging respect as the patron of fortifications where worship of Evander, God of Gates, is weak.

          Picus is a strange deity, often depicted as a wiry human with the head of a raven or fully in raven form. He is closely allied with Polydorus, God of Wild Beasts and shares that deities hatred of civilization (though not to the same extreme degree). Picus’s priesthood is extremely small and his direct worshippers few, though some heralds and messengers call upon him from time to time when they feel that Pavor has failed them.
          It is said that Picus is the most knowledgeable of all the gods, as his birds watch everything for him. Legend suggests that his ravens can absorb the memories of the deceased by eating their eyes. As Agara the Peregrin, he seeks to disrupt those who hunt in the name of Faunaros, God of Hunting, particularly those who dare to tame his hawks and falcons to use when hunting.

          Podalirius is easily one of the most worshipped deities in the known world and though his large body of clergymen can exert considerable political influence when needed, they rarely elect to do so. Even in lands where the worship of Dagonian gods are encouraged, the worship of Podalirius is rarely proscribed. Though he is usually neutral towards the treatment of his worshippers by others, even accepting serfdom as appropriate in some cultures, he entreats his worshippers to oppose Phlegethon, God of Tyranny, whenever possible, including rescuing slaves from his grasp. His most dire enemy, however, is Ruminus, God of Disease, who seeks to lay waste to the fertility that Podalirius encourages. Podalirius promotes the concept of spiritual enlightenment through creation, exploration and hard work. A life of service is the primary means of achieving the favor of Podalirius after death.
          Podalirius is often depicted as an unattractive god with deep green, wrinkled skin and vines growing out of his body. When his sister Selene, Goddess of Beauty, had a dalliance with Kratos, God of War and offspring of Dagon, she was forced to wed Podalirius by Lord Ptharos as punishment for her misdeeds; Podalirius, who was the only god not infatuated with Selene, has since come to love his wife and sister despite her periodic infidelity.

          Podarge is primarily the patron of pirates and proscribed in most nations, including those dedicated to the Dagonian gods. His priests have some influence in the Pirate Islands, but the center of Podargan worship is amongst the pirates of Mendar. His worship is most strongly opposed by Thea, the Goddess of Art, whose creations he orders destroyed and Betshaba, Goddess of Water, whose oceans he violates whenever possible.
          As Gal’tis, he is depicted as a desiccated orc and consort to Tethys, Goddess of Undeath. In this aspect Podarge is unusual in that he is one of the few deities outside their own recognized by the orcs, who fear him as a creature of the night who comes to turn them into his mindless undead minions.

          Polydorus is a strange, savage god whose few worshippers tend to be barbarians and raiders from less civilized lands or hermits who seek enlightenment by avoiding contact with other humans. Polydorus teaches that humanity, and particularly civilization, was a blight put upon the world by the Ptharian gods whose only purpose is to despoil nature and rape the wilderness of its beauty. His most dire enemy, not surprisingly, is Vitulus and it is said that he rewards anyone who is able to fully destroy an entire city. Of all the gods, only Selene, Goddess of Beauty, is able to calm his rage and several times she had seduced him into helping the Ptharian gods fight against the forces of darkness.
          Polydorus is depicted as a huge, savage wolf named Fenrir in the Danic Tradition, destined to kill Wotan, King of the Gods, in the final days of the world.

          Pothos, the so-called “Lord of the Die”, is the patron of gamblers, prostitutes, hallucinogenics and general hedonism. He encourages his worshippers to enjoy themselves to the fullest, regardless of the consequences. Active worship is proscribed in most areas, but secretly many at least call upon Pothos when enjoying themselves. Pothos is typically depicted as a grossly overweight man with a beautiful woman at his feet, a hooka in his right hand and a hock of ham in his left hand.
          Pothos’s gravest enemy is his own brother, Ruminus, God of Disease. Their enmity began when Pothos entreated his brother to drink with him, but the God of Disease refused. Eventually, Ruminus created a whole class of diseases specifically designed to harm those who enjoyed Potho’s sins.

          Ruminus, the Plaguebearer, is typically depicted as a goat-headed man covered in pustules that drip a vile slime. Like Polydorus, God of Wild Beasts, Ruminus despises mankind and seeks its destruction. His most dire enemy is Laestrygones, God of Health, though most of his enemies actively hunt down his clergymen and kill them wherever found. Thus, the clergy of Ruminus tends to be extremely small and his direct worshippers even fewer. Even so, most people will attempt to propitiate Ruminus in times of plague or disease.
          Ruminus’ interest in medicine extends only so far as to extend the lifespan of the afflicted, not cure their ailments. The belief is that one who has a highly communicable disease should live long enough to spread the disease to as many people as possible.

          Selene is the Goddess of Beauty and it is said that any mortal who lays eyes on her will eventually pine away into death. Despite this, Selene has difficulty subduing her passion for mortal men and more than a few have fallen to her legendary beauty. Legends also tell the tale of how Selene fell for the rugged strength of Kratos and, with him, bore Erato, the God of Love. Because she had dared to mate with a son of Dagon, however, Selene was condemned by Lord Ptharos to wed one who was immune to her beauty. After examining each of the gods, it was finally discovered that Podalirius, God of Vegetation, was the only deity who could resist her charms. Lord Ptharos forced the two to wed, despite Selene’s heated objections to being married to one of the ugliest of gods. With Podalirius, Selene begat Drames, the Goddess of Fertility. Legends suggest that Selene has since begun to find true love with Podalirius and that even he has begun to fall in love with her, despite her infidelity.
          Selene’s church tends to be of moderate size in most lands and works to help those with problems in their love-lives resolve those problems. Though she encourages her followers to participate in the sex act as often as possible, she prohibits prostitution as a debasement of the sex act.
          As Alera the Alluring, Selene is the Duchess of Mystery of Enchantment and is prayed to for wisdom in using those spells. In the Danic Tradition, she is Sif, wife of Tor (an aspect of Gyges, God of Thunder) and a fertility goddess; in this aspect, her more hedonistic tendencies are subdued.

          The worship of Stheno, the androgynous god of decay and dissolution, is proscribed in most regions, but worship of the deity is so limited that it is a rare event when his worshippers are discovered. Once a powerful political and religious force in the world, Stheno’s worshippers now are mostly undead creatures bent on either fighting with the undead of Tethys, who Stheno looks to with avarice, or seeking archaic knowledge hidden in the recesses of time. Unlike Tethys, Stheno encourages her undead worshippers to ally with each other when seeking common goals and her undead tend to be strangely social creatures, despite their unliving state.

          Taltos, the Deepdweller, was created by Dagon to oppose Betshaba in her sphere as Goddess of Water. He is the patron of sea monsters and his seed has resulted in the creation of many creatures of the deep who harrow merchants and travelers on Betshaba’s waters. Most of Taltos’ worshippers are pirates, who he encourages to work together to gain riches and plunder on the seas. His worship is strongest in the Pirate Isles, but most coastal regions at least have a secret seacave where sacrifices can be made before long ocean journeys in an attempt to appease him. Taltos’ priests are often excellent scholars and are encouraged to use logic and reason in all things. Unlike most other deities of his rank, Taltos is on good terms with all his children, even those who bicker with each other, and this alliance is seen as one of the greater threats to the Dominion of Truth.

          Taygete is a fertility goddess, particularly focused on human fertility. The daughter of Drames and Zelos, she is closely associated with both parent deities. Taygete is most often worshipped by midwives and herbalists, though she is often appealed to for wisdom by frustrated parents. Taygetan clergywomen (most Taygetan priests are women) tend to lack any real political influence, though they are widespread in most urban areas. Direct worshippers, aside from those mentioned above, are rare.

          Though Tempus has few direct worshippers, his clergy is of moderate size and often act as the record-keepers of many civilizations. As God of Time, it is Tempus’ responsibility to keep the Wheel of Fate spinning for his sister, Paelemona, Goddess of Fate, and the two are closely associated. Tempus is seen by most a cold, impersonal deity and has charged his priests to only record what they see and to avoid participating in or attempting to influence events. Many priests view this as a command to take a vow of silence and have not spoken since they first gained their robes.

          Terpsichore is the patron of language, drama and the written word. Her clergy tends to be small, but she has at least one temple in any large city. She has a moderate following, composed mostly of actors, poets, writers and scholars. She encourages her followers to spread their knowledge to others, but not forcefully so. A peaceful deity, she finds her efforts thwarted only by Orchus, God of Luck, who is strangely opposed to scholarly pursuits. Terpsichore is closely allied with Thea, Goddess of Art, and Himere, Goddess of Poetry; their temples sometimes share the same structure, particularly in smaller towns where they have a presence.

          The Crone is typically depicted as a rotting corpse wearing a thin, bejeweled robe. She is patron of the undead and, because of this, generally hated in most lands though barely accepted because of her interest in necromancy in general. She encourages her followers to hoard information, the ultimate goal of that quest to defeat the aims of Cthos, God of the Underworld, and avoid his judgment after death. Most of her living worshippers are wizards whose ultimate goal is to cheat death by becoming liches, the most prized of her faithful. Her priesthood tends to be small and secretive in most regions and it is generally assumed that she is accepted fully only in Thet by its undead tyrant. Because Tethys is the Duchess of Mystery of Necromancy, most temples of Abaris contain at least a shrine to the Crone and protect the identity of her worshippers.

          Thalia is one of the most respected gods, despite her somewhat narrow concerns. Her clergy are of moderate size but everpresent, with at least one priestess (male priests are rare) in even small villages. Her direct followers are few, composed mainly of household servants and cooks. Her most significant temples operate as schools for servants and cooks and graduates, both secular and ecclesiastic, are in demand across the world on the staff of nobles and wealthy merchants.
          Though Thalia has a mostly subservient role in western traditions, she is given high honors in the Aebasan Tradition; the Celestial Council cannot meet unless she has built a fire at the center of their meeting chamber. In democratic regions of the east, it is commonplace to mirror this practice by requiring that a priestess of Thalia be present and having lit a similar fire whenever an elected body meets. In cities where Thalia is very prominent, the priestesses maintain a small fire that represents the soul of the city; legend states that should the fire go out, the city will fall soon thereafter.

          Thallos, god of strength, encourages his followers to be strong in body and mind, willing to accept and overcome any challenge. He is strangely democratic in this belief, in that the strong should rule, regardless of heritage or title. His clergy tend to be small but influential in most lands, but are extremely prominent in Halgard, where Thallos is the national patron. Worshippers vary from laborers who seek to improve their lot in life to military commanders willing to accept the challenges of war. Though Phemos, God of Sport, is an ally, the friendly competitions between the two are legendary. Thallos’ gravest enemy is Ruminus, God of Disease, and to die of disease in one’s own bed is considered the worst of deaths to Thallean worshippers.
          Thallos’ mother, Pelactere, Goddess of Rage, tricked Virtus, God of Courage, into lying with her intending to give birth to a god who would serve her, but Thallos rebelled against his mother, which has put their respective followers at odds.

          Little is known about the worship of the Unseen One; he charges his followers to live only at night, never revealing their true purposes or aims. It is presumed that most of his direct followers are assassins, though a periodic conjuror, attempting to discern the forbidden secrets of planar travel, has also been uncovered. Thanatos begat Zephyrus, God of Nightmares, on Mania, Goddess of Madness, though he is more closely associated with his offspring (when he is associated with any deity at all) than his former mate.

          Thea is the patron of art, particularly those using a physical medium, such as painting, sculpture and non-military architecture. She is a peaceful deity, encouraging her worshippers to avoid conflict where possible. Her priesthood tends to be politically significant in most regions where they exist, though active worship tends to be moderate, limited primarily to artisans, sculptors and builders. She encourages the creation of new forms of art and new ideas in general; many new inventions come from her followers or clergy.

          Themis is the patron of bandits and street urchins; he is generally reviled by most civilized nations as a pest. Though his priesthood is small, he encourages his vast following to enjoy the fruits of society, whether they be stolen on the road or in the streets. He is allied with Britomaris, God of Thievery, who tends to focus more on organized crime and the individual burglar. Themis instead concentrates on corrupting the young in urban settings (who often later move on to the worship of Britomaris) and supporting bandits in more rural regions.
          Themis’ most dire enemy is Alcyoneus, God of Youth, who regularly entreats children to behave themselves and mind their parents. In the Danic Tradition, Themis is known as Lothae and is considered to be one of the central foils for the gods and the one whose deceptions will bring about the end of the world.

          Thryope is the god of aging and represents the final stage of moral life before death. He is typically portrayed as a curmudgeonly, cynical old man constantly seeking to bring misery to others. He shares an interest in disease with Ruminus, God of Disease, but concentrates on diseases of old age, such as senility, arthritis and gout. His clergy is understandably small and his few worshippers tend to be those of extreme old age hoping to avoid his depredations. Thryope particularly despises those who refuse to acknowledge the wisdom of the aged or who seek to force new ideas on people, and thus encourages his followers to persecute those people whenever possible.
          Thryope’s priests are invariably fallen priests of other religions who have become too embittered by age to follow their previous patron. His most prized clergy are those who once served Alcyoneous, God of Youth, though he holds no special enmity for that god.
 

          Tisiphone, along with Alecto, Goddess of Pain, and her sometimes lover, Megarea, Goddess of Jealousy, compose the Furies, who seek to bring violence upon the world for some unknown past grievance. Tisiphone is easily the most openly dark of the three, but she also has an overwhelming sense of justice…hers is not killing for the sake of killing, but killing to right a wrong. She is primarily worshipped by assassins and bounty hunters who agree with her violent sense of justice and, though they are sometimes paid for their work, they do not accept a job wherein the victim is not guilty of a serious crime or series of crimes.
          The worship of Tisiphone is treated with suspicion at best in most lands, as her worshippers often work well outside the local legal system.

          Veritas is the patron of marriage and, despite having few direct followers, her priesthood is involved in most regions as officials in marriage ceremonies. Because of their duties, the clergy tend to keep detailed records of marriages, births and deaths and can often be called upon when a historical question needs be answered. Veritas is also the patron of loyalty and oaths and her priests are sometimes called upon to validate a contract, particularly one that involves dowries or testaments. Veritas is wife herself to Ladon, the God of Work.
          Veritas is generally a peaceful deity, except when it comes to those who are unrepentant on violating their marriage vows. A very few of her clergy have even taken it upon themselves to bring such people to justice using whatever means are at their disposal.

          Virtus is the god of courage and one of the most popular of the militaristic deities. He encourages his worshippers to work together to achieve their common goals, but often gives greatest reward to those who can succeed on an individual basis. He has a strong interest in justice, though he is much more forgiving of those who have the courage to publicly admit their crimes than Meliboea or Aridnus. Virtus began Pavor, God of Travel, upon his wife, Adrasteia, Goddess of Rivers and Streams, and was forced to beget Thallos, God of Strength, upon Pelactere, Goddess of Rage. Even so, Virtus is more closely aligned with Thallos, to the point that most regions that respect Virtus will also pay homage to Thallos. Haleland in the east is a major center for the worship of Virtus in the Aebasan Tradition and his worshippers can be found throughout the region.
          Though Virtan followers share many similar traits with followers of Vortumnus, the God of Chivalry, the two rarely ally with one another on religious grounds.
          Virtus is known as Tyr in the Danic Tradition, where he is primarily known as a lawgiver.

          Vitulus is patron of urban areas and the merchants who help them grow. He encourages his followers to work together in fair governance and, in the Aebasan tradition, is a strong supporter of Democracy. His priests are legion, advising city councils and even regional and national governments on the proper and just ways to govern their people. Most of this direct worshippers are engineers, particularly those involved in civic projects, such as the construction of roads, aqueducts, dams and mills. Vitulus is highly respected, even in darker lands, and generally only finds his worshippers proscribed in wild regions where the mark of civilization is unwelcome.

          Zelos is God of the State and protector of stable governance, regardless of its form. In the Aebasan tradition, he is a staunch supporter of democracy, while in the Imperial Tradition he supports the rule of the Emperor. As Ptharos is often referred to as Grandfather of the Gods, Zelos is the Father of the Gods, having sired Ladon, God of Work, Meliboea, Goddess of Justice, Taygete, Goddess of Childbirth, and Thalia, Goddess of the Hearth. Because of his support of established governments, his clergy are typically accorded much respect and have great political power, despite having few direct worshippers. The authoritarian Holy See of Cambrecia is dedicated to the worship of Zelos.

          Zephyrus is a strange, mysterious deity whose servants torture the mortals of the world with bad dreams. Closely associated with his father, Thanatos, God of Darkness, Zephyrus’ aims are almost as obscure as those of his dark sire. There is no known priesthood dedicated to Zephyrus and only a handful of recorded instances of people taking him on as their patron. He is typically depicted riding a horned, black horse, with which he can ride from mind to mind, spreading terror wherever a man sleeps.