The Vanguard Pantheon

"We are the children of this cosmos. Its passions, its glories, and its sorrows are our own. We will not stand idle while it burns."

The Vanguard Pantheon is the collective of "younger" gods who ascended to power within the current universal cycle. They are not abstract principles but passionate, active beings who are deeply invested in the fate of the mortal realm. They are the most widely worshipped gods, the patrons of heroes and the targets of villains.

Origin & Nature Each of these gods was once something else: a mortal hero, a primordial spirit, an angel, or even a concept that gained sentience through the force of mortal belief. They earned their divinity through epic deeds and the devotion of millions of followers. Because they are born from this cycle, they are deeply, passionately invested in it. They feel pride, rage, love, and despair. They command armies, answer prayers, and grant miracles. They are powerful, but they are not infallible—a truth made brutally clear during the Godfall.

The Pantheon in the Age of Challenge The Godfall was a cataclysmic blow to the Pantheon's power and pride. They are now a fractured council, struggling to maintain their influence in a galaxy that has seen them bleed.

The Schism: The Celestial Concord is divided. The "Hawks," led by The Sentinel, view the Kaleeran Accord as a shameful truce and harbor a cold fury towards the Saiyans. The "Doves," led by The Verdant Mother, argue that balance and understanding are the only paths forward. Sol Invictus, caught between his duty to the law of the Accord and his desire for justice, struggles to hold the Pantheon together.
The Power Vacuum: With several of their number dead, the Pantheon's hold on the cosmic order is weakened. They are constantly fighting to keep the emboldened forces of Hell and the Abyss at bay, while also dealing with the rise of heretical cults like the God-Slayers within their own former flocks.

Key Members

Sol Invictus (LG): The Sun-God of Justice and Truth, and the de-facto leader of the Celestial Concord in Heaven. He is the patron of the Stellar Imperium. Since the Godfall, his justice has taken on a harder, more militant edge as he tries to maintain order in a fractured cosmos.
The Verdant Mother (NG): The embodiment of the Great Bloom and the spiritual heart of the Veridian Concordance. Residing in Elysium, she is the most sorrowful of the gods, feeling the wounds of the universe as her own. She was the primary divine advocate for the Kaleeran Accord.
The Sentinel (LG): The stoic and unwavering God of Protection and Duty. Since the death of his brother, the God of War, he has become a figure of grim, vengeful resolve. He is the shield of the Pantheon, and his paladins are its unyielding protectors. He upholds the Accord out of duty, but his followers are the most likely to clash with Saiyans.
The Wanderer (CG): The God of Exploration, Luck, and Liberty. The beloved patron of adventurers, rebels, and the Star-Wanderer's League. He is the only god who views the Age of Challenge with a degree of excitement, seeing the Saiyans' lust for challenge as a kindred spirit to his own love of freedom.
The Forge-Mother (NG/LG): The Goddess of Invention, Community, and Civilization. Worshipped by artisans, engineers, and city-planners, she believes building a better, safer society is the highest form of worship. Her influence is strong within the great cities of the Imperium.
The Muse (CG): The Goddess of Art, Passion, and Revolution. She inspires creations of breathtaking beauty and the fiery speeches that topple empires. Her followers believe that raw, honest emotion is the truest path to good.

The Fallen

The God of War: Destroyed during the Godfall. His portfolio of 'conflict' shattered, seeding the universe with dangerous artifacts and leaving his followers leaderless and vengeful.
The Goddess of the Hunt: Incinerated by Kaleerus herself. Her death served as a brutal lesson to the Pantheon about the terrifying, absolute power they were facing.