The people of Mythea believe the gods did not create morality. They created possibility.
Before kingdoms, before civilization, before even the stars themselves, there existed two eternal beings: Vorathys and Vespera.
Vorathys, known as the First Flame, embodied Want itself. He was the first hunger, the first ambition, the first desire.
Vespera, known as the Velvet Star, embodied Longing. She was the first dream, the first temptation, the first vision of what could be.
According to myth, creation began when they found one another. Desire gained direction. Dreams gained purpose. The stars were born.
The two are known as the Eternal Lovers. They are not faithful, nor do they demand exclusivity from their followers. Throughout myth they have loved mortals, gods, heroes, queens, kings, artists, and wanderers alike. Yet every tale ends the same way: regardless of where their journeys take them, they always return to one another.
Their relationship is known as the Dance Eternal, the cosmic pursuit between desire and longing that drives all creation forward.
From their union emerged the Celestial Courts.
The High Court represents the aspirations of civilization.
Domains: Leadership, Stewardship, Duty, Legacy
Aureth is believed to watch over rulers, judges, commanders, and anyone entrusted with responsibility. His followers believe true power exists to serve others rather than oneself. Many kings claim his blessing, though priests often remind them that Aureth judges rulers by the prosperity of their people rather than the splendor of their courts.
Domains: Trust, Loyalty, Family, Friendship, Diplomacy
Seleneva governs the bonds that hold society together. She is invoked at marriages, treaties, family gatherings, and peace negotiations. Her priests teach that trust is civilization's most valuable resource and that even the strongest kingdom can collapse when its people cease believing in one another.
Domains: Growth, Nurturing, Patience, Renewal
Thalorien represents cultivation in all its forms. Farmers pray to him for fertile harvests, teachers for successful students, and parents for thriving children. His followers believe growth requires patience and that all worthwhile things must be nurtured before they can flourish.
Domains: Exchange, Cooperation, Trade, Prosperity
Varric teaches that prosperity emerges when people cooperate. Merchants, bankers, craftsmen, and traders frequently invoke his name before conducting business. His faith encourages fair exchange and views mutually beneficial trade as one of civilization's greatest achievements.
Domains: Knowledge, Curiosity, Discovery, Inspiration
Elysir is patron of scholars, explorers, inventors, and dreamers. His followers believe ignorance is a greater enemy than any monster. Libraries, universities, and observatories often maintain shrines dedicated to him, and many adventurers claim their journeys begin with a whisper from his lantern.
Domains: Craftsmanship, Mastery, Discipline, Endurance
Khaldur embodies mastery earned through effort. Smiths, artisans, architects, and engineers revere him. His teachings emphasize discipline, persistence, and the understanding that perfection is never reached, only pursued.
The Low Court represents temptation and excess.
Domains: Vanity, Entitlement, Dominance, Prestige
The Velvet King represents the seductive nature of power. He whispers to rulers that they deserve more authority, more admiration, and more obedience. Though few openly worship him, his influence is often blamed when ambition becomes arrogance.
Domains: Possession, Dependency, Emotional Control
The Thorn Bride embodies possession disguised as affection. She tempts mortals to mistake ownership for devotion and control for love. Her myths often appear in tragic romances where affection curdles into obsession.
Domains: Excess, Appetite, Indulgence, Addiction
The Red Harvest governs excess in all forms. Feasts become gluttony, pleasure becomes addiction, and enjoyment becomes dependency under his influence. He teaches that enough is never truly enough.
Domains: Greed, Corruption, Exploitation
The Hollow Purse represents greed without purpose. Unlike Varric, who values exchange, the Hollow Purse values accumulation. His followers seek wealth not for what it can accomplish but simply to possess it.
Domains: Forbidden Knowledge, Manipulation, Dangerous Truths
The Veiled Depth rules over secrets hidden too deeply. Scholars fear her even as they pursue knowledge. Her followers believe every mystery deserves to be uncovered regardless of the consequences.
Domains: Entropy, Decay, Ruin, Failure
The Ashen Hand reminds mortals that all things end. Kingdoms fall, monuments crumble, and even the greatest works eventually decay. Though feared by many, some philosophers view him as necessary, for endings make new beginnings possible.
Unlike the other gods, Vespera is acknowledged by both Courts yet belongs fully to neither.
Many theologians call her the Seventh Seat.
Many others call her a heresy.
Domains:
Desire
Temptation
Aspiration
Seduction
Longing
Fascination
Symbol:
A golden rose blooming around a black pearl.
Sacred Colors:
Rose Gold (#C78A6B)
Velvet Crimson (#7A1630)
Black Pearl (#1E1B24)
Teaching:
Every desire reveals a truth.
People reveal themselves not through what they claim to value.
They reveal themselves through what they want.
Patron Of:
Order of the Gilded Rose
Courtesans
Diplomats
Negotiators
Artists
Entertainers
Core Doctrine:
The Roses teach:
Coin is a transaction.
Information is a transaction.
Affection is a transaction.
Influence is a transaction.
Trust is a transaction.
To understand desire is to understand people.
The Sacred Bargain:
Every desire has a price.
Every price reveals a desire.
Neither High Court nor Low Court.
The force beneath them both.
Domains:
Want
Hunger
Instinct
Passion
Chaos
Need
Symbol:
A crimson spiral surrounding a black star.
Realm:
The Endless Wild.
A realm of untamed instinct existing between all creation.
Teaching:
The High Court teaches what mortals should become.
The Low Court teaches what mortals fear becoming.
Vorathys teaches neither.
He asks only:
What do you want?
Unlike Vespera, Vorathys possesses no organized priesthood. His worship is highly personal and often viewed with suspicion by formal religions.
His followers believe the body itself is sacred. There are no temples, no churches, and no holy cities dedicated to him. A follower's own body may serve as a temple, and intimacy between consenting individuals may itself be an act of worship.
His faith attracts wanderers, artists, revolutionaries, free spirits, lovers, hedonists, explorers, and those who reject imposed authority.
The faithful believe that desire should not be feared or denied, but understood.
A common saying among his followers is:
"The gods ask what is right. Vorathys asks what you want."
According to the oldest scriptures:
The High Court offers aspiration.
The Low Court offers temptation.
Vespera offers longing.
Vorathys offers desire.
And every mortal life is shaped by the choices made between them.