Astea  

Good, Light, Life, Creation, Love, Music, Beauty, Art, Song 

Spread across the breadth of the continent, Astea is by far the deity with the most followers in the entire world.

Her churches rise up like welcoming monoliths of stone and stained glass, offering salvation and love in every major and minor city in Asarus. Prayers whispered in her name are found on the tongues of those in need, on the lips of lovers interlocked, and within the darkest depths of the world, always bringing forth her glorious brilliance. Her faithful flock to all corners of creation, ready to rise up and defend the world from the impending darkness found outside of the cities of light. Her teachings touch the soul of those who hear them and encourage those who listen to foster life, find beauty within all things, create songs and sounds that bring forth the beauty in one’s heart, and above all else, bring all life into Astea’s light and remove every trace of doubt of the glory of good from  their hearts. Her holiest of sites is the Sapphire Spire, a marvelous structure taller than the dreams of man that resides in the city of Aurez. All of Astea’s true faithful attempt to make a pilgrimage to the Sapphire Spire at least once in their lifetime. As a deity, Astea possesses no major enemies among the other gods, but she remains at odds with Serena and the deities that take and destroy life. She chooses to outwit her foes rather than face them directly on the fields of battle, where life’s blood would be spilled needlessly in and endless spiral of death and destruction. Her firmest allies are her self-proclaimed  protector, Vangal, her ever-advising friend, Bastion, and strangely enough, her half-brother, Zanon.

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Bastion 

Hope, Martyrdom, Truth, Mercy, Generosity, Peace, Tolerance 

Found wherever one can find destruction wrought by war, Bastion is a deity of hope and peace.

His churches are modest affairs representing sacrifice and martyrdom that provide a place of solace and tolerance to those in need, regardless of what banners one may fly. He is most often served by veterans and those who have been shattered by war. Bastion’s grace can be found in both ramshackle tents in war camps and in the hearts of great cities, his humble churches standing proudly alongside Astea’s stained-glass masterpieces. His followers are the downtrodden and war-weary, and their lips pray for peace to be found not only in the world’s nations, but in the turbulent heart of humanity itself. His most holiest of sites is a statue of his likeness found at the top of the Peak of Hope high within the Furcata Mountains of Cypress. Bastion’s guidance drives his followers to treat others as equals, regardless of their race, nationality, or creed. A Bast upholds truth and honor and follows a divine directive to do what is right, even if it brings harm to oneself. His followers refrain from swearing oaths of vengeance and no hold no true hatred toward any faith but that of Tesiline, who practices the art of necromancy to mock the most sacred sacrifice one can make: the sacrifice of life. Bastion advises Astea and works alongside Vangal to ensure her continued protection, and he proactively defends against Junon’s attempts to rile up the pantheon and inflict war upon the multiverse. He saves his bitterest enmity for Tesiline, proveyor of illness and decay, which runs rampant on the death-stained fields of battle. The vile undead creatures raised in her name are often veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice and have earned their eternal rest and a chance at a peaceful soul.

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Vangal 

Law, Duty, Loyalty, Protection, Chivalry, Devotion, Service 

Vangal is a dragon god of law and duty, and his followers are sworn to protect those in need.

In a war-torn world, his clergy is seen as a shining beacon of divinity and justice. Vangal’s worshippers have established an extremely regimented church, and their militaristic order, the Scaled  Shields, is renowned across Asarus for their good deeds and formidable might. The Scaled Shields are trained at Vangal’s holiest of sites, a dragonstone fortification called Alabaster that rests on a floating mote high within the sky. It is believed that Vangal himself constructed Alabaster as his fortress in a long-forgotten war. As paragons of justice and chivalry, Vangal’s worshippers travel to the far corners of the world to aid and protect. They will never hesitate to lay down their lives for someone in need, especially if that person is an Astean, in recognition of Vangal’s sacred vow to Astea. Vangal teaches his followers to protect the weak, adhere to the law, and never break an oath of service, lest they be cast out from the dragon god’s divine favor. As a deity, Vangal acts in service of Astea, and he is an enemy of Kato and Uryll, two evil gods he considers corrupt beyond redemption. Two other dragon gods, Naugrix and Aleydra, are among his allies. Like most of the pantheon, Vangal abhors Serena and her followers, and he attempts to smite her down at every opportunity he finds.