Deities and Powers

These are the most-commonly-recognized deities that are worshipped in Mara and, as far as you know, the Greenwold.

* Ahur the Adamant, Father of Dragonkind
* Andgyt the Studious, Goddess of Lore
* Bealdor the High, God of the Sun
* Beran the Seven-Souled, God of Birth
* Dreor the Red, God of War
* Dwrang, God of Mountains and the Dwarves
* Eard the Tall, God of the Forests
* Ellendaed, Goddess of Valor
* Gideon, God of Time
* Glenglean, God of Prosperity and the Gnomes
* Greaf the Patient, God of the Dead
* Lunea, God of Stars and the Elves
* Mirrah, Goddess of Destiny
* Scur the Wrathful, Goddess of the Ocean
* Stalian the Dark, God of Thieves
* Tilthar, God of the Harvest and Halflings
* Torht the Quick, God of Fire

Gideon is one of the oldest of the gods. He looked to the present and past to examine all that is and was. He was the one that led the gods down to our plane to live so be could better study us and our home. Mirrah, Gideon's sister, looked to the future. She was able to discern the paths that the fates may take to see what will happen. She chose to never come down with the other gods, and the writings of her stop before the others.

ELLENDAED
Ellendaed is the goddess of Valor. She is sometimes portrayed in the artwork in temples to the pantheon, but her appearance in such artwork varies from culture to culture.
In the Classic Drakall period, Ellendaed was portrayed as a towering silver dragonborn with a raised shield and wings spread to defend the weak.
In the remnant of Drakall that includes Mara, Ellendaed is most commonly portrayed as a human peasant maiden bearing a smith's hammer to defy the systems of authority and oppression.
In the Greenwold, Ellendaed is often portrayed as a human crone, covered in scars, with eyes burning in a resolute face and a bloody sword clutched in one arthritic hand.

Despite these representations, most people do not think of Ellendaed personified. Rather, she is represented by the valiant who have embodied her characteristics, and these paragons of valor are considered avatars of Valor. So the holy symbols of Ellendaed are as varied as the foundational stories of the valiant faithful.

Some peoples use the symbol of a golden fist raised on a red background which represents Brall, who fought the demon horde of Maggotha, slaying the cursed foes until the bodies were stacked in heaps, until his sword and shield broke, and he fought on with his bare fists. Brall's Fury is a constellation that many sailors use to navigate at sea.

Other cultures use the argent ellipse above the three golden stars, which represents Harlathacon, who tore the wing from the great Wyrm Ramfardraxagul and wrapped his shield in it to defend the three orphaned children, Dan, Hin, and Lathe, from the Flame Sorcerers of Dambar. Many cultures claim Dan, Hin, or Lathe as their progenitor. (On a side note: traditional Ellendaed and Greaf lore teaches that it was Ellendaed who guided the hero to occupy the greatest forces of Dambar, the old god of death, long enough that Her brother Greaf could cast Dambar down and take his throne.)

Many societies who claim to be descended from one of the three siblings nevertheless use the ebon rectangle standing vertical on a verdant plane, which represents Tiuroti.

Tiuroti was was the son of Gideon and an elven queen.
So noble, powerful, and wise was Tiuroti that all the other gods tried to convince him to become their champion.

"Join me and I will give you the stars in the sky!" offered Lunea.
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Seven times Beran came to him, offering him immortality through bounteous progeny. "You will have all the lovers you desire, and your descendants will outnumber the waves on the sea, and all will revere your name!"
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Wise Andgyt came to him: "Join with me and you will have the total knowledge of all things that ever were or ever will be."
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Tilthar came to him and offered: "Stand by my side and you will never want for comfort or know hunger or lack again."
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Glenglean came to him, saying "All the riches of all the worlds I lay at your feet, if only you will join me."
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Red-handed Dreor came to him. "Be my right hand, and you will win every battle. All the worlds will be yours to conquer!"
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Greaf came to him then, promising: "If you but take my hand, you will never die but live forever."
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Crafty Stalian whispered in his ear: "Surely there is something you want. Anything you desire, I will steal it for you and you can keep it in secret."
Tiuroti said nothing, and the god left.

Ellendaed came, and she said nothing.
Tiuroti waited, and still Ellendaed stood facing him, saying nothing.
Eventually, Tiuroti said: "What treasure have you come to offer me?"
"I offer you only hardship and strife, challenge and struggle, terror and defeat." Ellendaed replied.
"These hardly seem worthwhile." Tiuroti replied, intrigued at this bizarre reply. "To what end do you offer me these things?"
Ellendaed smiled. "For the glory. No matter how frightened, how beaten, how opposed you may become, you will be known for your bravery and persistence for all time."
And Tiuroti smiled.

BEALDOR THE HIGH

Bealdor the High is the god of the sun and of light, energy, and warmth. He is universally depicted as a circle or disc of white, yellow, or gold. Rarely, in visions Bealdor has appeared as a member of that person's species with a disc of blinding light where a head (or heads) would normally be.

Worship of Bealdor is conducted as outdoor rituals in the light of the sun, at sunrise, noon, and sunset, often with vigorous dancing, enthusiastic gymnastics, and various other feats of athleticism. Clerics conducting such rituals wear full face masks that are white discs. Bealdor's blessing is for health and vigor. At midsummer, temples to the gods celebrate Bealdor's Bounty, commonly called Sun Day, with a three-day festival of life and love, where healing is freely provided along with food and drink. Many offspring are conceived during Bealdor's Bounty; such are referred to as "Sun Children" and are believed to grow to be particularly wise and full of life.

Temple priests and priestesses of the pantheon who train in the lore of a particular deity often choose Bealdor, with the associated domain of Life, Light, or Strength. They tend to focus on prayers of healing, revelation, and empowerment. Anyone with any faith tends to honor Bealdor even if they don't pray to or otherwise honor any of the rest of the pantheon. Any perfect circle is viewed as a representation of Bealdor; wealthier devotees will wear a metal ring or disc, usually sewn into and prominently displayed on a piece of clothing. Clerics and paladins of the pantheon all carry a featureless golden disc for any prayers or service that would be directed to Bealdor; those who specialize in the rituals and lore of Bealdor wear a comfortable headwrap with a large gold disc on the forehead. Long custom has it that nothing is inserted into a symbol of Bealdor, so rings worn on fingers or hung on chains are not representations of the god, and particularly devout and rigid believers eschew such ornamentation as sacrilegous.

History tell us of Faram, a prosperous trader who had amassed such great wealth that he began to think he himself was a god. He shared his wealth liberally and gained many followers. With them, Faram built a gleaming coastal city of Faramia and, instead of raising temples to the pantheon, he built altars to himself, which the prosperous people of Faramia were happy to use for worship. Faramia grew, but the gods were incensed at this effrontery. Dreor brought a ravaging horde of humanoids out of the wilderness which sacked Faramia, after which a great pestilence ran through the surviving populace. Then Scur caused a great storm to rise, which tore down the broken walls of the city and washed the buildings out to sea. Faram escaped with some of his family and closest friends. One by one they died as further hardships befell their party and disease withered them, until only Faram was left, unable to carry his riches alone. He wandered into the wilderness as the winter snows began. Freezing to death, Faram called out to the gods, and they all ignored him...all except Bealdor, who took pity on Faram and appeared to him as a blaze of light and warmth in the chill night. "It is never too late to amend your ways," Bealdor told Faram, and his light burned a cave into a hillside. Faram was able to crawl in and was warm. Melted snow formed a tepid pool where Faram could drink, and a bush of edible fruit grew there so that Faram was saved from death. Faram emerged in the spring and began to praise Bealdor, becoming one of his most devout priests. Various nations claim that Faram was one of their species, and/or that Faram created their high temple, but none now know for certain.