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The Elder Gods

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To supplicate the Elder Gods is to drink from the First Well, and be drowned in revelation.
Archivist Myndrel, from the Jerathial Codicies

The Elder gods are believed to be primordial entities, the first deities from which all others are derived. Revered in scriptural fragments or ignored altogether by the modern texts, their existence is both a mystery and a foundation upon which the pantheons of the world have been built. Unlike the contemporary gods, who enjoy structured worship and temples, the Elder gods exert their influence subtly, often through strange avatars forgotten by the mortal races and hidden places touched by their divine will.

Chief among these gods is Yevna the Eldest, who is the goddess of the High People and the source of the God Tree's strength. Asag, the Goddess of Dragons, whom the Changelings worship, represents raw chaos and primordial power, and her ancient brood were the progenitors of many monstrous races, including the dragons of legend. Pharkun, the God of Dragons, is often misunderstood as a rival to Asag, but the Runeseers of Tarth have argued in their scriptures that he may in fact be a reflection of her wildness, tempered by order and balance.

The Mora, a tripartite deity, governs fate, oaths, and fortune. Though their shrines are scattered and few, their presence is deeply ingrained in the lore of many cultures, especially the Mora gypsies of Mordavia.

Teyat, the God of Magic, is an enigmatic deity who embodies the arcane forces that permeate creation. Dweomerists in various academies of magic debate whether Teyat is an abstraction, or perhaps a powerful wizard whose mortality became legend over the course of history. Finally, Zozma, the One Who is Many, defies categorization: this amorphous deity represents transformation and unity through multiplicity, often depicted as a swirling, ever-changing mass of watchful eyes.

In modern times, worship of the Elder gods has dwindled, their followers either blending into more dominant faiths or fading away entirely. Still, their power endures in the ley lines of the world, the ancient ruins of Muraius, and the unspoken reverence of those who seek truths too vast to confine to mortal tongues.

Adventure Hook

The Elder gods embody the raw, untamed forces of the universe. Remember: the difference between fantasy and science fiction is a sense of numinous wonder that defies rational explanation. You can to lean into this when presenting the Elder gods’ presence in the world, who are capricious and uncertain entities whose concerns are larger than human beings can comprehend.

The party, seeking treasure or revelation from the Elder gods in the Dune Sea, discovers an abandoned shrine to Zozma buried deep within a ziggurat. Inside, an ancient artifact hums with the fragmented will of the One Who is Many. As the party investigates, they begin to experience visions of alternate realities where their choices lead to drastically different outcomes.

Can the party decipher Zozma’s cryptic guidance, or will they be consumed by the possibilities it presents?
Are they alone in this ziggurat? Perhaps the god’s cultists have been trailing the party in search of the shrine’s transformative power?
Will the party risk offering their own minds to Zozma to gain the answers they seek?

Tags: Pantheons

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The Elder Gods

The Fallen Gods

The Gods of Men

The First-Order Gods

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