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The Gods of Men

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The Gods are not who they are, but who we need them to be. In every name, a fragment of truth; in every prayer, a reflection of our deepest selves.
—Galimatian Proverb

The Gods of Men, also called the Third-Order gods, are the divine figures most commonly worshiped in the modern world. Unlike the Elder or First-Order counterparys, these deities are culturally specific, adapted to the beliefs and needs of the mortal realms. Many of these gods are aspects of the older Sylvan and Rasan pantheons, their original forms reshaped by centuries of interpretation. Their true existence is debated by theologians, as they may be metaphors given divine form rather than distinct entities.

Sirokan Pantheon

In the Dune Sea of Mamara, the Sirokan gods embody the harsh wisdoms to be learned from life in the desert. Akasha the Unmerciful governs the domains of fire and vengeance. The name of Tehuti, the God of Wisdom, is often invoked by scribes and mystics to bless their quest for knowledge, and etched into the ancient shrines that dot the shifting sands.

Altean Pantheon

The Altean Gods represent ideals of bravery, loyalty, and light, celebrated by the Lords of Altea and in Arcanum. Beatrix, the Goddess of Light, is a symbol of hope and renewal, her name tied to stories of healing and protection. Galimatias, the God of Masks, is more enigmatic, embodying hidden truths that underlie the ever-shifting identity of man. Other Altean gods like Mascarion, the God of Courage, Farrago, the God of Swords, and Kitha, the Goddess of Friendship, inspire virtues essential to the cultures that supplicate them.

The Arcadian Gods

In the lands of the Empire of Arcadia, the Church of Avestar venerates Avestar, the One God, a figure of singular divinity to the exclusion of all others. It is said twenty Clockwerk "Shieldmaidens" attend his glory, though these angels once served the whole of the Arcadian pantheon prior to the Schism. Avestar's counterparts are Abraxis, the Bowed God of Healing, and Mushtarie, the Mother of Creation, who both embody the nurturing and pacifist spirit that Arcadia has lost with the rise of the Empire.

Adventure Hooks

The Gods of Men highlight humanity’s ability to reshape the divine to suit its needs. These gods are deeply personal; while the Elder gods represent the unknowable, and the First-Order gods are an attempt to rationalization the natural world, the Gods of Men are personifications of various human cultures and their societal concerns.

A relic attributed to Galimatias, the God of Masks, surfaces in the form of an ancient mask that allows its wearer to glimpse hidden truths about individuals he looks upon. A PC or NPC in the party (all being noblemen from the same family) has been gifted the relic as a family heirloom when the family’s elder patron passes away. But after adopting the mask, the PCs quickly become embroiled in the machinations of manipulative nobles, whose sinister agendas, now exposed by the mask, threaten the realm.

How will the party navigate the dangerous political games and save the realm without exposing the power of the mask?
What truths might the mask reveal about the political order in the realm?
Will the party keep the relic, destroy it, or entrust it to a new possessor once their ordeals are solved?

Tags: Pantheons

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