[MelancholyFae]

~ Collaborated by: Melancholyfae, Mcmanusaur, Conradian, SentaiPink, TinyTim, and Michelle ~

 
Disclaimer: The Gods that are listed below are the current canon deities within the Mesalian Religion. If your character follows one or more of the gods below, this information will help you and your character. This is NOT a complete list, and your character can worship whatever you or they choose, whether that be other deities, variations of the ones below, or none at all. However, if If your character’s personal religion is going to be strongly relevant to roleplay (e.g. taking part in religious activities), or something which should be common knowledge (e.g. practiced by a large number of people), then you must submit a lore proposal and have it accepted before you may roleplay that character.

Summary
The religion of the Mesalians is varied due to the multiculture of the Middle Realm, but there are similarities which can be found between these cultures. Combined, there is one pantheon (a group of gods connected with one another to create a single religion). However, some deities mentioned below are not recognised everywhere in the Middle Realm. This is once again due to differences in culture and geographical location.
In this religion, many Many things in life are attributed to one god or more, such as the seasons, life, death, and the elements. The gods can also be considered €˜patrons€™ of certain professions that would fit under their realms or influences. The gods and their main influences of control are listed here, and other things such as seasons, festivals, and more specific information will be listed in later posts.


The Celestial Gods ~ also known as the High Gods, the Gods of Order
There are two Celestial Gods - Isohel and Sulena. According to myth, these are husband and wife, and jointly rule over the rest of the pantheon.

Isohel is the male High God, and he represents many abstract things such as Time, Aging, Fate, Wisdom, Knowledge, and Linear Progression. He is considered the God of Scholars, and with his power over the Sun, he represents Day and Light.

He is considered calm in temperament; this is a trait both Celestial Gods have. He is also omniscient (knowledge of everything in existence), and plays the role of the Divine Judge -€“ one who determines the fate of all creatures.

There are various symbols that represent Isohel: an 8-pointed star, an equal-sided cross, a set of scales, an hourglass, and a book with an all-seeing eye upon the cover.

He is often depicted as a tall, bald man with white skin and glowing gold eyes, wearing a hooded cloak that shines with sunlight on the inside, and carries either a morning star (spiked weapon) or scepter. Myths and legends also mention Isohel as being able to shape into a lion or an eagle, which are known as his favored animals. White and gold are considered his colors and are often used within his images, with gold being the mineral he is associated with most.

Most cult followings will be male-only and scholar-based, though anyone is welcome to worship the Sun God.

Sulena is the female High Goddess, wife to Isohel, and she represents things such as Power, the Cycle of Life (from birth to death), and Cyclic Progression. She controls the Moon, Night, and Darkness, and is also considered the omnipotent (all-powerful) Goddess of Hunters. This blends in with her role as Divine Agent and Executioner -€“ one who carries out the order of the Judge.

Many of the symbols that represent Sulena are based on circles, arches, and bows, representing the moon and the hunter aspect. The most common ones are the wheel, the crescent moon, an egg, the greatbow, a scythe, and things that are patterned in three, such as a triqueta (a simplistic three-cornered shape).

She is seen as a tall, black-skinned woman with long, straight, silver hair and radiant silver eyes, often wearing a hooded cloak with stars shimmering from the inside. Her main weapon is a bow, but she is sometimes seen in images with a scythe, as both weapons are crescent-shaped. The owl and the wolf are her favored animals, and some stories depict her as being able to change her shape into them. Black and silver are her colors, with iron (or silver) as the metal used in most images.

Those who consider themselves devout followers of Sulena are traditionally all female, and follow more martial codes than the scholarly Isohel cult.

The Lesser Gods ~€“ also known as the Elemental Gods, Gods of Chaos
There are currently four Lesser Gods in the main pantheon. Some of the names may be different between different cultures and people, but essentially it is the same god when comparing traits, symbols, and background. These are the gods that are worshipped during the seasons, as it is believed they have powers over the four main elements.

The basic pantheon lists Vucaldestus as the male God of Fire and War – and he is the patron god for warriors and smiths. His temperament, like his element, is rather aggressive, dominating, and energetic. His roles in the pantheon besides war and smithing are as builder and inventor, and other metals as well as rune powder are often used in images of him, with them being his main colors (red, copper, brass, bronze).

His appearance is often seen as a muscular male with metallic, copper skin and slick waves of black hair with deep gold and red highlights. Hammers and axes are his main weapons, and are often incorporated into his symbols, along with the anvil and flames. The animals most associated with this god are the wardog and warhorse, and the wolverine, an aggressive creature found in certain parts of the world, but often only heard told about in stories.

Other variations of his name include Vucal, Vulcar and Destrus.

Aezophyris is listed within the pantheon as the Elemental God of Wind, Weather and Lightning, and he is the patron god of messengers and travelers. He is often considered to be impulsive, daydreamy, and sociable. His main roles are weather, communication and thought, including the written word.

White and greys are his main colors, with some pastel blue or yellow as variations, and his main symbol is a stylized spiral with a lightning bolt, resembling a tornado. Others sometimes used are weather-related symbols such as clouds and spirals, and scrolls for the aspect of messages and communication. Glass is the material most often used to depict the God of Air as it is most transparent.

Aezophyris's appearance is seen as a male with pale skin and wisp-like in form, the lower body often clouded from view, and pale yellow hair. Sometimes he is seen with wings, as his favored animals are most often those of fliers such as the swallow, swift, and dragonfly. His weapons are also rather air-based, with the boomerang, bolas, and blowpipe.

Some variations of his name are Aezo, Aeris, and Atmos.

Under the basic pantheon, Niponautes is the female Goddess of the Seas and Aquatic Animals, and she is the patron goddess of fishers and sailors. Her temperament is one of perfection, creativeness, and introversion, with her main roles leaning toward arts and music, imagination and independence.

Shades of blues and violets are the colors most seen with this goddess, along with variations of greens for underwater effects. The simplest symbols would be of waves or of underwater creatures, though there is a stylized symbol incorporating both that is most commonly used. Lapis and pearl are the most common materials used for her symbols and images.

Many myths have this goddess represented as a mermaid with the upper body of a female and the lower body of a scaled fish, or smooth-skinned shark. The coloring of her skin, hair and lower body ranges from greens and blues with multi-colored scales and seaweed hair, to blues, greys and silvers to more match the shark half. As the Guardian of the Seas, she often has a trident or spear as her weapon, and is thought to favor the shark or octopus, though others believe the favored animals are stingray or jellyfish. These differing views could would be due to the local marine life.

Name variations of this goddess include Nipos, Nauta, and Tilde.

The fourth Elemental God, Drymaterras, is considered the Goddess of Earth, Fertility, and Plants, and she is the patron goddess of miners and farmers. She is often thought to be relaxed, stable, and consistent, with her roles in the pantheon revolving around materialistic and physical things more than the other gods, which includes much of the realm (dirt, sand, stone, crystals for non-living things, and plants as living things). This makes her more versatile than the others in how she is represented.

Colors such as browns, creams and greens are the ones most used in her symbols and images, which range from simply drawn trees or wheat, to stylized mountains or caverns. Emerald is the easiest gemstone to use in her images as it is more commonly found than others. Simple carvings in wood and stone are often found in forests and underground caverns as small tokens of worship to the Earth Goddess.

Her appearance is one of a full-bodied woman with brown skin and sandy or tawny colored hair, and seen either with branches, vines or flowers intertwined, or strings of various gemstones. Wild animals such as bears, woodchucks, and bats are her favored animal, as they can be above and below ground, though others such as large wild cats and great antlered deer are often seen by her side.

Weapons are not normally pictured with this goddess, but such utility-type items such as rope, shovel, pickaxe, and hoe can be used as weapons when necessary. Other items seen most often with her are wheat bundles, vines, flowers, gemstones, and carved stone or wood.

Name variations of this goddess include Dryma, Eartha, and Eterna.

[SentaiPink]

Updated with a piece of artwork I did for Sulena the moon goddess. The depictions of the gods vary based on location and as with all aspects of the religion may differ from region to region and is in no way set in stone.

[Zarkaylia]

[Zarkaylia]

Seem to need a format check. Are there images of the other gods and goddesses? I remember sketches, dunno if those were ever finished.