The Pentarchy

The largest religion on Nostrum. In it, there are five gods. Four of them were stolen by the Empyrean Empire long ages ago, and were returned. The fifth never left.

Malakar

Malakarian is the adjective for something relating to Malakar or their worship., Malakarii is the plural form, for their worshippers. Common epithets are: The Bringer, The Dark Shepherd, and The Blind One.

When the Empyreans needed gods to bind to their statues and create the Deiform Cities, they attacked Nostrum. Not a formal part of their empire and deeply religious, legions marched through the continent and stole the idols of a dozen formerly tolerated faiths. Malakar was one such stolen idol, and in that age he was a minor deity of shepherds and pastures. Centuries later when the Empyrean Empire fell, it was Malakar who shepherded the other four living gods back from the despotic empire and into their homeland. And he was the last to return to the stars, only after all the others had ascended again before him.

One might think that these valiant deeds and ancient history would endear Malakar to the people of Nostrum, but the people hold more fear in their heart for Malakar than they do love. It is said that as he was once a shepherd of sheep, now he shepherds the dead to their final rest. His faithful have a reputation for ruthlessness at the cost of all concerns for honor or dignity.

Edicts & Domains

The three guiding principles of Malakar are pragmatism, reciprocity, and shepherding others.

His domains are sheep, blindness, guidance, fields, and death. His colors are black and purple.

- Shepherd others from danger and to safety, even if thy knows not where safety is yet.

- See what must be done, done.

- Embrace blindness in my image.

- Repay what is owed, but only do so on another’s behalf in repayment of thine own debt.

- Forgive no debts, and presume not to forgive the debts of others.

- Accept no charity, and bestow none either.

Servants

The usual servant of Malakar is subtle. Appearing as a human or a lesser spirit, and providing guidance to those who are in need of being shown the way.

Lugu the Bound

An eyeless demon made of fire and who bleeds a burning, sticky ichor that never extinguishes. Lugu was first summoned by disciples of Malakar into the world, to repel an invasion of Westfalians. Lugu won, but proceeded to go on a tear through the kingdom’s countryside afterwards. The king forced the Malakarii to give their word to recover the demon, or else face exile. They managed to recover the demon, and granted him as a sacrifice to their dark god. When Lugu takes the field, Malakar has committed to victory no matter the cost.

Serene

Serene is the adjective for something relating to Serene or their worship. Serenites is the plural form, for their worshippers. Common epithets are: The Breaker of Seals and The War Mother.

Serene is the daughter of Krig and sister to Valor, other members of the Pentarchy. For a very long time, she was with the mountain clans as a weather goddess. Of all the idols stolen by the Empyreans from Nostrum, she was one of the last… but stolen all the same.

Not very much is known of Serene’s time as one of the Deiform, forced into physical form, bound by wards and rites to protect the cities in which they were imprisoned. It is known that she was the one to break the wards of the other imprisoned deities, but not how she came to that knowledge, and it is known she chose Malakar to take them back to Nostrum but not why. It is known she extorted Malakar until he swore that he would shepherd the others back, and only after his oath did she break his ward and they began their deific exodus back to Nostrum.

Edicts & Domains

The three guiding principles of Serene are patience, vigilance, and empathy.

Her domains are war, weather, healing, keys, and shears. Her colors are gold and white.

- Let not the wounded lie, but care to them whether friend or foe.

- Warm the viper at your breast, but keep your thumb over its head lest its fangs bite.

- Never make the first strike, but when struck retaliate with all possible force.

- Never let a mother come to harm, or force a mother to part from her children.

Servants

Serene’s servants are almost uniformly women in full armor who come with wise counsel, healing hands, and prodigious skill at the blade. They never come alone, but always in a group.

Mercy

The most unambiguously angelic of the divine servants, Mercy has never raised a hand even in her own defence. She comes in times of great need, to try to caution toward peace, and to heal. It is said that she could heal any mortal ailment, except she refuses to raise the dead.

Krig

Krig or Krigian is the adjective for something relating to Krig or their worship. Krigor or Krigorii is the plural form, for their worshippers. Common epithets are: The Old Man.

Krig was the only god not kidnapped from the continent when the Empyreans came. Krig has only ever been worshipped by the most bellicose and cruel of the mountain clans and their victims. When the Empyreans came into the mountains to seize his idol, Krig’s followers hid themselves in a high cave, refusing to surrender.

Eight years into the siege, the followers of Krig had long begun to eat the bodies of their dead from a massive cauldron when the Empyreans finally called off the siege. When the Krigor emerged from their cave, they immediately renewed their most vigorous form of worship: raiding. Krig empowered the chief of one of his most favored clans, and he led all the other clans in terrorizing Nostrum.

When the other gods returned, to their surprise Krig welcomed them back. And when they decided to distance themselves from the mortal world and ascend back into the heavens, Krig went with them without a fight. With all of the Pentarchy ascended, almost no one worships Krig any more, even among the mountain clans. But he remains a terrifying cultural memory.

Edicts & Domains

There are no guiding principles for Krig. Take what is wanted, kill all who stand in your way, and scream Krig’s name in battle. After the battle, torture the wounded until they praise Krig too.

His domains are war, raiding, brutality, bones, and thunder. His colors are red and ivory.

- Back down from a challenge and be branded a coward.

- A coward’s fate is death!

- Never surrender! Defeat is disgrace, death in battle is honor!

- Break the bodies of weaker men until marrow oozes from their bones, string them up still living in a high place, and make their suffering until death a sacrifice to me.

Servants

Krig rarely sends servants, but when he does they are almost always resurrected raiders who died in his name.

King One-Eye

When all the other gods were stolen, after the legions left, Krig bestowed one of his followers with great intelligence and immortality. From the mountains he descended, and established a vast domain. It is said that in life, King One-Eye was a surprisingly deft, wise, and patient king when speaking to him in the flesh. Almost no one saw this side of him, however, for it is said that Krig kept the fires of faith alive in the absence of other gods through fear and King One-Eye was his greatest instrument in this, his fierce raids inspiring much prayer. When the other gods finally returned, King One-Eye is the only mortal to have ascended with them.

Valor

Valorous is the adjective for something relating to Krig or their worship. Valorites is the plural form, for their worshippers. Common epithets are: The Host, The Crusader.

Before the taking, Valor was one of the most popular gods across Nostrum. It is said that every member of a feast or a celebration was for the duration of the festivities a priest of Valor. His whole being was parties, merriment, and joy. Even though his worship first began among the mountain clans who his father most favored, he spread all throughout Nostrum.

After the taking of his idols and massacre of his formal priesthood, it was said that Valor began to sour even before his leaving into forced exile. Upon his return, the people wanted to celebrate Valor as the god he was. Purely of celebration and fun. But while rekindling his priesthood, Valor made it clear that things were different now. While his past as a god of merriment lives on in tradition, he could never return to those halcyon days in full. His faithful must be prepared to stand up against those who would harm the innocent, proactively wage war on evildoers, not merely host the celebration for others afterwards.

Edicts & Domains

His guiding principles are proactivity, honor, bravery, and care.

His domains are war, bravery, honor, mercenaries and mead. His colors are blue and silver.

- Be faithful to one’s liege.

- Never break one’s given word.

- Seek out the places of evil in the world, and destroy them before they can act.

Servants

Like his sister Serene, Valor’s servants most often are armored knights. Unlike his sister, Valor takes to the field relatively often and his servants are quite proactive and unhesitating.

The Golem

Within a few years of Valor’s return, a Valleyman invasion came from the east. His followers, guided by Valor who had not yet ascended at this point, dealt the greatest blow in a century against the Valleyman invaders, capturing a dozen of them and burning down their entire fleet, forcing the Valleymen to mount an embarrassing rescue. This battle came to be known as Valor’s Triumph, and the knights of Valor gathered up all the armor and weapons the Valleymen had brought and melted them all together into a golem. Valor then gave it life, and bound a friendly spirit from the Unseen into it. The Golem now rests in Luten-Augusburg, an incredibly powerful foe for anyone who thinks to invade.

Euphoria

Euphoric or Euphorian is the adjective for something relating to Euphoria or their worship. Euphorians is the plural form, for their worshippers. Common epithets are: The Lady of Thorns, The Lover.

When she was taken with the other gods, it is said that the goddess of beauty and the moon was nearly discarded. Abandoned, as close to slain as a deity could be. For she had no use as a goddess of defence or war, none of her domains proved useful in this. But she managed to attract the interest of a powerful Empyrean noble, a Lord Cardinal, and he kept her as a curiosity in his household and she later became a family heirloom.

Being passed from generation to generation as a prize embittered the goddess, her helplessness driving her to impotent rage. It is said that she delayed the exodus of the Pentarchy back to Nostrum, for she refused to come with them back to their home until she could be sure every living member of the house which kept her as a toy was slain.

Edicts & Domains

Her guiding principles are ambition, hedonism, and revenge. One should be wary of a follower of Euphoria, for it is said her faithful have extreme tastes, and may take offence at the slightest provocation as an excuse to make a feud in the name of their goddess.

Her domains are ambition, beauty, domination, vengeance, and the moon. Her color is purple.

- Let no slight go unpunished, even the most trifling, even those long forgotten by the foe.

- Be beautiful. Protect your beauty like your life.

- Take what you want. Do not let yourself be denied.

- Do not let control be taken from you. Take control for yourself instead.

Servants

Euphoria has almost no need for servants. When she wants to be somewhere, she goes herself. Anyone who slighted her personally is dead. When she comes to the Seen, it is for her own pleasure… and usually incognito. Many a time the death of a known scoundrel has been attributed to the man unknowingly offending Euphoria.

The Lord of Roses

It isn’t known if the Lord of Roses is Euphoria herself taking the form of a man, or a male servant of Eurphoria who at some point ascended in service to Euphoria. Indeed, it isn’t entirely clear if the Lord of Roses even exists, or is but a rumor. There are no confirmed sightings that could not be chalked up to being the work of an especially enthusiastic follower.