This week I’ll be presenting an overview of the major pantheon and gods. Actual details such as their names etc will be covered later.
There are 3 major pantheon in Easthalen. They go by many names and titles, but the simplest way to think of them is Light, Grey and Dark which can be thought of as Good,neutral and Evil respectively. Each has many deity’s of great power, but among them, 4 are considered to be the greatest. These 4 are the most powerful or most skilled. These 4 from each group are the ones who volunteered(light), chosen(grey) or dominated other(dark) to become the best to lead their group. Then Halen happened.
At the exact center of Franner(which in turn lies at the exact center of the world) stands a building. Some call it a temple, others call it a church. It was never officially named but many call it simply the Cathedral. This triangle shaped building is the second line of defence against the mad one awakening. Shaped like a triangle on the outside, it is a huge building, within it is an ever changeable maze with only one correct path through which is known to the Custodians (The heads of the religions dedicated to the gods who dwell within). Within the triangle is a square-shaped secondary building, within that a pentagon, within that a hexagon. This pattern repeats 12 times in total(starting with the triangle shaped outer shell), with the maze getting more complex the closer one gets the innermost chamber. For within the innermost chamber lies one final line(or first, depending on your perspective) of defence and security
One major difference between Easthalen and other worlds is that someone who is worthy (or pays a heavy “donation” to the custodians) can actually go see the gods for themselves. Certain holy days tied to each god make it easier for the faithful to visit their patron, for even the Dark gods recognise the fact they are in here with their worshipers. Allowing those who follow them to be able to see them increases belief in them, which in turn increases the gods power, making it easier to keep the mad one asleep. Some have argued that if this is true, why not allow more to visit and directly contact their deity, to which the standard answer is simply that the Tri-Cathedral must be like this as part of the imprisonment.
Each deity stands or sits on a plinth surrounding Halen, facing him and channeling raw divine power to keep him under control. The fact they can do this and grant powers to their followers and sometimes answer prayers is both a testament to their power and the fact that Easthalen is , when compared to the rest of the universe, quite small. One unprovable theory is that if anyone was to ever get outside the barrier, the power of the gods would simply be non-existent.
One major question all visitors ask – if the 13th god is Halen, why is there an empty plinth in the center of the Cathedral chamber?
