SporeWiki:Fantasy Universe/Old/Deities

"A question often found in one's life is what exactly is the Aethereal Firmament in its most substantial definition? My answer is this - the Aethereal Firmament...however finite or infinite in its size, is a playground, a hunting ground, a place that is cared for and place in the in the chapters of the world's destruction. It is, first and foremost, a game played by immeasurable numbers of deities. And the goal of that game? No mortal mind is able to understand that."

- Unknown

Within the Fantasy Universe, multiple deities from both the Aethereal Firmament and realms beyond it often meddle in the affairs of the universe, and in doing so, many mortals that inhabit the realm of worship them as gods. These gods come in all kinds - many seek to protect and nurture everything under their influence, whilst others are mindlessly set upon the destruction of all life.

History
Historically, deities have existed since before the very creation of Koldenwelt in an indeterminate timelessness. Many creation myths of Koldenwelt - be them feasible or not - are almost always under the orchestration of a deity or many deities. The most primitive of civilisations, over three hundred millennia ago lived amid a war between the deities of the universes surrounding them, and, having come to worship them or even in direct contact with them, civilisations have continued to worship deities throughout the history of Koldenwelt and up to the present day.

Religion and god-worshipping in Koldenwelt is almost universal - there are very few, or even no civilisation present on Koldenwelt that retains a sense of atheism. Many civilisations are at the least polytheistic, whilst others are strictly monotheistic or pantheistic.

Simulacra
The Simulacra, also known as the Twelve Pagans and Twelve Devils, are a collection of twelve gods which are commonly defined to represent different, often negative, aspects of nature. Very few Simulacra show not to be capricious or to take the toils of mortals into consideration, and even fewer show cooperation with one another. Most of the Simulacra are considered evil, and worship of them as Simulacra is rare in widespread civilisation. The Simulacra are considered to be the most affluent and interactive of all deities known, and rule over a respective realm of their own. Collective worship of all twelve Simulacra is also extremely rare.

Colossi
The Colossi, known also as the Earthly Gods are a number of deities, sixteen at the most, that are god-like entities that are closely tied with each magical school of the Source. So named for their immense size, the Colossi are mostly a more benevolent force than that of the Simulacra, though their alignments are typical of each school. Each role of the Colossi is passed to another generation - thus creating the terms 'Old Colossi' and 'New Colossi'.

Celestial Pantheon
The Celestial Pantheon, known as the Old Gods and the Arāsil-mañu'lar in the Protodynastic Language, are a group of at least five deities worshipped by the Orichalcum Elves and those living under their reign on Koldenwelt. One of the oldest pantheons, worship of these deities over fifteen thousand years since the dissolution of the has almost died out, and knowledge of these gods also. Over the 280,000 years the pantheon was present, there has been theories that there were far more than five deities over the course of history.