The Gods#

Cora is one of the five Primordials conceived by Spherus to govern the elemental foundations of existence — and is not the first Water Primordial. That mantle belonged to Shim, who first surprised Spherus by eliciting something never before felt by the Creator: emotion. In response, Spherus unmade Shim and fashioned Cora in its likeness — a vast serpentine dragon wrought of living water. From that likeness would later come inspiration for dragonkind upon Orb.

When Spherus brought the Primordials to Orb during its formation, Cora balanced seas and skies, carved coastlines, shaped continental shelves, and laid down rivers that would nourish future life. In the deepest ocean trenches, ancient elementals seeded by Cora still patrol, maintaining equilibrium older than memory.

Cora does not seek worship. It does not demand prayer. It is vast, patient, and indifferent to flattery. And yet, when a mast splits in a storm and a sailor cries into the wind, it is Cora's name that slips from trembling lips.

Shrines to Cora stand along coasts and beside great inland lakes — simple circles of coral, driftwood, and tide-worn stone. True temples on land are rare. The infinite serpentine symbol is carved into gunwales and scratched into dockside stone across Orb.

Shrine in Dalraven: The Shrine of the Deep Current — a ring of weathered stones surrounding a tide-carved altar, tended by Tidewardens and a senior Wavemaster who conducts departure rites and memorials for those lost at sea. No sermons are given here. The sea does not require theology.

Aard is among the most actively worshipped of the Eternals in Bridgeport and across Algar. The pursuit of truth, the preservation of history, and the application of reason to the problems of the world are Aard's domain. Scholars, judges, scribes, and magistrates count themselves among the faithful.

Symbol: An all-seeing eye crowned by a flame of enlightenment, set above a scroll of recorded memory.

Temple in Bridgeport: The Temple of Radiant Light on Queensway Avenue — the largest and most respected temple in the city, functioning as both a place of worship and one of the finest libraries in the Freehold.

Kelleth embodies the harder virtues — the discipline of the soldier, the binding weight of an oath, and the understanding that justice without duty is merely preference. Fighters, guards, militia officers, and adventurers often seek Kelleth's blessing before dangerous work. The shrine is also a place for binding contracts and formal accords.

Symbol: A warhammer set before a scroll, encircled by an unbroken ring.

Temple in Bridgeport: The Shrine of the Iron Oath — its priests serve as neutral stewards during contract signings and oath ceremonies. The spoken word, in Kelleth's house, is treated as steel.

Absot governs inevitability — the unbreakable relationship between action and consequence. Absot does not weigh good and evil; it ensures only that nothing occurs without reason and no choice is ever without outcome. Devotion to Absot is less about seeking comfort and more about seeking clarity — understanding where one's actions lead, and accepting what cannot be changed.

Symbol: Geometric patterns suggesting progression and consequence — linear motifs of the unbroken chain.

Temple in Wexford: The Marble Canon, presided over by Hierophant Halwen Marr, is the primary temple of Absot in the region.

Charr governs the generative forces of the world — the turning of seasons, the growth of crops, the arrival of new life, and the stewardship of the land that sustains it. Where Absot governs consequence and Kelleth governs duty, Charr governs abundance and the responsibility that comes with it. Devotion to Charr is expressed through shared meals, harvest rites, and the daily labor of those who work the land.

Symbol: A sheaf of wheat bound with a living vine.

Temple in Dalraven: The House of Bounty — the largest structure in Dalraven, built as much for community gathering as for worship. On holy days it fills with hymns and ritual observance. On ordinary evenings it serves as meeting hall, dance floor, and communal refuge. Three Ascendants are honored in alcoves within: Sivet the Hearthmother, Oleya Greenbriar, and Barrowen Tallgrain.

Noctis began as a mortal druid of the Circle of the Seven Moons before being elevated by the Eternal Sik. Their path ran through sacrifice, shadow, and centuries of unseen service before ascension as sovereign of the Umbral — the mirror realm of shadow, memory, and endings. Noctis is neither malevolent nor comforting in the conventional sense; they preside over transitions, thresholds, and the truths that only become visible in the dark.

Those who visit the Umbral House come seeking guidance in matters other temples cannot address — protection from unseen dangers, clarity in deception, safe passage through darkness, or relief from troubling dreams.

Symbol: The Threefold Eclipse — three aligned discs of silver, grey, and black, representing the journey from light into shadow.

Temple in Bridgeport: The Umbral House, on the northern outskirts of the city. Its narrow windows, dim interior, and reputation for strange occurrences keep many away — which suits its faithful well enough.

Soryn was once Hrysa Bear-Bound, a shieldmaiden of the Sons of Rissen barbarian confederation of the northern plains. She earned the notice of Kelleth through not just her victories, but her restraint — she was merciless in defense of her own, yet would not abide slaughter for its own sake. After ascension, she is credited by the Ursinor with shaping their people, granting them mortality, kinship, and the right to choose their own paths rather than exist as endless instruments of war. Soryn is revered particularly among the Ursinor clans, whose devotion is quiet, habitual, and deeply personal.

Sivet is honored wherever families gather and new children arrive. Devotion is expressed through candles and woven cradle charms — small, domestic offerings that reflect her domain. She is one of three Ascendants elevated under Charr.

Oleya is marked by potted herbs and climbing vines trained along trellises — a living symbol of her connection to cultivated growth and the quiet persistence of green things. She is one of three Ascendants elevated under Charr.

Barrowen is represented by carved grain heads and small offerings of dried seed — the end of the growing season honored and preserved. Stewardship of what the land provides is central to Barrowen's doctrine. She is one of three Ascendants elevated under Charr.

Mollo is known throughout the region as the Lantern-Keeper — an Ascendant whose domain is not grand or cosmic but immediate and human. Hope when it is hardest to hold. Warmth when the night is coldest. The vigil kept when others have gone to sleep.

Temples of Mollo are welcoming spaces by design — windows that glow softly after dusk, beacon lanterns burning through the night, doors that open to travelers arriving late and uncertain. Devotees conduct nightly vigils, maintain lanterns along forest paths, and offer shelter and healing to those who arrive after dark. Rangers, woodcutters, and those heading into dangerous places often make brief devotions at Mollo's temples before setting out — seeking resolve rather than protection alone.

Temple in Wexford: The Lantern-Keeper Temple is one of Wexford's most active community institutions. A tall beacon lantern burns each night from its towered roof, visible above the tree line and from the forest roads approaching from the north — a signal to travelers that Wexford is there, and that someone is watching.