Religion is a large part of Phantasmagoria. It plays a part in every race and every civilization. Especially in the theocratic community of the desert people of Khaji. Celestials, or the beings whom reside in the palace of Celestia (some who are not always gods, just beings of power) were the ones who sculpted the world, the land, the people, the creatures and all the universes everywhere. There are thousands of gods, there are as much gods as there are cultures. But the following are the main Celestials followed by the different races of Phantasmagoria.
Bal'el: The Celestial of life and peace. She is known as the one who breathed all life into the sculptures of Hethering and began civilization. She is also the creator of all things living. And is, as well, the Celestial of fertility, sex and children. She is actually a fairly recent Celestial, having created life as her test of worship she became accepted very quickly in the palace of Celestia. She is worshiped by all but the cults of Dakk. Her symbol is that of a golden heart and is portrayed as a nude female clad in nothing but translucent sheets.
Dakk: The Celestial of death, torture, pain and suffering. He is known to reside in the darkest regions of Celestia, and inhabits the nightmares of living beings. He feeds off misery and controls all death in Phantasmagoria. He is the owner of Taxxuss, phantom world of void and nothingness. He is said to be one of the physically weakest gods but can gain in strength trough the pain of others, thus, he often holds gladiatorial championships between phantoms of Taxxuss to make sure he is always strong enough to not appear weak before his followers and the other gods. Dakk is rarely worshiped, hence his physical weakness, for Celestials grow more powerful the more worship they receive, however, there is said to be cults dedicated to him. His symbol is a skull with a snake through its left eye and he is portrayed as a robed figure with hidden features.
For'tan: Celestial of forges, fire and craftsmanship. He was created from the fires of Magyk and works in the burning forges deep within the floating isle of Celestia. He is one of the more recent Celestials created to forge the greatest of weapons. Why the Celestials would need weapons? no one truly knows. His main people of worship are the Brok'tan and the Drackons. Every hundred years or so he imbues some of his power upon a select few to become Magykal smiths, making them capable to forge Magyk weapons. His symbol is that of a hammer, an anvil and a pair of tongs and he is portrayed as a blacksmith with hair and a beard of fire.
Hethering: He is the sculptor. The creator. Although not the most powerful or mighty he is the god whom is given the most respect, for having created the world and all its creatures from clay, metal and stone. He has no control, however, over the life of the beings, until the breath of live is breathed into the sculptures by Bal'el, Celestial of life, they are nothing more than sculptures, or, if touched by Noratus, Celestial of Magyk and mystery, they may become what is known as Automatons, hence the creation of the Calexions, beings of metal and stone created as humanoid molds before Bal'el had been raised to Celestial status. His symbol is that of a hand holding a female figure and he is often portrayed as a simple man in potters garb. He is worshiped by all races, for it is he whom created them.
Magriakk: Celestial of enchantment. He is, second to Noratus the strongest of Magykal beings. He is capable of complete control of all forms of enchantment, from strength to speed, from healing wounds to immortality. He was created soon after Noratus and is the protector of Galagore, the phantom realm of enchantments. He is worshiped by Aezrials, Dryodals and Lupinotes for the Magyk and shape-shifting abilities he grants. His symbol is that of a green star and a staff. His said-to-be physical portrayal is that of an old, robed man sitting on a tree stump.
Mordion: The Celestial of water, the sea, storms, floods and hurricanes. He is known as the Celestial of anger and quick fury. He is known as the Tempus of the Sea and if a person is called a 'Mord' it means that he or she is easy to anger. He controls the oceans and the islands of Phantasmagoria and is the Celestial of all aquatic creatures. He is worshiped by Sea-Dogs and island dwellers, as well as sailors and tradesmen. The more worship Mordion gains the less his anger is and the safer the seas are. His symbol is that of a boat on wave and he is represented as a giant carrying a boat. He is one of the ancient Celestials, having been created by the Magyks hundreds of thousands of years ago.
Noratus: Celestial of Magyk and mystery, Noratus is known to be nothing but a being of infinite knowledge. She is the source of all Magyk.She is known as the most powerful Celestial, being worshiped by beings of both the Netherworld and Phantasmagoria. She is the Celestial of Naryth the phantom world of Magyk and illusion. Her symbol is that of a Tome and she is portrayed as an ethereal being garbed in purple and blue. She is worshiped by all races, mostly the Dryodals, the Aezriels, and the Vespers. She are worshiped less by the Boreals whom believe more in the strength of ones self than that of mystical force. Noratus is also known to be the oldest of celestials, although is actually second to Uutel, having been created from nothing but Magyk.
Operiod: Operiod is the Celestial of dreams and spirit. He is the creater, protector and owner of Zarinne. He was created alongside Magriakk to balance the power that had originally been given to Noratus. He is the being whom controls and protects all phantoms and spirits who travel to Zarinne, instead of Taxxuss where evil phantoms go. He was created to manage the phantoms and make sure that none slip through the fabric dividing the Netherworld and Phantasmagoria. He is worshiped by all races, for he is the judge who will say if you are to be allowed passage into Zarinne, or if you are to be sent to Taxxuss. His symbol is that of an eye. He is portrayed as a tall, lean, man clothed in long robes of every color, constantly shifting and morphing from hues of blue, purple, red, yellow, green, etc.
Ruthor: The Celestial of war and combat. He is also the Celestial of honor and death in battle. If a being chosen by Ruthor dies in battle he is free of the grasp of Dakk and can live his afterlife in the Halls of Glory alongside Ruthor himself. He has existed as long as Noratus and is one of the oldest Celestials. He is worshiped mostly by the Boreals whom are a race of war and they are the main embodiment of the Halls of Glory, making it a goal of theirs to die in battle. His symbol is that of a sword and an axe crossed above a shield pierced through by a spear. He is often depicted as a giant of pure red, spiked, armor trimmed in black. Armed with a longsword, a shield and a claymore.
Sanada: The Celestial of nature, forests, animals and plant-life. She is one of the ancients and was created to create beasts to live along Hetherings Celexion automatons yet without access to the breath of life her abilities were worthless. After the creation of Bal'el, however, her powers were greatly appreciated and she was showered with respect. She is usually worshiped by forest dwellers such as the Lupinotes, the Aezrials and the Dryodals as well as beings of nature such as the Centaurs, Unicorns, Griffins, etc. Her symbol is that of a leaf and a twig above a cup of water, she is represented by as a beautiful woman clad in vines, leaves and other foliage, with hair of the reddest hue and skin of a slight green tinge she is the personification of beauty.
Uutel: The Celestial of the universe, time and everything other-worldly. He owns everything outside the realms of Phantasmagoria, the Netherworld, the realm of Khaos, etc. He is lord of the stars, master of hours, king of the empty. He was created to protect the outside universe from possible disasters and was the first ever Celestial to be created. He is worshiped by all for he is master of time, space and the universe itself. He is considered the king of Celestials. His symbol is that of a black sphere dotted with thousands of tiny and intricate white designs. He is portrayed a man clothed in dark robes covered by stars.
Wastanana: Celestial of the skies. She encompasses freedom, adventure, loss and gain. She was created along with Sanada and Mordion forming the earth, sea and sky. She was created to protect Phantasmagoria from universal dangers and keep the people of the world safe beneath a cover of beautiful blue. She is worshiped by all for the protection and beauty she creates, mainly, however, by the Dryodals, whom although faithful to Sanada, see the beauty of the sky as, in and of itself, one of the greatest Celestial achievements. Her symbol is that of a bird over a compass and she is portrayed as a beautiful woman in elegant robes of blue silk always standing atop a cloud.
Xanos: The god of paths, choices, luck, trickery and mischief. He was created to keep the world from being perfect. To make sure their is a form of entertainment in what the Celestials created. He is worshiped by the Zelians and, surprisingly, a large portion of humans for it is he whom guides men and women to the right, or wrong, choices. His symbol is that of a crossroad and he is represented as a figure sitting upon a stool wearing nothing but black leather and a white, blank, mask.
Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:46 pm