Gods and Faiths of Ariath

Faiths and Gods of Ariath

The gods of Ariath maintain the world and support its life and people. While some of their purviews (such as Sorrow or Death) seem to have ominous connotations to outsiders, none of the gods are malevolent. They are allies, who work together to make Ariath a place in which life can continue to exist. Even gods who might seem opposed by nature (for instance, Life and Death) are at peace with one another, respect each other's work, and expect their followers to do the same.

It's common for Folk to revere more than one of the gods, even those in seeming opposition to one another. Many Folk even revere all six, and some are strong enough in their faith to gain powers from more than one. There are no restrictions on which god or gods any one person may revere, or be Faithful to.

On Symbols and Colors:

There is no unified rule of heraldry in Ariath, and these colors and symbols are not exclusive to the gods or their followers. For example, the phoenix heraldry of Kolobros is similar to Corona's colors, and no offense is meant or taken. However, it's rare to see someone prominently wearing both the colors and symbols of a deity who isn't either a Faithful, or at least showing open respect for them.

Faithful of more than one of the gods may wear a combination of the colors and symbols of both of their patrons. It's also common for people in service to a group or nation to wear a tunic or tabard of their group's heraldry, and a token to indicate faith in one or more of the gods, or vice versa.

On the Gender of Gods:

Ariath's gods are not mortal, and are not bound by mortal concerns, gender among them. However, Folk can more easily understand the gods if they can relate to them, so they frequently refer to them using pronouns of their own choice. The gods do not take offense at this, and when on rare occasion they appear to mortals, they are thought to appear as Folk and take on gender as though mortal.

The information here refers to each deity by the gender they are most commonly referred to.

Corona

God of the Sun

Purviews: The Sun, day, truth, courage

Symbol: Solar motifs

Colors: Yellow / Gold and Orange / Red

Elegy

God of Death

Purviews: Death, time, change, remembrance

Symbols: A book or scroll (symbolizing a list of the names of the dead.)

Colors: White with black trim or accents

(Note: Skulls, other morbid iconography, and all black imagery are taken as symbols of undeath or heresies, and are not well received by mainstream Faithful of Death.)

Gala

Goddess of Joy

Purviews: Joy, kindness, companionship

Symbols: Stylized hearts

Colors: Bright blue or green

Lacrimosa

God of Sorrow

Purviews: Sorrow, justice, regret

Symbol: A teardrop

Colors: Violet and grey

Umbra

Goddess of the Moon

Purviews: The moon, night, dreams, secrets

Symbols: Lunar motifs

Colors: Deep blue, black, and silver

Vivia

Goddess of Life

Purviews: Life, health, nature

Symbols: A leaf, or a stylized beast's eye

Colors: Red and brown