Over-seeing the world of Éras and all its inhabitants are six gods. Although they make their home in the Eternal Realm, they have been known to appear in the Ephemeral Realm from time to time. The gods are genderless, and are able to take on any form—Human, animal, or otherwise—that they so choose.
There are no lesser gods or demi-gods in Éras; there are simply mortals, who will one day perish, and the gods, who live forever. Many mortals worship them, beseech them for fortune or gifts, or blame them for things gone wrong; sometimes the gods intervene in mortal affairs, but far more often they are capricious and go where they will. It is generally agreed that it is better to avoid attracting their attention, for mortals caught up in the games of the gods usually fare poorly in the end.
The Black God is the force of Spirit. Its office is death, and it is responsible for shepherding, guiding, and dealing with the dead spirits of mortals.
Of all its brethren, the Black God is by far the most-frequently encountered. It has its own personal Realm Between, from which it fulfills its duties to mortal spirits. The realm is extremely small, but features innumerable gates that lead to places throughout Éras. Remarkably stable and visible to the living and the dead alike, these gates are white in color and utterly unique in the fact that passing their thresholds instantly and irresistibly renders mortals dead. Within the Black God’s realm, the Black God’s word is law. Spirits cannot affect anyone or anything they encounter there, nor may they remove anything from the realm. The god itself is commonly described as “kindly but inexorable.” Most mortals consider it a just and moderate being, but some characterize it as dispassionate or even pitiless—it always replaces one white life stone with one black life stone upon a mortal’s death, and it cannot be bargained with, bought, or otherwise swayed.
It is cursed in times of great conflict, during wars, plagues, and so on, when scores of mortals are dying; it is blessed when mortals return to life unscathed. People commonly petition the Black God for pleasant dreams, restful spirits, protection from curses, and safe passage after dying. Its preferred offerings seem to include (greater) benediction stones, memories or dreams, and the petitioner’s willing acceptance of a malediction upon his or her next death, among other things.
Other names or nicknames include: the Kindly God, the Inexorable God, the Keeper of Spirits, the Conductor of Spirits, the Psychopomp.
The White God is the force of Body. Its office is life, and it is responsible for giving form and being to mortals.
Not to be confused as solely a God of healing, White is patron to a great many things: bodily strength and the pursuit of physical excellence, the healing arts, the relationships between mortals, love, sex, the overcoming of obstacles, and the ending of conflicts. It is often asked to mend friendships and spark or re-kindle romance. Its most frequent petitioners are protectors, expectant mothers, midwives, soldiers, knights, and the ill; but to a lesser degree, it is also known for its sympathy toward the poor and underprivileged, as well as those who seek that which they believe is out of reach. Of all the gods, the White God is usually the fastest to respond to offerings at shrines; thus its nickname, “the Walker.” Despite popular misconceptions about its “gentle” nature, however, the god is not entirely—or even usually—merciful.
Although it is a generous God, and can be very kind, it seems to believe in the strength of the self, and often grows displeased with those who would waste the gift of life or merely rest upon their laurels. Instead, it is known for encouraging mortals to better themselves—or fail trying. Occasionally, the White God is blamed for releasing a plague into Éras, thereby creating a challenge that affects both the rich and the poor equally. To prove how much, or little, mortals value their lives, they must fight against the odds to survive.
Other names or nicknames include: The Sustainer of Life, the Walker, the Layer of the Lines, the Pale Guardian.
The Silver God is the force of Magic. It is responsible for imbuing mortals with innate magical force.
When the gods collided to create Humans, the part of the Silver God that transferred—other than magic—was emotion. In general, it is the easiest god to provoke, whether positively or negatively; and everyone knows that the Silver God favors those who, like it, experiment with magic, magical application, and magical theory. Since the Silver God is the patron of wide-ranging emotions, it is common for mortals to make pleas for positive emotions. For example, a young couple might petition the god for a long and lasting love.
Over time, the god has earned the nickname “the Snatcher” for its penchant for kidnapping mortals to be its “Companions.” The exact nature and use of these Companions is a subject of great debate, with some people claiming that the Silver God uses them in its experiments and others that it simply longs for company; regardless, the god is typically cursed or petitioned whenever a person goes missing. In terms of offerings, the Silver God favors anything that deals with magic—items, runes, magic components, and so on. Most shrines also have a large, square tile of pure magepith, which will absorb any magic or spells that are cast into it by petitioners.
Other names or nicknames include: The Source of Magic, the Master of Runes, the God of Love and Hate, the Snatcher, the Inventor.
The Gold God is the force of Fate. It is the two-faced god, the trickster, that which controls the forces that lie outside of the ken or control of mortals.
The capricious warden of fate, the Gold God was originally responsible for the collisions that resulted in the creation of the many races that exist in Éras. Although this first bit of mischief was brought to a rather abrupt halt, the Gold God has since undertaken a number of different tricks of varying scope and magnitude.
Those who offer it their petitions are as diverse as its ever-shifting nature: gamblers, risk-takers, and pranksters, of course; but also Travelers, those dreaming of fame or fortune; and, finally, bards and performers. Throughout the ages, and even as far back as the Dark Days, the Gold God has been a well-known patron of the arts. Only four Humans—Natalia, Dominic, Laryn, and only recently, Sage —have thus far managed to earn its title of favor, “Goldentongued,” but every young poet or minstrel dreams that perhaps he might be the next. Along these lines, the God seems to favor offerings of creative endeavors or accomplishments, including song, dance, and art, as well as anything that might be considered a gamble whose value is beyond what the petitioner can rightfully afford to spare.
Other names or nicknames include: the God of Fate, Chance, Lord of the Neverending Song, the Trickster, the Shifting God, the Neversleeping.
The Brown God is the source of the Elements. It oversees the weather, flora, fauna, non-sentient mortals, and the five elements of fire, water, metal, wood, and earth.
With the Purple God’s help, the Brown God created the Ephemeral Realm. Using the five elements of fire, water, metal, wood, and earth, it fashioned the fabric of the realm as well as the weather and tides, the days and seasons. Because the Brown God is so strongly connected to the Ephemeral Realm, many mortals believe that it is encountered relatively often, even if the mortals involved do not recognize the god. The Brown God is unique in that it, and it alone, parcels out the ability to use thaumaturgy to mortals; the magic is not innate, and cannot be learned except with the god’s “permission.”
On the whole, people tend to view the Brown God as cold, uncaring, and callous; it clearly delights in setting difficult and usually fatal challenges, but then ignores anyone or anything that fails, even once. It is blamed for all natural disasters, famines, and most illnesses; it is praised during times of good weather and abundant harvest. Petitioners of the Brown God often plead for fair weather, successful hunts, safe travels, or protection in the wild; and seemingly favored offerings include trophies from a hunt, the offer to undertake or complete a quest or challenge, or a story highlighting the petitioner’s triumph over misfortune or competitors.
Other names or nicknames include: the Source of the Elements, Nature, the Plague Master, the Keeper of the Wardens, the Ephemeral God.
The Purple God is the force of Balance. It metes out justice among mortals and gods alike, and ensures that balance is retained in all things.
The Purple God serves as a force of limitation and balance within the world of Éras. In Braelin, for instance, it maintains order by bestowing its favor on those individuals it feels are best suited to rule; and it is generally supposed the Purple God also had a hand in the initial formation of the other countries in the Ephemeral Realm. Of all the gods, the Purple God is by far the least frequently encountered. The most immediate relationship between the god and mortals is that which is held between it and its god-chosen. In general, people are split in their opinion of the Purple God; some are suspicious of its meddling, while others revere it, beseeching it to bring stability and equity to their lives.
Mortals tend to make pleas to it for the completion of vengeance, justice for themselves or their loved ones, a change of fortune, or a new path in life. The god does not seem to favor any one type of offering; instead, it appears to prefer that petitioners give up something of equal or greater value than whatever they would receive. There are accounts of the God answering the pleas of poor peasants who gave up all of their money at the shrine, while ignoring those of wealthy nobles who left a bag of gold.
Other names or nicknames include: Balance, Justice, the God of Monarchs, the Monarch of Gods.