Arkati

The Arkati are the Gods of Elanthia.

The Pantheon of Liabo is considered "good" or "light" and consists almost exclusively of Arkati that work towards the betterment of the mortal races. Those Arkati considered "of Liabo" viewed the mortals as a trust given to them, and appointed themselves the caretakers of Elanthia.

The Pantheon of Lornon is considered "evil" or "dark" and consists almost exclusively of Arkati that work towards the betterment of themselves. Those Arkati considered "of Lornon" viewed the mortals as playthings, food, or worse, and considered Elanthia a stage for their own desires.

There are a few Arkati who do not fit into either Liabo or Lornon. They instead remain a relative neutral, working towards their own designs with varying regard for the lesser races.

There are a number of beings that, while they are not Arkati or are not Arkati of the main pantheons, are worshipped all the same. Their motivations and stories vary wildly, as do their allegiances to good or evil.

Arkati and Lesser Spirits

Deity	Classification	Domain(s)	Symbol(s)	Smite/ Bane	Critical Type
Koar, King of the Gods	Pantheon of Liabo	justice, loyalty, law, mana, rulership	a golden crown (usually on a field of white)	Smite	Electrical1
Lumnis, Queen of Enlightenment	Pantheon of Liabo	wisdom, knowledge, magic	a golden scroll overlaying five conjoined circles	Smite	Acid
Ronan, Lord of Dreams	Pantheon of Liabo	night, dreams	a black sword with a silver edge on a field of black	Smite	Fire
Lorminstra, the Gatekeeper	Pantheon of Liabo	death and rebirth, deliverance, winter	a golden key (usually on a field of black)	Smite	Plasma
Imaera, Lady of the Green	Pantheon of Liabo	healing, autumn, nature, plants, animals, harvest	a golden sheaf of grain on a field of green (farmers) a brown doe on a field of green (Sylvans)	Smite	Puncture
Phoen, the Sun God	Pantheon of Liabo	sun, summer, fatherhood	a golden sunburst on a field of blue	Smite	Fire
Kai, Master of Battle	Pantheon of Liabo	strength, athletic prowess, skill at arms	a silver arm with fist clenched on a field of crimson	Smite	Crush
Oleani, Mistress of Adoration	Pantheon of Liabo	love, spring, fertility, halflings	a red heart with a budding flower growing from it	Smite	Fire
Jastev, the Soothsayer	Pantheon of Liabo	visual art, prophecy, poetry	a black artist’s brush on a field of grey a silver crystal ball on a field of grey	Smite	Steam
Eonak, Master of the Forge	Pantheon of Liabo	labor, craftsmanship, triumph over adversity	a golden anvil on a field of brown	Smite	Disruption
Tonis, the Fleetfooted, King of Thieves	Pantheon of Liabo	speed, travel, thieves	a golden pegasus on a field of blue	Smite	Air
Cholen, the Jester	Pantheon of Liabo	humor, festivals, performing arts	a crimson lute on a field of gold	Smite	Puncture
Charl, Lord of the Seas	Pantheon of Liabo	sea, storms	an emerald trident on a field of blue	Bane	Electrical1
Zelia, Keeper of the Moons	Pantheon of Neutrality	moons, insanity	a silver crescent moon on a field of black	Smite	Random
Gosaena, Mistress of Eternity	Pantheon of Neutrality	death	a silver or grey sickle on a field of green	Bane	Cold
Fash'lo'nae, the Grandfather	Pantheon of Lornon	magic, libraries, forbidden knowledge	a yellow, slit-pupiled eye on a field of grey	Smite	Slash
Eorgina, Queen of the Dark	Pantheon of Lornon	domination, darkness, tyranny	red, stylized flames on a field of grey	Bane	Fire
Sheru, Bringer of Terror	Pantheon of Lornon	night, nightmares, insanity, terror	a black jackal's head on a field of gold (and sometimes crimson)	Bane	Crush
Luukos, Eater of Souls	Pantheon of Lornon	lies, undeath, death	a green serpent on a field of brown	Bane	Puncture
V'tull, the Berserker	Pantheon of Lornon	bloodlust, combat	a black scimitar on a field of red	Bane	Slash
Mularos, the Suffering	Pantheon of Lornon	suffering, torture	a dagger-pierced heart on a field of white	Bane	Slash
Ivas, the Seductress	Pantheon of Lornon	desire, lust, passion	a stylized, green wisp of smoke on a field of red	Bane	Grapple1
Marlu, the Destroyer	Pantheon of Lornon	demonic summoning, destruction, power	a star of six black tentacles on a field of grey	Bane	Acid
Andelas, the Cat	Pantheon of Lornon	felines, hunting	a black cat's head on a field of red	Bane	Slash
Niima, the Wavedancer	Lesser Spirit	water, sailors, sea life	a dolphin on a field of blue	Smite	Impact
Aeia, the Mother	Lesser Spirit	earth, gardens, River's Rest	a white lily on a field of green	Smite	Acid1
Leya, Master of Martial Arts	Lesser Spirit	amazons, martial arts	an ivory-hilted dagger on a field of blue	Smite	Puncture
Tilamaire, the Lithe	Lesser Spirit	music, dance	a yellow note on a field of blue	Smite	Disruption
Laethe, the Lovelorn	Lesser Spirit	lost love, young love	a black rose on a field of purple	Smite	Fire
Voaris, the Charming	Lesser Spirit	forbidden love, young love	a yellow rose on a field of red	Smite	Fire
Kuon, the Green	Lesser Spirit	herbs, flowers	a gold leaf on a field of brown	Smite	Crush
Jaston, the Windrunner	Lesser Spirit	air, birds, the four winds	a white feather on a field of green and white	Smite	Vacuum
Voln, the Paladin	Lesser Spirit	destruction of undead	a white shield on a field of black	Smite	Fire
Arachne, the Betrayer	Lesser Spirit	spiders, betrayal	a black widow on a field of red	Bane	Unbalance1
The Huntress	Lesser Spirit	vengeance, hunting	an eight-pointed silver star on a field of black	Bane	Slash
Amasalen, the Executioner	Lesser Spirit	sacrifice	a two-headed purple serpent wrapped around a crimson hand	Bane	Slash
Onar, the Assassin	Lesser Spirit	homicide, assassination	a broken white skull on a field of black	Bane	Puncture
Ghezresh	Lesser Spirit	deceit, intimidation, manipulation	a chelioboros (an eel devouring itself)	Bane	Disintegration
Meyno, the Matriarch	Lesser Spirit	stone giant (good)	none	n/a2	n/a2
Khaarne, the First Son	Lesser Spirit	stone giant (neutral)	none	n/a2	n/a2
Illoke, the Upstart	Lesser Spirit	stone giant (evil)	none	n/a2	n/a2

1. The listed critical type is the main type for most Cleric and Paladin abilities, but may vary for certain specific spells.
2. The gods of the stone giants are included here for completeness only. Player characters cannot worship Meyno, Khaarne, or Illoke through the deity system.

Mechanics

Player characters can choose a patron deity using the CONVERT command.

For most adventurers, this is a one-time choice. While it is possible to convert to a different god later through Intercession, the process is difficult and potentially very expensive.

Clerics and Paladins, as primary users of spiritual magic, receive additional benefits from conversion, and the choice affects the type of critical damage dealt by their spells.

Lore and Beliefs

Origins

The nature of the Arkati is not truly known, but there are many myths passed down through the ages. The most common belief held by the Masters of Lore is that the Arkati were once servants of the Great Drakes and numbered at most fifty. They took humanoid forms, intervening to protect the mortal peoples such as elves, humans, dwarves, and halflings from the whims of dragonkind. The war against the Ur-Daemons ended the rule of the Drakes, and those Arkati who survived the war, about half the original number, were left to rebuild and watch over Elanthia.

Legends tell of other Arkati who are thought to be dead: Maigra, Tarandel, and L'Naere who was once patron of the aelotoi.

Worship

Ancient elves in the age of dragonkind worshipped the Arkati as gods and protectors. Some time after the Ur-Daemon War, many elves came to follow the teachings of the shaman Yadzari, who argued that the Arkati were not truly gods, but powerful yet still mortal beings who bore responsibility for opening the veil to the Ur-Daemons. The corpse of a dead Arkati was purportedly discovered by Amas, who disposed of it before the evidence could be widely seen. Elves of the modern era mainly view Arkati as patrons and exemplars and build temples to honor them, but few worship the gods as they once did, save for the sylvankind.

In the human-dominated Turamzzyrian Empire, worship centers around the Church of Koar, and the elven view of the Arkati is considered a dangerous heresy.

Halflings traditionally worship Oleani, while dwarves revere Eonak. Across the rest of the Elanthian races and cultures, worship is quite varied. The Giantman clans have many traditions involving worship of the elements or celestial objects rather than the gods, but notable exceptions can be found among the Vaikalimara. Many gnomes, both of the burghal and forest bloodlines, believe that Fash'lo'nae and Imaera had some hand in their creation, but they often choose other gods to follow. Erithians hold a similar attitude as the elves, considering the Arkati to be worthy patrons and teachers but not necessarily supernatural.

The half-krolvin have their own names for the gods, which are generally believed to be different aspects of the more familiar Arkati.

Spiritual Magic

Spiritual magic, or spiritualism, is the power that gods grant to their followers. It is one of the three acknowledged spheres of magic, along with elementalism and mentalism. Of the adventurer professions, Clerics, Paladins, and Rangers employ spiritual magic, while Empaths and Sorcerers draw upon it partially. Several other professions have access to a Minor Spiritual circle of spells.

In archaic lore, the spiritual spellcaster "channels" the power of their god. For lesser feats this may be done without a god's direct attention, but nevertheless the magic comes solely from the divine source and the spiritualist would not have any power without it. Moreover, such magic is only effective within a sphere of emanation corresponding to the god's influence. The influence of the major pantheons extends over the entire world, while a weaker divine spirit would only be able to affect a small region.

These limits are not explicitly stated in current lore, but neither has it been contradicted. Some scholars, particularly among the Faendryl elves, have argued that spiritual magic can be worked without the gods at all, though this is not widely believed and others consider this to be either trickery or evidence of more insidious influences.

Resources

Documentation

• The Gods of Elanthia (1995)
• The Official History of Elanthia (1995)
• History of Luukos (1995)
• History of Leya (1997)
• Elven Dogma and Theology (2001)
• History of Eorgina (2002)
• History of Lumnis (2002)
• Gemstones and the Arkati (2002?)
• The Legend of L'Naere (2003)
• Half-Krolvin Society and Faith (2009)
• Worship in the Turamzzyrian Empire (2010)
• History of Fash'lo'nae (2010)
• Madness and Entropy: A Tale of Zelia (2010)
• Vaikalimara Clan Society (2010)
• The Story of Niima and Charl (2014?)
• Origin of Mularos (2015)
• Origins of Ronan and Sheru (2015)
• Origins of Cholen and Tilamaire (2017)
• Origins of Tonis (2017)
• Origins of Ghezresh (2018)
• Origins of Amasalen (2020)

Other

• Deity messaging - Deity-specific messaging for applicable spells
• Arkati illustrated by Tisket

Scripted Items

• Arkati box
• Brother Weatherby Symbol