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 |
- The listed critical type is the main type for most Cleric and Paladin abilities, but may vary for certain specific spells.
- 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 and Lesser Spirits - edit | |
|---|---|
| Liabo: | |
| Lornon: | |
| Neutral: | |