Muunfel Lore Bits #1

Angels, as have been touched on before, are the umbrella category for any beings created by a god or gods for a particular task. It’s a broad term, but then being celestial is a broad implication. Some angels might even conflict with others, depending on the purposes they are designed for. Angels of death, for example, run counter to angels of protection.

Flying Sea Serpents are actually angels. Created by Cora, the goddess of water, and Sil, the goddess of air, their divine purpose is simple. They guard the sea and sky wherever they are placed. Their original purpose was to guard the shores of Muunfel, but many have been slain and their numbers are reduced.

Some gods are less likely than others to create angels. Others simply aren’t sure what to do with them. Wiavex, the god of souls, for example, has created one angel, unique in its shape, which has a very clouded purpose. It is simply a Soulgazer Beast, consigned to see the souls of mortals with no task to complete with the information it finds.

Religions of Muunfel

Muunfel is home to many different groups with their own traditions and overlapping beliefs about how the gods should be revered (or not). Since they are far more likely to actually meet the subject of their worship, some folks can adopt an overly familiar tone when talking about them. This might be the main cause of denominations within one group, as others fully believe that the gods should not be spoken of in the same way a friend or family member might be.

Many may choose one god or only a couple to focus their devotions upon. This could range from daily prayer and ritual to draw the god’s attention and favor to simply having a token or shrine of them nearby that one passively acknowledges from time to time. This is not organized religion, and is much more personal to each individual’s comfort levels. Many gods have temples at which their most devoted keep their preferred traditions in practice.

The bigger religions focus on a certain grouping of gods, and so far are mostly centered around only the First gods (ones that existed fully as gods without having to ascend).

The Church of the Life Gods: Worshippers of Leleurya, Diakon, and their children Wiavex, Biim, and Trace. There is emphasis on the cyclic nature of life and all things, as well as a strong desire for being true to oneself in body, mind, and soul. This is the most common organized religion found in Muunfel, and many people follow it as well as a handful of ascended gods.

The four nature gods have a religion surrounding their stewardship of the world. Its most devoted followers will make a pilgrimage to each of the four temples made in these gods’ honor. However, the temple to the god of earth has been fragmented, and so the journey instead takes followers through the mountains to reflect on the power of earth against all mortal creations.

Vayla, the goddess of time, has a small but meticulous following that keeps records of her words and teachings. They work to aid in the gathering of prophecy, and many of Vayla’s followers also worship other gods as well.

Finally, there is a religion loosely called the Order of the Fall, whose main goal is for the ascended gods to return to their mortality and exit the pantheon. A group of its members was successful in preventing at least one ascension in recent history.

Colloquialisms in Muunfel

Heavenly Forge – The sun. It is long believed that the goddess of the sun uses it as a forge when she creates some of the toughest metalworks known to mortals. Sunforged Steel takes its name from this colloquial term.

Leleurya’s Sweet Sleeping Earth – The planet. This refers to the fact that everything in creation was made by Leleurya singing a lullaby to put energy to sleep.

Sing that to the Gods – “Take it to the bank”. Basically, you can count on it.

The Vexing Door – The gate to the afterlife. Named for Wiavex, the goddess of souls.

Gods’ Ire – A milder, psuedo-polite version of godsdamn.

Fairy Playground – A creepy place. It earns its name from the way non-fae can become so lost within the vast forests of the Faekind. Fairy magic makes mapping such regions impossible. A place that gives a sense of lost direction often earns this descriptor.

Vayla Forget – “Heaven forbid”. An oath most commonly used in the east. It laments an event and expresses wishful thinking, that is wishing Valya (goddess of time and memory) would forget an event so that it never happened.

Pantheon Spotlight: The First Siblings

Leleurya (goddess of creation) and Diakon (god of destruction) were the first of the first gods. They were also the first beings to ever have children together, and their three godlings became key members of the pantheon of First Gods (as opposed to gods who ascended later on in history).

Wiavex is the goddess of souls and impulse. Her motivations are impossible to discern and she is as changing as the tide. People who meet her corporeal form are often baffled and sometimes a little afraid. Her personality is intense and worn on her sleeve, and she can be the most capricious of her siblings. She is the only being who can understand the entirety of a soul, and can change it at her whim. Her name is the source of the phrase “The Vexing Door”, which refers to the gates of the “beyond”, where a soul goes when someone dies.

Trace is the god of mind and patience. His name and identity were destroyed by Diakon, and all record of it vanished “without a trace”. He is the twin of Biim. His main motivation is to ensure balance, and he tends to achieve this by any means necessary. He experiences very few feelings, particularly since his identity was destroyed, but he is as sharp as ever.

Biim is the god of body. All physical aspects of a being fall under his domain. He provides healing and strength. He is playful and lax, helping those who ask with a (sometimes mischievous) smile. In his corporeal form, he wears a black mask over the right side of his face. If the mask is removed, all healing ceases.

He is the father of notable demigod-to-ascended-god Elias Dawn.