In the United Kingdom of Caltharia the predominating race of men follows religious beliefs based on a dozen of Gods. These Gods can be divided into four main groups: Gods of Wind, of Earth, of Water and of Fire. Each of these Gods has got a certain function or purpose assigned to Himself/Herself and depending on the personal state and position in society of the worshiper different Gods are preferred.

Interestingly, human and elven belief are closely linked as far as the deities that are worshiped are concerned, however the origin and interpretation of these Gods and Goddesses is quite different. According to the elves the twelve Gods are called the Aviaría (or "High Spirits/Winds") as in the elven myth of the Cárpa'dosía they all sprang from the Dream of the High Goddess, Avá the Beautiful. Her counterpart is the Dark High God, Coór the Shadow, Avá's reflection of Herself in reality.

Avá and Coór both are not worshiped by the humans of Caltharia, who stick with the so-called Twelvern Gods only (the equivalent to the elven Aviaría, also identical in their names). These twelve, who - according to human mythology - are glorified men and women, having earned their place in the pantheon due to their deeds in Caltharia from where they now guide the destiny of the world.


THE ELVEN HIGH GODS

AVÁ THE BEAUTIFUL
Avá is interpreted as the High Goddess, who - according to the myths of the Cárpa'dosía - created the world of Aér'aí'chán as She began to dream the Dream of Dreams, the Dream of Herself, the Dream which will continue till infinity or till the Dreameress awakes from her slumber. The Axhái, the elder elves, very often call Her the One, the Only, the Eternal, the Great Mother, She Who Dreameth Forth All Things, finally Avá, the Compassionate, Avá, the Just and - most important for elven cosmology - Avá, the Beautiful. As the High Goddess and the Dreamer of the World indeed is only worshiped by the elven race, the elves also call Her the Forgotten One, the Lost One, the Unappreciated One and - eventually - Avá, the Unreal, in order to reflect the hybris of the other earthlings which made them reject the First and Only One.

COÓR THE SHADOW HIMSELF
Coór represents the elven God of Chaos, of Darkness, Night and Nothing, the Shadow Himself. He is considered male, destructive and unforgiving by nature as He constitutes the counterpart to the High Goddess Avá, the One, the Eternal, the Compassionate, She Who Dreameth Forth All Things, Avá the Beautiful. Coór is the embodiment of hatred, rage and wrath, Master of the so-called "Coór'enín", the High Spirits who had been neglected by Avá as she instructed the High Spirits to organize chaos. These Spirits are also called "the Dark Gods".


THE TWELVERN GODS
(THE AVIARÍA)

ARMEROS, GOD OF WAR
Armeros is the War God, responsible for all aspects of struggle, conflict, or judgement. Wherever there is dispute in the mortal realm, Armeros must choose a side and throw his divine justice down to resolve it. His primary duty is to maintain the cosmological balance. Elves and men differ in their concept and thus portrayal of Armeros, but one common aspect is the Just One’s form and coloration. Shown with solemn black eyes and a deep brown skin stretched taut over stern cheekbones, the Swordlord almost invariably stands, sometimes supporting his mailed hands on his chest-high sword, the Truth-Splitter, sometimes with arms folded and hands resting on opposing shoulders, fists clenched.

ARVINS, GOD OF THE HUNT
Being one of the most important elven Gods Arvins is the God representing Harmony and the Balance in Life. He is also often called the Silent God or the Listener. In fact Arvins stands between the two other Gods of Earth as a sort of mediator between the powers of creation and the necessity of the transitory, executed by the Goddess of the Scythe. It is written in the Cárpa'dosía that Arvins was eager to teach the Children of Avá when they accumulated under the Life Tree. He wanted to show them how to heed the beauty of nature and how to destroy other life in order to survive and to prosper, but without viewing the killing of others as a purpose of its own. He wanted to tell them about nature and through nature about Avá's forgiving, goodness and kindness which shines through all things living. Thus Arvins was one of the first of the Gods who changed his windy shape and descended to the earth where he appeared to the Children either as one of their own kind or as one of the creatures of the woods.

BAVERAS, GODDESS OF THE SEA
Baveras is the Caltharian Goddess of the Sea and the Water. She is one of the Twelve Gods or High Spirits (Aeolía) who sprang from the Dream of Avá the Beautiful according to the elven myth as related in the Cárpadosía. Though Jeyriall, the Goddess of Harvest, and Seyella, the Goddess of Time and Destiny, are related to the Element of Water as well, Baveras is the one who reflects Water most, the Water representing the uncertainty in the flow of time, the Water as a blessing, the Water as a threat. None of the other two Goddesses is as close to the Element of Water concerning nature, appearance and whole essence.

ETHERUS, GOD OF EXCESS
God of Excess, Desire, Lust and Love, often also refered to as the God with the many faces or - following the interpretation of the Order of the Lones - the vicious Spirit of Seduction or simple: the Treacherous. From the beginning of time Etherus was the most unpredictable of the Gods. When the High Goddess, Avá the Beautiful, ordered the spirits to shape Her Dream in the mirror of her mind, which for the mortals is known as reality, Etherus corrupted the designs of the other Gods. But it is also told that Avá loved Etherus most from all Her Spirits as He was naive and spontaneous in all He did, even if it destroyed the works of the other Gods.

EYASHA, GODDESS OF PEACE
Goddess of the Peace and Unity, of Harmony, Tranquility and Contentment. Furthermore She is known as the Goddess of Friendship, Hearth and Hospitality, representing the patron saint for all innkeepers throughout Caltharian lands. In older texts She is also often referred to as the "Uniter" or - maybe surprisingly here - even as the "Sleeper", who makes differences forgotten by reminding the beings of their transitory nature by letting them take part in an universal view on things. Nevertheless, Eyasha should not be taken for the elven High Goddess, Avá the Beautiful, the "Dreamer", the source of all things existing as the elves believe.

FOIROS, GOD OF FIRE
God of the Sun, often also called the Burning God. Creator of the Injèrá, the sun, a representation of Avá the Beautiful to the world, of Her completeness and of Her uncompared vividness which shows in Her constantly changing Thoughts of Her everlasting Dream. Foiros was one of the first Gods who followed the wish of Avá and helped Her putting the world of Caltharia to order. Alas, not everything Foiros did to please the High Goddess turned out well. He endowed the races and the animals with the burning longing for the opposite sex, he brought fires to the lands and created a gigantic self-consuming ball of flames in the midst of the darkness to light the paths for the people inhabiting Caltharia. And it shone on all things living, thus making them grow and prosper.

GROTHAR, GOD OF WEATHER
Grothar brings rain, snow, clouds, and other meteorological phenomena. His primary responsibilities are to control and guide the Auratic Winds, and to create and sustain the weather patterns on the face of Caltharia. Grothar is also called Grothar Weathergod, The Grey King, Rainlord, Cloudmaster, and King of the Skies.

JEYRIALL, GODDESS OF THE HARVEST
Jeyriall is the Caltharian goddess responsible for sentient, animal, and plant fruitfulness and increase. She rules over all areas of reproduction (although not coupling itself) and was the goddess who breathed life into the created earth and its occupants. Jeyriall is also known as the Lady of the Cup, the Fruitful One, Goddess of Increase, Jeyriall of the Harvest, and the Wombmistress.

NEHTOR, GOD OF HEALING
Nehtor is the Caltharian God of the Healing, Renewal and Rebirth. He is one of the Twelve Gods or High Spirits who sprang from the Dream of Avá the Beautiful according to the elven myth as related in the Cárpa'dosía. Together with Grothar (Goddess of Weather) and Eyasha (Goddess of Peace), Nehtor is one of the three Gods dedicated to the Element of Wind. The second month of the Caltharian Calendar, the Month of the Molten Ice is dedicated to Nehtor.

While having helped Eyasha and Urtengor in the melding of Caltharia, by dancing and singing in sheer delight at the creation around him, he was the most affected by the destruction by Queprur (his antagonist) and Etherus as part of what he had helped to create. He disassociated himself from the other Gods and as such ancient texts also refer to him as the God of Concern, Mourning and Sorrow, as he grieves for what has been destroyed and the pain that is inflicted upon the world that he cares so deeply for. Elves often identify very closely to Nehtor, as they too are linked to the land and its health, and experience the greatest joys and the greatest sorrow.

QUEPRUR, GODDESS OF DEATH
Goddess of Death, also called the Goddess of Coldness or the Goddess of the Scythe and traditionally often interpreted as the Goddess of the element of Earth, of Silence, the Unmoving and the Transitory. In ancient texts She may also be refered to as Queprpur (an old Tharian form). Queprur is known as the antagonistical Goddess to Jeyriall, Goddess of Harvest, Nehtor, God of Healing, and of Baveras, Goddess of the Sea.

SEYELLA, GODDESS OF DESTINY
Unlike the High Goddess who dreams of Herself and therefore brings the world into being, the Goddess of Destiny is part of this world. She knows everything which happens and will happen and happened in the past, and therefore is often also referred to as the Goddess of Time, Being and Becoming. As the Goddess of Destiny Seyella is one of the most feared Gods of all the Twelve, but also the one who is prayed to and called upon in seemingly hopeless situations. At least this is the way commoners prefer it, however, elven myth sees Seyella as a very tragic and desperate figure among the Gods who reign the world of Caltharia.

URTENGOR, GOD OF THE FORGE
Urtengor is the God of the Forge, also called Hammer-Lord, God of Lightning, Star-Shaper, and TolGerKorim in the dwarven tongue (TolGerKorim, "King of the Deep Earth") or - most often - Trum-Baroll (Trum-Baroll, "Rock-Father"). Urtengor is best-known for bringing metalworking to Caelereth. He is also believed to have placed the Stargems in the sky, forged the moon and invented cooking.