Arcaeism

(WIP Page, do not edit) Arcaeism is religion originating from mid-west Eldham. It is a highly polytheistic and centres around the worship, stories and splendour if its Gods. Arcaeism is also a philosophical faith, with members encouraged to contribute to the tales and discuss their opinions on how the universe and Gods were created.

Figures of Worship
There are more than 35 Gods and immortals in Arcaeist Myths. There are a number of ranks and levels these Gods can fit into, often based on their importance, time of birth, and role. Gods can take a number of forms at their own will. Some can appear humanoid and take on fairly normal looks. Sometimes, however, they can become the very thing they embody. This can range from become one with the ocean to becoming the Earth itself.

Primordial Beings
Primordial Beings originate from before the existence of life, and will continue to exist well after. It is disputed between scholars whether or not these Beings are living or not, as they do not interact with the universe around them quite like others do.

Temporium
Temporium is time itself. Temporium is the least discussed being in Arcaeism, for they have no personal relationships or impacts on the world. They are often depicted as a being of pure starlight, owning a beautiful golden-coloured amulet. Within the amulet is a cosmic eye that watches all and counts the seconds as time moves. Temporium will continue to do this, as it always has, for eternity. Temporium also apparently contributes to the fate of the Universe. They apparently work in direct tandem with Xerante to keep fate running and in check. This is all speculation however, and there is no evidence to suggest that this is true.

Andro & Xus
Andro is known as 'The Spark of Death', whereas Xus is 'The Flame of Life'. It is difficult to describe what exactly this means. It is believed by Jyra Decius, the current High Bishop of Arcaelm, that these two beings are polar opposites. Andro represents the sudden sensation of dying, whereas Xus is the slow burn of life. All that is for sure is that one cannot exist without the other. For what is death without a life to end? These two beings floated aimlessly throughout the void before, inevitably, hitting one another. This collision brought the first Gods into existence - The Archons.

The Stars
Sisters since time began, the Stars number in trillions. The light they emit is so bright that no being can possibly witness what form they truly take. Some of these sisters take the form of constellations. What these constellations mean is debatable. The Stars, while primordial beings, can die - eventually they will die out and their light will fade. No one knows what will happen if all the Stars die out, but the fate dictated in the Fata Codex implies that it will be the end of times for all mortals.

Archons
The Archons are unquestionably the most powerful Gods. The primordial beings hold far greater influence, but the Archons were the first Gods to gain consciousness.

Androxus, Archon of Logos
Of all the Gods to exist, Androxus is the most intellectually complex, as well as the most elusive. Androxus is responsible for the creation of Rathnir, Eldham, the stars, the sun, etc. Androxus is often referred to as the ‘Archon of Logos’, as their judgements, reactions and viewpoints are all based in raw fact and logic. Any decision made under Androxus’ influence will be an honest, factual, and sound one. Androxus is not often spotted, as they tend to lurk in the deepest depths of Nova (AKA The End). Androxus does not enjoy the company of the other Gods, nor does he particularly like anything living – However, the one creature they truly find a distaste for is the human being, due to its destructive nature towards natural resources and the land. Despite this, they still accept offerings and gifts blessings to humanity. Though, bear in mind, they will only accept things that are truly logical and useful. Androxus is also credited with the creation of mathematics, science, and research. It is argued that Androxus was the first Archon and the most influential. This is backed up by his name being a combination of Andro and Xus.

Yenersus, Archon of Pathos
Yenersus is a wild God, distancing herself from most of the other divine entities of the Earth. She is responsible for creating a massive of the Earth’s beasts and animals. She enjoys the simpler of desires, preferring animalistic traits to civilized ones. Rather than interact with her siblings and family, she prefers to look after her creations. It is said that, in the beginning, she created only 10 different animal species. That number has increased over time to be in the thousands. Yenersus enjoys hunting: armed with her divine bow 'Hesenfall' (Later renamed simply 'Pathos') she takes down those who deserve deathly punishment. For this reason, she has become a fond partner of Mortire and the other Gehium Gods. Yenersus gave way to and is credited with inventing hunting, womanhood, weaponry, armour, punishment and a great number of other things our society values to this very day.

Ilvetorus, Archon of Ethos
Ilvetorus is an infamous God whom mortals either praise or despise. Ilvetorus brought humans into existence, and therefore gave our very first ancestors life. He embodies everything human, and because of this he represents the best and worst of our kind. At times he can be charismatic, seductive, kind, caring, passionate and loving. But on other occasions he can be cruel, ignorant, foolish, womanizing and greedy. Ilvetorus gave way to the Auctoritas Age of the Gods when he attempted to overthrow the order of The Gods and took over the Earth. He was quickly defeated and returned to his position as Archon.

Hesenka, Ex-Archon of Kairos & Monster Incarnate
Hesenka was an Archon created by Ilvetorus during the early days of Earth. Hesenka was once a soft-spoken and cautious individual with little control over his powers. These powers were the ability to create horrid monsters; Creepers, skeletons, zombies, endermen, etc. He was chased out of the Overworld for his creations' behaviour and sent to a realm known as Gehium or the 'Deep Bedrock'. With Androxus' help, he crafted a realm which he dubbed 'The Nether'. Within this realm he would chain the souls of sinners and prevent respawning. From this realm, he would continue to create monsters in the different realms of the universe. However, he was limited to only creating them when it was dark. Why monsters have stopped spawning in Eldham is a mystery even Arcaeist leaders are yet to unravel.

Incarnates
The Incarnates were a group of immortals who were not quite Gods, but not mortal, either. Many of them were brought to life alongside the Archons, but others were born much later. Keep in mind that some Gods can be Incarnates as well. These Gods will be listed here as well.

The Wither, Decay Incarnate
The Wither, or simply Wither, is feared by mortals and Gods alike. While its role and power is mere when compared to the God of Death herself, The Wither is a physical manifestation of all decay; Nothing was safe from its touch, not even the Gods themselves. Yenersus killed the beast out of primal fear, but unlike other beings, Wither is unavoidable. Inevitably, it will be summoned once more, and it will cause death and decay until it is killed once again. Even when it is not physically present, the grip Wither has on the Earth can be seen. It manifests itself in the decay of structures, the growing old of humans, even in sickness. Everything, eventually, will fall to Wither - so it has always been and always shall.

Vulgae the Warped Tree
Vulgae is a being that blurs the line between sentient and object. For Vulgae owns no tongue to speak with, as well as no limb to reach with. And yet, Vulgae still manages to do both. Vulgae is largely responsible for plant life alongside Androxus. Androxus originally intended for flora to be non-living and simply for decoration – though he created Vulgae as an experiment to see what a living tree may look like. However, Vulgae had other plans, and extended her reach to the plants around her, inflicting them with the curse of life. She continued this until all plants on Earth could feel, hurt and die. Androxus punished her by cursing her, twisting both her mind and body. She became the first Warped tree. Vulgae became a trickster, wishing only to harm and hurt others. Despite being cut down and killed at the end of the Duoras Age, her might lives on in both the Rathnirlum Gods and the Warped Seeds she planted in the Nether. This is why Warped trees of multiple varieties can be found in the Nether to this day.

Formidula, Fear Incarnate
Fear is an emotion that all beings have the capacity to feel. From flora, to fauna, to man and to the immortals, no one is safe from experiencing terror. Formidula is the very personification of fright. To many, Formidula’s very appearance is enough to make one freeze in shock. Long limbs extend from a skull-like face, bearing a great beard. The face itself stretches from one end of its head to another, with ten blackened eyes to observe all. The mouth is just as alien as the rest of its form, as it seems to be able to open from all angles. Gigantic sticks – what are left of trees the beast found – have been pushed through its skull to form a crude-looking crown. To add to the horror, Formidula is taller than any jungle tree and rivals even mountains. It is unknown what Formidula does to mortals. But if somehow, it sees you, run. You are already as good as dead. Formidula has, however, been shown to have the capacity to feel. For example, it married Diantus when they both fell in love late in the Aureum Age. It developed a humanoid form at this same time, which he prefers to use now. It is said it appears to take on the form of both a zombie and a skeleton at once.

Picanses, Ocean Incarnate, God of Fishing & of Hunting
Picanses is a delightful personality, filled with just the right amount of pride, sense of humour and empathy to be adored by all. Despite his friendly demeanour, he still embodies the sea – he can quickly change and lash out in rage. This is usually the cause of rocky weather and tsunamis. He is respected by all and it is well known that if you wish to gain safe passage over the sea, you should ask for Picanses’ blessing first. He also bears the title of being the God of Hunting and Fishing. This adds another God to the list for hunters to pray to when going out to snag food. Not many have physically seen Picanses since he received his role. This is because, as the Incarnate of the Oceans and Seas, he spends most of his time as water itself. He can still embody a physical form if he wishes, and usually breaks out this form for important occasions. Picanses has a wonderful relationship with the other Gods – for his role demands it. He must work around and with Noctus, Lunelsis’ seasons and her tide, Sowelsis’ weather and storms, and many, many other Gods. For his laid-back attitude and ability to go with the flow, he is respected by his colleagues and has no true enemies. Ultimately however, he has a strong rivalry with his brother Saegus.

Saegus, Sky Incarnate, God of The Sky & of Farms
Saegus is a slender and handsome man who controls the sky itself. Directing storms, rain and the breeze, he is usually rather busy dealing with the constant work that comes along with his title. He is commonly prayed to and worshipped by farmers across the Earth. Despite this, he is a headstrong and respectable figure he stands as a role model to mortals everywhere. Despite this, those who know him will be aware of his stubborn and sometimes aggressive behaviour. While not prone to sudden bursts of anger like his brother, Saegus can still become violently mad when he is told he is wrong. As for his stubbornness, it also is the opposite of Picanses’ ability to go along with the order of the world. When things do not go his way, Saegus protests and fights against it. He also, unlike his brother, swore an undying allegiance to his father Ilvetorus.

Arcaelum Gods
These Gods make their home within the divine Kingdom of The Gods of the same name. These Gods are arguably the most privileged, as not only are they in a place of great power and respect, Arcaelum Gods are the most worshipped and praised of all Gods. A majority are descendants of the original Archons, but others are elected and brought into the Kingdom.

Xerante, God of History
As the son of Androxus himself, Xerante has found a solid base of human worship, as well as a cult following from his fellow immortals. However, his actions do not particularly warrant it. Xerante is responsible for writing both past, present and future within his book, the Fata Codex. Legend has it that he gifted humans a copy of this book, however he warned them that opening it would cause an apocalypse that would end the world as we know it. This turned out to be false, as a wise man named Koros opened this book and found that there was no such horror released. Koros would later marry Yenersus

Rosaria, Goddess of Gender
Rosaria has many goals, far too many to list in one title. For not only is she the creator of Gender )and all things encompassing it), she is also a representative of love, passion, and pregnancy. She is also the Goddess of Agony, heartbreak, hatred and blind rage. She earned these negative titles from her mighty vengeance when discovering her husband Ilvetorus had cheated with multiple people across the globe. When not enraged, Rosaria is a stunning and lovely woman. She is also knowledgeable, having experienced life as both a mortal and a God. As one of the first to be raised up to Arcaelum, she is respected by much of her family. She, in turn, loves all of her family dearly. If anything were to happen to them, she would likely fly into another hateful rampage - one far more devastating than the last.