The Pantheon of Gods in The Relics of War

As we near the setting of a release date, I become more excited about this series every day. This week, I wanted to delve into the pantheon of gods featured in the series. There are thirteen, though one of that number is not recognized by the others or by most mortals (we’ll get into the reasons for that below).

I’ve included pronunciations for each, because many of the names are plays on words or combinations thereof. The list is in alphabetical order.

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Aeon

Pronounced ee-on

Aeon is the wily god of the underworld, often feared by mortals. It is said to capture Aeon’s attention results in swift entry into his realm. He is the guardian and shepherd of departed souls. Aeon is the patron god of the Felene people.

Though Aeon plays only a small role in the series, his name is often used in vain by mortals, particularly those embroiled in the direct conflict.

Author’s Note: I chose to make Aeon the Felene patron because the Felene are cat-like people. Cats have often been associated with the occult, and as the god of the Underworld, it seemed fitting. He is described as having black fur; this is a direct homage to my own pet cat, who is unaware of her role in inspiring this character. Aeon was formerly named Pyrist, a name I was never happy with.

Armistral

Pronounced ahr-mi-strahl

He is the patron of the Airess people, and as all patron deities in the series, appears as one of them in form and feature. Armistral is known as the Keeper of Peace and is often in direct opposition to the god of war (who is also his twin).

Armistral does not appear until late in the first book, and plays a minor role throughout. Since the series is The Relics of War, the peaceful nature of Armistral is often overshadowed by the conflict and the roles of many of the other gods.

Blademon

Pronounced bleyd-dee-muhn

The first deity introduced in the series, Blademon is the god of war, and twin to Armistral. The reader comes to learn quite a bit about him during the course of the first book. Blademon is the patron of the Scorpion Men.

The gods have sworn themselves to neutrality in mortal conflict, and to maintain this, Blademon always takes on two apprentices. One will fight on either side of the war; it’s his version of playing fair.

The Scorpion Men are the newest race in the lore of the series. Without going into details (because spoilers are bad!) I’ll say this: The Scorpion Men were borne of war, subjugated, and later freed themselves. They formed a martial society, and it was only natural that Blademon took it upon himself to become their patron.

Author’s Note: Blademon is one of the major players I mentioned above. I came up with this character and his name long before the Pokemon craze hit in the ‘90s. The name is a combination of blade and demon, and is pronounced in that manner – it is not, and has never been, blade-mon.

Cirrus

Pronounced sir–uhs (yep, just like the cloud)

Cirrus is one of the elemental gods; his charge is the wind. He is the patron of the Drakkon people, who as winged, bipedal lizard-like people, live in high places where they can easily take to the air.

Cirrus’ role is minor throughout the series, though a certain cataclysmic event that occurs in the final book affects him quite strongly (as it does all elemental deities).

Dus’tanne

Pronounced duhst-awn

Dus’tanne is the eldest of the gods, and the earth elemental. She holds a minor position throughout the series, but like Cirrus, is affected significantly by the event in the final book. Dus’tanne is not a patron deity.

Flariel

Pronounced flair-ee-el

Flariel is another of the elementals, commonly known as the Fire Maiden. She is the second of the gods to be introduced in the series, as the mortal Janna’s mother. Known for her fickle temper and volatile nature, Flariel is often both feared and awed by mortals. She is not a patron deity.

Hydralene

 Pronounced hahy-druh-leen

Another of the elemental gods, Hydralene is commonly referred to as the Keeper of the Seas. She is the water elemental, and is not a patron deity.

Hydralene is often known to work closely with her favorite sibling, Maelstrom, the god of storms. The pair have often made voyage by sea to the southern continent impossible, effectively isolating the Felene people from the remainder of the world.

Karmada

Pronounced kahr-mah-duh

The goddess of luck and chance, Karmada is both revered and feared by most mortals. To be blessed by Karmada comes with a steep price; the goddess always seeks something in return, and oftentimes requires very dear payment. She is not a patron deity.

Karmada is cursed by mortals as often as she is praised. Though her role is minor, she does play a significant factor in the story of the Airess.

Author’s Note: Karmada was formerly called Maenara, but I changed the name due to reader feedback. Maenara was too similar to Minora, and to reduce confusion, she was renamed Karmada (a combination on karma and armada – not because she is involved in warfare, but because she has many arms!)

Maelstrom

Pronounced meyl-struhm

Maelstrom is the god of storms, infamous for his volatile temper. As mentioned above, he often works in conjunction with Hydralene. He is not a patron deity.

There are a series of islands shown on the series map labeled Maelstrom’s Fury. They are the site of numerous shipwrecks, the result of the god’s displeasure with the unfortunate sailors, or so the stories say.

Minora

Pronounced min-ohr–uh

Known as the Time Guardian, Minora is the unchanging deity relegated to the duty of monitoring the passage of the centuries. She is one of the more enigmatic deities in the series, and plays a minor role. Minora is not a patron goddess.

The Nameless God

He is the thirteenth deity, shunned by his siblings and rarely spoken of by mortals. The Nameless resides within a prison sealed and protected by the other twelve gods, his name stricken from the histories as punishment for his uprising.

The Nameless was once the patron of those known as the builders, or the Undead. When he realized his powers over death were far stronger than those of his siblings, he staged a coup, intent on overthrowing the others. The result of his attempt to seize power has become known as the Time of Chaos; it led to many wars, a great plague that ravaged the Felene and Airess peoples, and the unfortunate curse that was laid upon his own people, the builders.

The Nameless, though imprisoned, is not powerless. Over the centuries, he has convinced a number of mortals to follow his commands. The most powerful of his followers, the Soulless, have allowed the god to bind their souls in return for great power. The Nameless commands their actions from afar, and is slowly working to break free of his bonds.

The third book in the series, The War of the Nameless, is titled in reference to this god’s machinations.

Solsticia

Pronounced sol-stis-see-uh

Solsticia is the eldest of the gods, and patron to the humans. She is the goddess of all things celestial; the sun, the stars, and most importantly, magic. Solsticia keeps her home in the Sky Palace, a place few mortals are given access to.

In the lore, Solsticia created a magical realm, known as the Aethereum, for her mortal son to use as refuge during a previous war. The Aethereum is a mirror of the physical realm, and those with the ability to access it are rare.

Ukase

Pronounced yoo-keys

Known as the Great Judge, Ukase’s purview is the fair and unbiased judgement of mortal conflicts. His guidance is often sought regarding matters with great political or societal implications. He is the patron of the Murkor people, but unlike his mortal counterparts, he does not hide his face beneath a hood.

His role is fairly minor until the third book, where he is called to sit in judgement over certain events and key figures within the Council of Auras.

Author’s Note: Ukase was formerly named Julaw (judge + law) but I was never happy with that name. I’ve changed it to be a little more obscure, yet meaningful for his position. The original name was often mispronounced as well.

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As of the writing of this post, the draft of book one, The Moon’s Eye, is complete. I’ve begun the process of self-editing and it will then be sent to beta readers and my editor. I should have cover artwork to reveal in the coming weeks, too!

If you’re interested to know more about the non-human species in the series, I wrote a blog post in August that goes into more detail about each: Non-Human People in the Relics of War.

Thanks for reading! There will be more to come soon about this series.