Religious beliefs and traditions across Aelandris are varied and numerous,
though some traditions are more common than others. It is generally accepted
that there exist deities who themselves sprung forth from Aelandra, the Creator.
Many pantheons have emerged, some of them followed by those on a specific life
path, while the worship of others is mainly concentrated in certain regions or
cultures. There are a few that are widely assumed to be core elements of
creation, and versions of them have appeared across most of Aelandris.

Individuals may follow deities directly, while others are adherents to more
animistic traditions, or a belief in a pantheon. Others still, especially with
the onset of the Blight and the lack of divine intervention to prevent it,
eschew religion altogether, focusing instead on the mysteries of the weave and
the powers that guide its flow. 

A common thread through all of these traditions is a validation of belief.
Priests of the major deities are known to be able to produce wondrous miracles
on their behalf. Others have witnessed miracles within the quiet of nature.
Still others are validated in their beliefs through their ability to channel the
Aether itself.

The pantheons of Aelandris are also known to be fluid, with some deities
entering or falling out of favor for whatever reason. Entirely new deities,
previously unknown to mortals, have also been documented to make themselves
known. Whether they sprung into being spontaneously or have always been there is
a mystery to theologians.

# Subtopics

## Deities and Pantheons

Aelandra, the Creator and Dreamer, is the ur-goddess of creation and life.
Aelandra is said to be the embodiment of the Aether itself, a primordial force
that composes everything and everyone in the material plane. Aelandra is revered
as the creator and mother of the gods and goddesses themselves. She created the
world and its inhabitants by dreaming, and sometimes her creation is
collectively referred to as the Dream. Fittingly, she is thought to be in a long
sleep, having given stewardship over all divine domains to her children to look
after.

Other common deities are as follows:

Anja - The Guide: fate, the life cycle, and death
Irides - The 3 Seers: the past, present, and future. Anja's court.

Altheria - The Everbright: hope, patroness of the eponymous city

Ejendra - The Bard: creativity, art, music, performance, dance, joy, pillows
Phiddia - The Muse: stories, inspiration, history. Ejendra's muse.

Eton - The Daystar: the sun, the day, and work
Amis - The Stargazer: the night, stars, moons, and the sky 

Pantheon of Light
Direnna - The Dawnlight: truth, righteousness, mercy
Koll - The Knight: valor, honor, justice, atonement
Beln - The Healer: medicine, compassion, charity
Nyth - The Keeper: hearth, home, comfort, cats
Sjan - The Wellspring: the harvest, agriculture, fountains

Pantheon of Triumph
Zendis - The Warrior: war, victory, determination
Ivecht - The Sentinel: perseverence, duty, sacrifice, loyalty
Aevros - The Surestrike: preparation, tactics, goals
Aramae - The Guardian: shields, fortifications, fountains
Caledir - The Champion: courage, combat, purpose

Pantheon of Thought
Aithe - The Scholar: knowledge, research, teaching
Eruna - The Sage: wisdom, history, philosophy
Phjir - The Bladedancer: skill, strategy, prowess
Weth - The Smith: forges, quality, artisanry
Nevrei - The Architect: planning, forethought, fountains

Pantheon of Nature
Aluret - The Hunter: the wilds, protection, nature
Urxuli - The Pendulum: balance, equilibrium, consequence
Vaeri - The Seedsinger: decomposition, renewal, growth, compost
Zecknel - The Alchemist: herbs, alchemy, patience
Xeura - The Arborwisp: parks, gardens, fountains

Pantheon of Prosperity
Illio - The Merchant: commerce, wealth, deals, risk
Rel - The Trickster: luck, fortune, humor, mischief, games, dumplings
Djev - The Reveler: indulgence, hedonism, celebration, fountains
Yrena - The Wavewender: storms, sea, weather, travel, booze
Venx - The Shadowwalker: subtlety, stealth, opportunity, advantage

Pantheon of Mysteries
Hilia - The Tideturner: tides, oceans, inevitability, vocation (moon)
Narassus - The Watcher: patience, inquiry, study, keys (moon)
Aeselid - The Coralbloom: answers, connectivity, symbiosis, ecosystems
Thangren - The Enigma: secrets, puzzles, locks, obscurity
Khotos - The Abyssgazer: the deeps, mysteries, cookies, fountains

## Patrons 

Patrons are powerful beings who are typically not as well known as deities,
often because they seek few followers and do not usually make power bargains.
That said, some seek to influence the world according to their own agendas, and
keep an eye on promising individuals who they take an interest in. Despite their
relative obscurity, they are, in a way, closer to the world than the gods, and
some are thought to have been heroes from long ago who ascended into
pseudo-divinity.

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