Shattered Kingdoms

> help reina
The true origins of the being called Reina may remain forever a mystery
in the realms of the mortals. Some say she is an ancient spirit which
emerged into the world of gods and mortals through the revitalization of
Selkwood. Some believe she is the embodiment of the consciousness of Life
itself, while others still say she IS Relynah herself, awakened from her
long slumber in a new form. The latter theory springs from the belief that
Reina and Relynah are the same name in the old tongue of the treants. There
is also uncertainty as to just what Reina is. Many believe she is not a
Goddess at all, but rather, a very old and powerful spirit. Whatever the
case, it is clear that the Goddess Relynah is gone from the world, and that
Reina has taken her place showing, once again, that the great Cycle of Life
and Death continues always in Nature. Like her predecessor, Reina is
symbolized by the Emerald Dragon, and, at times, calls upon such
beings to perform her will.

The few who have had experience with Reina know that she is a fickle and
timid being, like many of the creatures of the wilderness. She is easily
frightened away by clamour and is usually found only in quiet, remote places
deep within Nature. But, as timid as she may seem, with the forces of
Nature at her disposal, to anger her is to bring forth the untamed
ferocity of the bear and the unforgiving destruction of the hurricane upon
the world of mortals.

Reina seems to have some connection to the realm of dreams, for that is
almost always where she communicates to mortals, rarely ever appearing to
waking beings. On the rare occasion that she does appear in the physical
world, she takes the form of a sprite. Those who claim to have seen her say
she joins in the wild night dances and revelry of the fey deep within the
forest, disappearing into the realm of dreams until another such night
comes.

help yizashi
Yizashi, Master of the Three Fates, Lord of Chance

Lore: Although his current power and status paint a different
picture, the being calling itself Yizashi is an incredibly ancient being.
Ancient texts describe the elder Yizashi as disappearing sometime before
the end of the first age. Scholars speculate wildly as to the cause,
favorite reasons being that he had killed by a rival diety, or that
he had been destroyed in one of his bizarre 'reality alteration experiments.'
Historians recall Yizashi as being a somber diety, quite a different
picture than his undisciplined, even silly temperment today. Once the
Lord of the force of magic, the returned Yizashi retains that title,
but is mainly concerned with his newfound mastery over the power of Fate.
There are some that theorize that Yizashi's change in temperment is
a result of his mastery of such an unpredictable force.

Manifestations: Old tapestries, books of worship, and rare recent
sightings all represent Yizashi as a silver skinned sprite. However,
Yizashi rarely appears in person, preferring to communicate through
vague means such as omens and visions. When a physical presence is
necessary Yizashi speaks through his messengers, the Three Fates:
The Spinner, The Weaver, and The Cutter.
Representing birth, life, and death respectively.
Favored symbols and representations include endlessly spinning coins,
looms, cat's-cradles of golden thread, and a pair of silver eyes.

Faith: Yizashi's faith is mainly about the enjoyment of life
in all respects. This is most often interpreted as trying to have as
much fun as possible. However, Yizashi's followers appreciate the
negative as well as the positive. Experiencing every emotion at it's
highest intensity is of key importance. Those of a more serious bent
describe most of Yizashi's followers as being 'irresponsible, silly,
wasteful, mood-swinging wierdos.'
Those that would rather not work for a living find a welcome niche
in Yizashi's faith. Gamblers, rogues, bards, and anyone who survives
on luck or wits comprise over 70% of Yizashi's following.
Charlatans, false fortune tellers, daredevils, and illusionists
also comprise a large portion of Yizashi's faithful. The element of
danger in chance and fooling the unwitting amuses Yizashi greatly.
Yizashi favors sprites above all other races, for obvious reasons.
Thievery is held in high regard by Yizashi, but not that of malicious
intent. Rogues serving Yizashi will never steal enough to cause more
than an inconvience unless following a personal vendetta or holy
directive. Even when stealing directly to hurt, Yizashi-following rogues
will take a victim's most prized possessions, leaving objects
of value behind. One excellent instance is sneaking through a rich
merchant's treasury to steal his favorite shoes.
Indeed, the largest targest of thievery is often Yizashi's own
priests.
Yizashi's religion does possess a pecking order, though a bizarre one
based on an individual's favorable deeds and the day-to-day whims of
the diety. Beggars sometimes find themselves temple high priests
for a day while the previous high priest cleans stables.
Not suprisingly, few of Yizashi's faithful live to see old age.
Most meet an untimely demise in a failed attempt at theft or trickery,
or die spectacularly in a botched stunt. Nevertheless, Yizashi's
followers do not view death with fear, but face it with a laugh.
Indeed, many followers of Yizashi compete to see how close they
can come to getting killed, and oft

> help calrion
Calrion, The Lord of the Morning, Light of Heaven, Dispeller of the Darkness

This being of power was first born when the worlds were created.
Even during the battles between Dulrik and Bane, he lived. During those
mythological times, Calrion fought against the Darkness as no other. When
War of the Gods ended, Calrion fell into a deep hibernation. Years passed
and the world changed....

One of the first sightings of The Lord of the Morning's Rebirth was
a vision by the knight, Kiev St. Croix.

"I was reflecting on my life and what has gone on during it,
then an Angel descended. The Angel bade me to announce that the Rebirth was
at hand. When I asked the Angel for more information, the majestic being
Ascended to the Heavens. Thus, I returned from my pilgrimage and informed
the realms of what I had witnessed"
Kiev St. Croix 470 T.A.

Sounds of battle and flashes of power wrought the skies over the
land. This during the battle between Lord Ariakas and Lord Rishivel. The
Conqueror was triumphant in that battle and slew the fallen BattleLord.
Many of Lord Rishivel's followers wept on that day. Tears fell to the
ground, mixing with the blood of the fallen God. It was then that Calrion
was reborn into our world. The bluish flame that appeared proved the
Rebirth was at hand. The flame formed into the shape of the Revived God.
Calrion saw the world had changed and made this simple vow to the people....

"You shall not be abandoned."

With that, he wove a magical barrier about the Conqueror, severing him
from his Godly powers. Feeling the loss of his Powers, Ariakas departed the
battlefield, allowing the mortals to mourn. The Gods ascended to the
heavens to await for when they shall do battle once again.

Calrion has influence over the spheres of Chivalry, Courage, and
Rebirth. Those who follow his path, must never yield to the Darkness, for
in death, they grow more powerful. Any who must, shall be reborn to the
world, just as the legendary Phoenix is. The followers of the Morning bear
a small medallion engraved with a Phoenix as the sign of the God of Rebirth.

help rishivel
Where the being known as Rishivel came from is unknown. What the
knowledge seekers of Lord Zarathustra have learned is that he was traveling
the celestial realms, revelling in his followers' victory over evil in the
last plane of existence he visited. He was seeking a new world where
darkness reigned and the Righteous were persecuted. His travels
brought him near our world. The screams of the innocent and the smell
of their blood on the swords of darkness caught his notice. He
spent a short amount of time observing the on-going conflict between Light
and Dark, then made himself known to strengthen the Righteous in their
battles. What his true appearance is, none know. When he first appeared,
he choose the form of that which those of our Realms consider the embodiment
of all that is Good - an elf. He always appears arrayed in full battle
armor which blazes with the Holy Light of Pure Righteousness.
He accepts into his Church paladins and any of the White Aura that
stand for the defeat of Evil through battle and through living as an
example of Righteousness. His priests have made it known that any who
feel they are suitable for his Church should seek out one of them. If the
priest they speak to deems them worthy, only then do they seek the God's
blessing for admittance. His followers and paladins are different from
others in that during periods of peace, they are held to a less stringent
standard. Most are light-hearted and enjoy life. In battle, they do
anything it takes to defeat the darkness within the bounds of their own
personal code of honor with some advice and guidelines from their god.
There is no single standard for honor as this god of Battle knows that Honor
comes from within and that a single code cannot be imposed on everyone, and
not everyone can be held to the same standard.

[HP:100%] [ME: 75%] [PE:100%]

> help nightfall
Nightfall is the immortal being that controls the power of Vengeance. He
is quite effective at his designated task, dealing out Vengeance quickly and
efficiently to those deserving of it. Rarely has he dealt it to those
undeserving of it. In the few cases that he has, he promptly declared that
they would be deserving of it sometime in the near future. He also has
gained heavy influence over thievery. He found out that it was easiest to
do his required duties if he was hard to seek out and find. He quickly
became proficient at hiding and sneaking about. His current situation is
unknown, but many say that he hears what is said about him and can seek out
the most secretive organizations of the realms. Rumor has it that he leads
a vast information network that is somehow linked with an underground
organization of thieves and assassins. These rumors however have gone
unconfirmed and unacknowledged by anyone.

Look for the History of Nightfall to know about his colorful background.

[HP:100%] [ME: 75%] [PE:100%]

P:100%] [ME: 98%] [PE:100%]
> help yenko
Yenko, the Dark Maiden of Winter, Goddess of Ice, Mistress of Suffering

Rumored to be half-deep-elf and half something else unknown, Yenko appeared
in the pantheon during the latter centuries of the First Age. She is the
goddess of winter and ice, and the harshness and suffering often
associated with those respective climes.
She was for a time the Mother of the deep-elf, having displaced the goddess
Lorani. Yenko continued in the vicious style of the deep-elf, spreading discord
yet strengthening her followers. However, due to the growing strength and
separation of the deep-elf race as a whole, many have discarded her more
ritualistic ways and venerate Her in name only.
She is sometimes seen as a cruel goddess, being proactive in the world
around Her, initiating conflict when it pleasures Her. Yenko does value
loyal worshippers and often rewards them for exceptional service in Her
name. On the flip side, she does not tolerate ineptitude, and followers
who repeatedly fail in her service may have quite literally hell to pay.
It is this style of discipline and rewards that have inspired many of
Her acolytes to become her warrior instruments -- hellions.
Otherwise most acolytes venerate her as a pseudo-elemental goddess, and
She rewards them as such with corresponding powers. Yenko is worshipped
by many of the races in cold climes, and also by those who see her as
part of the natural cycle of the seasons.

[HP:100%] [ME: 98%] [PE:100%]
> help dulrik
Dulrik: the Blade of Truth

Dulrik is one of the most powerful gods in the realm. He is also one of
the most enigmatic. It is said that he is a god of extraordinary power
who sides with truth and honor in all its forms. He has been known to
deal out justice on the gods themselves, thus becoming the one who watches
the watchers. It is rumored that he is also the patron of a martial arts
faction in the realms, but these rumors are unconfirmed.

[HP:100%] [ME: 98%] [PE:100%]

> help yigg
The God Known as Yigg

The Amazing Yigg, or just Yigg for short, is the god representing the
portfolios of Insanity, Entertainment, and Pleasure.

Yigg embodies the essence of what a person feels when they "let go"
of social norms, hinderances, and mental walls that hide away the inner
most feelings. This feeling is most pleasant, and is usually care-free.
With this onslaught of emotion, always comes madness of any sort. And
all people's madness is said to be different. Yigg also represents the
life of the entertainer. To provide others with amusement, especially
comedy, is central to the Yigg doctorine. The indulgence of all sorts of
pleasure is also a part of Yigg. After all, one must entertain themselves
as well.
Yigg serves countless other minor porfolios, such as humor, whips,
good tasting gelatin, "naughty bits", the color plaid, and sheep, to name
a few. Yigg once served as the moral director of the Harlequins in co-
leadership with the god Xareth.
While rumors are vast and numerous of the history of Yigg exist, there is
no definitive evidence of the becoming of Yigg. The most widely accepted
theory on the issue is that Yigg was initially borne with the conflicting
desires of Zynor and Dulrik when the world was formed, and has since
manifested into what he is today.
The followers of Yigg bear his symbol, which appears to be a small
question mark in which the bottom dot suspends mysteriously below the mark.
The symbol has no definitive color either, for it is colored and patterened
differently for each person who looks at it. The only exception to this odd
occurance are the members of the griffon race, whom all see the mark to be
yellow, with a smiley face on the dot. There is no explanation for this.

> help nada
Nada, the Embodiment of Change

(the pronoun 'he' is used in this text for convenience only)

The immortal called Nada has existed since the first days of the
realms, since the first change in existence. He has long been
worshipped as the Embodiment of Change; not so much as the One
which causes it, but as the Representation of the Change of State
in anything at all. Since time began, philosophers have argued
the question of whether He is the source of all alteration, or if
all alteration is the source of Him.

Regardless of this debate, His followers have often taken the side
from moment to moment that will bring the greatest amount of
change to the world. In the early years of the church, His
worshippers had tendency to instigate battles, cause revolutions,
and bring peace to ongoing conflicts. They would temporarily side
with one group until that group finally gained power, when they
would change over to the opposition. As such, to outsiders, the
faith has appeared unstable and insane.

Like all things, though, the Church of Nada changes, and with
the recent awakening of the Embodiment of Change, the once unified
church has become very loosely organized. The high favor of
Alteration seldom rests in one voice for long, and the faithful
are as varied as Change itself, welcoming those who wish to bring
change as they can, whether through the philanthropic healing of
an elven priest, the destruction and decay of a deep-elf necromancer,
or the mischievous anarchy of a halfling rogue. Despite the often
contrary tactics and disputes that arise between followers of
change, two commonalities exist always between them:

* A profound respect for one another, that despite the outcome of
their dispute, the greater purpose of Change will be met, and
* A profound respect for the power of death, often revered as the
greatest, final Change that one can experience. For this reason,
the Church of Alteration holds in high respect the spirits in the
afterlife, often hesitant to return such spirits to their physical
bonds without great reason to do so. Rumors have even begun to
arise of a split faction of the faith, cultists focusing their
religious practices on death, undeath, the spirit world, and all
things related to that final transition.

[HP:100%] [ME: 98%] [PE:100%]
> help shailan
The Goddess Kshama symbolizes music, kindness, and self-truth. She
remained detached from the realms, appearing only to her followers, which
became few and far between. In a world of hatred and anger, she grew tired
and slept. She felt the suffering of the realms even in her slumber,
torturing her and leaving her with no refuge for peace.

She refused to be destroyed, as her inner being could not be overcome by
the hatred of the realms. Gaining strength in her sleep, the being Kshama
went through a metamorphosis. Within her grew the innocence that she once
had, strengthening her and forcing her to take new form. The inner song
began to change, becoming steadier and more beautiful. She refused to allow
the continued suffering of the world, intent on giving mercy to even those
that hated her most. From within, the being of Shailan took form.

Lord Shailan, having been present within the sub-consciousness of Kshama, now is
free upon the realms. Completely free of all hatred and anger, he seeks to
share his enlightenment with even the most vile. The inner song of those
who follow him becomes more focused, especially to those who listen, and
frees the essence of one's musical form. The young cherub teaches mercy
above all, seeking to bring forgiveness to the sins of the past. His
ultimate desire is to find and cleanse the world, purifying the pain and
hatred. Any image of him is fleeting, if not imagined completely, as most
mortals do not even bother to say they have seen the elusive being.