Religion
Religion and Deities
Nobody knows which came first: Earth or fairies. Fairies were first born of stardust. The first twenty or so fairies in existence were formed from pure stardust, which is the origin of magic, and thus have pure magic (divinity) infused into their being which they can control. These first fairies were known as "the originals", and first among them was Aura. The fairies which came after them were formed of a compound of stardust and other elements, so the magic infused into them was impure. Thus, the magical powers they had were lesser than those of the originals, and unlike the originals they were mortal. Over time, fairykind evolved and developed levels of magic and wings, but the originals remained much the same as they always had done.
The original fairies have become deified and are often seen as gods. Each has their own monotheistic cult which sees them as the sole god, but they all also appear in a variety of polytheistic fairy religions. In addition to the original fairies, other powerful beings (such as Immortal Ones and demigods) have also been deified and earned a position in some of the polytheistic pantheons.
The Original Fairies
the first fairies
To find out more about the original fairies and their cults and polytheistic appearances, click on the deity symbols below.
Aura: goddess of life and death
Gwythr: god of order, law and propriety
Mallos: god of the sun and shadows
Rhaegar: god of war and strength
Tsi: god of sleep, healing and seafarers
Zed: god of happiness and justice
Lorraine: goddess of ice, wealth and elegance
Khasekhemwy: god of learning, knowledge and wisdom
Allianah: goddess of archery and battle strategy
Charlton: god of freedom, independence and diversity
Kiya: goddess of fire and the hearth
Other Deified Beings
immortal ones, demigods and the second generation
Immortal Ones are exceptionally old, powerful beings who appeared on Earth shortly after the original fairies. Many are almost as powerful as the original fairies. Due to their age and magical prowess, some of them have been deified. A
demigod is the child of an original fairy and an ordinary fairy. Demigods typically have more powerful magic than ordinary fairies and are often deified in association with their godly parent.
Second Generation refers to fairies with two originals for parents. Thus far, there is only one of these in existence.
Click the headings below to find out more about each of these minor deities.
Immortal One: Esther-May, the soul thief
- Present on Shaman, NPC.
- Esther-May is a seemingly normal old lady. Grey and wizened, she appears frail and harmless to those who meet her for the first time.
- Her exact magic is unclear, but she seems to have the ability to conjure things which fairies desire and she is a master potions-maker. She lives in a huge, gothic mansion which has been erected on one of the mountains on Saltrock Peaks and sells her wares from there, rarely if ever venturing out. Anyone can see her to obtain things they want - perhaps a familiar, a special item, magic, or even unique goods not found in the shops or power bank. Esther's ability to grant these things does not seem to be restricted, although her wares come at a high price. In exchange for her services, Esther takes children.
- Anyone who comes to Esther seeking to exchange a child for her services must sign a contract which states that Esther owns the child and its soul. There are two types of contract:
- - Those which expire when the child turns 16 years of age, and
- - Those which never expire.
- Each contract does have a small-print section which gives a way for the contract to be broken and the child to be freed. This is always something which can only be undertaken by the child (assuming they know what it is - Esther keeps the contracts locked up, safe and sound) and is unique for each child.
- Esther is only interested in taking children under the age of 10, and prefers them the younger the better. She isn't bothered about where the children come from. Those coming to see her can either offer her their own child or one they have stolen from someone else. As such, the number of kidnaps of young children has risen dramatically in Shaman. Enterprising pirates have started snatching and selling children to anyone wishing to receive services from Esther. Parents are becoming increasingly worried and watchful of their young ones. Orphans are most at risk.
- The children Esther takes must stay with her in her mansion and work for her. The older ones care for the younger ones, who begin work as soon as they are able.
Immortal One: Styx,
the oracle
- Played by Edel.
- Called the Oracle, Styx specializes in non-physical, psychic magic. Clairvoyant and able to see past, present and future, she was once considered a deity by various ancient cultures, though she favored the ancient Greeks. Others, often human, saw her as a mouthpiece for their gods. Styx has a significant ego and, like many Immortal Ones wishes to be admitted to the Council of Originals. When the Originals gathered in Shaman, Styx was sent along to spy and persuade them of the benefit of having Immortal Ones around. Shortly after the dome fell during the Magic Eater�s attack, Styx cut contact with the other Immortal Ones to further her own agenda.
- She is a level 10 Orbis user and thus is able to see and communicate across universes and worlds. She is also able to travel between worlds, but has not yet used that ability
- Her familiar is a male barn owl named Noctis
Immortal One: Amos,
the nature hermit
- Not on Shaman, created by Edel.
- Few know of any epithets for Amos, and even fewer remember that he exists. His specialty in elemental and wild magic were very useful to him in ancient times. He has never been particularly fond of the goals of other Immortal Ones, preferring to aid others where he can and keep a low profile otherwise. In the fifteenth century, while living in France with a lover and a small family, he flexed his magical muscles a bit more, which caused hysteria. His lover was accused of witchcraft for his magic, though her magic was much weaker and more subdued. Unable to save her, and not the sort to seek vengeance, he left France and his family, and settled in the bayous of Louisiana. He has seen lived as a hermit, tending to the wildlife and, occasionally masquerading as the Rougarou to keep hunters away. He has grown prickly with his isolation and isn�t as kind or helpful as he once was.
- Despite his powerful magic and status as an Immortal One, Amos appear as an old man in his mid-70s, although would not be mistaken for being frail.
- Not on Shaman so no level, but his branch would be Vis
- His familiar is an atypically large female anaconda named Josefine
Demigod: Poppy, daughter of Aura
- Played by Fennic.
- Controversial figure on Earth; many Earth fairies don't even believe in her existence. She is favoured by conspiracy figures and only deified by extremist groups.
- The prime goddess in the Mankeht cult, where she appears as the apocalyptic goddess of chaos and destruction.
Demigod: Thoth, son of Aura
- Played by Aspelta.
- Widely deified among the more obscure sects of the Auran Church, although not formally recognised as a deity by the Auran Church.
- Undefined role in polytheistic cults (since little is known about him on Earth), usually appears as a helper to Aura. Sometimes appears in scribal roles.
- Has been the target of attacks by extremist Auran sects, who have sought to abduct and hypnotise him.
Demigod: Jorg, son of Rhaegar
- Played by Merlin.
- Jorg is associated with the night's sky, and ocean voyages.
- He is worshipped as a patron of travellers, and those who have lost their way.
- In some polytheistic cults, nearly always in association with Rhaegar, he is starting to appear as a trickster deity.
Demigod: Angela,
daughter of Mallos
- Played by Aspelta.
- As one of the few demigods who lives part-time on Earth, Angela is popular there and is gaining traction as a deified being. Her role is still very minor.
- Appears in polytheistic cults as a goddess of the morning sun.
Demigod: Leander, son of Mallos
- Played by Dema.
- Little is currently known about Leander's role in polytheistic cults. Dema, help us update this section!
Demigod: Mateo, son of Zed
- Played by Fennic.
- Mateo is not particularly well-known yet, but is developing a small following; he is especially popular with older folks, namely older women.
- He is a god of home, hearth, and cooking, particularly family meals.
- Mateo is considered a patron god of kitchen witches and hedge witches, representing household comfort and harmony.
Demigod: Luka, daughter of Zed
- Played by Dema.
- Little is currently known about Luka's role in polytheistic cults. Dema, help us update this section!
Demigod: Beatriz, daughter of Zed
- Played by Alora.
- Little is currently known about Beatriz's role in polytheistic cults. Alora, help us update this section!
Demigod: Xiang, son of Tsi
- Played by Aspelta.
- Little is currently known about Xiang's role in polytheistic cults. Aspelta, help us update this section!
Second Generation: Solnyshka, daughter of Mallos and Lorraine
- Played by Edel.
- Little is currently known about Solnyshka's role in polytheistic cults. Edel, help us update this section!
Want to play a minor deity? You can join an Immortal One at any time and there are still demigods available for adoption. Check the
Fairykind page for more information about Immortal Ones and the
Adoption board for a chance to pick up a demigod. Once you've attained your character, you can have them added to this section any time by posting on the updates board.
Polytheistic Religions
mythology
»
Curse of Fear
We welcome player-created mythology! Please submit your myths on the updates board.
the cult of manekht
here is one other minor religion worth noting. Shortly after the formation of the Council of Originals, a philosopher by the name of Manekht compared fairy religions to human religions and determined that for the originals to coexist in deified harmony, they must each be the god of a particular concept. He devised a system whereby each original was made the god of something.
Manekht also made a very famous prophecy. He prophesised that the gods would all live in harmony, each controlling their own concept, until one day a god would have a child with a mortal and a new god would be born. This new god would be the God of Chaos and Destruction and, recognising it as such, the other gods would attempt to lock it away. Eventually however, Chaos and Destruction would escape from its prison and wreak havoc upon Earth. Once this happened, Chaos would descend upon the gods, who would eventually reproduce with one another and create a new generation of gods. This new generation would be jealous of their parents for having control over particular concepts, and there would be a war in Heaven. Eventually, the gods would wipe each other out and fairykind would have to fend for itself without them.
Although largely ridiculed and forgotten, it is believed that Manekht's prophecy was partly what influenced the ancient law forbidding the originals from reproducing. It is believed that while the originals did not completely believe Manekht, they were not prepared to take the chance. Belief in Manekht's theories was reawakened after the birth of Poppy, daughter of Aura and first child amongst the originals, whom many believed to be the God of Chaos and Destruction Manekht prophesised about. After Poppy's escape from prison in 1944, the cult of Manekht strengthened and the modern-day leaders of the religion attempted to track down their prophet's original scripts. The scripts, which had long since been lost, record exactly what concepts each of the original fairies are supposed to be gods of. Some scraps have been found and they have been able to piece together and translate the following:
Aura, Goddess of the Fire and the Hot Seasons, the Sun and the Stars; Controller of the Origin of Magick.
Mallos, God of Romance and Fertility; Controller of the Origin of Life.
Allianah, Goddess of War and Combat, Archer Supreme; Controller of Victory in the Battlefield.
Manekht's scripts are extremely valuable and rare. As more are found the information they contain will be put up here.
Other Religions
fairy versions of human religions
A few fairy versions of Christianity are worth noting. There are two major fairy Christian churches, both based in the United States of America.
The Fairy Trinity Church is a mild Christian organisation which is tolerant of the original fairies but views them as powerful beings, not as deities. The Fairy Trinity Church is usually happy to work with the Council of Originals and does not actively try to convert people.
The United Church of Fairykind is an extreme Christian organisation which views the original fairies as blasphemous and intolerable. It actively works against the council and its mission is to convert the world to its cause. The United Church of Fairykind views all other Christian organisations as being false.
