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The Theoi and Their Mantles

The nine Theoi were the shard-god Primarchs of Pelithos. By the end of the Time Storm, they had ceased to exist, and little is known about them or deeds.
- Their names are not remembered, so they are known only by their titles.
- They are generally believed to have sacrificed themselves to contain the chaos of the Time Storm and the attempted escape of the titans.
Each Theos shattered into three parts, referred to as Mantles, each a combination of the god's divine focus and their soul.

The Builder

God of Form. Traditionally represented as an older, muscular man with a crooked leg. He was the craftsman and architect of the gods. Serious, perfectionist, curious and creative, sometimes even a little playful in his works.
Mantles
- The Key
- The Hammer
- ???clay (argilos)

The Mariner

God of Life. Represented as a muscular, bearded man in his prime, boisterous and passionate, fond of revels. He had a fiery temper, but was abundantly generous and forgiving when his ire was spent. Always roaming the seas in his ship.
Mantles
- The Trident
- The Cornucopia
- The Caduceus

The Weaver

Goddess of Destiny. Depicted as a striking, older woman with the bearing of a matriarch. Regal and farsighted, she guided her charges with a stern hand.
Mantles
- The Loom
- The Owl
- The Pyxis

The Keeper

(death, man)

Mantles
- The Oboloi (ruler of the underworld, crucible, lead coins, gravity)
- The Sickle (dying, entropy, killing)
- The Amphora (psychopomp, gathering of waters, holds the memories/experiences of the dead; in vino veritas; poet speaks the stories of the dead? drink to forget / river lethe? maenads (lose the drinking contest and become a maenad, dionysus and thanatos)

The Sentinel

(day, woman)

Mantles
- The Aegis (protection, courage, hope)
- The Wreath (charismatic leadership, harmony)
- The Beacon (clear sight, revelation, truth, light)

The Reaver

(night, man)

Mantles
- The Helm (tyrany, domination, fear)
- The Viper (treachery, discord, hate)
- The Spear (mercilessness)

The Huntress

(summer, woman)

Mantles
- The Bow (speed, movement)
- The Horn (sound, call to passion)
- The Hound (swift, hungry, and howls)

The Dancer

God of Pattern. Depicted as a youthful, androgynous figure, lithe and athletic.
Mantles
- "the edict" "the scroll" "the tablet" "the message"
- The Lyre
- The White Tree

The Witch

(winter, woman) - white witch vibe

Mantles
- The Jewel (greed)
- The Wand (ice, cold; can't fully inherit until you have a daughter of your own)
- The Veil / Shroud (stillness, heat death, grief, sorrow, regret)

The Imitheoi

An imitheos (demigod) is a mortal bonded to one of the Mantles and able to wield its power.
- Imitheoi are also know as Bearers (e.g. Trident-Bearer, Bearer of the Hound, etc).
- The means of bonding varies among the Mantles, often taking the form of specific rituals or contests. The Mantles contain not only the divine power, but fragments of the original gods' souls. They are not conscious, intelligent artifacts, but the personality, attitudes, goals, dislikes and interests of the god uniquely color each Mantle's nature.
- Mantles move on upon the death of their bearer, seeking a new one according to their preference. Some Mantles may reject and leave a bearer who falls too far out of alignment with it, and some can also be usurped from a current bearer.
Imitheoi are not as powerful as Primarchs.
- Despite representing a third of the original divine focus, a Mantle comes closer to wielding a quarter of its power.
- To wield the full power of a Mantle requires both personal practice by the bearer, but also their attunement with the "personality" and nature of the Mantle. Many bearers never truly master their Mantle.
The struggles and machinations of the imitheoi some of the main movers of events on Pelithos, collectively called the Theagonas (contest of gods).

Thrones

The Apparatus has nine "slots" for the expected nine gods, termed Thrones. Imitheoi can, by various metaphysical maneuverings, attach themselves to these slots, greatly amplifying their power.
- These (up to) nine Imitheoi are referred to as Enthroned (e.g. the Aegis Enthroned, the Trident Enthroned).
- If each Mantle holds a quarter of a Primarch's full power; the remaining quarter residing in the Throne, to be wielded by its occupant. Enthroned imitheoi have much greater capacity for large-scale and long-lasting works; the creation of new beings or objects of power, kingdom-spanning enchantments, etc.
The Apparatus "wants" one imitheos Enthroned from each Domain, but it's possible to overcome this.
- The Enthronement of imitheoi from the same domain is less stable, so they often come into conflict, trying to dethrone one another to secure their own position.
- Side-effects in the Apparatus result from the lack of an Enthroned domain. The domain's power may become weak, surge out of control, or fluctuate erratically. The other imitheoi and servitors can work to counterbalance this, but it also pushes them to take sides in dethroning a surplus bearer.

Servitors

Given the cosmological disarray of Pelithos, and the unreliable attentions of the imithoi in addressing it, the Apparatus dispatches many, many servitors to the realm.
These servitors often stay for much longer than in other realms, lingering long enough to develop independence and personality. This gives Pelithos a very animistic host of divine beings, great and small.
Servitors, especially powerful ones, often do not quickly bow to the authority of imitheoi, especially weak or untested ones.
Many powerful servitors have become patron "gods" of regions, natural features, cities, or organizations.

Temenoi

A temenos is the Pelethine term for a Forgeheart, one of the regional loci of Form across the realm.
From them, one can exercise power over a wider area and achieve deeper workings.
Most temenoi have been claimed as the territory of servitors. Some are claimed instead by long-standing heraldic cults.
- They may attract ordinary mortals seeking heraldic aid, becoming holy sites, or site of pilgrimage.
- Imitheoi often seek them out when they need to push their power beyond its normal limits, and some establish a seat of power at a temenos.

The Mantles

Sample Mantle

appearance
powers
rules of succession
famous bearers
cults & focus distribution

Builder (form, man)

The Key (modulates the flow of fury energies; throw lightning bolts)

The Hammer

???clay (argilos)

Mariner (life, man)

The Trident (controls water, seas, rivers, rain; created the spring of Pyrgos)

The Cornucopia (birth, fertility, growth)

The Caduceus (healing, medicine)

Weaver (destiny, woman)

The Loom (fate, beginnings?, order time and space)

The Owl (guidance, strategy, farsight, wisdom, travel)

The Pyxis (doom, disruption, breadkdown of space and time) ???the bearer is turning the box into a die to become chance (carved runes on the faces of the box, it can grow and shrink)

Keeper (death, man)

The Oboloi (ruler of the underworld, crucible, lead coins, gravity)

The Sickle (dying, entropy, killing)

The Amphora (psychopomp, gathering of waters, holds the memories/experiences of the dead; in vino veritas; poet speaks the stories of the dead? drink to forget / river lethe? maenads (lose the drinking contest and become a maenad, dionysus and thanatos)

Sentinel (day, woman)

The Aegis (protection, courage, hope)

The Wreath (charismatic leadership, harmony)

The Beacon (clear sight, revelation, truth, light)

Reaver (night, man)

The Helm (tyrany, domination, fear)

The Viper (treachery, discord, hate)

The Spear (mercilessness)

Huntress (summer, woman)

The Bow (speed, movement)

The Horn (sound, call to passion)

The Hound (swift, hungry, and howls)

Dancer (pattern, enby)

"the edict" "the scroll" "the tablet" "the message" (language, law, commerce)

The Lyre (music, art, stories)

The White Tree (now a vestige)

Witch (winter, woman)

The Jewel (greed)

The Wand (ice, cold; can't fully inherit until you have a daughter of your own)

The Veil / Shroud (stillness, heat death, grief, sorrow, regret, the wisdom and insight of regret)