Name:The Duodecos
Summary: The Duodecos is a religion revolving around the worship of a pantheon containing twelve gods. They are worshiped in the Marosian, Alyrian, Lenosian, Hararan, and the Shoshoan cultures, and are also recognised within the Istarian, Tosian, and Zyelar cultures. It is the most influential of all the religions, and is the most known. The months of the year are each dedicated to a specific god, from which they receive their name.
History: The Duodecos is a religion that arose from a much smaller Marosian religion revolving around two gods: Eratos, the god of war, and Gwendell, the goddess of law. These two aspects were highly regarded in early Marosian society, having been blessed with them by the gods. It is strongly believed that a contract exists between mortals and the divine; gods are willing to grant favour if they are offered gifts and worshipped. Thus, the Marosian successes in warfare and in the stability of their civilization was a direct result of their pious respect of the gods.

As the Marosians conquered new lands, they came into contact with foreign gods, which they added to their growing pantheon of gods in order to obtain their favour as well. New major Marosian deities also began to rise to prominence and were also inducted into the pantheon as early Marosian culture solidified. By the time the Marosian Empire had become a dominant force, although before the Haldish-Marosian Wars, a religion comprised of twelve major deities had been thoroughly established.

At the height of the Marosian Empire, Marosian influence and religion began to spread to many other cultures. This was in part due to the many gods that had familiar traits to those recognised in the foreign religions, though there was also the hope that in accepting the Marosian pantheon that the receiving culture would also rise to prominence, having gained favour with the most powerful gods of the land.

Much information regarding the gods comes from the Era of Heroes, referring to a primitive time when many of the major cultures were still in their beginning phases, or yet to exist. In this period, the gods were well known for meddling in human affairs; choosing champions, posing as unassuming humans, bestowing abilities, etc. In the present era, evidence of their presence is much more restrained, though there are sporadic accounts from individuals who have claimed to meet a god, or other supernatural phenomena.

In the present era, The Duodecos have lost much of their sense of solely being Marosian gods. They are widely accepted in the cultures that have adopted the religion, and are well integrated in society, far from being considered foreign. Temples exist throughout the world, with major temples throughout Maros, Alyra, Lenos, Shoa, southern Harar, and one each in Toh and Istaria.
Guiding Principles:
- There exists a contract between mortals and the divine; if one seeks a favour from the gods, they must offer something of themselves to the gods. Likewise, if one offends the gods, then they must seek to make amends, lest they suffer at the hands of the gods.
- There are twelve major gods, who are the custodians of the realm, however there are other lesser gods and spirits that also exist.
-There are other Elder Gods who are thought to be even more powerful than The Duodecos, they created the world and all its peoples, shortly thereafter, they abandoned it.
- Eratos, Gwendell, Aros and Dylia are the Sacred Quartet. They each rule a season, a cardinal direction and are each patron of one of the four ancestral peoples that birthed the present cultures.
- The ruling god's influence is the greatest on the other gods during the season in which they reign.
- Each member of the Sacred Quartet is supported by two other gods, who are thusly supported by various other lesser gods and spirits.
Holy Texts/Lore: There is no one book containing all the lore of The Duodecos, however there are many different legends pertaining to the gods that are collectively recognized.
<Insert story of how the Sacred Quartet chose the four ancestral peoples who birthed the present cultures>
<Insert story about how the other gods came along later as they grew interested in mortal affairs>
<Insert lots of stories of how The Duodecos involved themselves in various moral affairs "Era of Heroes">
<Insert story how The Duodecos left the mortal plane after balance was distorted and almost led to war among the gods>
Holy Sites:
Altosumos – (The Most Greatest [of Holy Cities]) A day's journey from Maros, the ancient capital of the Marosian Empire, Altosumos is the location of the Temple of Twelve, a grand temple dedicated to all twelve gods of The Duodecos. The city itself developed as a result of the amount of people who came to the temple, and serves as a home for those who support and protect the temple. The temple itself is an architectural wonder, and is well known for its beauty across the land.

Lyrumdyll – Lyrumdyll is quite old, an ancient city built relatively near the marshlands held to be sacred by the Alyrians. The temple was originally built for Dyrrys, however it was later expanded for the Alyrian Sacred Triumvirate including Syr and Arryst. After the adoption of The Duodecos, the temple was further expanded to include all twelve of the gods. The largest of the Spring festivals dedicated to Dylia happen here.

The Duodecos are venerated through temples ranging from monumental temples to small local shrines.
Local shrines are often simple in their design, usually a statue depicting the god or goddess with a single altar and offerings left in front of the statue. Conversely, the temples are often quite massive and imposing, with sweeping arches and solid columns of marble, decorated resplendently and serving not only as a place of worship, but also a place for communal gathering, education, healing, protection, etc. These auxiliary purposes change depending on the god or goddess for whom the temple is dedicated to.

As the religion is incredibly flexible, so is the structure in which one may choose to venerate a god. Temples may be dedicated to one god, a specific quadrant, the Sacred Quartet, or the entire pantheon. Even gods with similar natures, aspects, or bonds may have a temple dedicated to them.
Religious Personnel: The mortal servants of The Duodecos are called Dedicates. They spend their lives dedicated to a single god or goddess, ensuring that the gods are appeased as they maintain the temple and the veneration of the gods. Becoming a dedicate requires an individual to not only dedicate themselves to the service of their god, but they must also take on the unique characteristics and nature of the god. For example, example a Dedicate of Delia is a practitioner of healing magic, and a Dedicate of Eratos is a skilled in weapons combat.
Centre of Influence: Altosumus, Lyrumdyll
Festivals/Ceremonies:
Rite of Initiation – The ceremony acknowledging the transition of an Initiate, a Dedicate in training, as they become fully fledged Dedicates to a particular god. There are 12 different ceremonies for each of the twelve gods.
<insert festivals here>
Symbol: 12-pointed star with the cardinal points slightly extended.

Xomnos, the Shapeless One, stretched beyond the comprehension of all. It is the foundation for many realms; its indefinite snaking coils of untamed potential being perfect for shaping and molding to one's own designs. It is said that Xomnos is around us and within us, making up not only the world around us, but our very bodies. Though despite being regarded as an entity in itself, Xomnos is not quite so, it merely exists. It is a name to which we can ascribe the foundations of which Anem, The First of our Elder Gods, shaped to create our world.

The Elder Gods are creators, beings who exist solely for the creation of infinite realms. We cannot know why or how they do such things, but they always have and always shall. Anem was the First of the Elder Gods; formless, being an entity of pure creative energy, he commanded all air; from the gentlest breaths, to the fiercest gales. He summoned winds to carve out from the void of Xomnos a globe, and had them encircle the sphere unceasingly to hold the mass of ethereal chaos together in an ordered sphere. Let it be known that Anem's powers are omnipotent, but he also knew the price of creation. Had he used all of his being to create his world, he would've been successful, but it would come at the price of his essence, his very being. Nothing would remain.

Thus, when T'ah, The Second of the Elder Gods, came upon the swirling globe, Anem welcomed the kindred spirit to intrude upon his creation. T'ah, ruler of all earth and stone, touched the chaotic mass of void beneath the winds and it hardened into stone and soil. The sphere having been settled, Anem calmed the winds and allowed them to settle about the globe, providing an atmosphere in which he could reside, while T'ah retreated into the earth. They called their home Tahnem as a sign of their friendship and their accomplishment.

Time passed without much change on the world comprised of earth and sky. T'ah was at peace among the rocks of the earth, but Anem was growing restless with his creation. Moreover, he was growing tired of his dull companion; he wanted something more like himself. He wanted movement and life.

Perhaps it was these sentiments which summoned forth Kahrek, The Third of the Elder Gods. He came upon the world of land and sky and sought to add his own gifts to the fledgling world. Kahrek, the master of water, filled the low laying lands and basins with deep oceans and he cracked the earth to form rivers, springs and wells. Essentially, he became the source of all water on Tahmen. As an offering of peace to his co-creators, he shared his gifts with his kindred spirits. Anem could make water fall from the heavens as rain, sleet or snow, and T'ah could bear vegetation of all kinds. No longer was Tahmen a world solely of sky and earth. It was a world filled with plants, rivers, oceans, and a myriad of other wondrous natural phenomena.

Tahnem was a world of great beauty yet, it was shrouded in much darkness. As per his nature, Anem once again grew restless with the state of his world; he wanted all to see what had become of his creation. Unbeknownst to Anem, another world was being formed by an Elder God. Yaris, the Fourth of the Elder Gods and lady of light, had fashioned a world of intense heat and light from Xomnos. However, she found that she faced the same dilemma Anem had, for she did not wish to sacrifice her essence to create a world alone. The brilliance of her world however, had illuminated and warmed Tahnem, and Anem invited Yaris to join them in thanks of bringing light. As an offering of peace, she fashioned a lantern to shine in the night, when her world of fire could not be seen after it had set beyond the horizon.

Nature flourished under the watchful eyes of the four Elder Gods, though once again Anem grew restless. In secret, he stole bits of essence from T'ah and Kahrek and created winged creatures to serve him. Quickly becoming aware of this treachery, T'ah and Kahreks did likewise, creating creatures of the earth and water. A great war erupted between the three Elder Gods, angry at pieces of their essence being stolen to create subjects. Winds stirred up the oceans, the waves crashed upon he earth, and plumes of dust rose into the heavens. Through their violence they fashioned deserts, mountains, and inland seas. Had Yaris not stepped in to cease the fighting, the beautiful world would have been destroyed. Wisely, she proposed a new creation that would serve each of them equally, for they would each give equally to create it.

T'ah drew flesh from the earth, so that it would return to it once life had departed. Kahrek filled the flesh with waters, so that blood would flow as all life does. Anem filled the bodies with air, so that life could breathe in the atmosphere that he had created. Lastly, Yaris gave the bodies a spark of her light, so that life could be experienced to the fullest; governed by a heart, a mind, and a soul. Thus, the first humans were created.

Their newest creation however came at a great price. Anem, T'ah and Kahrek, having expended much of their essence in their war, were all but whispers of existence; their voices had been silenced, leaving solely the whispers in the wind, the ripples of the water, and the rumblings of the earth. Thus, Yaris was left alone to watch over Tahnem. Alone, she realised that the Era of the Elder Gods had come to its end. They had tried to avoid their demise through working together, and yet through greed, anger, and sacrifice, it had found them. Accepting her fate, she used the last of her energy to fashion millions of tiny lanterns into the heavens above, becoming silenced herself, leaving solely the cracklings in the flames. Thus, Tahnem was left godless until the arrival of the Sacred Quartet.