I shall begin with that most widely known of Goddesses, Anastasia, bringer of death and destruction, she who takes the corpses of good and evil, sentient and non, to her cold and heartless embrace at the termination of their existence in the mortal sphere. She is feared widely by all sapient beings, though I am not certain if this is more due to her actual inclination or to the fact that throughout history, the living have always feared and shunned the dead and the unknown, both of which Anastasia embraces. I believe the tales of evil springing from her loins and from her heart to be a gross exaggeration, and find nothing about her to fear; in fact, she seems rather meek in comparison to the legends about her and her actions. Her followers, however, may be feared for their zealous devotion to the ideas that Anastasia embodies, including destruction and death, and though I cannot confirm this, it is rumored that they sometimes engage in the sacrifice of sapient beings during times that there are not enough deaths and corpses from wars or other forms of battle to satisfy their goddess.

To directly contrast to this last entity, I shall now discuss Dannika, that purest and most loving goddess of peace and goodwill. She is rumored to have a radiant smile, and her mere gaze is said to confer healing and feelings of well-being, though I believe these to be the exaggerations of individuals in the throes of a spiritual awakening. Her statues can be found in gardens, places of healing, and in homes, as well as in her most lovely and serene temples, which are generally regarded as neutral sanctuaries from fighting and strife, where all are welcomed equally, and where it is said that the goddess herself can cause a cease to all aggressions. It is important to distinguish the true disciples of Dannika from those who merely follow her teachings or display her image in their halls and gardens; many lay healers, including Lirrin of Eristan, are not true disciples, but follow the principles of Dannika's path, which separates them from those whose primary concern is not healing but the goddess herself. Healers who are not true disciples may be every bit as adept at the healing arts as a true follower, but it is rumored that they occasionally engage in resurrections when the corpse does not belong to the one whose soul is being saved, and without the permission of the previous owner of the body, and it is well known that many lay healers are not pacifists; though most do take an oath to avoid instigating fights, many will not back down when confronted, and indeed may prove to be highly skilled mages or fighters, which often surprises their would-be assassins.

The next god I shall examine is he whose whims are said to decide the direction of the world, who usually is known by the name of Sulamar, God of Fate, by whose direction the mortal sphere is directed this way or that, and whose name is often invoked when circumstances are such that mortals cannot control the outcome, thereby placing the situation under the will of Sulamar. He is said to be a fickle god, favoring people one minute then dashing their hopes and dreams the next, raising the lowly to the highest stations of life, bringing the mighty to their knees, and never appearing to have a purpose or reason for these actions, instead playing the cosmic game in some unfathomable fashion not given to mortals to understand. Followers of this god seem to be noticeably apathetic towards many things in life, being that their god can give or take away with equal ease, they may find it useless to strive for material goods or power, taking instead what fate gives them with thanks, but rarely complaining when their life takes a direction which is less than desirable, claiming all the while that Sulamar's will be done in the end, inescapably, and they may laugh at the idea that mortal beings have any control over the direction of their own lives.

Though often confused with Anastasia, the next god, Tannorat'h, Commander of Aggression, actually operates within a different sphere of influence, having control over battles, fighting, aggression, and hatred, whereas the goddess has charge of the actual destruction and of bringing the dead back to her icy bosom. It is said that Tannorat'h has unions with Anastasia, which would be logical as they both reign over areas of dark. The followers of Tannorat'h tend to be notable warriors, though they may lack the patience, self-discipline, and control needed to become truly exceptional soldiers or masters of any particular weapon or combat style, as they tend to be hotheaded and fight without thinking or reason, preferring to spill blood, argue and fight over most any other form of entertainment. As a result, they may or may not live long, as they often invoke the wrath of townspeople and disciplined soldiers alike, causing them to be hunted down or exiled from towns frequently, though if they are strong and cunning, they may be able to survive long enough to become skilled and able to take on most opponents, and it is reasonable that because of this, they are often greatly feared. Though the followers of gentle Dannika loathe these disciples of aggression, it is said that they will take even these violent souls into their glorious temples for healing and even resurrection, though it is rumored that the fair lady's powers are greater in her own dominions than are those of the scowling god, and that Aggression may not enter her temple; therefore, if followers of Tannorat'h opt to have their healing done by a disciple of the Peaceful One, or if they are taken there by a well intentioned samaritan, it is possible that they will be removed from the influence of the god of aggression, and may even experience a spiritual rebirth as a result, and though I cannot confirm the rumor, it is said that at least one previous follower of Tannorat'h became a Healer for Dannika, never daring to leave the cloister of the temple, lest the angry god take back what was originally his.

Born of the fires of the Creator's forge, Mahasa is the goddess of Passion, her domain being those things that mortals consider passionate, and also those things that mortals may not realize are under her influence, as she is a goddess of emotional extremes, lust and loathing, joy and despair, love and hate. Her followers may become brothel or laviarie workers, thieves, artists of high caliber, performers, vagabonds, or any number of other occupations which have in common the love of life and the need for sheer emotional highs and lows, as they are said to feel that it is better to "burn out than to fade away" as one obscure saying has it. Extremists may become emotionally unbalanced, raging through the streets, engaging in lustful carnal orgies, living only for their next emotional fix, or they may find themselves in positions over other mortals' lives, in which case they may use others for their own enjoyment, caring more about the experience and the fire of the moment than anything.

The last god, though certainly not the least, lest I offend someone, who I shall examine in this paper is Martin, god of Life, who it is said was born of heat, water, and the pride of creation. Because it is he who reigns over the living more generally than any other, it is logical that many who believe at all are followers of this god, revering life, though it is not true that Martin's followers will never take a life; they understand that death and sacrifice are a part of the lot of the living, and will do what they feel is necessary. His disciples are from all walks of life, all races, and all places, though they often share a love of people, animals, and plants, and may indeed be excellent animal husbanders or gardeners, cooks or counselors.

So I draw to a close this paper, which I hope has given some insight into the workings of some of the major gods and their followers, though it be far from exhaustive, and though it may possibly be inaccurate in places, even with my attempts to research extensively my subjects. My next treatise shall be on the lost Temple of Dannika, which is said to be in the jungles somewhere to the north or to the east, though I am not sure I believe it exists, and which is rumored to have dark forces abiding near, which I of course will expose as mere superstition, as the fair lady is powerful and would never allow evil near her places of worship. May the gods and goddess bless you in your travels through the mortal sphere.