Dead Gods

The Dead Gods are the collection of hundreds of gods that used to live in the upper planes, but have all since been killed at the Godscar during the War of the Fallen Angel. Memories of them have faded over the years, with specific names and domains of the gods being lost to all but some of the oldest of races. Instead, people who still worship the Dead Gods believe that their spirits still reside in the material plane, inhabiting things such as trees, mountains, oceans, lakes, or even a family heirloom. They worship the collective spirits of the Dead Gods, expecting nothing in return for their prayers, holding on to their worship of them out of tradition and respect for their sacrifice for the mortals. There is no proper way to pray or worship the Dead Gods, the people make their own traditions and ways of showing their devotion. Before a battle, a warrior may pay respects to a mighty oak tree, hoping to be as strong and mighty during battle, for they believe the oak trees must be strong because the soul of a Dead God inhabits it. A popular belief for those that worship the Dead Gods is “Even the gods die, so must I”, a phrase that can be used in many situations, often muttered before a difficult battle to remind themselves that no matter what, eventually everyone dies.

The Dead Gods are highly respected by most, even if they don’t worship them anymore. Before they all died, the gods used to walk the material plane to party and spar with the mortals, often teaching the mortals magic and other valuable skills. The gods saw the mortals kind of as children, and worked to guide them to prosperity without direct interference or control over them. The gods weren’t all powerful, they were basically just extremely powerful beings that lived in the upper planes. They did their best to help the mortals, but didn’t really directly interfere in wars or battles between the mortals as they didn’t want to take sides, and besides the gods had their own politics and battles to deal with in the upper planes.

Although many of the temples to the Dead Gods have been lost to time and neglect, some still remain. Most are hidden away, far out of the reaches of society. One thing all the remaining temples have in common are the Gods' Wells. The Gods’ Wells are pools of water, varying in size and depth depending on the temple, that contain a burgundy viscous liquid. The liquid was a drink of the gods, put in each temple by the gods themselves so they had something to drink wherever and whenever they went to the material plane. It is a form of alcohol for the gods, so strong that it will kill any mortal who drinks enough of it. Priests in the old days were taught by the gods to purify it for mortal consumption, as it had tremendous healing properties for mortals, but the information has been mostly lost to time as popularity for the Dead Gods has dwindled.

It is common amongst the old races, such as elves, to worship the Dead Gods, as many of them are only a few generations away from when they were alive, however many have adopted the Three Faced God.