Greyhawk Faiths Part 1: The Aetherics

Warning: This content is heavily based on Greyhawk Canon but it is different and is a draft version used in The Grey League Podcasts.

Updated: 3 March 2024

Greyhawk gods impression

Step into the tumultuous realm of Oerth, where creation and chaos collide in a cosmic struggle. At its heart lay The Aetherics—seven divine beings wielding immense power over existence. In this draft of Oerth's genesis, the stage is set for an epic saga where gods and mortals collide, shaping the destiny of all. Join us as we uncover the mysteries of the Elder God Tharizdun and the Aetherics, delving into a rich and vibrant universe.

The Aetherics

“Light must be snuffed, perfection decayed, order dissolved, and minds fragmented.” – Tharizdun creed

There existed a dark and sinister entity, an icy cold embodiment of chaos that was utterly malevolent, wreaking havoc upon anything it approached and bringing with it eternal decay. This inexplicable entity sowed chaos, darkness, and death across any prime material plane it encountered. In the outer planes it eventually rallied primordial titans against the gods, in a bid for universal domination. In its wake, drifted a sea of deceased deities. This entity is, to this very day, known and whispered about in the darkest of corners or chronicled on decaying papyrus scrolls as Tharizdun.

The harbinger of destruction was drawn to its opposite, a goddess of essence and existence, the youthful goddess Beory, who was still evolving into something beautiful—a globe of fertile material, poised to give birth to life itself. Darkness descended, poised to engulf her entirely; on the brink of death, she released a final lament, a song of such sorrow that it echoed throughout the multiverse. But the song arrived too late; the overwhelming darkness surrounded her, drowning out the song's potent notes.

Yet, it managed to reach and rouse the lord of time—Lendor—who, moved by her song, utilized his power to rewind the grand wheel of time to a moment just before Tharizdun enshrouded Beory in darkness. Subsequently, Lendor carried her song across the multiverse to Pelor, the great sun lord, who rushed to Beory’s aid. His radiant power banished Tharizdun just far enough for him to revive the goddess. The union of Pelor and Beory gave rise to three offspring: Berei, Rao, and Allithur.

In Pelor's shadow however, lurked his brother Nerull, who was guided to the modest realm Beory had become. He was guided here by the cunning whispers of Tharizdun. Nerull contested Pelor for Beory's affection; cold and envious, he resorted to any means to secure Beory as a consort. Through deceit, he fathered two daughters with Beory, Celene (the handmaiden) and Luna (The Great Moon), both remaining close to their mother, illuminating the darkest hours as the twin moons of Oerth.

The planet Beory had transformed into a vast, verdant world teeming with forest life, where everything flourished to its fullest potential. However, she had grown weary of the quarrelling brothers and dismissed them both. From her own essence, she birthed one final child, her favourite, Obad-hai, who would care for the myriad animals, insects and plants that had begun to appear. The benevolent Pelor would shower his kindness upon Beory, ensuring the continued growth of all under his radience, while Obad-hai tended to the needs of fauna and flora, facilitating their reproduction. Nerull, in turn, would claim the souls of the departed as they aged or perished. The cycle of life and death appeared balanced, and a tranquility settled over Oerth, a calm preceding an impending storm.

The tempestuous Storm Lord Procan traversed the ethereal waves and beheld Beory's realm of earth and foliage. A deity of oceanic storms, winds, waves, and sea life, he recognized a great opportunity and struck a pact with Beory. He would flood vast expanses, submerging them in salty waters, thus bringing about great destruction, but in return, he promised Beory a proliferation of life beyond her wildest dreams. The oceans and seas would teem with new forms of life, yet unseen by her, and Beory consented to the arrangement.

Meanwhile, two other formidable deities had been observing — one, Lady Istus, observed the intricate weave of fate as it navigated the myriad possibilities of this universe. The other, the indifferent Boccob, questioned whether this universe merited even a moment of his attention. However, their inconspicuous presence was about to change as Tharizdun, a pitch-black, swirling, shapeless mass, drew ever closer again, intoning:

"The very threads of existence must be torn asunder, then burned, then the ashes scattered, until all is nothing and no one exists to remember existence."

Witnessing the unravelling of the weave, Istus realized that without the weave of fates, she would cease to exist, prompting her to join the others in an attempt to banish Tharizdun. It was Boccob who stepped out of his realm to illuminated the path, devising a god trap of such intricacy that it could vanquish the dark entity, provided the seven gods (The Aetherics) concentrated their might to defeat it. Additionally, Boccob created a colossal magical planetary ring around Beory as an added layer of defence, though it had an "unexpected" consequence of infusing the world with magic (more on that later).

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Notes:

This first part of the creation of the Oerth and the pantheons is a work in progress, a draft version. I am sharing this to open up conversation and hear your thoughts. I like that Lendor, Procan and Istus are included from the very start, belonging to the first gods. Although these seven gods can be worshipped and have temples, they have greater matters to attend to. Only the radiant father Pelorhas actively spread far and wide, standing guardian against the dark entity, with temples in all corners of the world, for he knows Tharizdun will rear its ugly head again.

The Elder God: Tharizdun

The Aetherics: Beory, Lendor, Pelor, Nerull, Procan, Istus and Boccob

Next: Greyhawk Faiths Part 2: The Celestial children