The Gods of Rodozem
Perun
Just as the crackling bolts of lightning amidst a raging thunderstorm are the manifestation of the untamable power of nature, so too is Perun the very embodiment of raw energy and devotion. Gods and celestials pledged their loyalty, love and respect to Perun, crowning him King of the Gods—most of them, at least.
Perun is a warrior, leader, father and brother; he is the judge, the jury and his word is the law. Perun is also the consort of Earth Mother Mokesha, the Great Seer of fate. Together, they unify the heavenly planes and perpetuate existence in harmony.
Svarog
Svarog is the lord of the element of fire, the creator and architect of the planes of existence, and the god of craftsmanship and the forge. Clerics and priests of Svarog preach of his renowned power of Creation and how his might binds the heat of the heavenly fire into his divine forge.
Every self-respecting craftsman and forge master pays homage to the Bright Smith. Svarog is also the consort of Lada, goddess of the divine element of water, union and love. Together, they have two beautiful children; Morana, goddess of winter and death, and Dazhbog, lord of the sun.
Lada
Associated with love, beauty, and the holy vows of marriage, Lada presides over all things lovely and artistic. She governs the divine element of water, for every creature needs water to survive, just as they need care and love to sustain a healthy life. Her powers are unmatched and her charms are irresistible, but her heart and love are sworn to the Bright Smith.
Lada’s clerics channel her powerful charms to sway wretched minds away from dark deeds and cleanse them with her holy waters. Performers, artists, sculptors, designers, and charismatic leaders look to the Fair Maiden as their muse and motivation.
Devana
Lady Devana, known as the Mother of Beasts, represents the wholeness of nature, the hunt, the wilderness, and the creatures that roam the wilds. Her domain stretches through all planes of existence where common folk rarely venture. Even though she presides over all things wild—coral reefs as much as trees, deserts as much as mountains and tundras—mortals often think of her as the personification of brushwood and beasts.
Devana doesn’t have dedicated priests like most deities, simply those who follow her tenets. Often her worshippers are loggers, shepherds, hunters, rangers, druids, and any who dwell in her wild domain.
Radigost
Radigost is known as the keeper of traditions, knowledge, and hospitality. Among Radigost’s many qualities and duties, he holds the role of trusted advisor and friend to the King of Gods, Perun. The Wise Counsel is a thinker first and foremost, but his holy axe is as sharp as his mind, and he is revered by strategists and generals who rely on intelligence rather than brute force to win battles. The Storyteller’s followers are often bards, monks, scribes, wizards, teachers, commanders, and inventors.
Morana
Morana is just, stern, unyielding, and unmoved by prayer or sacrifice, but by the merit of a soul - a deity to govern the realm of the Dead and claim the eternal responsibility that comes with it. Her priests teach that death comes to all one way or another and that Morana vigilantly guards each soul that passes through her frozen plane on its path into the Great Cycle.
The Frozen Maiden’s followers see undeath as an offence to the Great Cycle and believe in the preservation of natural transition. Some believe that winter’s snow and ice come as a gift by the Frozen Maiden to lay to final rest those who died but have not been cared for.
Dazhbog
Dazhbog is associated with the sun, which was gifted to him at birth to symbolise the starry brightness of his new existence. He represents the dawning opportunity for greatness each day. The Vanquisher of Darkness is revered for his ability to bend the heavenly element of fire - though unlike his father Svarog, who utilises it to create, Dazhbog harnesses fire to fight. The valiant, brave, and bold Champion of the Gods presides over the heavenly armies as commander of the celestial vanguard.
Chernobog
Once upon a time, Chernobog’s malice was weak and spread too widely through the Sea of Chaos. However, when order was given to the world and all primal elements separated from each other, Chernobog’s essence of entropy concentrated into a singular entity of degeneration, disorder, chaos and corruption. The Lord of Darkness has a simple ethos: return existence to its primal state, how it was before its divine order.
Many sages argue how this immaterial and formless being influences the material world at all. But no matter the method, one thing is certain: from the deepest pits to the highest celestial halls, the Whispering Shadow spreads its maddening corruption. Each shadow or evil deed is a glimpse into Chernobog’s darkness, and mortal minds shatter when the Lord of Darkness whispers.