The Divine Presence

The Divine Presence, known by many names and many forms across Taelgar, is the manifestation of the divine energy of creation and destruction, the ultimate source of all Divine magic and the creator of the multiverse. The theological truth of the nature of the Divine Presence, whether it is a single entity or more than one, and how it came to be, is much debated.

All religious traditions on Taelgar agree that the Divine Presence, or Presences, are the supreme Divinities in the multiverse, the over-gods, the source of nearly all else. These beings do not depend on belief for their existence, and are almost always perceived as distant over-gods, who do not grant miracles or meddle in the affairs of the material world, at least not directly.

Northern Folk Religions

The Northern Folk Religions tend to interpret the Divine Presence as a single creator deity, and believe this creator deity is the source of divine magic, and the divinity to which the small gods bring their prayers.

The Deno’qai speak of Anida, called the “the First and the Last”, the creator deity and the source of the tanshi’s magic and power.

In the Kestavo tradition, one creator god is acknowledged, known as Ako. The small gods, the Kestavo, carry the prayers of their communities to Ako, who grants blessings. It is from Ako that the power of the Kestavo flow to their worshippers.

Human Pantheonic Traditions

In many pantheonic traditions among humans, the Divine Presence is believed to represent a duality: birth and death, creation and destruction.

In the Mos Numena tradition, these Divinities are known as Arha (sometimes Arhat) and Malik. Arha is believed to be one half of the duality of the True Divinity, the force of creation, balanced by Malik, the force of destruction.

In the Dunmari Tradition, the creator gods are known as Sampa, the Earth Father, associated with death and endings, and Shurat, the Sky Mother, associated with birth and beginnings. Neither are directly worshipped; they are seen as distant and uninvolved in the world, having gifted it to their children and moved on.